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US 6,203,490 B1Granted
Myocardial stabilizer
OwnerMilan Krajíĉekinventor
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OwnerMilan Krajíĉekinventor
Estimating the term…
For some types of cardiac operations it is advantageous to execute the procedure on the working, beating heart, i.e., without arresting the heart and imposing extra-corporeal circulation on the heart. However, where such a procedure is performed, it is simultaneously necessary to immobilize the appropriate myocardial part during the time required for the surgical procedure. For this purpose, a device is provided having a solid part which has a source of a magnetic field to be applied externally to the area of the cardiac muscle to be immobilized, and ferromagnetic fibers which are introduced into the myocardium of this part of the heart muscle in the desired length, position and form. During the existence of the induced magnetic field, the ferromagnetic fibers are attracted toward the solid part of the device. By compression of the myocardium between the ferromagnetic fibers and the part inducing the magnetic field, and immobilization of this myocardial region is achieved.
A device for local stabilization or immobilization of an area of cardiac muscle of a working heart, comprising at least one ferromagnetic fiber (4) for insertion into the cardiac muscle along a periphery of the area of the muscle (3) to be stabilized, at least one elongated magnet arm (2) having a contact surface (2a) for contacting an external surface of the muscle adjacent said fiber, and a source of magnetic induction (1, 11) connected to said magnet arm (2) for applying a magnetic field to cause attraction between the fiber and the contact surface sufficient to stabilize the muscle.
The device according to 13, wherein each of the magnet arms is bent rectilinearly with openings facing each other to form a square with non-magnetic links connecting the magnet arms at their junctures.
A method for local stabilization or immobilization of an area of cardiac muscle of a working heart, comprising inserting at least one ferromagnetic fiber (4) into the cardiac muscle along a periphery of the area of the muscle (3) to be stabilized, applying a solid contact surface (2a) to an external surface of the muscle adjacent to the inserted fiber, and applying a source of magnetic induction to said contact surface to cause attraction between the fiber and the contact surface sufficient to stabilize the muscle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.