A method and apparatus for inserting a self expanding stent (205) into a delivery device (200) and subseequently delivering the stent into a body lumen, the apparatus comprises an outer tube (203); an inner tube (201) within th eouter tube; a capturing element (206) slidably mounted on the inner tube (201) and including a foldable sleeve (207) with a proximal end smaller than the outer tube and a distal end larger than the outer tube, a blocking element (209) fixed to the inner tube adapted to block a stent from being inserted into the sleeve (207) proximally of the blocking element (209) and to block the capturing element (206) from becoming situated distally of a predetermined point relative to said inner tube (201). The stent (205) is deployed by inserting the delivery apparatus (200) into a body lumen to position the distal end of the delivery apparatus (200) adjacent a stent deployment site and drawing th eouter tube (203) proximally relative to the stent (205), which is blocked from being drawn along with the outer tube (203) by the blocking element (207) on th einner tube (201) so as to release the stent from its radially constricted condition.
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