| CPC A61F 2/2439 (2013.01) [A61F 2/2418 (2013.01); A61F 2/2436 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |

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1. A medical device delivery assembly comprising:
an annular stent having a plurality of apices spaced circumferentially around a first an end portion of the stent, wherein the stent is configured to radially expand and axially foreshorten from a first state to a second state and to radially compress and axially elongate from the second state to the first state; and
a delivery apparatus comprising an elongate shaft, a plurality of sleeves, and one or more sutures, wherein the shaft comprises a proximal end portion configured to be disposed outside of a patient's body during an implantation procedure and a distal end portion configured to be disposed inside a patient's body during the implantation procedure, and wherein each of the sleeves comprises a connection portion coupled to the distal end portion of the shaft and a receiving portion releasably coupled to the stent by the one or more sutures;
wherein the delivery apparatus further comprises a suture retention member disposed between and coupling the distal end portion of the shaft and the connection portions of the sleeves.
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