Importance

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Abstract

A stent crimper is provided for loading a stent onto a catheter in order to provide a stenting assembly that is suitable for use in procedures in conjunction with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty catheters. The crimper has a stent holding member or sheath which supports the stent by its exterior surface so that a balloon of a catheter can be slid within the stent. An elongated wrapping member or belt winds around the sheath. By properly manipulating the belt, the belt applies generally cylindrical radially directed forces onto the sheath and thus onto the stent within the sheath, as well as the balloon beneath the stent, in order to crimp the stent onto the balloon. A procedure is also illustrated by which a stent is crimped onto the balloon by a hand-held crimper which can be discarded after stent delivery and crimping has been completed.

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First Claim