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US 6,572,529 B2Granted
Intrapericardial assist method
AssigneeWilk Patent Development Corporation
InventorPeter J. Wilk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical method for assisting cardiac function utilizes a balloon initially in a collapsed configuration. The balloon is inserted into an intrapericardial space about a patient's heart and is disposed about one portion of the patient's heart. The method further includes inflating the balloon in the intrapericardial space to compress one portion of the patient's heart. A lower end portion of the patient's heart is separately compressed by an additional instrumentality to reduce ventricular volume.
Claims19
A surgical method for assisting cardiac function, comprising:
- inserting a device into a patient;
- and
- applying said device to a lower end portion of the patient's heart so as to compress and at least partially close a lower portion of at least one ventricle of the heart, said device including a wire provided at a free end with at least one anchoring barb, the applying of said device to the lower portion of the patient's heart including:
- inserting a catheter into a ventricle of the patient's heart;
- ejecting said free end of said wire from said catheter into the patient's myocardium so that said free end and said at least one barb are embedded in the myocardium, surrounded thereby;
- and
- exerting tension on said wire to pull walls of the patient's heart towards one another so as to compress and close off said lower portion of said at least one ventricle of the heart.
4 more elements
A method for reducing ventricular volume, comprising:
- inserting a catheter into a ventricle of a patient's heart;
- deploying a tensile member from a leading end of said catheter;
- attaching said tensile member to the patient's heart so that said tensile member is contained completely within the patient's heart and does not protrude therefrom;
- and
- exerting tension on said tensile member to draw walls of the patient's heart towards one another to reduce the volume of at least one ventricle of the patient's heart.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.