Apparatus and method for cannulation of vascular access graft

An apparatus for guiding cannulation with a dialysis needle of an arteriovenous dialysis access graft subcutaneously implanted in a body of a subject, the arteriovenous dialysis graft including a flexible conduit defining a longitudinal flow passageway and having a first end portion configured to connect to an artery of the subject and a second end portion configured to connect to a vein of the subject such that blood flows through the longitudinal flow passageway of the conduit from the first end portion to the second end portion, and a cannulation chamber defining a cannulation port, the conduit extending through the cannulation chamber for receiving the needle inserted through the cannulation port, the guiding apparatus comprising:

• an elongated body member having a longitudinal axis and an inner surface, the elongated body member comprising a base portion terminating in longitudinal edges extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis, a distance between the longitudinal edges of the base portion being substantially equal to a lateral dimension of the cannulation chamber, and
• legs extending from the longitudinal edges of the base portion, the legs terminating in longitudinal edges, the base portion and legs defining an open longitudinal channel for receiving the cannulation chamber,
• wherein the elongated body member is adapted to be secured adjacent the subcutaneous cannulation chamber such that the legs operatively engage the cannulation chamber for aligning the inner surface of the base portion with the cannulation port for guiding location of a dialysis needle insertion through the body member and into the cannulation chamber.