Cannula Systems and Methods

A method of placing a cannula into fluidic communication with a chamber of an organ of a patient, the cannula having (i) an elongate tubular member with a lumen having a distal opening at a distal end thereof and a proximal opening at the proximal end thereof, (ii) a hollow retention member disposed at the distal end of the tubular member, the retention member including an outer surface and a lumen extending between a proximal end and distal end thereof, wherein the distal end of the hollow retention member is expandable between a first configuration and a second configuration in which the perimeter of the outer surface of the distal end is larger than the perimeter of the outer surface of the proximal end and wherein the lumen of the retention member at the proximal end is in fluidic communication with the distal end of the elongate tubular member, and (iii) a retaining element configured to trap one or both of (a) at least a portion of the outer surface of the retention member to the chamber side of the organ wall and (b) the tubular member to the organ wall outside the chamber, the method comprising:

• advancing the cannula to the chamber;
• disposing the retention member in the first configuration through an opening in a wall of the organ into the chamber so that the retention member is disposed inside the chamber of the organ and the lumen at the proximal end of the retention member is in fluid communication with the lumen at the distal end of the tubular member that is outside the chamber;
• expanding the retention member to the second configuration;
• trapping the retention member to a portion of the chamber side of the wall surrounding the opening in the wall with at least a portion of the trapped wall conforming to the shape of the retention member in its second configuration.

A cannula system to direct the flow of material from a chamber of an organ via a wall of the organ, comprising

• an inflow tube having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface, and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein the distal end comprises a plurality of leaves, is capable of self expanding between a first configuration and a second configuration in which the perimeter of the outer surface of the distal end is larger than the perimeter of the outer surface of the proximal end, and comprises a material that promotes tissue ingrowth at the interface of the retention member and the organ wall;
• wherein the material forms a circumferential step formed at the junction between the material and the retention member;
• at least one retaining element configured to anchor at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal end to the chamber side of the organ wall;
• and
• at least one removable compression element configured to retain at least the distal end of the inflow tube in the first configuration comprising a sheath.

A cannula system to direct the flow of material from a chamber of an organ via a wall of the organ, comprising

• a inflow tube having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface, and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein the distal end comprises a plurality of leaves, is capable of self expanding between a first configuration and a second configuration in which the perimeter of the outer surface of the distal end is larger than the perimeter of the outer surface of the proximal end, and comprises a material that promotes tissue ingrowth at the interface of the retention member and the organ wall;
• wherein the material forms a circumferential step formed at the junction between the material and the retention member;
• at least one retaining element configured to anchor at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal end to the chamber side of the organ wall;
• and
• at least one removable compression element configured to retain at least the distal end of the inflow tube in the first configuration comprising a compression tip.

A method of coupling an inflow tube of a blood pump to the atrial septum of a patient's heart, in fluidic communication with the left atrium of the heart, the inflow tube having a proximal end, a tubular body, a distal end, an outer surface, and a lumen extending between a proximal opening at the proximal end and a distal opening at the distal end and being initially disposed on a delivery catheter, the distal end of the inflow tube being self-expandable between a first configuration in which the distal opening is substantially closed, and a second configuration in which the distal opening is open and in which the perimeter of the outer surface of the distal end is larger than the perimeter of the outer surface of the tubular body, the catheter including a compression element movable between a first, engaged position in which the compression element is engaged with the distal end to maintain the distal end in the first configuration a second, released position in which the compression element is disengaged from the distal end and allows the distal end to self-expand to the second configuration, the method comprising:

• advancing the distal end of the inflow tube distally through the right atrium of the heart, through an opening in the atrial septum, and at least partially into the left atrium of the heart;
• moving the retention member from its first, engaged position to its second, released position in the first configuration thereby allowing the distal end to move to its second configuration and to establish fluidic communication between the left atrium and the distal opening;
• withdrawing the distal end of the inflow tube proximally to engage the outer surface of the distal end with the atrial septum;
• and
• anchoring the distal end of the inflow to the atrial septum.