MECHANICAL ASSIST DEVICE

摘要

Methods and apparatuses relate to an implantable device for providing contractile assistance to an organ. The device may include an actuator and anchors located on either side of the actuator. The anchors engage with oppositely positioned tissue walls of an organ chamber, and provide contractile assistance to the organ, repeatedly, at appropriate times. For example, the device may be implanted within the right ventricle, anchored to the right ventricular free wall and the ventricular septum. The device may function to bring the opposing walls of the ventricle toward one another, synchronized with the pacing of the heart, resulting in an improved ejection fraction of blood from the chamber. In some embodiments, the actuator includes a bladder that is configured to contract upon receiving an inflow of pressurized fluid therein. When the fluid exits therefrom, the bladder relaxes back to an initial, extended state.

主权项

1. A device for providing mechanical assistance to an organ, the device comprising:
a first anchor adapted to engage with a first wall region of the organ; a second anchor adapted to engage with a second wall region of the organ; and an actuator coupled with the first anchor and the second anchor, and configured to move the first and second anchors relative to one another repeatedly between a contracted position where the anchors are moved toward each other to draw the first and second wall regions of the organ toward each other and an extended position where the anchors are moved away from each other relative to the contracted position to move the first and second wall regions away from each other.