Patent ID: 7780717

Claim:
An actuation assembly in combination with a stent graft introducer and a stent graft, the introducer comprising a pusher, the stent graft being releasably retained onto the pusher, a sheath coaxially around the pusher and enclosing the stent graft and a sheath hub to which the sheath is mounted, the actuation assembly comprising a fixed handle, a release portion and a sliding handle, the release portion telescoping within the fixed handle and the sliding handle telescoping within the release portion, the sheath hub being retained to the sliding handle and the pusher extending from the fixed handle through the release portion and the sliding handle, a winch arrangement to retract the sliding handle and release portion into the fixed handle to thereby withdraw the sheath from the stent graft, the winch arrangement being associated with the fixed handle, the fixed handle comprising a distal end remote from the stent graft introducer, the winch arrangement comprising a rotary handle at the distal end of the fixed handle, a winch drum within the rotary handle, and a cable extending from the winch drum through the fixed handle and the release portion to and affixed to the sliding handle, the winch drum and rotary handle rotating on a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal extent of the actuation assembly and the cable comprising a band or ribbon of relatively inextensible material.