Blood pumping catheter and method of use
First Claim
1. Apparatus for disposition within the body of a living being to effect the pumping of blood through at least a portion of the being'"'"'s vascular system, said apparatus comprising an elongated catheter having a distal end portion, said catheter being positionable within the vascular system of said being so that its distal end portion is located at an operative position within or adjacent said being'"'"'s heart, said catheter including pump means located at said distal end portion, said pump means including a rotatable portion of a predetermined, first configuration, said first configuration being sufficiently compact to enable said catheter to be passed longitudinally through a portion of said vascular system to said operative position, said rotatable portion being alterable in configuration to a second, enlarged configuration at said operative position, and drive means for effecting the rotation of said rotatable portion of said pump means at said operative position such that when said rotatable portion of said pump means is in said enlarged configuration blood is pumped by the rotation of said rotatable portion of said pump means through the heart and into said portion of said vascular system.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An elongated catheter for pumping blood through at least a portion of a being'"'"'s vascular system. The catheter is of sufficiently small diameter and flexiblility to enable it to be passed through the vascular system so that the distal end portion of the catheter is located within or adjacent the being'"'"' heart. A rotatable pump is located at the distal end of the catheter and is rotated by drive means in the catheter. The distal end portion of the catheter includes an inlet for blood to flow therein and an outlet for blood to flow thereout. The catheter is arranged so that blood is pumped by the catheter'"'"'s pump through the heart and into the vascular system without requiring any pumping action of the heart.
-
Citations
34 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for disposition within the body of a living being to effect the pumping of blood through at least a portion of the being'"'"'s vascular system, said apparatus comprising an elongated catheter having a distal end portion, said catheter being positionable within the vascular system of said being so that its distal end portion is located at an operative position within or adjacent said being'"'"'s heart, said catheter including pump means located at said distal end portion, said pump means including a rotatable portion of a predetermined, first configuration, said first configuration being sufficiently compact to enable said catheter to be passed longitudinally through a portion of said vascular system to said operative position, said rotatable portion being alterable in configuration to a second, enlarged configuration at said operative position, and drive means for effecting the rotation of said rotatable portion of said pump means at said operative position such that when said rotatable portion of said pump means is in said enlarged configuration blood is pumped by the rotation of said rotatable portion of said pump means through the heart and into said portion of said vascular system.
- 28. The method of pumping blood into the vascular system of a living being without requiring operation of the being'"'"'s heart by means of a catheter, said catheter having a distal end at which a pump having a rotatable, blood engaging portion is located, said method comprising the steps of introducing said catheter into and through a portion of the vascular system of said being until said pump means is located at an operative position within or closely adjacent the heart of said being, expanding said rotatable portion of said pump from a compact inoperative configuration to an enlarged, operative configuration at said operative position, and causing said rotatable portion of said pump to rotate while in said enlarged operative configuration at said operative position, whereupon blood is pumped into said system through said heart by said rotation.
Specification