Back to results
US 6,126,590 AGranted
Cardiac reinforcement device
AssigneeAcorn Cardiovascular, Inc.
InventorClifton A. Alferness
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a cardiac reinforcement device (CRD) and method for the treatment of cardiomyopathy. The CRD provides for reinforcement of the walls of the heart by constraining cardiac expansion, beyond a predetermined limit, during diastolic expansion of the heart. A CRD of the invention can be applied to the epicardium of the heart to locally constrain expansion of the cardiac wall or to circumferentially constrain the cardiac wall during cardiac expansion.
Claims30
A method for treating valvular a conditions of a patient's heart, said method comprising:
- (a) selecting a cardiac reinforcement device, said cardiac reinforcement device comprising:
- (i) a synthetic biomedical material which can be applied to an epicardial surface of the heart and having a maximum predetermined size, said predetermined size selected to constrain cardiac expansion beyond a predetermined limit;
- (ii) said synthetic biomedical material comprising a continuous mesh construction, said continuous mesh construction defining a plurality of open cells;
- (iii) said synthetic biomedical material formed into a jacket to surround said heart with said jacket having an internal volume to receive said heart;
- (b) applying said cardiac reinforcement device to said surface of said heart under a parietal layer of a pericardium of said heart;
- and
- (c) securing said cardiac reinforcement device to said surface of said heart with said jacket adjusted for said internal volume to assume said maximum predetermined size.
4 more elements
A method for treating cardiac disease, said method comprising:
- (a) selecting a cardiac reinforcement device, said cardiac reinforcement device comprising:
- (i) a substantially non-elastic biomedical material which can be applied to an epicardial surface of the heart and having a maximum predetermined size, said predetermined size selected to constrain cardiac expansion beyond a predetermined limit;
- (b) applying said cardiac reinforcement device to said surface of the heart by applying said device to diametrically opposite sides of the heart and with opposite sides of the biomedical material overlying the opposite sides of the heart interconnected to one another;
- and
- (c) securing said cardiac reinforcement device to said surface of the heart with said opposing sides urged together by a spacing less than an unconstrained diastolic expansion of said diametrically opposite sides of the heart.
2 more elements
A method for reducing diastolic volume of a patient's heart, said method comprising:
- (a) selecting a cardiac reinforcement device, said cardiac reinforcement device comprising:
- (i) a substantially non-elastic biomedical material which can be applied to an epicardial surface of said heart and having a maximum predetermined size, said predetermined size selected to constrain cardiac expansion beyond a predetermined limit;
- (ii) said biomedical material comprising a plurality of open cells, each open cell defined by multiple sides, each open cell sharing at least one of said multiple sides with an adjacent open cell;
- (b) applying said cardiac reinforcement device to said surface of said heart by applying said biomedical material to diametrically opposite sides of said heart and said opposite sides of said biomedical material are interconnected to one another;
- and
- (c) securing said cardiac reinforcement device to said epicardial surface of said heart.
3 more elements
A method for minimally invasive treatment of cardiac disease of a patient's heart, said method comprising:
- (a) making a first and second minimally invasive incision into said patient's thorax;
- (b) passing a thorascope into said first incision for intra-thoracic visualization;
- (c) passing a cannula into said second incision to a position for applying a cardiac reinforcement device to said patient's heart, wherein said cardiac reinforcement device comprises:
- (i) a biomedical material which can be applied to an epicardial surface of said heart and having a maximum predetermined size, said predetermined size selected to surround said surface of said heart and circumferentially constrain cardiac expansion beyond a predetermined limit;
- (d) applying said cardiac reinforcement device to said epicardial surface of said patient's heart;
- (e) removing said thorascope from said patient's thorax;
- (f) closing said first and said second incisions in said patient's thorax.
4 more elements
A method for treating cardiac disease, said method comprising:
- (a) selecting a cardiac reinforcement device, said cardiac reinforcement device comprising:
- (i) a substantially non-elastic biomedical material which can be applied to an epicardial surface of said heart and having a maximum predetermined size, said predetermined size selected to constrain cardiac expansion beyond a predetermined limit;
- (ii) said substantially non-elastic biomedical material comprising a plurality of continuous strands of said biomedical material, said strands defining a plurality of open cells;
- (b) applying said cardiac reinforcement device to said surface of said heart by applying said device to diametrically opposite sides of said heart and with opposite sides of said biomedical material overlying said opposite sides of said heart interconnected to one another;
- and
- (c) securing said cardiac reinforcement device to said surface of said heart with said opposing sides urged together by a spacing less than an unconstrained diastolic expansion of said diametrically opposite sides of said heart.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.