Abstract: There is provided a heart assist system aimed at saving lives of patients who's heart is failing temporarily. The assist system comprises means for continuously monitoring the hemodynamic parameter which define the demand of the body for blood to be circulated by the heart, means to define the heart's actual performance and provides means to draw the excess blood not provided by the failing heart at that beat. That blood is reintroduced during the systolic phase of the same beat. Thus the system establishes the supply of blood required, which is supplied at rate and at a shape as close as possible to that expected by the body. The main parameter monitored is the entire atrial pressure function during the diastolic phase of the heart beat which provides the indication of the real time heart performance thus making it possible to define and provide the required assistance to be provided by the system of the invention.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition for protecting the heart from myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury as well as for reducing post-ischemic damage, improving cardiac function and serving as a hypothermic cardiac preservative solution comprising N,N,N'N'-tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl)-ethylenediamine (TPEN) as active ingredient therein.

Abstract: The invention provides poly(.alpha.-hydroxy-carboxylic acid)/poly(oxyalkylene) polymers selected from multiblock polymers of the following repeating unit I ##STR1## wherein R is an alkylene group, R.sub.1 is hydrogen or methyl groups, m is a positive integer, and a and b are zero or positive integers, the case where a and b are simultaneously zero being excluded, and chain extended multiblock polymers which polymers are bioabsorbable and biodegradable, these polymeric materials being derived from reacting diols in the form of polyether glycols with .alpha.-hydroxy-carboxylic acids. The invention also provides methods for the preparation of such polymeric materials and bioabsorbable surgical articles made therefrom.