Abstract: Apparatus to assist a patient's heart. The apparatus includes a main pump to be mounted on the patient's chest wall. The pump is able to reciprocate to generate a compression stroke and an expansion stroke. The pump includes a pump chamber to contain a fluid. An atrial pump is attached to the atrium of the patient's heart. The atrium receives blood through the patient's inferior vena cava. A conduit communicates the pump chamber and the atrial pump. There is a by-pass in the conduit to surround the inferior vena cava. The arrangement is such that the compression stroke of the pump forces fluid in the by-pass to restrict the inferior vena cava and compress the atrium to pump blood towards the patient's pulmonary artery.

Abstract: An apparatus to innervate diaphragms synchronously and to permit variation of the respiratory rate and duration in accordance with demand. The apparatus includes a sensor to sense skeletal muscle contraction and to produce a signal representative of the rate and intensity of muscle contraction at onset of inspiration. The signal can be modified in accordance with a predetermined pattern to provide a modified signal that is representative of a desired rate and duration of diaphragmatic contraction. A pulse generator is fed by the modified signal to produce a pulse. A stimulator is adapted to innervate the deinnervated lung diaphragms upon application of the pulse. A method of operating the apparatus to innervate both diaphragms is also disclosed.

Abstract: A stent for a heart valve. The valve has a flap valve of biological material. The stent has a generally toroidal body formed of a flexible coil of wire. A plurality of posts extend upwardly from the body to mount the flap valves. The stent in combination with a percutaneous balloon dilatable catheter is also described. The catheter is positioned intraluminal of the valve and dilation of the balloon exerts stress to overcome the elastic limit of the stent to increase stent circumference.

Abstract: An apparatus to innervate a deinnervated lung diaphragm and pace the deinnervated diaphragm with a normal innervated lung diaphragm. The apparatus has a sensing device sense operation of normal innervated lung diaphragm. The device produces a signal representative of the operation of the normal innervated diaphragm. The signal is modified in accordance with a set pattern to provide a modified signal showing the rate and duration of inspiration for the normal, innervated diaphragm. A pulse generator is fed by the modified signal to produce a pulse. A stimulator innervates the deinnervated diaphragm at the same rate and duration as a normal innervated lung diaphragm. A method of operating the apparatus is also described.

Abstract: A banding prosthesis comprising an expandable helical member encased within an elongatable outer covering. The ends of the outer covering are sealed and incorporate silk sutures for joining the two ends of the banding prosthesis to form a band about the circumference of a tubular organ such as a blood vessel so as to encircle and constrict the organ lumen. An intraluminal balloon dilator is inserted within the lumen of the organ in the region of the band and is inflated to dilate the banding prosthesis and allow the constricted lumen to expand. The design of the present invention allows for gradual dilation of the banding prosthesis in stages.