Abstract: Described herein are pumps that linearly reciprocate to assist with circulating blood within the body of a patient. Red blood cell damage may be avoided or minimized by such linear pump movement. The linearly reciprocating movement may also generate a pulsatile pumping cycle that mimics the natural pumping cycle of the heart. The pumps may be configured to reside at various body locations. For example, the pumps may be situated within the right ventricle, the left ventricle, the ascending aorta, the descending aorta, the thoracic aorta, or the abdominal aorta. In some instances, the pump may reside outside the patient.

Abstract: Described herein are pumps that linearly reciprocate to assist with circulating blood within the body of a patient. Red blood cell damage may be avoided or minimized by such linear pump movement. The linearly reciprocating movement may also generate a pulsatile pumping cycle that mimics the natural pumping cycle of the heart. The pumps may be configured to reside at various body locations. For example, the pumps may be situated within the right ventricle, the left ventricle, the ascending aorta, the descending aorta, the thoracic aorta, or the abdominal aorta. In some instances, the pump may reside outside the patient.

Abstract: An expansible cardiovascular graft system for replacing vasculature such as a portion of the aorta. The portion of the aorta may include but is not limited to the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, or the descending aorta. The system features a graft conduit with a proximal anchor disposed at the proximal end and a distal anchor disposed at the distal end and an expansible portion disposed between the proximal anchor and the distal anchor. At least a portion of the expansible system is adapted to gradually expand.

Abstract: An implantable heart help device adapted for implantation in a human patient is provided. The device comprising a fixating member adapted to fixate said device to a part of the human body comprising bone. Further a method of fixating an implantable heart help device in a human patient is provided. The method comprises the steps of: cutting the skin of said human patient, dissecting an area of the body comprising bone, and fixating said implantable heart help device to said part of the body comprising bone.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the operation of, and providing power for and to, implantable ventricular assist devices which include a brushless DC motor-driven blood pump, are disclosed. In one embodiment, a control system for driving an implantable pump is provided. The digital processor is responsive to data associated with the operation of the pump received at the data transfer port, and from the program data stored in memory, (i) to determine therefrom, the identity of the pump, (ii) to determine therefrom, electrical characteristics and features of the identified pump, and (iii) to adaptively generate and apply to the data port, control signals for driving the identified pump. Latch mechanisms, an elongated flexible electrical cable with a strain relief segment, and a lower housing portion that is heavier than an upper housing portion, may also be provided with the control system.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical linear drive, in particular for a pump system of an artificial heart, with a movable part and a stationary part, wherein the stationary part is formed by a permanent magnet arrangement and the movable part is formed by a coil arrangement, or vice versa, and wherein the coil arrangement and the permanent magnet arrangement can be moved to and fro relative to each other in an axial direction by means of current passed through the coil arrangement. The invention further relates to an electrical linear drive of this kind in which the permanent magnet arrangement is designed as a stack of frame-shaped, in particular ring-shaped magnets, which are magnetized alternately radially and axially in the axial direction, such that the magnetic field is strengthened on one side of the frame.

Abstract: A blood pump system includes a first implantable housing, an implantable blood pump independent from the first implantable housing, and a percutaneous extension. The first implantable housing includes a rechargeable power storage device. The implantable blood pump supplements the pumping function of a heart. The rechargeable power storage device supplies electrical power to the implantable blood pump. The percutaneous extension is coupled to the rechargeable power storage device and adapted to traverse the skin. The percutaneous extension is configured to releasably connect to an external power supply adapted to provide power for recharging or supplementing the rechargeable power storage device to power the implantable blood pump.

Abstract: A pulsatile, positive-displacement mechanical circulatory support pump which can be used for assistance or replacement of one or both ventricles. The pump includes a plurality of contractile elements radiating outward from an apex of a compliance chamber, the elements being incorporated in and/or in contact with at least a portion of an outer surface of the compliance chamber. These contractile elements include an electroactive dielectric elastomer or an ion exchange membrane metallic composite. Application of electric field pulses from an implantable electrical energy source such as a pacemaker will cause the contractile elements to compress and expand the compliance chamber.

Abstract: An artificial heart pump system is provided independently with a controlling processor for controlling an operation status of a blood pump so as to perform in a preset condition and with an observing processor for controlling a display unit displaying an operation status and an operation condition of the blood pump. In addition, a memory device is mounted in an outside-the-body type battery pack included in the artificial heart pump system; data such as pump data, event log or the like is stored therein; and data are collected and managed automatically by a battery charger when charging the battery charger for a daily performance. Further, an interface unit of an artificial heart pump is proposed where a user can confirm displayed contents of the controller without exposing the controller externally.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an implantable device for improving the pump function of the heart of a human patient by applying an external force on the heart muscle, said device comprising at least one pump device comprising: a first part having a first surface, and a second part having a second surface. The first part is displaceable in relation to the second part and said first and second surfaces abut each other, at least partially. The second part exerts, directly or indirectly, force on an external part of said heart muscle.

