VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE

摘要

Cardiac ventricular assist apparatus (10) adapted to be placed by insertion through an incision in the wall of the upper abdomen comprises a distensible flexible bladder (60) adapted to be passed through the incision. The bladder (60) is of a size and shape such as to be engageable with the outer surface of the left ventricle of a heart and is attached to a tube (68) through which a gas can be introduced into it to compress the left ventricle and withdrawn from it to allow the ventricle to fill. A non-distensible tube (62) joined to the distal edge of the bladder (60) is connected to a source of a fluid by which it can be inflated after insertion of the bladder (60) to deploy the distal edge of the bladder (60) from a collapsed condition in which it is emplaced within the pericardium to an extended condition partly encircling the heart.