Conduit designs and related methods for optimal flow control

A heart implant for bypassing an at least partially occluded blood vessel, the implant comprising:

• a first end defining a vessel opening configured to be placed in flow communication with a blood vessel;
• a second end opposite the first end and defining a chamber opening that is smaller than the vessel opening and configured to be placed in flow communication with a heart chamber;
• and
• a wall extending between the first and second ends defining a lumen extending from the vessel opening to the chamber opening,
• wherein said ends and said wall are configured such that the implant has a greater resistance to blood flow in a first direction from the vessel opening to the chamber opening than in a second direction from the chamber opening to the vessel opening, and
• wherein the implant is configured to be positioned in the heart such that the second end is closer to the heart chamber than the first end is to the heart chamber.

A heart implant for bypassing an at least partially occluded blood vessel, comprising:

• a first end defining a vessel opening configured to be placed in flow communication with a blood vessel;
• a second end opposite the first end and defining a chamber opening that is smaller than the vessel opening and is configured to be placed in flow communication with a heart chamber;
• and
• a wall extending between the first and second ends defining a lumen extending from the vessel opening to the chamber opening,
• wherein the implant is configured to have a greater resistance to blood flow in a first direction from the vessel opening to the chamber opening than in a second direction from the chamber opening to the vessel opening without any active flow control mechanism, and
• wherein the implant is configured to be positioned in the heart such that the second end is closer to the heart chamber than the first end is to the heart chamber.

A method for bypassing an at least partially occluded blood vessel, the method comprising:

• providing an implant having a first end defining a vessel opening, a second end defining a chamber opening, and a wall defining a lumen extending from the vessel opening to the chamber opening, the chamber opening being smaller than the vessel opening;
• and
• placing the vessel opening in flow communication with a blood vessel and the chamber opening in flow communication with a heart chamber, such that the second end is closer to the heart chamber than the first end is to the heart chamber and blood flows through the implant between the heart chamber and the blood vessel;
• wherein the ends and the wall are configured such that the implant has a greater resistance to blood flow in a first direction from the vessel opening to the chamber opening than in a second direction from the chamber opening to the vessel opening.

A method for bypassing an at least partially occluded blood vessel, the method comprising:

• providing an implant having a first end defining a vessel opening, a second end defining a chamber opening, and a wall defining a lumen extending from the vessel opening to the chamber opening, the chamber opening being smaller than the vessel opening;
• and
• placing the vessel opening in flow communication with a blood vessel and the chamber opening in flow communication with a heart chamber, such that the second end is closer to the heart chamber than the first end is to the heart chamber and blood flows through the implant between the heart chamber and the blood vessel;
• wherein the implant is configured to have a greater resistance to blood flow in a first direction from the vessel opening to the chamber opening than in a second direction from the chamber opening to the vessel opening without any active flow control mechanism.