A multi-sheath delivery catheter and method for introducing a prosthesis into
a
body lumen involving use of (a) an outer sheath adapted to contain a portion of
the prosthesis and having an inner surface with a non-round cross-section; (b)
a middle sheath slideably disposed at least partly within the outer sheath and
adapted to contain another portion of the prosthesis, the middle sheath having
a distal end with a first handle attached to it that has a non-round cross-section
corresponding to and engaging the non-round cross-section of the inner surface
of the outer sheath; and (c) a pusher slideably disposed at least partly within
the middle sheath and adapted to engage the prosthesis, relative rotational movement
between the outer sheath and the middle sheath is prevented by virtue of the engagement
of the non-round cross-section of the first handle with the non-round cross-section
of the inner surface of the outer sheath. The delivery catheter has a mechanism
for sequentially retracting concentric tubes to deploy the prosthesis.