The present invention provides for an improved stent design and stent delivery catheter assembly for repairing a main vessel and a side branch vessel forming a bifurcation. The present invention includes a trap door stent design, a stent delivery catheter assembly, an apparatus for crimping the stent and the method for crimping the stent onto the catheter assembly, and the method for delivering and implanting the stent in a bifurcated vessel. More particularly, the invention relates to a stent having rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis and connected by links, where the stent has a proximal section, a distal section and a central section. The number of rings and the expanded diameter of the sections is varied to create a "trap door" capable of expanding to a slightly larger diameter than the proximal section and distal section of the stent. The stent is implanted at a bifurcation so that the proximal section and distal section are in the main vessel, and the central section covers at least a portion of the opening to the side branch vessel. A second stent can be implanted in the side branch vessel and about the expanded central section to provide full coverage of the bifurcated area in the main vessel and the side branch vessel.La présente invention concerne un modèle amélioré de stent et un ensemble cathéter de mise en place de stent permettant de réparer un vaisseau principal et une ramification latérale formant avec lui une bifurcation. La présente invention inclut un modèle de stent à clapet, un ensemble cathéter de mise en place de stent, un appareil pour sertir le stent, un procédé de sertissage du stent sur lensemble cathéter et un procédé pour mettre en place et implanter le stent dans un vaisseau à bifurcation. Linvention concerne plus particulièrement comportant des anneaux alignés sur un axe longitudinal commun et reliés par des liaisons, le stent étant constitué dun segment proximal, dun segment distal, et dun segment central. On a la possibili
