Devices and methods for providing localized pressure to a region of a patient's heart to improve heart functioning, including: (a) a jacket made of a flexible biocompatible material, the jacket having an open top end that is received around the heart and a bottom portion that is received around the apex of the heart; and (b) at least one inflatable bladder disposed on an interior surface of the jacket, the inflatable bladder having an inelastic outer surface positioned adjacent to the jacket and an elastic inner surface such that inflation of the bladder causes the bladder to deform substantially inwardly to exert localized pressure against a region of the heart.

A surgical method of treating a patient is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: cutting the patient's skin and abdominal wall; dissecting an area of the patient's intestine; and dissecting a portion of the dissected intestinal area such that intestinal mesentery connected thereto is opened in such a way that supply of blood through the mesentery to the dissected intestinal area is maintained as much as possible on both sides of the dissected portion. The method further comprises the steps of dividing the patient's intestine in the dissected portion so as to create an upstream part of the intestine with a first intestinal opening and a downstream part of the intestine with a second intestinal opening with the mesentery still maintaining a tissue connection between the upstream and downstream intestine parts.

A biomimetic actuation device includes a flexible substrate, conformable for disposition about an object, defining an apex and a base, bearing at least one soft actuator configured to change state from a first state to a second state upon introduction of a pressurized fluid to an internal volume of the at least one soft actuator.

Devices and systems including implants (which may be removable) and methods of using them for reducing ventricular volume. The implants described herein are cardiac implants that may be inserted into a patient's heart, particularly the left ventricle. The implant may support the heart wall, or may be secured to the heart wall. The implants are typically ventricular partitioning device for partitioning the ventricle into productive and non-productive regions in order to reduce the ventricular volume.

Steering engagement catheter devices, systems, and methods of using the same for accessing a tissue, including internal and external tissues of a heart, are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a steering engagement catheter is provided, comprising an elongated tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a first wall positioned circumferentially along a length of the elongated tube, the elongated tube configured such that a delivery catheter is capable of at least partial insertion into the elongated tube, at least one steering wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the at least one steering wire coupled to the first wall of the elongated tube at or near the distal end of the elongated tube, and a controller operably coupled to the at least one steering wire at or near the proximal end of the at least one steering wire.

A pericardial access system includes an introducer sheath and a mandrel. The introducer sheath has a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough. The mandrel has a proximal end, a distal end, end a handle at the proximal end. A wire electrode is disposed at the distal end of the mandrel, and a power supply is coupled to the wire electrode and configured to apply a short burst of energy sufficient to allow the wire electrode to penetrate a pericardial sac of a patient. The pericardial access system is used to deliver an implantable cardiac assist catheter connectable to an external drive unit. An anchor catheter is percutaneously advanced into a patient's pericardial sac and includes an anchor at its distal which may be expanded within the pericardial sac.

A pericardial access system includes an introducer sheath and a mandrel. The introducer sheath has a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough. The mandrel has a proximal end, a distal end, end a handle at the proximal end. A wire electrode is disposed at the distal end of the mandrel, and a power supply is coupled to the wire electrode and configured to apply a short burst of energy sufficient to allow the wire electrode to penetrate a pericardial sac of a patient. The pericardial access system is used to deliver an implantable cardiac assist catheter connectable to an external drive unit. An anchor catheter is percutaneously advanced into a patient's pericardial sac and includes an anchor at its distal which may be expanded within the pericardial sac.

An implantable device for improving the pump function of the heart of a human patient by applying an external force on the heart muscle is provided. The device comprises at least one pump device having a pump. The pump comprising: a piston adapted for reciprocating movement, an operating device for operating the piston, a heart contacting organ. The movement of the piston assists the pump function of the heart through said heart contacting organ.

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.

An implantable device for improving the pump function of the heart of a human patient by applying an external force on a first position of the heart muscle following the heart's contractions. The implantable device comprising a first pump device adapted to assist the pump function of the heart. The pump device comprises a first reservoir having a first volume and adapted to varying said first volume, a second reservoir having a second volume and adapted to varying said second volume, a fluid connection adapted to fluidly connect said first reservoir with said second reservoir, such that fluid can flow between said first reservoir and said second reservoir. The reservoir, said second reservoir and said fluid connection form a fully implantable pump device adapted to maintain a fluid in a closed system, when in operation and wherein said fully implantable pump device is adapted to transfer force by transferring fluid from said first reservoir to said second reservoir to directly or indirectly apply an external force on the first position of the heart muscle, following the heart's contractions, for improving the pump function of the heart, when said device is implanted. The implantable device further comprises a sensor sensing muscle contractions of the heart.