Implant introducer with helical trigger wire

Abstract

A delivery device for deploying an expandable, endoluminal prosthesis within a body vessel is disclosed. The delivery device may include one or more stent graft retention scaffolds having a plurality of arches, each arch encompassing an aperture forming a helical path and a trigger wire passing through at least two of the apertures following the helical path, wherein at least a portion of the stent graft is retained in a compressed configuration on the delivery device by the retention scaffold and trigger wire.

1 . An endovascular delivery device, comprising:
 a central catheter;   a stent graft circumferentially located about a portion of the central catheter, the stent graft comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible material with a lumen therethrough;   a retention scaffold comprising a plurality of arches, each arch encompassing an aperture forming a helical path, wherein the arches are selected from: a plurality of lateral struts having loops encircling the central catheter, a plurality of cleats on a cylinder sleeve, or a plurality of brackets on a cylindrical sleeve;   a trigger wire passing through at least two of the apertures following the helical path, wherein at least a portion of the stent graft is retained in a compressed configuration on the delivery device by the retention scaffold and the trigger wire.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the stent graft comprises stent struts comprising openings and forming gaps between adjacent stent struts. 
     
     
         4 . The delivery device of  claim 3 , wherein the arches extend through stent strut openings. 
     
     
         5 . The delivery device of  claim 3 , wherein the arches extend through stent strut gaps. 
     
     
         6 . The delivery device of  claim 3 , wherein the arches extend through stent strut openings and stent strut gaps. 
     
     
         7 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the arches are located circumferentially about the central catheter. 
     
     
         8 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the arches are helically located about the central catheter. 
     
     
         9 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the retention scaffold is integral with the central catheter. 
     
     
         10 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the retention scaffold is located circumferentially on the central catheter. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein each arch is formed from a lateral strut having first and second ends, each of the ends forming the loops that encircle the central catheter. 
     
     
         13 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the retention scaffold comprises the cylindrical sleeve having a plurality of slots filled with the plurality of cleats. 
     
     
         14 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the retention scaffold comprises the cylindrical sleeve having a plurality of brackets radially mounted about the cylindrical sleeve. 
     
     
         15 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the device uses a single trigger wire for proximal, intermediate, and distal deployment of the stent graft. 
     
     
         22 . A method of preparing a stent graft for deployment in a patient, comprising:
 providing a central catheter;   providing a stent graft circumferentially located about a portion of the central catheter, the stent graft comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible material with a lumen therethrough;   providing a retention scaffold comprising a plurality of arches, each arch encompassing an aperture forming a helical path, wherein the arches are selected from: a plurality of lateral struts having loops encircling the central catheter, a plurality of cleats on a cylindrical sleeve, or a plurality of brackets on a cylindrical sleeve;   providing a trigger wire passing through at least two of the apertures following the helical path, wherein at least a portion of the stent graft is retained in a compressed configuration on the delivery device by the retention scaffold and the trigger wire.   
     
     
         23 . A method deploying a stent graft in a patient, comprising:
 providing a central catheter;   providing a stent graft circumferentially located about a portion of the central catheter, the stent graft comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible material with a lumen therethrough;   providing a retention scaffold comprising a plurality of arches, each arch encompassing an aperture forming a helical path, wherein the arches are selected from: a plurality of lateral struts having loops encircling the central catheter, a plurality of cleats on a cylindrical sleeve, or a plurality of brackets on a cylindrical sleeve;   providing a trigger wire passing through at least two of the apertures following the helical path, wherein at least a portion of the stent graft is retained in a compressed configuration on the delivery device by the retention scaffold and the trigger wire;   removing the trigger wire from the retention scaffold.