Rapid exchange self-expanding stent delivery catheter system

Claim 1

A self expanding stent deployment system having a rapid exchange configuration, comprising: a catheter system having proximal and distal ends, with an elongated flexible shaft having proximal and distal shaft sections, and a self-expanding tubular stent mounted about the shaft near the shaft distal end; the distal shaft section having a tubular inner body defining a guidewire lumen, a tubular outer body surrounding a portion of the inner body, a tubular stent cartridge affixed to a distal end of the outer body, and a flexible tapered tip affixed to a distal end of the inner body; wherein the stent cartridge surrounds and compresses the self-expanding stent during a first initial configuration, in which a distal end of the stent cartridge touches the tapered tip; wherein the guidewire lumen extends from a distal guidewire port defined by the tapered tip to an inner proximal guidewire port defined at the proximal end of the inner body; the proximal shaft section having a proximal shaft tube with a proximal end affixed to a first proximal hub, and a stabilizing wire extending through the proximal shaft tube and having a proximal end affixed to a second proximal hub; wherein the first and second hubs are separated by a predetermined distance during the initial configuration; a transition joining the proximal and distal shaft sections, having a proximal end affixed to a distal end of the proximal shaft tube, and having a distal end affixed to a proximal end of the distal outer body; an outer proximal guidewire port defined by an interface between the proximal end of the transition tube and a distal end of the proximal shaft tube; wherein a distal end of the stabilizing wire is affixed to a proximal end of the inner body; the catheter system having a second deployed configuration, in which the first hub is selectively pulled back in the proximal direction toward the second hub; such that the proximal shaft tube, the transition tube, the outer body, and the stent cartridge are all successively pulled back in the proximal direction, to fully uncover and release the self-expanding stent; wherein during the initial configuration, some portion of the lengths of the proximal shaft tube and the distal inner body overlap; wherein during both the initial and deployed configurations, the outer proximal guidewire port is proximal from the proximal end of the inner body; such that guidewire lumen defines a distal size, and the guidewire lumen size is constant or expanding when measured in the proximal direction throughout its length to the outer proximal guidewire port; thereby facilitating back-loading of the guidewire into the distal guidewire port and out through the inner and outer guidewire ports.