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.

Apparatus and methods are described herein for use in the delivery of a prosthetic mitral valve. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a tether fixer assembly configured to engage an outside surface of a heart to secure a prosthetic heart valve in position within the heart. The fixer assembly defines a lumen configured to receive therethrough a tether extending from the prosthetic valve and a movable portion. The fixer assembly is movable between a first configuration, in which the movable portion is disengaged with the tether, and a second configuration in which the movable portion is engaged with the tether. The fixer assembly can be disposed against an epicardial pad positioned on the outside surface of the heart when in the second configuration to secure the prosthetic valve, the epicardial pad and tether in a desired position within the heart.

A heart support net in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a reception part configured to receive a heart and to be attached to an outer side of a ventricle. The reception part includes: a first conductive part; a second conductive part; and a non-conductive part. The first conductive part and the second conductive part are each knitted into mesh with a conductive yarn. The non-conductive part is knitted into mesh with a non-conductive yarn.

Prosthetic heart valve devices with tethered anchors and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A heart valve device configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a valve support for carrying a prosthetic valve. The valve support can be configured to be implanted at an annulus of a native mitral valve. The device can further include at least one elongated flexible member extending from the valve support in a ventricular direction, and an anchor coupled to the valve support via the elongated flexible member. The anchor can be shaped to wrap around an exterior area of an apical portion of the heart. In addition, the anchor can inhibit retrograde migration of the valve support.

A prosthetic heart valve may include a valve portion, a tether connected to the valve portion, and an anchor for connecting the tether to the wall of the heart. The anchor may include a flexible first disc biased toward a first shape that is convex in a first direction and a neck extending from the first disc in a second direction opposite the first direction. The neck has a first end connected to the first disc and a second end. The anchor may further include a flexible second disc connected to the second end of the neck and biased toward a second shape that is convex in the first direction. When deployed, the first and second discs sandwich the wall of the heart.

An epicardial anchor system comprising a tether attachment member defining a portion of a tether passageway configured to receive a portion of a tether extending from a heart valve, a base having a rim defining a void along a circumference of the rim, and a tether capture device adjacent the tether attachment member and hingedly attached to the epicardial anchor, the tether capture device including an opening configured to receive the portion of the tether therethrough and a slot configured to capture the portion of the tether extending through the opening, and an actuation mechanism configured to flip the tether capture device from an unactuated condition to an actuated condition, wherein in the unactuated condition, the tether capture device is spaced from the void defined by the rim, and in the actuated condition, a first portion of the tether capture device is positioned within the void defined by the rim.

A cardiac net with at least one electrode enhances the pacing effect on a ventricle. The cardiac net with at least one electrode includes non-conductive portions formed by weaving non-conductive or conductive thread, defibrillation electrodes, and pacing electrodes, which are connected to one another. The defibrillation electrodes are configured to cover the circumference of the heart substantially horizontally, and are placed on an upper side and a lower side of the heart. The pacing electrodes are placed between the defibrillation electrodes and used for sensing the motions of the heart and pacing the ventricle. The pacing electrodes are configured to cover the circumference of the heart substantially horizontally so as to overlay the center of a spiral wave reentry. This configuration allows excitatory stimulus to be applied to the heart from the circumference thereof, thereby enabling the pacing electrodes to perform effective pacing.

A radially compressible cardiac gripper for at least mechanical stimulation of a heart. The cardiac gripper has two gripper arms, wherein at least one of the gripper arms comprises a flexible section configured for movement of the arm having the flexible section.

Among other things, there are disclosed embodiments of belts or bands that can be used in treatments for tricuspid valve regurgitation. In some embodiments, such belts may be heat-set in a particular configuration to effectively decrease tricuspid annulus when deployed around the atrioventricular groove. Embodiments include one or more tensioning sutures for applying cinching or tightening to belts when deployed, and structure for effectively distributing force during such tightening. Embodiments of tensioning members, protective members, and devices and methods for open-surgical placement (e.g. around a heart for annuloplasty) are also disclosed.

A self-adjusting device configured to be placed in contact with tissue/organ and apply mechanical force to the tissue/organ to achieve an improvement of functioning of the tissue/organ. The self-adjusting capabilities can be carried out by three functional subsystems that can be packaged either in a single, integrated system or in separate modules. A sensing subsystem senses the tissue/organ and sends at least one type of sensing signal characteristic of functioning of the tissue/organ to a controlling subsystem. The controlling subsystem processes the signal with an algorithm to determine if a configuration of the device needs to be changed or a force applied to the tissue/organ needs to be changed. An actuating subsystem can be controlled by the controlling subsystem to affect the configuration/force change when needed. A feedback loop is provided to keep the controlling subsystem up to date as to the state of the actuating subsystem.