An assembly for attachment to a gastrostomy feeding tube is provided. The assembly comprises a valve connector and an anchor. The valve connector comprises a housing, a conduit traversing the housing from an inlet to an outlet; and a retaining element extending outwardly from the housing. The anchor comprises an anchor housing configured to receive a portion of the valve connector. The anchor housing has a gastrostomy feeding tube attachment feature for attaching the anchor to the feeding tube, and a valve connector retaining feature that defines a retaining space, wherein the retaining space receives the retaining element of the valve connector and is sized to enable rotation of the retaining element and the valve connector relative to the anchor such that the conduit of the valve connector maintains fluid connection with the gastrostomy feeding tube during rotation. Additional assemblies and systems are also provided for other medical devices.

An assembly for attachment to a gastrostomy feeding tube is provided. The assembly comprises a valve connector and an anchor. The valve connector comprises a housing, a conduit traversing the housing from an inlet to an outlet; and a retaining element extending outwardly from the housing. The anchor comprises an anchor housing configured to receive a portion of the valve connector. The anchor housing has a gastrostomy feeding tube attachment feature for attaching the anchor to the feeding tube, and a valve connector retaining feature that defines a retaining space, wherein the retaining space receives the retaining element of the valve connector and is sized to enable rotation of the retaining element and the valve connector relative to the anchor such that the conduit of the valve connector maintains fluid connection with the gastrostomy feeding tube during rotation. Additional assemblies and systems are also provided for other medical devices.

A heart pump including: a housing forming a cavity including: at least one inlet aligned with an axis of the cavity; and, at least one outlet provided in a circumferential outer wall of the cavity; an impeller provided within the cavity, the impeller including vanes for urging fluid from the inlet to the outlet; and, a drive for rotating the impeller in the cavity and wherein a flow path through the pump has a minimal cross-sectional area of at least 50 mm.sup.2.

A blood pumping device is described having at least a first pump and a first pump actuator for inducing a blood flow in a body's circulatory system. The pump has one upper chamber having an inlet channel and one lower chamber having an outlet channel. The upper and lower chambers are separated by a movable valve plane provided with a one-way valve. The pump actuator induces movement of the valve plane in an upward and downward direction between the upper and lower chambers in response to control signals from a control unit. When the valve plane moves in an upward direction, the valve opens allowing a flow of blood from the upper to the lower chamber. The lower chamber is provided with a bag-like portion forcing said flow of blood to make a turn of between 110° to 150° before leaving through the outlet channel.

The invention relates to a feed line (105) for a pump unit (110) of a cardiac support system (100). The feed line (105) is embodied to guide a fluid flow to a pump unit (110) of the cardiac support system (100). The feed line (105) comprises a feed head portion (130) with at least one introduction opening (140) for introducing the fluid flow into the feed line (105) and a contoured portion (135) with an inner surface contour. The contoured portion (135) is disposed adjacent to the feed head portion (130). An inner diameter of the contoured portion (135) at a first position is greater than the inner diameter at a second position. The inner surface contour has a rounded portion at the second position for reducing the inner diameter.

The invention relates to an apparatus (100) for anchoring a ventricular assist system in a blood vessel, the apparatus (100) being able to assume an insertion state for insertion of the ventricular assist system into the blood vessel, and the apparatus (100) being able to assume an anchoring state in order to anchor the ventricular assist system in the blood vessel. The apparatus (100) has at least one fixing means (105) for fixing the apparatus (100) to the ventricular assist system (205), a crown (110) and a connection means (115). The crown (110) is formed from at least one unfolding element (120). The unfolding element (120) is designed to unfold during the transfer from the insertion state into the anchoring state in order to enlarge the diameter of the crown (110) so as to anchor the apparatus (100) in the blood vessel. The connection means (115) is designed to connect the crown (110) to the fixing means (105).

Connectors and related methods for fluidly coupling a blood pump with an aorta facilitate implantation of the blood pump. A method of fluidly coupling a blood pump with an aorta includes positioning a connector device defining a passageway extending between a proximal opening and a distal opening. The connector device includes a support member surrounding the distal opening. The support member is interfaced with a wall of the aorta so that the distal opening is at a desired location of an inlet opening in the aorta. The support member is attached to the aorta around the distal opening so as to form a fluid seal and stabilize the connector device. A slit is incised in the wall of the aorta to form the inlet opening in the aorta. A proximal opening of the tubular connector is fluidly coupled with an outflow graft tube of the blood pump.

A system is provided for connecting a blood pump to a heart, the system comprising: a blood pump for conveying blood, wherein the blood pump comprises a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion, and between the first and the second tubular portion, there is a flange-shaped portion; and comprising a connector having a tubular connector portion extending in an axial direction between a distal end and a proximal end having a lumen for receiving the first tubular portion of the blood pump, and having a flange-shaped connector portion arranged at the distal end for fastening the connector to an organ.

A mechanical circulatory support device is provided. The device has a housing containing separate first and second pumps. Each pump having an inlet, an outlet, and an impeller. The device also having a switching mechanism located within the housing and movable from a first position to a second position to divert blood flow within the housing to an inlet of one of the pumps and/or to bypass blood flow relative to one of the pumps within the housing.

Connectors interfacing a mechanical circulatory system with a patient's natural vasculature are provided herein. Such connectors include aortic connectors that facilitate fluid coupling of an outflow graft tube from an implanted blood pump with a patient's aorta. Aortic connectors can include a substantially planar portion configured for sealed attachment with a wall of the aorta and a tubular connector portion extending from an inlet opening to an outlet opening. The substantially planar portion can include a flexible membrane for attachment to an outer surface of the aorta and/or a flange for engagement with an inner surface of the aorta. The tubular connector can extend from the substantially planar portion at a pre-determined angle and include one or more attachment features to facilitate rapid fluidly sealed attachment to the outflow graft tube.