Systems and methods for selectively occluding the superior vena cava for treating heart conditions

A system for providing improvement in cardiorenal function for a patient, the system comprising:

• a catheter having a proximal end and a distal region, the catheter configured for intravascular placement so that the distal region is disposed in a superior vena cava (SVC) of the patient;
• a flow limiting element disposed on the distal region of the catheter, the flow limiting element sized and shaped to fully occlude the SVC and configured to be selectively actuated to fully occlude the SVC;
• and
• a controller configured to be operatively coupled to the catheter, the controller comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the controller, cause the controller to intermittently actuate the flow limiting element to fully occlude the SVC for a first predetermined time interval spanning multiple cardiac cycles and to contract for a second predetermined time interval spanning multiple cardiac cycles to create a negative pressure sink in a right atrium of the patient sufficient to accelerate flow from a renal vein, thereby enhancing renal decongestion and promoting blood flow across a kidney of the patient,
• wherein the first predetermined time interval is at least one minute and at least five times greater than the second predetermined time interval.