METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING A HEART

摘要

An apparatus and method for assisting a heart to pump blood includes a housing that defines an internal chamber for receiving a heart. The housing (12) has a first opening (38) to supply fluid to the internal chamber of the housing. Uniform pressure is applied to at least a majority portion of an exterior ventricular surface of a heart that is placed within the internal chamber (34), so that the heart is substantially uniformly deformed to simulate a systolic phase.