Means and method for preventing embolization of drug eluting stents

1. A stent delivery catheter comprising:

an inflatable balloon having a central cylindrical section, a distal portion having a distal conical section and a distal cylindrical shaft and a proximal portion having a proximal conical section and a proximal cylindrical shaft;

a drug eluting stent coaxially mounted over the central cylindrical section of the inflatable balloon, the drug eluting stent having a proximal end and a distal end;

an inner tube having a central guide wire lumen designed to be advanced over a guide wire, the inner tube being attached near its distal end to the distal cylindrical shaft of the inflatable balloon;

an outer tube that is fixedly attached at or near its distal end to the proximal cylindrical shaft of the inflatable balloon;

a distal stent retention band having a generally conical shape and mounted onto the distal portion of the inflatable balloon, the distal stent retention band having its smallest diameter just proximal to the distal end of the inner tube and having its largest diameter at its proximal end, the proximal end of the distal stent retention band separated in a distal direction from the distal end of the drug eluting stent by a separation distance between 0.1 and 2 mm when the inflatable balloon is in an uninflated state; and

a proximal stent retention band mounted coaxially over the proximal portion of the balloon, the proximal stent retention band having its distal end separated in a proximal direction from the proximal end of the drug eluting stent by a separation distance between 0.1 mm and 2 mm when the inflatable balloon is in the uninflated state;

wherein the drug eluting stent is coaxially mounted over the central cylindrical section of the inflatable balloon between the proximal end of the distal stent retention band and the distal end of the proximal stent retention band, the drug eluting stent being crimped onto the inflatable balloon with a moderate crimping force that is such that after manufacturing is completed, a final outside diameter of the portion of the balloon that is under the stent struts is less than a 2.0 mil decrease from the balloon outside diameter just before the drug eluting stent is mounted.

2. The stent delivery catheter of claim 1 , where a maximum outer diameter of the stent retention bands is within 1.0 mil of an outside diameter of the drug eluting stent mounted onto the inflatable balloon.

3. The stent delivery catheter of claim 1 , where a maximum outer diameter of the stent retention bands is between 1.0 mil and 3.0 mils greater than an outer diameter of the drug eluting stent as it is mounted onto the inflatable balloon.

4. The stent delivery system of claim 1 , further including the stent being nested with a pressure in the balloon that is less than 10 psi and a temperature that is less than 95 degrees C.

5. A stent delivery catheter comprising:

a catheter tubing defining a lumen therethrough, the tubing having a proximal end and a distal end;

a balloon disposed near a distal end of the catheter tubing and moving between deflated and inflated states;

proximal and distal stent retention bands concentrically arranged around respective proximal and distal end portions of the balloon, the proximal and distal stent retention bands each having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal stent retention band comprises a smallest diameter just proximal the distal end of the catheter tubing and comprises a largest diameter at its proximal end; and

a drug eluting stent coaxially received by the balloon and mounted over the balloon between the proximal and distal stent retention bands, the drug eluting stent having a proximal end and a distal end;

wherein the distal end of the proximal stent retention band is separated in a proximal direction from the proximal end of the drug eluting stent by a separation distance between 0.1 mm and 2 mm and the proximal end of the distal stent retention band separated in a distal direction from the distal end of the drug eluting stent by a separation distance between 0.1 mm and 2 mm when the balloon is deflated.

6. The stent delivery catheter of claim 5 , wherein each stent retention band comprises an elastic material that expands during inflation of the balloon and contracts upon deflation of the balloon.

7. The stent delivery catheter of claim 5 , wherein a maximum outer diameter of each stent retention band is within 1.0 mil of an outside diameter of the stent received by the balloon.

8. The stent delivery catheter of claim 5 , wherein a maximum outer diameter of each stent retention band is between 1.0 mil and 3.0 mils greater than an outer diameter of the stent received by the balloon.

9. The stent delivery system of claim 5 , wherein the stent is received over the balloon with a pressure in the balloon of less than 10 psi and at a temperature of less than 95 degrees C.