Bifurcated stent and delivery system

Abstract

Systems for delivering a bifurcated stent to a bifurcation site comprise catheters and/or bifurcated stents delivered therefrom.

1 - 42 . (canceled)  
     
     
         43 . A bifurcated catheter system comprising: 
 a catheter, the catheter comprising a first balloon and a second balloon, each balloon having an unexpanded state and an expanded state wherein in the expanded state each balloon has a diameter greater than the diameter in the unexpanded state, a region of each balloon being immediately adjacent one another in both the unexpanded state and the expanded state to define a trunk region; and    a retaining band, the retaining band disposed about the trunk region of the balloons, the retaining band constructed and arranged to limit expansion of the trunk region relative to portions of the balloons adjacent to the trunk region.    
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43  further comprising a bifurcated stent, the stent being expandable from an unexpanded configuration to an expanded configuration, the stent being in the expanded configuration when the balloons are in the expanded state, the bifurcated stent comprising a trunk, a first branch and a second branch, at least a portion of the trunk disposed about the retaining band, the first branch disposed about a portion of the first balloon distally adjacent to the trunk region of the balloons and the second branch disposed about a portion of the second balloon distally adjacent to the trunk region of the balloons.  
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44  wherein in the expanded configuration the trunk of the stent has a diameter substantially equal to that of the first branch.  
     
     
         46 . A bifurcated catheter system comprising: 
 a catheter, the catheter comprising a first balloon and a second balloon, each balloon being expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, wherein in the expanded state each balloon has a diameter greater than the diameter in the unexpanded state, each balloon having a proximal region and a distal region; and    a retaining band, the retaining band disposed about at least a portion of the proximal region of the first balloon and at least a portion of the proximal region of the second balloon, the retaining band constructed and arranged to restrict expansion of the at least a portion of the proximal region of the first balloon and the at least a portion of the proximal region of the second balloon, such that in the expanded state the sum of the diameters of the proximal region of the first balloon and the proximal region of the second balloon is substantially equal to the diameter of the distal region of first balloon.    
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46  further comprising a bifurcated stent, the bifurcated stent comprising a trunk, a first branch and a second branch, the trunk being disposed about a proximal region of the first balloon and the second balloon, the first branch being disposed about at least a portion of the distal region of the first balloon, the second branch being disposed about at least a portion of the distal region of the second balloon, 
 the bifurcated stent being expandable from an unexpanded configuration to an expanded configuration when the balloons are expanded, in the expanded configuration the trunk has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the distal region of first balloon.