Medical device introducer assembly particularly for branched medical devices

A medical apparatus including:

• an introducer assembly for deploying a medical device, the assembly including an elongate carrier member having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion having a distal end and a medical device support zone;
• a first proximal sheath disposed over the proximal portion of the carrier member and a second distal sheath disposed over the distal portion and over at least a part of the medical device support zone, the second sheath including a second sheath distal end and a second sheath proximal end, and a splitting mechanism cooperatively coupled to the second sheath and arranged to split the second sheath from its second sheath proximal end to its second sheath distal end;
• a medical device carried on the elongate carrier member, the medical device including a proximal portion, a distal portion and an intermediate portion therebetween, wherein the medical device proximal portion is covered by the first proximal sheath and the distal portion is covered by the second distal sheath;
• wherein the medical device is releasable from the introducer assembly by exposure first of the intermediate portion while at least the medical device proximal portion is held in the first proximal sheath.

A method of deploying a medical device in a patient by means of an introducer assembly including an elongate carrier member having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion having a distal end and a medical device support zone;

• a first proximal sheath disposed over the proximal portion of the carrier member and a second distal sheath disposed over the distal portion and over at least a part of the medical device support zone, the second sheath including a second sheath distal end and a second sheath proximal end, and a splitting mechanism cooperatively coupled to the second sheath and arranged to split the second sheath from its second sheath proximal end to its second sheath distal end;
• a medical device being carried on the elongate carrier member, the medical device including a proximal portion, a distal portion and an intermediate portion, wherein the medical device proximal portion is covered by the first proximal sheath and at least the distal portion is covered by the second distal sheath;
• wherein the method includes the steps of:
• releasing the intermediate portion;
• splitting the second distal sheath from the proximal end thereof to expose at least the distal portion of the medical device while at least the proximal portion of the medical device is held by the first proximal sheath, releasing the distal end of the medical device, and releasing the proximal end of the medical device.