A delivery system that includes a catheter, a balloon, a self-expanding prosthesis, and a sheath. The sheath including an opening in a wall of the sheath that initiates rupturing of the sheath so that the self-expanding prosthesis may move from its compressed state to its expanded state. Additionally, a distal end portion of the balloon that is distal to a distal end of the sheath includes an enlarged diameter portion, the enlarged diameter portion having approximately the same outer diameter as an outer diameter of the sheath when the self-expanding prosthesis is in its compressed state, and the enlarged diameter portion being the maximum outer diameter of the balloon when the self-expanding prosthesis is in its compressed state.

A deployment system is configured to deploy a prosthesis into an internal lumen of a patient. The system can include an introducer with the loaded prosthesis. A spacing mechanism can be disposed axially along the introducer. When the prosthesis is mounted onto the introducer in a radially compressed configuration, an end of a first stent and a second stent can engage a contact point of the spacing mechanism to maintain the axial distance between the first and second stents and prevent axial compression of the prosthesis during loading and deployment. The spacing mechanism can reside within the prosthesis and be disposed outwardly away from the introducer to contact the interior surface of the prosthesis. The spacing mechanism can include a flexible longitudinal member, such as a wire or strip, or a tubular body.

A balloon delivery catheter apparatus including a catheter tubing defining a lumen therethrough, a balloon disposed near a distal end of the catheter tubing and moving between deflated and inflated states, and a core wire having a proximal end attached to the catheter tubing inside the lumen and extending distally away and substantially co-axially with the catheter tubing through the balloon to a distal free end. Proximal and distal balloon control bands are concentrically arranged around respective proximal and distal end portions of the balloon. A coil disposed around the core wire has a proximal end attached to at least one of the distal end portion of the balloon and the distal balloon control band.

A cage nut fastener, capable of installation against a frame member without the aid of tools, includes a spring cage and a nut retained within a space defined by the spring cage and prevented from rotation therein. The spring cage includes a back wall with a wall aperture therethrough, a cage arm extending in a forward direction from a side of the back wall, and a lever arm disposed at a side of the back wall that is opposite the cage arm. The nut includes a nut aperture therethrough that is generally aligned with the wall aperture of the back wall. The lever arm includes an extension portion that extends in a rearward direction behind the back wall of the spring cage. Application of a compression force upon the lever arm, without the aid of tools, manipulates the spring cage to a compressed state that facilitates positioning of a distal end of each of the cage arm and the lever arm through an aperture of a frame member so that, upon release of the compression force, the spring cage and the nut are secured against the frame member.

An apparatus is disclosed for applying tags with attached elastic anchor bands onto the tops of objects such as bottles in a high speed packaging application. The apparatus includes an infeed assembly for feeding a web, a conveyor assembly that receives a web and conveys it along a path in an upstream direction, a rotating selector wheel, a placement assembly, a pair of rotating jaw assembles, a vacuum cup of the selector wheel, and stretched elastic bands over the tops of respective bottles being conveyed along a path below the placing assembly. The elastic bands then snap onto the tops of their respective bottles to secure the tags to the bottles.

A circular sheet metal duct having a sealant applied across the longitudinal seam. The sealant will improve the efficiency and will reduce or eliminate air leakage from the longitudinal seam. The sealant is applied during the manufacturing processes so that an installer does not have to seal the duct work. The method of manufacturing the sealant is provided.

An apparatus is disclosed for applying tags with attached elastic anchor bands onto the tops of objects such as bottles in a high speed packaging application. The apparatus includes an infeed assembly for feeding a web, a conveyor assembly that receives a web and conveys it along a path in an upstream direction, a rotating selector wheel, a placement assembly, a pair of rotating jaw assembles, a vacuum cup of the selector wheel, and stretched elastic bands over the tops of respective bottles being conveyed along a path below the placing assembly. The elastic bands then snap onto the tops of their respective bottles to secure the tags to the bottles.

A medical device includes a polymer stent (or scaffold) crimped to a catheter balloon. The stent, after being expanded from a crimped state by the balloon, provides a crush recovery of about 90% of its expanded diameter after being pinched or crushed by an amount equal to about 50% of the expanded diameter. The stent has a pattern including a W-shaped or W-V shaped closed cell and links connecting the closed cells.

A cage nut fastener, capable of installation against a frame member without the aid of tools, includes a spring cage and a nut retained within a space defined by the spring cage and prevented from rotation therein. The spring cage includes a back wall with a wall aperture therethrough, a cage arm extending in a forward direction from a side of the back wall, and a lever arm disposed at a side of the back wall that is opposite the cage arm. The nut includes a nut aperture therethrough that is generally aligned with the wall aperture of the back wall. The lever arm includes an extension portion that extends in a rearward direction behind the back wall of the spring cage. Application of a compression force upon the lever arm, without the aid of tools, manipulates the spring cage to a compressed state that facilitates positioning of a distal end of each of the cage arm and the lever arm through an aperture of a frame member so that, upon release of the compression force, the spring cage and the nut are secured against the frame member.

A circular sheet metal duct having a sealant applied across the longitudinal seam. The sealant will improve the efficiency and will reduce or eliminate air leakage from the longitudinal seam. The sealant is applied during the manufacturing processes so that an installer does not have to seal the duct work. The method of manufacturing the sealant is provided.