Balloon delivery system for deploying stents

摘要

A balloon delivery system for deploying stents including a balloon catheter, and a stent fixedly positioned on the balloon portion of the balloon catheter by at least one protrusion such as annular cuff formed around the balloon. The balloon can include two or more continuous or discontinuous cuffs formed along the balloon which maintain one or more stents in position on the balloon. The protrusion can be created from excess material of the balloon which is configured in a desired fashion around the balloon to form the protrusion. The protrusion improves the fixation of the stent on the balloon catheter until the balloon is inflated to deploy the stent within a body lumen. The protrusion restrains the movement of the stent without a significant change in the overall profile of the balloon delivery system. The protrusion or protrusions can be provided as a series of circumferentially spaced-apart projections, a C-shaped annular cuff, a continuous annular cuff or two or more axially spaced-apart projections or cuffs.