A device for reducing pressure within a lumen includes a reservoir structured for holding a fluid therein, an injection port in fluid communication with the reservoir, a compliant body structured to expand and contract upon changes in pressure, and a conduit extending between and fluidly coupling the reservoir and the compliant body. The fluid may be a compressible or a noncompressible fluid.

Several embodiments of a catheter are described, having a balloon configured to slowly inflate and then quickly deflate to create an area of low pressure in the vessels. The balloon can be cycled near the vessels of the kidneys, thereby helping to draw out blood from the kidneys and enhance fluid processing to the bladder.

A heart support device for circulatory assistance is disclosed. The device comprises a chamber body defining a chamber having an internal volume configured to be filled with blood. The chamber body has a first opening and the chamber is dimensioned such that the first opening and the chamber are fully disposed within a chamber of the human heart. A dynamic volume body is provided and configured to be inflated or deflated to alternately increase or decrease the interior volume of the chamber. A catheter comprising at least one lumen in fluid communication with the dynamic volume body is configured to deliver fluid to the dynamic volume body to inflate the dynamic volume body. A directional flow structure is configured to direct a flow of blood out of the chamber in a direction substantially aligned with a direction in which the catheter extends.

A heart support device for circulatory assistance is disclosed. The device comprises a chamber body defining a chamber having an internal volume configured to be filled with blood. The chamber body has a first opening and the chamber is dimensioned such that the first opening and the chamber are fully disposed within a chamber of the human heart. A dynamic volume body is provided and configured to be inflated or deflated to alternately increase or decrease the interior volume of the chamber. A catheter comprising at least one lumen in fluid communication with the dynamic volume body is configured to deliver fluid to the dynamic volume body to inflate the dynamic volume body. A directional flow structure is configured to direct a flow of blood out of the chamber in a direction substantially aligned with a direction in which the catheter extends.

The devices and method described herein allow for therapeutic damage to increase volume in these hyperdynamic hearts to allow improved physiology and ventricular filling and to reduce diastolic filling pressure by making the ventricle less stiff. For example, improving a diastolic heart function in a heart by creating at least one incision in cardiac muscle forming an interior heart wall of the interior chamber where the at least one incision extends into one or more layers of the interior heart wall without puncturing through the interior heart wall and the incision is sufficient to reduce a stiffness of the interior chamber to increase volume of the chamber and reduce diastolic filing pressure.

A system for improving heart muscle response during a pre-ejection phase in the heart muscle pumping cycle requires a catheter having a pressure transducer and a fluid device mounted at its distal end. Also included is a pump connected to the proximal end of the catheter in fluid communication with the fluid device. A computer will activate the pump in response to a predetermined signal from the pressure transducer to inject and maintain an increased fluid volume in the pumping chamber of the heart for a predetermined time interval Δt during the pre-ejection phase. This supplements the isometric pressure in the heart's pumping chamber in preparation for a subsequent ejection of blood from the pumping chamber.

An intra-aortic dual balloon driving pump catheter device having a catheter; a first balloon and a second balloon respectively surrounding the catheter, being arranged successively along the longitudinal direction of the catheter, wherein the position of the first balloon is placed at the distal end of the catheter, and the second balloon is placed immediately adjacent to the proximal end of the first balloon; the first balloon and the second balloon are periodically expanded to a dimension that nearly blocks the aortic blood flow and contracted to a dimension that does not prevent the blood flow from passing through; wherein the first balloon periodically inflates in diastole and deflates in systole working as a pump, while the second balloon conversely deflates in systole and inflates in diastole functioning as a valve, altogether leading to blood pumping from contracting ventricle and keeping driving forward ahead in the aorta.

A pumping system (200) for controlling the flow of interatrial blood comprises, housed inside a container (201), a control element (30, 30′, 30″) of the interatrial blood flow. The control element comprises: at least one worm screw (31), the rotation of which creates a two-way flow of interatrial blood; or a pair of counter-rotating propellers (31′); or a pair of membranes (31″) whose deformation creates a two-way flow of interatrial blood; or a flexible structure (31″) whose change in volume within the container (201) creates a two-way flow of interatrial blood.

An implantable ventricular assist device comprises an intraventricular stent used for the creation of an artificial chamber inside the ventricle, a balloon-like structure used to drive the change of the artificial chamber between a contractile configuration and a diastolic configuration, a power system used for driving the change of the balloon-like structure between the contractile configuration and the diastolic configuration. There is also a power system and a mechanical design to operate the system working, wherein in the contractile configuration, the balloon-like structure expands and occupies the space of the artificial chamber and drives the blood inside the artificial chamber flow outside the artificial chamber, wherein in the diastolic configuration, the balloon-like structure shrinks and releases the space inside the artificial chamber, and the blood outside the artificial chamber flows back into the artificial chamber. It is easy to reach the goal of cardiac function.

An implantable ventricular assist device comprises an intraventricular stent used for the creation of an artificial chamber inside the ventricle, a balloon-like structure used to drive the change of the artificial chamber between a contractile configuration and a diastolic configuration, a power system used for driving the change of the balloon-like structure between the contractile configuration and the diastolic configuration. There is also a power system and a mechanical design to operate the system working, wherein in the contractile configuration, the balloon-like structure expands and occupies the space of the artificial chamber and drives the blood inside the artificial chamber flow outside the artificial chamber, wherein in the diastolic configuration, the balloon-like structure shrinks and releases the space inside the artificial chamber, and the blood outside the artificial chamber flows back into the artificial chamber. It is easy to reach the goal of cardiac function.