Cardiac harness

• US 7,976,454 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paracor Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Paracor Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Anuja, Lau, Lilip
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert; Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US11/511,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 600 16- 18, 600/37, 128/897, 128/898, 606/193, 606/195, 606/202
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2481 Devices outside the heart wall, e.g. bags, strips or bands

Abstract

A cardiac harness for treating or preventing congestive heart failure is configured to be placed about at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s heart so as to apply a mild compressive force on the heart. In one embodiment, the cardiac harness is configured so that the variation of load as a function of expansion through a selected range of expansion is represented generally in the form y=ax+b, and the value of “a” does not increase as the percent expansion increases.

Claims

1. A cardiac harness, comprising:

a plurality of circumferentially extending rings formed from a metallic alloy;

each ring having a plurality of non-overlapping spring members having a circumferential compliance and a longitudinal compliance, the circumferential compliance being greater than the longitudinal compliance; and

a plurality of connectors for connecting adjacent rings, the connectors being formed from a non-metallic material.

2. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein the connectors define a space between adjacent rings.

3. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein the spring members are formed from a wire having a diameter of about 0.005 inch.

4. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein a circumferential load on the heart applied by the ring members during the cardiac cycle is in the range of about 0.0 N/cm (0.0 lb F/in.) to about 0.043 N/cm (0.025 lb F/in.) at an applied strain in the range of about 0.0% to about 20.0%.

5. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein the spring members are formed from a wire having a diameter of about 0.012 inch.

6. The cardiac harness of claim 5, wherein a circumferential load applied by the ring members during the cardiac cycle is in the range of about 0.0 N/cm (0.0 lb F/in.) to about 0.047 N/cm (0.026 lb F/in.) at an applied strain in the range of about 0.0% to about 20.0%.

7. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein the spring members are formed from a wire having a diameter of about 0.011 inch.

8. The cardiac harness of claim 7, wherein a circumferential load on the heart applied by the ring members during the cardiac cycle is in the range of about 0.0 N/cm (0.0 lb F/in.) to about 0.16 N/cm (0.09 lb F/in.) at an applied strain in the range of about 0.0% to about 20.0%.

9. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein the rings apply a continuous pressure on the heart in the range of about 2 mm Hg to about 20 mm Hg.

10. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein the rings apply a continuous pressure on the heart in the range of about 2 mm Hg to about 10 m Hg.

11. The cardiac harness of claim 1, wherein the rings apply a continuous pressure on the heart in the range of about 2 mm Hg to about 5m Hg.

12. A cardiac harness, comprising:

a plurality of circumferentially extending rings formed from a nitinol alloy;

each ring having a plurality of non-overlapping spring members having a circumferential compliance and a longitudinal compliance, the circumferential compliance being greater than the longitudinal compliance; and

a plurality of connectors for connecting adjacent rings, the connectors being formed from a non-metallic material.