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: An artificial heart system employing left and right pumping chambers each divided by a membrane into a blood pumping chamber and a hydraulic pumping chamber and a hydraulic pumping system for alternately pumping hydraulic fluid from said left hydraulic chamber toward said right hydraulic chamber and vice versa. A balancing chamber including a flexible membrane placed in the left atrium so that the membrane changes position with changes in the patient's blood pressure, the hydraulic portion of said balancing chamber being fluidically coupled to the right hydraulic pumping chamber in order to allow for a different pumping volume between the left blood pumping chamber and the right blood pumping chamber. A control system employing an algorithm to control the speed of the hydraulic pumping and the direction of flow of the hydraulic pumping in response to sensors sensing the left atrial pressure and the completeness of stroke of the left blood pumping chamber.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed is a high-frequency intra-arterial cardiac support system having a balloon pump which may be positioned in a major artery downstream of a natural heart. The balloon pump comprises a pumping balloon of small displacement mounted upon and cyclically inflatable and deflatable by fluid flow through catheter having a lumen leading to the outside of the body. The balloon pump further comprises a valve mounted downstream of the pumping balloon. The system further comprises a control and drive mechanism for providing cyclical fluid flow to the lumen of the catheter for inflation and deflation of the pumping balloon. The cyclical flow and the cyclical inflation and deflation occur at a frequency which is at least three times the normal beating frequency of the natural heart. The small displacement of the pumping balloon is much smaller than the normal stroke volume of the natural heart.

Abstract: In an infusion system, a source of pressurized liquid infusate is connected to the upstream end of a small-bore flow restrictor and drives a flow of infusate therethrough; the downstream end of the flow restrictor is connected to the patient. The infusate at the upstream end is in communication with an annulus inflatable by infusate pressure of at least 200 to 500 Torr; the infusate at the downstream end is in communication with another annulus inflatable by infusate pressure of only 35 to 110 Torr, as occurs during infiltration. Inflation of an annulus provides a visible indication and can provide electrical contact for an alarm.

Abstract: An extracorporate ventricular support system includes a two bladder pump employing continuous gravity fill to the first bladder, while the second bladder is pneumatically driven to produce a pulsatile blood flow. A processor responds to air flow in the pneumatic drive line to control the pump through an electromagnetic valve supplying pressurized air. The program controls the output of blood volume per stroke to meet a target value.

Abstract: An infusion system utilizing a pressurized source of infusate comprises a capillary tube flow restrictor having sufficient length and suitably large ratio of length to internal diameter to provide reliably repeatable fluid resistance and minimum damage to infusate. The internal diameter of the flow restrictor may be made to decrease with increasing temperature so that the flow rate of the infusate is substantially independent of temperature. The flow restrictor may include means for indicating pressures and flow of infusate.

Abstract: A vortex-diode check valve comprises a short cylindrical working chamber with an axial inlet port entering axially through a first end wall at a short distance from the central portion of a second end wall and a tangential outlet port exiting tangentially through a circular side wall. The ratio of fluid flow resistances, between flows in the reverse and forward directions, is markedly increased by configuring at least one end wall as a flexible resilient diaphragm, permitting relative motion between the second end wall and the axial inlet port.