Ventricular assist and support device

• US 20060178550A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Jenson, Mark L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,878,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0283 Electro-active polymers [EAP]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/135 inside a blood vessel, e.g. using grafting
• 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 60/178 drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/187 mechanically acting upon the inside of the patient's native heart, e.g. contractile structures placed inside the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/191 mechanically acting upon the outside of the patient's native heart, e.g. compressive structures placed around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/289 Devices for mechanical circulatory actuation assisting the residual heart function by means mechanically acting upon the patient's native heart or blood vessel structure, e.g. direct cardiac compression [DCC] devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/427 the force acting on the blood contacting member being hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/457 the force acting on the blood contacting member being magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/468 the force acting on the actuation means being hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/47 the force acting on the actuation means being mechanical, e.g. mechanically driven members clamping a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/484 generated by electro-thermomechanical actuators, e.g. shape memory alloy actuators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/486 generated by electro-active actuators, e.g. using electro-active polymers or piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/489 the force acting on the actuation means being magnetic
• 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

Abstract

A ventricular assist device to provide cardiac assistance to a damaged ventricle chamber. The ventricular assist device is formed of an ventricle body which is anchorable to spaced ventricle wall portions to provide cardiac assistance. Operation of the ventricular assist device is timed or synchronized with the operating phases of the ventricle chamber. The ventricular assist device can be intravascularly deployed to provide a less invasive treatment procedure and can be adapted to provide static support if active assistance is no longer required.

Claims

1. A ventricular device comprising:

opposed spaced ventricle anchors anchorable to opposed ventricle wall portions; and

a ventricle body extending between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors and the ventricle body having an adjustable transventricle dimension between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors and the transventricle dimension being adjustable between a first dimension and a second smaller dimension to provide cardiac assistance.

2. The ventricular device of claim 1 wherein the ventricle body includes a first body portion coupled to a first ventricle anchor of the opposed spaced ventricle anchors and a second body portion slidably coupled to the first body portion and coupled to a second ventricle anchor of the opposed spaced ventricle anchors to provide the adjustable transventricle dimension of the ventricle body.

3. The ventricular device of claim 2 and further comprising a cable coupled to the second body portion to slidably adjust the second body portion relative to the first body portion to expand or contract the transventricle dimension of the ventricle body.

4. The ventricular device of claim 1 wherein the ventricle body comprises a cable having a first end fixed relative to a first ventricular anchor of the opposed spaced ventricle anchors and the cable slidable relative to a second ventricle anchor of the opposed spaced ventricle anchors to provide the adjustable transventricle dimension between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors.

5. The ventricular device of claim 1 wherein the ventricle body is formed of a bendable body to provide the adjustable transventricle dimension of the ventricle body between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors.

6. The ventricular device of claim 1 and further comprising at least one ventricle plate coupled to an end portion of the ventricle body.

7. The ventricular device of claim 6 including a plurality of ventricle plates including a first ventricle plate coupled to one end portion of the ventricle body and a second ventricle plate coupled to an opposed end portion of the Ventricle body.

8. The ventricular device of claim 6 wherein the ventricle plate is generally “

U”

shaped and includes a first end coupled to one end portion of the Ventricle body and a second end coupled to an opposed end portion of the Ventricle body.

9. The ventricular device of claim 1 and further comprising an actuator assembly coupled to the Ventricle body to adjust the transventricle dimension of the Ventricle body.

10. The ventricular device of claim 1 wherein the Ventricle body is formed of a collapsible body to provide the adjustable transventricle dimension between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors.

11. The ventricular device of claim 1, wherein the Ventricle body between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors is “

U”

shaped.

12. A ventricular assist device comprising:

opposed spaced ventricle anchors anchorable to opposed spaced ventricle wall portions;

a ventricle body extending between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors and the ventricle body including an adjustable transventricle dimension between the opposed spaced ventricle anchors; and

an actuator assembly energizable to adjust the adjustable transventricle dimension of the Ventricle body.

13. The ventricular assist device of claim 12 wherein the actuator assembly includes a controller configured to energize the actuator assembly in synchronization with operating phases of a ventricle chamber.

14. The ventricular assist device of claim 12 wherein the actuator assembly is implantable.

15. The ventricular assist device of claim 12 wherein the actuator assembly includes a cable having an actuation stroke and a driver coupled to the cable and energizable to operate the cable along the actuation stroke.

16. The ventricular assist device of claim 12 wherein the actuator assembly includes a material having an energizable length dimension change.

17. The ventricular assist device of claim 12 wherein the actuator assembly is energized electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically or magnetically.

18. The ventricular assist device of claim 12 wherein the actuator assembly is powered by one of an external or implantable power source.

19. A ventricular assembly comprising:

a first ventricle body compressible between first opposed ventricle anchors and a second ventricle body compressible between second opposed ventricle anchors; and

energy transfer device interposed between the first and second ventricle bodies.

20. The ventricular assembly of claim 19 wherein the first ventricle body and the second ventricle body form separate devices and the first ventricle body extends between first and second ventricle anchors and the second ventricle body extends between third and fourth ventricle anchors

21. The ventricular assembly of claim 19 wherein the first and second ventricle bodies form a single device having a common anchor.

22. A method for providing ventricle assistance comprising steps of:

deploying a ventricular device across a ventricle chamber and anchoring opposed spaced ventricle anchors of the ventricular device; and

adjusting a transventricle dimension of the ventricular device between opposed ventricle wall portions to provide ventricle assistance.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of adjusting the transventricle dimension comprises:

decreasing the transventricle dimension for a systole phase; and

increasing the transventricle dimension for a diastole phase.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the elongate ventricular device includes a first elongate portion coupled to a first ventricle anchor and a second elongate portion coupled to a second ventricle anchor and slidably coupled to the first elongate portion and the step of adjusting the transventricle dimension comprises:

sliding the second elongate portion relative to the first elongate portion.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of adjusting the transventricle dimension comprises the step of:

pneumatically, hydraulically, electrically or magnetically adjusting the transventricle dimension of the ventricular device.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of deploying the ventricular device comprises the steps of:

intravascularly inserting the ventricular device into a ventricle chamber of a heart; and

intravascularly anchoring the opposed spaced ventricle anchors of the ventricular device.

27. The method of claim 22 comprising the step of:

deploying a plurality of spaced ventricular devices between opposed ventricle wall portions; and

cooperatively adjusting the transventricle dimensions of the plurality of ventricular devices between the opposed ventricle wall portions to provide ventricle assistance.

28. A method for providing ventricle assistance for a damaged ventricle chamber comprising steps of:

deploying a first Ventricle body across a healthy ventricle chamber and second Ventricle body across a damaged ventricle chamber of a heart.

anchoring the first ventricle body to a wall portion of the healthy ventricle chamber and the second ventricle body to a wall portion of the damaged ventricle chamber; and

transferring movement of the first ventricle body to the second ventricle body to assist the damage ventricle chamber through the healthy ventricle chamber.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the first and second ventricle bodies form separate devices and the steps of deploying the first and second ventricle bodies and anchoring the first and second ventricle bodies comprises the steps of:

first deploying the first ventricle body of a first device and anchoring the first ventricle body between a first anchor and a second anchor; and

deploying the second ventricle body of a second device and anchoring the second ventricle body between a third anchor and a fourth anchor following deployment of the first ventricle body.