Abstract: Artificial implantable active and passive girdles include a heart assist system with an artificial myocardium employing a number of flexible, non-distensible tubes with the walls along their long axes connected in series to form a cuff and a passive girdle is wrapped around a heart muscle which has dilatation of a ventricle to conform to the size and shape of the heart and to constrain the dilatation during diastole. The passive girdle is formed of a material and structure that does not expand away from the heart but may, over an extended period of time be decreased in size as dilatation decreases.

Abstract: Artificial implantable active and passive girdles include a heart assist system with an artificial myocardium employing a number of flexible, non-distensible tubes with the walls along their long axes connected in series to form a cuff and a passive girdle is wrapped around a heart muscle which has dilatation of a ventricle to conform to the size and shape of the heart and to constrain the dilatation during diastole. The passive girdle is formed of a material and structure that does not expand away from the heart but may, over an extended period of time be decreased in size as dilatation decreases.

Abstract: A passive girdle is wrapped around a heart muscle which has dilatation of a ventricle to conform to the size and shape of the heart and to constrain the dilatation during diastole. The girdle is formed of a material and structure that does not expand away from the heart but may, over an extended period of time be decreased in size as dilatation decreases.

Abstract: A balloon pump system including catheter-mounted pumping balloon configured to be positioned within a desired body passageway to pump a fluid through the body passageway. A stent is percutaneously deployed within the body passageway. The pumping balloon is percutaneously deployed within the stent such that the stent is interposed between the pumping balloon and the walls of the body passageway. The stent substantially limits the compliance of the body passageway, preventing the passageway in the vicinity of the pumping balloon from significantly expanding or contracting in response to forces generated by inflation and deflation of the pumping balloon. As a result, a volume of fluid substantially equivalent to a change in volume of the pumping balloon is displaced when the pumping balloon is inflated or deflated.

Abstract: A passive girdle is wrapped around a heart muscle which has dilatation of a ventricle to conform to the size and shape of the heart and to constrain the dilatation during diastole. The girdle is formed of a material and structure that does not expand away from the heart but may, over an extended period of time be decreased in size as dilatation decreases.

Abstract: An intra-arterial cardiac support system including multiple balloons for placement in the descending aorta with one balloon serving as a pumping balloon and one or more balloons serving as valve balloons, at least one of the valve balloons being positioned distal to the natural heart. The balloons are individually inflated and deflated to provide for sequential pumping action, with the sequence operating in timed relation to the sytstole and diastole of the natural heart.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve comprises a suture ring supporting a stent which surrounds a conduit bearing a plurality of flexible valve leaflets. The conduit extends beyond the end of the suture ring.