Cardiac message apparatus

• US 6,406,444 B2
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Theracardia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Theracardia, Inc.
• Inventors: Brenneman, Rodney A., Lenker, Jay A.
• Primary Examiner(s): YU, JUSTINE ROMANG
• Application Number:
  US09/344,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20020010407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 601/6, 601/9, 601/11, 601/134, 601/135, 601/153, 601/106, 601/107, 601/41, 601/148, 600/215, 600/204, 600/235, 600/206, 600/207, 606/190-194, 606/185
• US Class Current: 601/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2031/001 fixed on the chest by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 31/007 Manual driven
• 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 60/468 the force acting on the actuation means being hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/473 generated by an electromotor

Abstract

A device for performing minimally invasive closed chest heart massage comprises a support having a plurality of curved, deployable struts, optionally carrying a sheet or inflatable bladder for engaging the pericardium. The struts are delivered to the space between the pericardium and the posterior rib cage in a radially collapsed configuration and deployed radially outwardly with minimum advancement in the axial direction.

Claims

1. A cardiac massage device comprising:

a support; and

a plurality of struts reciprocatably attached to the support, said struts being retractable to a radially contracted configuration and advancable along arcuate, diverging paths;

a toroidal inflatable bladder attached to said struts to define a surface which is adapted to non-traumatically engage the pericardium to compress the heart when the support is advanced against the pericardium.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein the contracted configuration has a maximum width of 2 cm.

3. A device as in claim 2, wherein the bladder defines a surface which spans an area of at least 5 cm² when the struts are fully advanced and the bladder is inflated.

4. A device as in claim 3, wherein the struts have distal tips and wherein said distal tips are advanced over an axial distance of 5 cm or less as the struts are fully advanced.

5. A device as in claim 1, wherein the support comprises a sheath having a lumen and a shaft reciprocatably received in the sheath lumen, wherein the struts are attached to the shaft.

6. A device as in claim 1, wherein the support further comprises a blunt member.

7. A device as in claim 6, wherein the blunt member is disposed distal to end of the sheath.

8. A device as in claim 6, wherein the blunt member is reciprocatably received in the sheath lumen.

9. A device as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the struts have enlarged atraumatic tips.

10. A device as in claim 9, wherein at least some of the enlarged atraumatic tips are axially offset from others of the enlarged atraumatic tips to reduce their collective periphery when the struts are retracted.

11. A device as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the struts have bent tips.

12. A device as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the struts are composed of a shape memory alloy.

13. A device as in claim 12, wherein the struts have a first shape at room temperature and a second shape at a temperature above or below room temperature.

14. A device as in claim 13, wherein the first shape is an arcuate shape and the second shape is a less arcuate shape.

15. A cardiac massage device comprising:

a support having a distal end;

a solid blunt member attached to the distal end of the support, said blunt member having a plurality of arcuate guide surfaces on a proximal surface of said solid blunt member; and

a plurality of struts reciprocatably attached to the support, said struts being retractable to a radially contracted configuration and advancable distally against and over the guide surfaces along arcuate, diverging paths to define a surface which is adapted to non-traumatically engage the pericardium to compress the heart when the blunt member is advanced against the pericardium.

16. A device as in claim 15, wherein the contracted configuration has a maximum width of 2 cm.

17. A device as in claim 16, wherein the surface spans an area of at least 5 cm² when the struts are fully advanced.

18. A device as in claim 17, wherein the struts have distal tips and wherein said distal tips are advanced over an axial distance of 5 cm or less as the struts are fully advanced.

19. A device as in claim 15, wherein the surface comprises a flexible sheet attached to at least some of the struts.

20. A device as in claim 15, wherein the surface comprises an inflatable bladder attached to at least some of the struts.

21. A device as in claim 15, wherein the surface comprises a non-elastic filament around the periphery thereof.

22. A device as in claim 15, wherein the support comprises a sheath having a lumen and a shaft reciprocatably received in the sheath lumen, wherein the struts are attached to the shaft.

23. A device as in claim 22, wherein the blunt member is disposed distal to the end of the sheath.

24. A device as in claim 15, wherein at least some of the struts have enlarged atraumatic tips.

25. A device as in claim 24, wherein at least some of the enlarged atraumatic tips are axially offset from others of the enlarged atraumatic tips to reduce their collective periphery when the struts are retracted.

26. A device as in claim 15, wherein at least some of the struts have bent tips.

27. A device as in claim 15, wherein at least some of the struts are composed of a shape memory alloy.

28. A device as in claim 27, wherein the struts have a first shape at room temperature and a second shape at a temperature above or below room temperature.

29. A device as in claim 28, wherein the first shape is an arcuate shape and the second shape is a less arcuate shape.