Hoop stent

Claim 1

A method of treating a body lumen, said method comprising: providing a guiding catheter having at least one lumen; providing a delivery catheter, said delivery catheter having a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen within the delivery catheter, the delivery catheter having a first aperture near the distal end and a second aperture proximal to the distal end, said delivery catheter further having a sliding ring slidably mounted on the proximal end of the delivery catheter; providing a stent, comprising a plurality of hoops connected by radially opposing struts, said stent having an unconstrained diameter and a longitudinally stretched diameter wherein said longitudinally stretched diameter is smaller than the unconstrained diameter, and mounting the stent upon the delivery catheter in the longitudinally stretched condition; providing a first retainer, located within said at least one lumen of the delivery catheter and extending out the first aperture, for securing the stent to the delivery catheter; providing a second retainer, located within said at least one lumen in the delivery catheter and extending out the second aperture, for securing the stent to the delivery catheter, said second retainer secured to the sliding ring; inserting the guiding catheter into the body lumen to be treated; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the lumen of the guiding catheter; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the body lumen to be treated; sliding the sliding ring distally along the delivery catheter and allowing the stent to take on its unconstrained diameter; operating the first retainer to release the stent; cutting the second retainer; removing the first retainer and second retainer; and removing the guide catheter and delivery catheter.

Claim 2

A method of treating a body lumen, said method comprising: providing a guiding catheter having at least one lumen; providing a delivery catheter, said delivery catheter having a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen within the delivery catheter, the delivery catheter having a first aperture near the distal end and a second aperture proximal to the distal end, said delivery catheter further having a sliding ring slidably mounted on the proximal end of the delivery catheter; providing a stent, comprising a plurality of hoops connected by radially opposing struts, said stent having an unconstrained diameter and a longitudinally stretched diameter wherein said longitudinally stretched diameter is smaller than the unconstrained diameter, and mounting the stent upon the delivery catheter in the longitudinally stretched condition; providing a first retainer, located within said at least one lumen of the delivery catheter and extending out the first aperture, for securing the stent to the delivery catheter; providing a second retainer, located within said at least one lumen in the delivery catheter and extending out the second aperture, for securing the stent to the delivery catheter, said second retainer secured to the sliding ring; inserting the guiding catheter into the body lumen to be treated; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the lumen of the guiding catheter; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the body lumen to be treated; sliding the sliding ring distally along the delivery catheter and allowing the stent to take on its unconstrained diameter; operating the first retainer to release the stent; cutting the second retainer; removing the first retainer and second retainer; and removing the guide catheter and delivery catheter.

Claim 3

A method of treating a body lumen, said method comprising: providing a guiding catheter having at least one lumen; providing a delivery catheter, said delivery catheter having at least one lumen within the delivery catheter, said delivery catheter having at least one retaining clip side aperture near a distal end of the stent and at least one retaining loop side aperture near a proximal end of the stent, said delivery catheter further having a sliding ring slidably mounted on the proximal end of the delivery catheter; providing a stent, comprising a plurality of hoops connected by struts, said stent further characterized by an unconstrained diameter and a longitudinally stretched diameter and the longitudinally stretched diameter is smaller than the unconstrained diameter, said stent mounted upon the delivery catheter in the longitudinally stretched diameter and secured to the delivery catheter by the retaining loop and retaining clip; providing a retaining loop extending from the proximal end of the delivery catheter, through a lumen in the delivery catheter and out the retaining loop side aperture and engaging the stent to secure said stent to the delivery catheter; providing a retaining clip extending from a lumen in the delivery catheter and out the retaining clip side aperture and engaging the stent to secure it to the delivery catheter, said retaining clip being operably connected to a wire in the lumen of the delivery catheter, where said wire extends to the proximal end of the delivery catheter; inserting the guiding catheter into the body lumen to be treated; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the lumen of the guiding catheter; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the body lumen to be treated; sliding the sliding ring distally along the delivery catheter and allowing the stent to take on its unconstrained diameter; releasing the stent from the delivery catheter by withdrawing the retaining clip from engagement with the stent and severing the retaining loop to release the stent from retention by the retaining loop, whereupon the stent may expand to its unconstrained diameter; removing the ret raining clip and retaining loop; and removing the guide catheter and delivery catheter.

Claim 4

A method of treating a body lumen, said method comprising: providing a guiding catheter having at least one lumen; providing a delivery catheter, said delivery catheter having at least one lumen within the delivery catheter, said delivery catheter having at least one retaining clip side aperture near a distal end of the stent and at least one retaining loop side aperture near a proximal end of the stent, said delivery catheter further having a sliding ring slidably mounted on the proximal end of the delivery catheter; providing a stent, comprising a plurality of hoops connected by struts, said stent further characterized by an unconstrained diameter and a longitudinally stretched diameter and the longitudinally stretched diameter is smaller than the unconstrained diameter, said stent mounted upon the delivery catheter in the longitudinally stretched diameter and secured to the delivery catheter by the retaining loop and retaining clip; providing a retaining loop extending from the proximal end of the delivery catheter, through a lumen in the delivery catheter and out the retaining loop side aperture and engaging the stent to secure said stent to the delivery catheter; providing a retaining clip extending from a lumen in the delivery catheter and out the retaining clip side aperture and engaging the stent to secure it to the delivery catheter, said retaining clip being operably connected to a wire in the lumen of the delivery catheter, where said wire extends to the proximal end of the delivery catheter; inserting the guiding catheter into the body lumen to be treated; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the lumen of the guiding catheter; advancing the delivery catheter with mounted stent into the body lumen to be treated; sliding the sliding ring distally along the delivery catheter and allowing the stent to take on its unconstrained diameter; releasing the stent from the delivery catheter by withdrawing the retaining clip from engagement with the stent and severing the retaining loop to release the stent from retention by the retaining loop, whereupon the stent may expand to its unconstrained diameter; removing the ret raining clip and retaining loop; and removing the guide catheter and delivery catheter.