A system configured to be at least partially implanted along an aorta includes an inelastic, static member and a pinching member. The pinching member is configured to receive an activation signal at an activation rate and in response to the activation signal, repeatedly compress the aorta at the second location at the activation rate to pump fluid within the aorta in a desired pumping direction. The system is configured to selectively control wave reflections in order to achieve both improved wave dynamics to reduce cardiac load and increased (or at least non-diminished) blood flow to targeted organs within the cardiovascular system.

A tubular pulsatile ventricular assist device (PVAD) system for providing forward flow of blood in a pulsatile, peristaltic, and non-hemolytic manner to help reduce the amount of blood clotting associated with current ventricular devices on the market. The system can encircle a portion of a blood vessel, and the system can sequentially apply a pressure through each port in a particular pre-determined patter so as to selectively occlude the lumen, thereby creating a pulsatile, peristaltic movement along a length of system. Said movement causes blood to flow through the portion of the blood vessel.

A method of treating a vessel in a human or animal body, including the steps of: positioning an implantable device against a portion of tubular or sac wall of the vessel, whereby a load applied to the vessel is borne by the vessel wall and also by the device to transfer energy to an energy storage means, the vessel being assisted when the energy storage means returns the stored energy to the device. Further disclosed is a treatment or assistance device for operating in or with a tubular or sac wall of a vessel in a human or animal body, the device including a changeable volume portion which is adapted to interact with the vessel to modify the vessel's volume; and an energy storage means functioning with the changeable volume portion whereby a decrease in the volume of said changeable volume portion creates an energy charge in the energy storage means, the energy charge being able to be subsequently released to cause the changeable volume portion to increase in volume. Improved cuff features for stable attachment with monitoring capabilities have been described as has dynamically controlling the charge and discharge phases passively, with control electronics, and with energy harvesting.

The present disclosure relates to a cardiac augmentation device including an actuator configured to apply pressure to a heart to augment a pumping function of the heart, a sensor system configured to record two or more different ECG leads at the augmented heart. The cardiac augmentation device additionally includes a controller configured to determine one or more control parameters for the cardiac augmentation device using one or more of the two or more ECG leads and control operation of the actuator based on the determined one or more control parameters.

An implantable device for improving the pump function of the heart of a human patient by applying an external force on the heart muscle. The device comprises at least one pump device comprising a heart contacting organ, an operating device for operating the heart contacting organ, and an implantable pressurized fluid system. The fluid system comprises a first implantable chamber adapted to hold a pressurized fluid, wherein said first chamber is adapted to hold a fluid having a high pressure and a second implantable chamber adapted to hold a pressurized fluid, wherein said second chamber is adapted to hold a fluid having a lower pressure. The movement of the heart contacting organ assists the pump function of the heart.

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.

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.

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.

A medical device for assisting a function of the heart is provided. The heart is placed in the thorax, the thoracic diaphragm is dividing the thorax from the abdomen and the pericardium is surrounding the heart and is attached to the thoracic diaphragm at a pericardial contacting section of the thoracic diaphragm. The medical device comprises a diaphragm passing part adapted to pass from the abdomen, through the thoracic diaphragm at the pericardial contacting section, into the pericardium, wherein said diaphragm passing part is adapted to allow the thoracic diaphragm to move during respiration, when implanted.

A muscle-powered pulsation device for cardiac support including a muscle energy converter device including a piston arrangement for directing fluid out of an outlet of the muscle energy converter device using energy provided by a patient's muscle, and a hydraulic volume amplification device fluidly connected to the muscle energy converter device. The volume amplification device includes a casing including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the muscle energy converter device, at least one resilient member positioned within an interior cavity defined by the casing, and at least one piston member movably and sealingly positioned within the interior cavity of the casing and operatively connected to the at least one resilient member, the at least one piston member separating the interior cavity into a first chamber and a second chamber.