Implantable heart assist system and method of applying same
First Claim
1. A system for renal perfusion comprising:
- a pump configured to pump blood through a patient at subcardiac volumetric rates, said pump having an average flow rate that, during normal operation thereof, is substantially below that of the patient'"'"'s heart when healthy;
an inflow conduit comprising flexible tubing having an inner diameter that is less than 25 millimeters fluidly coupled to the pump to direct blood to the pump from a first non-primary blood vessel of the vasculature of the patient; and
, an outflow conduit fluidly coupled to the pump and configured to direct blood directly into a renal artery to maintains or enhance blood flow to a kidney supplied by the renal artery;
whereby connection of at least one of the inflow and outflow conduits to the vasculature may be made subcutaneously to permit application thereof in a minimally-invasive procedure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An extracardiac pumping system and method for using it supplement the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient'"'"'s heart. A battery powered pump may be implanted subcutaneously and attached to an inflow conduit fluidly coupled to a patient'"'"'s femoral artery via a subcutaneous anastomosis connection. The pump draws blood from the inflow conduit and discharges it through an outflow conduit fluidly coupled to a second peripheral artery via another subcutaneous anastomosis connection. The battery may be charged extracorporeally and the pump may be operated in either a continuous or pulsatile fashion in synchronization with the patient'"'"'s heart. The conduits can be housed in a multi-lumen catheter and a reservoir may be provided which fluidly communicates with the inflow conduits. An additional feature may keep blood traveling extracorporeally within the system at or near body temperature. The system is capable of adjusting outflow from the pump to optimize the mixing of red blood cells in the aorta and thereby enhance oxygen delivery to tissues by minimizing blood cell concentration in the center of the aorta.
119 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A system for renal perfusion comprising:
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a pump configured to pump blood through a patient at subcardiac volumetric rates, said pump having an average flow rate that, during normal operation thereof, is substantially below that of the patient'"'"'s heart when healthy;
an inflow conduit comprising flexible tubing having an inner diameter that is less than 25 millimeters fluidly coupled to the pump to direct blood to the pump from a first non-primary blood vessel of the vasculature of the patient; and
,an outflow conduit fluidly coupled to the pump and configured to direct blood directly into a renal artery to maintains or enhance blood flow to a kidney supplied by the renal artery;
whereby connection of at least one of the inflow and outflow conduits to the vasculature may be made subcutaneously to permit application thereof in a minimally-invasive procedure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for renal perfusion comprising:
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a pump having an inflow port and an outflow port, said pump configured to pump blood through the vasculature of a patient at an average flow rate that, during normal operation thereof, is substantially below that of the patient'"'"'s heart when healthy;
a multi-lumen catheter comprising a first lumen configured to fluidly couple a first blood vessel branching off from a blood vessel connected to the patient'"'"'s heart with the inflow port of the pump and a second lumen configured to fluidly couple a renal artery with the outflow port of the pump;
wherein the multilumen catheter enables the system to be applied to the patient at a single cannulation site. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for increasing perfusion in a renal artery, the method comprising:
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providing fluid communication between a pump and an inflow conduit and between the pump and an outflow conduit;
fluidly coupling said inflow conduit with a first location of the vasculature using a minimally invasive surgical procedure;
advancing a distal end of the outflow conduit to a location proximate a renal artery; and
operating said pump to direct blood from the first location to the renal artery at volumetric rates that are on average subcardiac to increase perfusion through the renal artery. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification