Implantable heart assist system and method of applying same

• US 20030088147A1
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ORQIS Medical Corporation
• Inventors: Charhut, Ken, Bolling, Steven F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,685,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3621 Extra-corporeal blood circuits single-needle circuits A61M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3655 Arterio-venous shunts or fistulae
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0026 Multi-lumen catheters with stationary elements catheter assemblies comprising a catheter in combination with a guide tube, sheath or sleeve A61M2025/0681; catheters comprising telescoping coaxial elements A61M2025/0175
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/117 for assisting the heart, e.g. transcutaneous or external ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/148 in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/152 branching on and drawing blood from a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/165 implantable in, on, or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/237 the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/274 the inlet and outlet being the same, e.g. para-aortic counter-pulsation blood pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/414 transmitted by a rotating cable, e.g. for blood pumps mounted on a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/422 the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/515 Regulation using real-time patient data
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/538 Regulation using real-time blood pump operational parameter data, e.g. motor current
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/857 Implantable blood tubes

Abstract

A method for further reducing the load on a heart suffering (ventricular size maintenance) from congestive heart failure comprising the application of a subcardiac pump having inflow and outflow conduits configured to fluidly connect to non-primary vessels in such a manner as to reduce the load on and/or the size of the heart prior to applying a device intended to reduce the stress on a wall of the ailing heart.

Claims

1. A method for reducing ventricular loading on an ailing heart without connecting any component to the patient'"'"'s heart, the method comprising the steps of:

prior to applying a cardiac reshaping device or other apparatus designed to reduce the ventricular load on the ailing heart and/or to maintain the heart at a desired size, fluidly coupling a distal end of an inflow conduit of a pump to a blood vessel that is not a primary blood vessel using a minimally invasive surgical procedure to permit the flow of blood to the pump from the blood vessel, said pump configured to pump blood at volumetric rates that are on average subcardiac;

fluidly coupling a distal end of an outflow conduit of the pump to the same or different blood vessel using a minimally invasive surgical procedure to permit the flow of blood away from the pump to said same or different blood vessel;

operating said pump to perfuse blood through the patient'"'"'s circulatory system at volumetric rates that are on average subcardiac to reduce the ventricular load on at least one ventricle of the ailing heart; and

after sufficient time to permit a reduction of the ventricular load on the ailing heart, applying a shape change therapy to either further reduce ventricular loading of the ailing heart and/or to maintain the heart at a size that enhances patient recovery.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pump is a rotary pump.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pump is implantable.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of fluidly coupling one or both of the conduits is via anastomosis.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of fluidly coupling one or both of the conduits comprises using a cannula applied in a percutaneous manner.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of fluidly coupling one or both of the conduits comprises positioning the distal end of said conduit within a desired blood vessel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of fluidly coupling the conduits to the blood vessels comprises connecting both conduit to a multi-lumen catheter.

8. A method for supplementing the circulation of blood through the patient without connecting any component to the patient'"'"'s heart, the method comprising the steps of:

fluidly coupling a distal end of an inflow conduit of a pump to a non-primary blood vessel via a cannula through a minimally invasive surgical procedure to permit the flow of blood to the pump, said pump configured to pump blood at volumetric rates that are on average subcardiac;

fluidly coupling a distal end of an outflow conduit of the pump to the same or different blood vessel via a cannula with a minimally invasive surgical procedure to permit the flow of blood away from the pump; and

operating said pump at subcardiac rates to perfuse blood through the patient'"'"'s circulatory system; and

applying a shape change therapy to reduce the ventricular load on an ailing heart.

9. A method for supplementing the circulation of blood through a patient without connecting any component to the patient'"'"'s heart, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a parallel flow system comprising a means for pumping blood and a conduit that houses the pump means;

inserting the pump means and the conduit into the patient'"'"'s vasculature in a non-primary vessel subcutaneously in an minimally-invasive procedure;

positioning the parallel flow system within the vasculature;

operating said pump means to direct blood through the conduit; and

applying a device intended to reshape the heart, reduce ventricular loading and/or to maintain the heart at a size sufficient to enhance patient treatment.