Stent for intraluminal grafts and device and methods for delivering and assembling same

Claim 1

A stent graft device for insertion into a lumen by an insertion catheter comprising: an expandable stent having multiple recurring sections, a graft secured to said stent, a band for preventing the stent and the graft from expanding, a release means for severing the band to allow the stent and the graft to expand, means for retaining the stent and the graft in a set position while removing the stent and graft from an insertion catheter, said retaining means including a) a fork shaped means in a form of a letter V for engaging the stent, b) receiving means on the stent having a shape of an eye opening of a sewing needle for receiving the fork shaped means, and c) a fork control means for retaining and moving the forks by manipulation of a wire attached to the fork shaped means with said wire extending out from both ends of the insertion catheter, means for securing the multiple recurring sections of the stent to each other, means for retaining an outer surface of the graft substantially in one plane as the insertion catheter is removed from the stent and the graft, and means for holding a front portion of the graft from folding back upon itself during deployment from the insertion catheter.