A device to assist the performance of a heart with at least one pump that is formed as a rotary pump and driven via a magneto coupling.

A device to assist the performance of a heart with at least one pump that is formed as a rotary pump and driven via a magneto coupling.

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.

Apparatus and methods are described including a tube configured to traverse a subject's aortic valve. A frame is disposed within a portion of the tube, and an impeller is disposed inside the tube such that, when the impeller and the tube are deployed inside the subject, a gap between an outer edge of the impeller and an inner surface of the tube is less than 1 mm. The impeller rotates such as to pump blood from the left ventricle to the aorta, and is stabilized with respect to the tube, such that, during rotation of the impeller, the gap between the outer edge of the impeller and the inner surface of the tube is maintained. The impeller includes at least one impeller blade defined by a helical elongate element, and a film of material supported by the helical elongate element. Other applications are also described.

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.

Disclosed herein are heart pumps that can include a catheter body and an impeller coupled with a distal end of the catheter body. The impeller can include a tip that is resealable or that includes a resealable member. The heart pump can also include a diffuser disposed between the distal end of the catheter body and the impeller, wherein the diffuser includes a flow directing surface.

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.

A pump is provided with a housing and with an upstream inlet and a downstream outlet and a fluid channel with a channel axis, said fluid channel being arranged between the inlet and outlet. A rotor which can be brought into rotation by way of a motor is arranged within the fluid channel. Furthermore, a sensor arrangement is provided which can detect an inclination of the rotation axis of the rotor.