A pumping cassette including a housing having at least two inlet fluid lines and at least two outlet fluid lines. At least one balancing pod within the housing and in fluid connection with the fluid paths. The balancing pod balances the flow of a first fluid and the flow of a second fluid such that the volume of the first fluid equals the volume of the second fluid. The balancing pod also includes a membrane that forms two balancing chambers. Also included in the cassette is at least two reciprocating pressure displacement membrane pumps. The pumps are within the housing and they pump the fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet line and pump the second fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet.

Apparatus and methods are described, including apparatus (20) for implanting in a heart of a human subject. The apparatus includes an interatrial anchor (22) shaped to define an opening (26) having a diameter of 4-8 mm, and a bag (24) in fluid communication with the opening of the anchor. The apparatus is shaped to fit within a right atrium of the heart of the subject, and has a capacity of between 4 and 20 cm3. Other applications are also described.

Described herein are pumps that linearly reciprocate to assist with circulating blood within the body of a patient. Red blood cell damage may be avoided or minimized by such linear pump movement. The linearly reciprocating movement may also generate a pulsatile pumping cycle that mimics the natural pumping cycle of the heart. The pumps may be configured to reside at various body locations. For example, the pumps may be situated within the right ventricle, the left ventricle, the ascending aorta, the descending aorta, the thoracic aorta, or the abdominal aorta. In some instances, the pump may reside outside the patient.

An implantable pump system is provided, including an implantable blood pump suitable for use as a partial support assist device, the system further including an extracorporeal battery and a controller coupled to the implantable pump, and a programmer selectively periodically coupled to the controller to configure and adjust operating parameters of the implantable pump. The implantable pump includes a flexible membrane coupled to an electromagnetic actuator including a magnetic assembly and electromagnetic assembly, so that when the electromagnetic assembly is energized, the electromagnetic assembly causes wavelike undulations to propagate along the flexible membrane to propel blood through the implantable pump. The controller may be programmed by a programmer to operate at frequencies and duty cycles that mimic physiologic flow rates and pulsatility while operating in an efficient manner that avoids thrombus formation, hemolysis and/or platelet activation.

The invention relates to a blade-type check valve for gaseous and liquid media, to be used in medical technologies as well as in waste water technology with at least three triangular blades, grouped in round configuration at the edges of a polygonal bore of a valve ring or housing, with the number of blades corresponding to the number of faces of the bore. At least at one of the three sides, the valve blades feature an integrated joint, which may also consist of fabric, whereas the two other sides of the valve blades form an articulated lock. The valve can be installed in any position and closes automatically, actuated by the backflow respectively return flow of the medium, without external energy.

The invention relates to a blade-type check valve for gaseous and liquid media, to be used in medical technologies as well as in waste water technology with at least three triangular blades, grouped in round configuration at the edges of a polygonal bore of a valve ring or housing, with the number of blades corresponding to the number of faces of the bore. At least at one of the three sides, the valve blades feature an integrated joint, which may also consist of fabric, whereas the two other sides of the valve blades form an articulated lock. The valve can be installed in any position and closes automatically, actuated by the backflow respectively return flow of the medium, without external energy.

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 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.

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to certain types of reciprocating positive-displacement pumps (which may be referred to hereinafter as pods, pump pods, or pod pumps) used to pump fluids, such as a biological fluid (e.g., blood or peritoneal fluid), a therapeutic fluid (e.g., a medication solution), or a surfactant fluid. The pumps may be configured specifically to impart low shear forces and low turbulence on the fluid as the fluid is pumped from an inlet to an outlet. Such pumps may be particularly useful in pumping fluids that may be damaged by such shear forces (e.g., blood, and particularly heated blood, which is prone to hemolysis) or turbulence (e.g., surfectants or other fluids that may foam or otherwise be damaged or become unstable in the presence of turbulence).

A disposable fluid pump is provided with a housing including first and second faces, with a sidewall extending between the first and second faces. The housing defines a chamber, with an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber. An impeller is rotatably mounted within the chamber and includes a plurality of flexible vanes. Such a pump may be incorporated into a disposable fluid flow circuit that is adapted to be mounted on a durable hardware for processing a fluid. In such a fluid flow circuit, the fluid pump may be integrated into a cassette of the circuit or, alternatively, the inlet and outlet of the fluid pump may be directly connected to fluid flow conduits of the circuit.