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US 6,406,422 B1Granted
Ventricular-assist method and apparatus
AssigneeLevram Medical Devices, Ltd.
InventorAmir Landesberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for ventricular-assist of the normal heart action utilizes an intraventricular device with a limited volume which is expanded at a critical time, for a critical duration and with a volume change course such that it assists the pumping action of the heart without inducing stretching of the ventricular wall.
Claims24
A ventricular assist method which comprises the steps of:
- (a) inserting into at least one failing ventricular cavity of a failing heart through a wall thereof a respective expandable intraventricular chamber;
- (b) in cadence with normal functioning of said failing heart, effecting expansion of said intraventricular chamber with each heart beat and commencing only after opening of an outlet valve of the respective ventricular cavity of the failing heart or only after a detected shortening of a monitored region of a wall of the respective ventricular cavity of the failing heart and continuing during an ejection phase of the respective ventricular cavity, thereby augmenting ejection volume from the respective ventricular cavity by up a maximum volume of the intraventricular chamber per systolic phase;
- (c) monitoring ventricular ejection or a ventricular wall region for shortening and controlling a course of expansion of each said intraventricular chamber in step (b) to reduce a shortening and at the same time to prevent stretching of a respective monitored ventricular wall region of the failing heart by comparison with ventricular wall shortening prior to insertion of the respective intraventricular chamber;
- and
- (d) depressurizing and contracting each said intraventricular chamber immediately upon closing of a respective said outlet valve of the failing heart.
2 more elements
A ventricular assist apparatus comprising:
- an expandable intraventricular chamber insertable into a ventricular cavity of a failing heart through a wall thereof;
- means including a computer-controlled actuator connected to said intraventricular chamber for effecting expansion and contraction of said intraventricular chamber in cadence with normal functioning of said failing heart and commencing only after opening of an outlet valve of the respective ventricular cavity of the failing heart or only after a detected shortening of a monitored region of a wall of the respective ventricular cavity of the failing heart and continuing during an ejection phase of the respective ventricular cavity, thereby augmenting ejection volume from the respective ventricular cavity by up to a maximum volume of the intraventricular chamber per systolic phase;
- and
- at least one sensor for monitoring wall shortening of said failing ventricle, said sensor being connected to said computer-controlled actuator and controlling a course of expansion of said intraventricular chamber.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.