Stent delivery system for prevention of kinking, and method of loading and using same

Abstract

A stent delivery system adapted to deliver a compressed stent to a distal deployment location inside a body lumen from a proximal access location outside the body lumen. The system houses a compressed stent and includes a pusher and a catheter tip attached to a central core slideably disposed within the pusher. At least one of the pusher distal end and catheter tip proximal end comprises a docking section adapted to releasably engage a limited length of one end of the compressed stent. The docking section may comprise a pocket having a flared end rim that is radially biased outward and adapted to be inwardly compressed to grip the stent end when the docking section is loaded in an outer sheath. Other docking section configurations are also disclosed, such as an insert within the stent, an annular pocket, and/or a set of fingers that grip the stent. A docking pusher and a docking catheter tip having such docking sections are disclosed, as are methods for loading and deploying a stent with a stent delivery system as described herein.