Pressure unloading left ventricular assist device and methods for assisting a human heart

A method for promoting blood flow comprising the steps of:

• (a) preparing a clinical subject for receiving an implantable device wherein the clinical subject has a thoracic cavity that includes a heart having a pericardium, an ascending aorta, a pulmonary artery, a superior vena cava, and left and right lungs;
• (b) providing an implantable pump comprising a blood port and a gas port;
• (c) placing the implantable pump between the heart and the right lung of the clinical subject;
• (d) partially clamping the ascending aorta of the clinical subject;
• (e) providing a graft assembly that comprises a flexible graft conduit that includes a tissue attachment end and a pump attachment end that comprises a washer, and a graft connector;
• (f) affixing the tissue attachment end of the flexible graft conduit to the partially clamped aorta;
• (g) providing a drive line comprising a gas conduit attachable at a first end to the gas port of the implantable pump, the drive line further comprising a sensor conduit and a heart sensor passed therethrough, the heart sensor comprising one or more of a plurality of electrodes and fiber optic sensors, the heart sensor attachable at a first end to the clinical subject, wherein the second end of the gas conduit and a second end of the sensor conduit are attachable to a drive system for delivering gas flow through the drive line gas conduit in response to signals driven by the heart sensor, the drive line including a disc shaped circumferential flange;
• (h) passing the drive line through an incision in the clinical subject with the flange abutting the incision;
• (i) attaching the gas conduit to the gas port of the pump;
• (i) placing each of the one or more of a plurality of electrodes and fiber optic sensors on an anatomical structure of the clinical subject selected from a portion of the pericardium, and within one of the pulmonary artery and the arterial artery;
• (k) connecting the second ends of the conduits of the drive line to the drive system;
• (l) affixing the implantable pump to the graft assembly by engagement between the graft connector and a housing connector on the blood port of the pump;
• (m) removing the clamp from the clinical subject's aorta to permit blood flow from the heart into the implantable pump via the graft and activating the drive system.