Catheter Assembly With Cuff Deployment Device

A cuff deployment device for a catheter assembly, comprising:

• a hollow cylindrical housing having an open proximal deployment end and a distal end;
• a tubular plunger defining an inner catheter engagement surface and having an actuation end supported within an opening through the distal end of the hollow cylindrical housing, wherein the tubular plunger is telescopically movable with respect to the hollow cylindrical housing;
• and
• a cuff having a hollow cylindrical body defining an internal catheter engagement surface telescopically received within the hollow cylindrical housing.

A method of implanting a catheter assembly in a patient vasculature, the catheter assembly including:

• a catheter having an elongate tubular body defining a lumen extending from an open proximal end of the elongate tubular body to an open distal end of the elongate tubular body;
• a cuff deployment device concentrically supported on the elongate tubular body and movable along a longitudinal axis of the elongate tubular body, wherein the cuff deployment device includes a deployment mechanism having an actuated position and a non-actuated position;
• and a cuff having a hollow cylindrical body defining an internal catheter engagement surface;
• wherein the catheter assembly has a first configuration in which the deployment mechanism is in the non-actuated position and the cuff is supported by and movable with the cuff deployment device, and a second configuration in which the deployment mechanism is in the actuated position and the cuff is concentrically mounted at a fixed axial location of the elongate tubular body and is free of contact with the cuff deployment device, the method comprising steps of:
• sliding the cuff deployment device toward the fixed axial location while the catheter assembly is in the first configuration;
• moving the catheter assembly from the first configuration to the second configuration at least in part by actuating the deployment mechanism;
• and
• removing the cuff deployment device from the elongate tubular body of the catheter.