Pumping system and method for assisting a patient's heart

A method for assisting a human patient's heart, comprising:

• connecting a drainage cannula to an inlet to a blood pump to provide blood to the blood pump, the drainage cannula having a length to extend from the patient's groin to the patient's right atrium;
• connecting a blood supply cannula to an outlet of the blood pump to provide blood to the patient's heart, the blood supply cannula having a length to extend from the patient's groin to the patient's pulmonary artery;
• and
• operating the blood pump such that the patient's right ventricle is essentially bypassed by draining the right atrium of blood and pumping blood into the patient's pulmonary artery thereby allowing the patient's right ventricle to rest and establishing right ventricular support.

A pumping system for assisting a human patient's heart, comprising:

• a blood pump;
• a transseptal cannula adapted for fluid communication with an inlet to the blood pump to provide blood to the blood pump;
• and
• an arterial cannula adapted for fluid communication with an outlet of the blood pump to provide blood to the patient's heart, at least one of the transseptal cannula and the arterial cannula further comprising:
• an elongated body defining a channel extending through the elongated body, the elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end having a distal tip defining a tip opening communicating with the channel, and the distal end comprising at least one side hole in proximity to the distal tip and communicating with the channel for outflow of blood at the distal end,
• wherein the transseptal cannula is further configured to cross the patient's atrial septum to extend into the patient's left atrium, whereby the patient's left ventricle is essentially bypassed by draining the left atrium when blood is pumped by the blood pump into the patient's arterial system via the arterial cannula thereby allowing the patient's left ventricle to rest and establishing left ventricular support.

A method for assisting a human patient's heart, comprising:

• connecting a transseptal cannula with an inlet to a blood pump to provide blood to the blood pump;
• connecting an arterial cannula with an outlet of the blood pump to provide blood to the patient's heart;
• crossing the patient's atrial septum using the transseptal cannula whereby the transseptal cannula extends into the patient's left atrium;
• and
• operating the blood pump such that the patient's left ventricle is essentially bypassed by draining the left atrium and pumping blood into the patient's arterial system via the arterial cannula thereby allowing the patient's left ventricle to rest and establishing left ventricular support.