| 主权项 |
1. An introducer assembly for use in an endoluminal deployment of an implantable medical device, the assembly including a distal end and a proximal end; an elongate carrier element including a distal end and a proximal end and being operable to carry a medical device at or proximate its distal end; an elongate sheath operable to cover the carrier element and the medical device thereon, and a pusher element slidably disposed between the carrier element and the sheath and abutting an end of the medical device, wherein the sheath is movable by a sliding action from a covering position covering the medical device carried on the introducer assembly to a deployment position in which the medical device can be released from the introducer assembly, an annular gap thereby being disposed between the sheath and the carrier element in the deployment position, the annular gap extending less than the length of a holding zone for the medical device; and a restriction mechanism operable to restrict an amount of movement of the sheath relative to the carrier element such that, after the sheath moves relative to the carrier element to form the annular gap, the distal end of the carrier element and a distal end of the sheath are simultaneously withdrawn thereafter relative to the pusher element as the medical device expands through the annular gap, a width of the annular gap thereby remaining constant as the sheath and the carrier element are retracted together relative to the medical device, the restriction mechanism being located at or proximate the proximal end of the carrier element and a proximal end of the sheath that remain external to a patient; and wherein the restriction mechanism includes a slide and follower coupled to a respective one of the carrier element and the sheath, the slide having a limited range of travel, at the end of which further sliding of the sheath relative to the carrier element is prevented. |
