| 摘要 |
A method of loading an article, such as a self-expanding stent, into a structure, such as a delivery catheter, including the steps of chilling the article to a predetermined temperature, reducing article size a predetermined amount, inserting fluid into the article, whereby the fluid forms a substantially solid plug with respect to the article, and moving the frozen article. Also provided is an apparatus for loading an article into a structure including: an article size reduction element, a chiller connected to the size reduction element, a cold source communicatively connected to the chiller, and a fluid supply communicatively connected to the size reduction element. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method of loading a stent having a tubular body and a central lumen, into a deployment catheter, comprising the steps of:
a. compressing the stent to a diameter less than the diameter of the lumen of the deployment catheter; b. applying a support matrix to the steal by cooling the stent to a predetermined cold temperature and applying a fluid to the stent, whereby the fluid freezes to form the matrix embedding the stent across the central lumen of the stent, wherein the predetermined temperature is equal to or less than minus 78.5 C, and wherein the matrix comprises frozen CO2; c. pushing the stent and matrix into the stent deployment catheter lumen, whereby the matrix supports the tubular body of the stent; and d. removing the matrix from the inserted stent by sublimation. |
