Abstract: Catheter for injecting a therapeutic or diagnostic agent into an organ, in particular a heart, the catheter including: a flexible exterior tube having a proximal end and a distal end, inside which a needle is mounted to slide axially between retracted and deployed positions in which a tip of the needle, adapted to be inserted into the organ, is withdrawn inside the exterior tube and projects from the distal end thereof, respectively, actuation elements adapted to slide the needle between the retracted and deployed positions, and elements for fixing the catheter to the organ, the needle being decoupled from the fixing elements so that the needle is able to slide relative to the fixing elements, at least in an unfolded position of the fixing elements. The fixing elements include a suction cup mounted so that it may be retracted into a lumen of the exterior tube.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for repairing damaged myocardium. The method comprises using a combination of cellular cardiomyoplasty and electrostimulation for myogenic predifferentiation of stem cells and to synchronize the contractions of the transplanted cells with the cardiac cells. The method comprises the steps of obtaining stem or myogenic cells from a donor, culturing and electrostimulating the isolated cells in vitro, and implanting the cells into the damaged myocardium.