Abstract: One-piece heart prosthesis implantable in an anatomical position. According to the invention, the artificial left and right ventricles (2, 8) have general directions (14, 15) arranged in an asymmetrical V shape, such that said ventricles approach each other as they move away from the means (6, 12) of connection to the natural left and right auricles, and the individual hydraulic actuators (7, 13), associated respectively with said artificial left and light ventricles (2, 8), are arranged near each other, in proximity to said artificial left ventricle (2).

Abstract: A device for altering cardiac performance includes an energy absorbing element which absorbs cardiac pumping energy from at least a portion of the heart. The energy may be delivered to another part of the body, such as another portion of the heart, to perform useful work such as providing blood pumping assistance.

Abstract: One-piece heart prosthesis implantable in an anatomical position. According to the invention, the artificial left and right ventricles (2,8) have general directions (14, 15) arranged in an asymmetrical V shape, such that said ventricles approach each other as they move away from the means (6, 12) of connection to the natural left and right auricles, and the individual hydraulic actuators (7, 13), associated respectively with said artificial left and light ventricles (2, 8), are arranged near each other, in proximity to said artificial left ventricle (2).

Abstract: A device used to treat heart disease by decreasing the size of a diseased heart, or to prevent further enlargement of a diseased heart. The device works by limiting the volume of blood entering the heart during each cardiac cycle. The device partitions blood within the heart, and protects the heart from excessive volume and pressure of blood. The device is placed within the interior of the heart, particularly within a ventricular cavity. The device is a hollow sac, with two openings, which simulates the shape and size of the interior lining of a ventricle of a normal heart. It allows the ventricle to fill through one opening juxtaposed to the annulus of the inflow valve to a predetermined, normal volume, and limits filling of the heart beyond that volume. It then allows blood to be easily ejected through the second opening through the outflow valve.

Abstract: An intravascular pump, which may be a left ventricle assist device, comprising a wall defining a pumping chamber, the wall support by struts, the struts attached to or part of an actuation system to move the wall from an expanded position to a contracted position and back to operated the pump, the actuation system may be electrically activated shape memory alloy struts, electroactive polymeric struts, or may be a balloon, struts attached to a slidable member or other suitable system.

Abstract: An implantable left ventricular assist device using a cylindrical cam is provided, which is produced in a compact and module form and implanted in a patient who suffers from an acute cardiac insufficiency, to thereby enable oxygen to be supplied smoothly toward the heart of the patient and reconstruct the declined function of the heart. The implantable left ventricular assist device includes an actuator for generating a linearly reciprocating driving force, a pusher plate which performs a linearly reciprocating motion by the actuator, a blood sac which is contracted and expanded due to compression by reciprocating the pusher plate and the restoration of a sac itself, and a chamber for accommodating the blood sac, the pusher plate and the actuator, combining the same physically, and protecting the same within the body of a patient.

Abstract: An orthotopic total artificial heart for replacing the human heart comprising a new design of two assembled blood chambers with an original layout between themselves and between their inlet and outlet ports. Such design enables a significantly better space utilization inside the anterior mediastinum than the prior art; realizing the required anatomical fit.

Abstract: An actuation system for assisting the operation of the natural heart comprises a framework for interfacing with a natural heart, through the wall of the heart, which includes an internal framework element configured to be positioned within the interior volume of a heart and an external framework element configured to be positioned proximate an exterior surface of the heart. The internal framework is flexibly suspended with respect to the external frame. An actuator system is coupled to the framework and configured to engage an exterior surface of the heart. The actuator system comprises an actuator band extending along a portion of a heart wall exterior surface. The actuator band is selectively movable between an actuated state and a relaxed state and is operable, when in the actuated state, to assume a predetermined shape and thereby indent a portion of the heart wall to effect a reduction in the volume of the heart.

Abstract: An orthotopic total artificial heart for replacing the human heart comprising a new design of two assembled blood chambers with an original layout between themselves and between their inlet and outlet ports. Such design enables a significantly better space utilization inside the anterior mediastinum than the prior art; realizing the required anatomical fit.

Abstract: An orthotopic total artificial heart for replacing the human heart comprising a new design of two assembled blood chambers with an original layout between themselves and between their inlet and outlet ports. Such design enables a significantly better space utilization inside the anterior mediastinum than the prior art; realizing the required anatomical fit.

Abstract: An implantable ventricular assist device (VAD) has a small size to provide full-implantable capabilities. The VAD has two variable-volume chambers and an actuator for expelling blood from the chambers in sequence and to a common outlet, thus operating as a positive-displacement pump. The variable-volume chambers may be flexible sacs and the pump is operable at a substantially continuous flow, such as during the systolic phase of the assisted ventricle. A method of operation includes operating the pump at a first frequency during systole and a second lower frequency during diastole. The VAD pump includes a pair of coils housed within a frame and disposed in a spaced relationship to generate a coil flux through a pair of poles. A plate including an armature and a magnet is disposed within the frame such that the armature is between the poles and the magnet is between the coils. Gaps are defined between the armature and each of the poles and the coil flux displaces the armature across the gap.