Stent delivery system and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

Stent delivery system and method of manufacturing same. The stent delivery system comprises an inner catheter with an enlarged tip disposed at the distal end thereof. A stent engaging sleeve coaxially surrounds and is secured to a portion of the inner catheter proximally contiguous to the tip. The stent engaging sleeve is used to frictionally engage a stent mounted thereover in such a way as to prevent the stent, during deployment, from sliding proximally relative to the inner catheter. The system additionally comprises a self-expandable stent of the type comprising a knitted mesh of nitinol wire flexible in both the radial and longitudinal axes. The stent is mounted over the stent engaging sleeve in a longitudinally stretched state. The system also includes an outer catheter surrounding the stent and stent engaging sleeve, the outer catheter being adapted for axial movement relative to the inner catheter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stent delivery system, comprising:
 an outer elongate shaft having a lumen;   an inner elongate shaft extending through the lumen of the outer elongate shaft;   a stent engaging sleeve surrounding a distal region of the inner elongate shaft; and   a self-expandable stent surrounding the stent engaging sleeve and positioned within the lumen of the outer elongate shaft in a compressed state, the self-expandable stent including a wire mesh;   wherein the wire mesh of the self-expandable stent is embedded into the stent engaging sleeve in the compressed state.   
     
     
         2 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the stent engaging sleeve is formed of a soft, compressible material. 
     
     
         3 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the stent engaging sleeve is formed of a soft, compressible silicone material. 
     
     
         4 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer elongate shaft is configured to longitudinal slide relative to the inner elongate member to deploy the self-expandable stent. 
     
     
         5 . The stent delivery system of  claim 4 , wherein the stent engaging sleeve prevents relative longitudinal sliding movement between the self-expandable stent and the inner elongate shaft during deployment of the self-expandable stent. 
     
     
         6 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the stent engaging sleeve extends from a proximal end of the self-expandable stent to a distal end of the self-expandable stent. 
     
     
         7 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the self-expandable stent is longitudinally stretched in the compressed state. 
     
     
         8 . The stent delivery system of  claim 7 , wherein in the compressed state the self-expandable stent has a diameter of 5 to 6 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The stent delivery system of  claim 8 , wherein the self-expandable stent is expandable to an expanded state, wherein the self-expandable stent has a diameter of 18 to 20 mm in the expanded state. 
     
     
         10 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , further comprising an outer sleeve surrounding the self-expandable stent. 
     
     
         11 . The stent delivery system of  claim 10 , wherein the outer sleeve is a braided tube. 
     
     
         12 . The stent delivery system of  claim 10 , wherein the outer sleeve is secured to the outer elongate shaft. 
     
     
         13 . The stent delivery system of  claim 10 , wherein a distal end of the outer sleeve is secured to a distal end of the outer elongate shaft with an adhesive. 
     
     
         14 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer elongate shaft includes a longitudinal slit extending proximally from a distal end of the outer elongate shaft. 
     
     
         15 . A stent delivery system, comprising:
 an outer elongate shaft having a lumen extending therethrough;   an inner elongate shaft extending through the lumen of the outer elongate shaft, the inner elongate shaft including an enlarged distal tip positioned distal of a distal end of the outer elongate shaft;   a stent engaging sleeve surrounding a distal region of the inner elongate shaft proximal of the enlarged distal tip, the stent engaging sleeve formed of a soft, compressible material; and   a self-expandable stent surrounding the stent engaging sleeve and positioned within the lumen of the outer elongate shaft in a compressed state, the self-expandable stent including a knitted wire mesh;   wherein the knitted wire mesh of the self-expandable stent is embedded into the stent engaging sleeve in the compressed state.   
     
     
         16 . The stent delivery system of  claim 15 , wherein the knitted wire mesh is longitudinally stretched in the compressed state. 
     
     
         17 . The stent delivery system of  claim 15 , wherein the outer elongate shaft is configured to longitudinal slide relative to the inner elongate member to deploy the self-expandable stent, and wherein the stent engaging sleeve prevents relative longitudinal sliding movement between the self-expandable stent and the inner elongate shaft during deployment of the self-expandable stent. 
     
     
         18 . The stent delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the stent engaging sleeve extends from a proximal end of the self-expandable stent to a distal end of the self-expandable stent. 
     
     
         19 . The stent delivery system of  claim 18 , wherein a distal end of the stent engaging sleeve is positioned adjacent to the enlarged distal tip. 
     
     
         20 . The stent delivery system of  claim 15 , further comprising an outer sleeve surrounding the self-expandable stent to retain the self-expandable stent in the compressed state.