Stent delivery system

Abstract

A stent delivery system for use in placing a stent within the prostatic urethra and ensuring that the stent does not interfere with the closure of the bladder neck sphincter. The delivery system includes a catheter with an anchor which anchors the catheter within the urethra and ensures placement of the stent at a predetermined distance from the bladder neck sphincter. For use with shape memory stents, the catheter includes a warming fluid system in which the endoscope used in the procedure can act as a fluid supply line and as valve spool to control the flow or warming fluid to the stent.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A stent delivery system for use in delivering a stent into the prostatic urethra, through the urethra, while avoiding placement of the stent across the bladder neck sphincter, said stent delivery system comprising: 
 a catheter having a proximal and distal end;    an anchor mechanism at the catheter's distal end, said anchor mechanism protruding into the bladder when the catheter is inserted into the urethra;    a stent mounted near the distal end of the catheter, a short distance proximal from the anchor mechanism, said short distance being sufficient to ensure that the stent does not interfere with the closure of the bladder neck sphincter when the stent is expanded.    
     
     
         2 . A method of placing a stent within the prostatic urethra, said method comprising: 
 providing a stent delivery system comprising: 
 a catheter having a proximal and distal end, said catheter being of sufficient length to be inserted through the urethra and into the prostatic urethra, with the distal end extending into the bladder;  
 an anchor mechanism at the catheter's distal end, said anchor mechanism protruding into the bladder when the catheter distal end extends into the bladder;  
 a stent mounted near the distal end of the catheter, a short distance proximal from the anchor mechanism, said short distance being sufficient to ensure that the stent does not interfere with the closure of the bladder neck sphincter when the stent is expanded;  
   inserting the catheter through the urethra and into the prostatic urethra with the distal end of the catheter and the anchor mechanism extending into the bladder;    expanding the anchor mechanism within the bladder thereby locking the catheter in position within the urethra;    causing the stent to expand within the prostatic urethra.    
     
     
         3 . The device of claim  9  wherein the short distance between the anchor mechanism and the stent is at least as long as the longitudinal length of the bladder neck sphincter area which is intended to be unobstructed by the expanded stent.