Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A catheter for delivering a prosthesis to a target treatment site comprises an inner shaft and an expansion member coupled to the inner shaft. A plurality of radially expandable prosthetic segments are positionable over the expansion member and they are releasably interlocked with one another while unexpanded. Adjacent pairs of prosthetic segments may decouple from one another upon radial expansion of the distal prosthetic segment in the adjacent pair while the proximal segment in the pair remains at least partially unexpanded. The catheter also includes an outer sheath that is axially movable and positionable at least partially over the prosthetic segments to constrain expansion of a selectable number of segments. A segment mover is coupled to at least one of the prosthetic segments and is axially movable so as to retract one or more of the segments when the one or more prosthetic segments are unexpanded.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim