Apparatus for anchoring a ventricular assist system in a blood vessel, operating method, production method for producing an apparatus and ventricular assist system

A method for producing an apparatus for anchoring a cardiac support system in a blood vessel, the method comprising:

• providing a semi-finished product made of a shape memory material;
• forming a fixing component, a ring-shaped crown and a connection component from the semi-finished product;
• and
• heat treating the fixing component, the crown and the connection component in order to emboss a shape of the anchoring state;
• wherein the fixing component is configured to fix to the cardiac support system,
• wherein a diameter of the ring-shaped crown is configured to increase during a transition of the apparatus from an insertion state into an anchoring state so as to anchor the cardiac support system in the blood vessel, wherein the apparatus is configured to assume the insertion state for inserting the cardiac support system into the blood vessel and to assume the anchoring state for anchoring the cardiac support system in the blood vessel,
• wherein the apparatus further comprises a sleeve being movably displaceable relative to the crown during the transition from the insertion state into the anchoring state so as to allow the crown to unfold,
• wherein the connection component is configured to connect the crown to the fixing component, the connection component comprising a plurality of flexure struts configured to unfold in response to displacement of the sleeve, wherein each flexure strut of the plurality of flexure struts comprises a first end coupled to the fixing component,
• wherein the ring-shaped crown comprises a plurality of unfolding elements configured to unfold during the transition of the apparatus from the insertion state into the anchoring state so as to increase the diameter of the crown,
• wherein each unfolding element comprises two unfolding rods connected to one another at their ends,
• wherein the plurality of unfolding elements connect to one another along a circular path, wherein a central section of each unfolding rod of each unfolding element is connected at a connection point to a central section of an adjacent unfolding rod of an adjacent unfolding element,
• wherein each unfolding rod is disposed closer to each adjacent unfolding rod in the insertion state than in the anchoring state, wherein each of the plurality of flexure struts comprises a second end connected to the connection point of two unfolding rods of adjacent unfolding elements or to a connection at the ends of two unfolding rods of one of the unfolding elements at an end of the crown opposite the fixing component, and
• wherein the sleeve is configured to enclose the crown in the insertion state and is configured to release the crown so as to initiate the transition from the insertion state into the anchoring state.