IMPLANTABLE HEART ASSIST SYSTEM

摘要

An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, includin g the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connect ed to the patient's heart, and methods of using same are disclosed. One embodiment of the intravascular extracardiac system (10) comprises a pump (3 2) with inflow (50) and outflow (52) conduits that are sized and configured to be implantable intravascularly through a non-primary vessel, whereby it may positioned where desired within the patient's vasculature. The system comprises a subcardiac pump that may be driven directly or electromagnetical ly from within or without the patient. The pump is configured to be operated continuously or in a pulsatile fashion, synchronous with the patient's heart , thereby potentially reducing the afterload of the heart. In another embodiment, the system is positioned extracorporeally, with the inflow condu it and outflow conduit applied percutaneously to a non-primary vessel for circulating blood to and from the non-primary vessel or between the non- primary vessel and another blood vessel within the patient's vasculature.