Ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement

• US 9,173,984 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heartware,Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Heartware,Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: LaRose, Jeffrey A., Shambaugh, Charles R. Jr., White, Steve A., Tamez, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kahelin, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN
• Application Number:
  US14/471,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20140371517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 600116-118, 623/3.1, 623/3.13, 623/3.15, 623/3.24, 623/3.26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/103 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/125 Heart
• 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 60/174 discharging the blood to the ventricle or arterial system via a cannula internal to the ventricle or arterial system
• 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 60/237 the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/419 the force acting on the blood contacting member being permanent magnetic, e.g. from a rotating magnetic coupling between driving and driven magnets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/422 the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/824 Hydrodynamic or fluid film bearings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/857 Implantable blood tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/863 Apex rings

Abstract

The present invention includes various devices and methods for ventricular assist. In one embodiment, the present invention is a ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject, the device including a ring configured to be mounted adjacent an apex of the patient'"'"'s heart; a rigid elongate member having a proximal and distal end; and a pump having a housing and an outflow cannula having a tip, the tip having a distal end projecting through an aortic valve of the subject'"'"'s heart, wherein the ring and the pump are connected to the rigid elongate member remote from one another so that the rigid elongate member maintains the pump in position relative to the ring.

Claims

1. A ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:

a ring configured to be mounted adjacent an apex of the patient'"'"'s heart;

a rigid elongate member having a proximal and distal end along an axis; and

a pump having an axis extending between an inlet and an outlet, the pump axis is offset from the elongate member axis, comprising;

a housing and an outflow cannula having a tip, the tip having a distal end adapted to project through an aortic valve of the subject'"'"'s heart but terminate short of an arch of the aorta,

wherein the ring and the pump are connected to the rigid elongate member remote from one another so that the rigid elongate member maintains the pump in position relative to the ring.

2. The ventricular assist device of claim 1, wherein the ring includes a spherical socket adapted to engage a spherical ball mounted to the rigid elongate member such that the ring is pivotally mounted to the elongate member.

3. The ventricular assist device of claim 1 wherein the ring is adapted for fixation on an exterior surface of the heart.

4. The ventricular assist device of claim 1, wherein the ring is adapted for mounting adjacent the apex of the patient'"'"'s heart by sewing the ring to tissue along a wall of the patient'"'"'s heart.

5. A method of installing a ventricular assist device in a mammalian subject comprising:

(a) providing an anchor element and a pump attached to one another via a rigid elongated member, the rigid elongate member including a proximal and distal end, wherein the anchor element and the pump are positioned remote from one another on the rigid elongate member so that the rigid elongate member maintains the pump in position relative to the anchor element and the anchor element including a spherical socket adapted to engage a spherical ball mounted to the rigid elongate member wherein the anchor element is pivotally mounted to the elongate member;

(b) mounting the anchor element to the subject so that an inlet of the pump communicates with the left ventricle of the heart; and

(c) positioning an outflow cannula of the pump so that the outflow cannula extends from within the left ventricle through the aortic valve but terminates short of the arch of the aorta.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the mounting step includes mounting the pump within the left ventricle of the heart.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein during the mounting step, the anchor element engages the wall of the heart near the apex of the heart so that the anchor element maintains the pump and outflow cannula in position within the heart.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inlet of the pump is positioned so that the inlet is remote from the aortic valve and faces in a direction toward the apex of the heart.

9. A method of placing a ventricular assist device at a location inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:

providing an anchor element and a pump connected to a rigid elongate member remote from one another, the pump having an outflow cannula, the anchor element including a spherical socket adapted to engage a spherical ball mounted to the rigid elongate member such that the anchor element is pivotally mounted to the elongate member;

advancing the pump through a wall in an apex of the subject'"'"'s heart and into the left ventricle of the subject'"'"'s heart such that the outflow cannula extends from within the left ventricle through the aortic valve but terminates short of the arch of the aorta; and

mounting the anchor element to the apex of the subject'"'"'s heart.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the pump comprises a housing, an inlet and an outlet, a rotor within the housing and electric drive coils carried on the housing for magnetically driving the rotor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the outflow cannula is tubular and defines a bore, the bore having an inlet at a proximal end thereof connected to the outlet of the pump, wherein the outflow cannula includes a tip at the distal end thereof, the tip having a plurality of openings, wherein the tip of the outflow cannula projects through the aortic valve.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein an inlet of the pump is positioned so that the inlet is remote from the aortic valve and faces in a direction toward the apex of the heart.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the pump further includes a housing, an inlet and an outlet, cutlet including the outflow cannula extending from within the left ventricle through the aortic valve.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the outflow cannula includes a tip at a distal end thereof, the tip terminating short of the arch of the aorta.

15. The method of claim 13, where the step of mounting the anchor element maintains the pump and outflow cannula in position within the heart.

16. A ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:

a ring configured to be mounted adjacent an apex of the patient'"'"'s heart, the ring including a spherical socket;

a rigid elongate member having a proximal and distal end and a spherical ball on one of the proximal or distal ends, the spherical ball adapted to engage the spherical socket of the ring wherein the ring is pivotally mounted to the elongate member; and

a pump comprising;

a housing and an outflow cannula having a tip, the tip having a distal end adapted to project through an aortic valve of the subject'"'"'s heart but terminate short of an arch of the aorta,

wherein the ring and the pump are connected to the rigid elongate member remote from one another so that the rigid elongate member maintains the pump in position relative to the ring.