Direct mechanical bi-ventricular cardiac assist device
First Claim
1. A ventricular assist device, comprising:
- (a) a cup having an open top and defining a heart cavity sized to receive a human heart, said cup being formed of a material with sufficient rigidity to form a self-supporting shell;
(b) an annular diaphragm disposed along an inner surface of the cup and thereby defining a fluid chamber therebetween;
(c) a pressure inlet in said cup communicating with said fluid chamber for alternately applying positive and negative pressures to said fluid chamber to actuate said diaphragm, wherein the diaphragm distends to compress the heart when a positive pressure is applied to said fluid chamber, and contracts when negative pressure is applied to said fluid chamber allowing said heart to relax; and
(d) a size-adjustment assembly to allow for size adjustment of the open top of said cup relative to the human heart inserted into said heart cavity of said cup, said assembly including (i) an inflatable compensation ring adjacent said open top of said cup and positioned between said inner surface of said cup and said diaphragm, (ii) an opening formed in said cup adjacent to said compensation ring, and (iii) a fill valve positioned in said opening and fluid-connectable to said compensation ring to allow fluid to be injected into said compensation ring and thereby inflate the same, whereby the size of said open top of said cup is adjusted.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A direct mechanical bi-ventricular cardiac assist device comprises a ventricular actuation cup having two independently operated diaphragms for independently actuating the right and left ventricle of the patient'"'"'s heart. The pressure and timing of each diaphragm can be independently varied to maximize forward cardiac output. The ventricular actuation cup is constructed in two components including a main body section and an end piece. The diaphragm wraps around the ends of the main body section and the edges of the diaphragm are bonded to the outer surface of the main body section. Bonding of the diaphragm to the outer surface of the ventricular actuation cup eliminates lifting and tearing vectors which could result in diaphragm failure.
202 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A ventricular assist device, comprising:
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(a) a cup having an open top and defining a heart cavity sized to receive a human heart, said cup being formed of a material with sufficient rigidity to form a self-supporting shell; (b) an annular diaphragm disposed along an inner surface of the cup and thereby defining a fluid chamber therebetween; (c) a pressure inlet in said cup communicating with said fluid chamber for alternately applying positive and negative pressures to said fluid chamber to actuate said diaphragm, wherein the diaphragm distends to compress the heart when a positive pressure is applied to said fluid chamber, and contracts when negative pressure is applied to said fluid chamber allowing said heart to relax; and (d) a size-adjustment assembly to allow for size adjustment of the open top of said cup relative to the human heart inserted into said heart cavity of said cup, said assembly including (i) an inflatable compensation ring adjacent said open top of said cup and positioned between said inner surface of said cup and said diaphragm, (ii) an opening formed in said cup adjacent to said compensation ring, and (iii) a fill valve positioned in said opening and fluid-connectable to said compensation ring to allow fluid to be injected into said compensation ring and thereby inflate the same, whereby the size of said open top of said cup is adjusted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A bi-ventricular cardiac assist device comprising:
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(a) a self-supporting cup-shaped outer shell having opposed upper and lower ends and an inner surface which establishes an interior cavity for receiving a heart therein; (b) a diametrically opposed pair of slots oriented generally longitudinally between said upper and lower ends of said outer shell; (c) a pair of flexible semi-annular diaphragms disposed adjacent to respective semi-annular sections of said inner surface of said outer shell so as to establish a respective pair of fluid chambers between said pair of diaphragms and said semi-annular sections of said inner surface of said outer shell; (d) said pair of diaphragms including upper and lower edges wrapped around a respective semi-annular section of said upper and lower ends of said outer shell, and a pair of side edges each inserted through a respective one of said slots, wherein said upper, lower and side edges of said pair of diaphragms are bonded to an exterior surface of said outer shell; and (e) a pressure drive system fluid-connected to each one of said pair of fluid chambers for separately and independently pressurizing said pair of fluid chambers to cause separate and independent distention and contraction of said pair of diaphragms. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification