Importance

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Abstract

A catheter (4) includes a hollow catheter shaft (18), an inflatable balloon (36) surrounding the catheter shaft distal portion, and an expandable endoluminal prosthesis, such as a stent graft (38, 40), surrounding the balloon. The stent is typically a coiled stent having distal ends (58, 48) slidably housed within stent end holders (56, 50) on the catheter shaft. The first stent end is released from its holder by inflating the balloon. The second stent end is selectively released from its holder by other than inflating the balloon, typically by a push wire (30) pushing the second stent end out of its holder. A sheath (8) is moveable between a first position surrounding the stent and a second position spaced-apart from the stent. The stent is prevented from assuming its expanded-diameter state by (1) the engagement of the stent ends with the catheter shaft through the stent end holders, and (2) the sheath being in its first position during the introducing step. The stent may be a straight stent (3 8) or a bifurcated stent (38D).

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First Claim