A mechanical circulatory assist device is provided including a stent, a coiled wire wound around the stent, and a reciprocating valve including a housing, one or more leaflets coupled to the housing, and one or more permanent magnets coupled to the housing. The magnets are arranged to interact with a magnetic field generated by the coiled wire when current flows therethrough, so as to axially move the reciprocating valve with respect to the stent when the reciprocating valve is disposed within the stent. Upstream axial motion of the reciprocating valve causes the leaflets to be in an open state in which they allow blood flow through the reciprocating valve. Downstream axial motion of the reciprocating valve causes the leaflets to be in a closed state in which they inhibit blood flow through the reciprocating valve. Other embodiments are also described.

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.

A device, a kit and a method is presented for permanently augmenting the pump function of the left heart. The mitral valve plane is assisted in a movement along the left ventricular long axis during each heart cycle. The very close relationship between the coronary sinus and the mitral valve is used by various embodiments of a medical device providing this assisted movement. By means of catheter technique an implant is inserted into the coronary sinus, the device is augmenting the up and down movement of the mitral valve and thereby increasing the left ventricular diastolic filling when moving upwards and the piston effect of the closed mitral valve when moving downwards.

A cannula for moving fluids between a pump and the circulatory system of a patient. The cannula includes a liner having an intermediate portion between a proximal portion and a distal portion, and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal portions. At least the intermediate portion of the liner is constructed from a tissue in-growth material for supporting the growth of endothelial cells. A jacket surrounds at least part of the liner.

Apparatus and methods are described including a blood pump that includes at least one motor configured to be disposed outside a body of a subject, a catheter, a proximal impeller disposed on the catheter and configured to pump blood by rotating, and a distal impeller disposed on the catheter. The distal impeller is configured to pump blood by rotating and is disposed on the catheter distally to the proximal impeller such that longitudinal centers of the proximal and distal impellers are separated from each other by at least 3 cm. Other applications are also described.

Methods and devices for supporting circulation. The methods may include positioning a blood pump in the arterial vasculature or the venous vasculature. The methods may include positioning a pump portion of the blood pump in a descending aorta, an inferior vena cava, a renal artery, and/or a renal vein. The methods include delivering a pump portion of a blood pump to a target location and rotating one or more impellers to move blood through the pump portion.

An implantable pump includes a rigid housing with an oblate spheroid shape and having an inner chamber divided by a movable elastomeric membrane into a gas sub-chamber which is connectible through a drive line to an external pneumatic source, and a blood sub-chamber which is connectible through a graft assembly to an anatomical heart. The housing includes a blood port opening oriented at an angle and at the upper apex of the housing and connected to the blood sub-chamber, and a gas port opening to the gas sub-chamber that is situated at a lower apex of the housing. The pump is provided with a drive line that includes a gas conduit and a heart sensor, the drive line connectible to a drive system that is capable of delivering gas flow through the drive line gas conduit in response to signals driven by the heart sensor.

An implantable pump includes a rigid housing with an oblate spheroid shape and having an inner chamber divided by a movable elastomeric membrane into a gas sub-chamber which is connectible through a drive line to an external pneumatic source, and a blood sub-chamber which is connectible through a graft assembly to an anatomical heart. The housing includes a blood port opening oriented at an angle and at the upper apex of the housing and connected to the blood sub-chamber, and a gas port opening to the gas sub-chamber that is situated at a lower apex of the housing. The pump is provided with a drive line that includes a gas conduit and a heart sensor, the drive line connectible to a drive system that is capable of delivering gas flow through the drive line gas conduit in response to signals driven by the heart sensor.

Mechanical circulatory supports configured to operate in series with the native heart are disclosed. In an embodiment, an intravascular propeller is installed into the descending aorta and anchored within via an expandable anchoring mechanism. The propeller and anchoring mechanism may be foldable so as to be percutaneously deliverable to the aorta. The propeller may have foldable blades. The blades may be magnetic and may be driven by a concentric electromagnetic stator circumferentially outside the magnetic blades. The stator may be intravascular or may be configured to be installed around the outer circumference of the blood vessel. The support may create a pressure rise between about 20-50 mmHg, and maintain a flow rate of about 5 L/min. The support may have one or more pairs of contra-rotating propellers to modulate the tangential velocity of the blood flow. The support may have static pre-swirlers and or de-swirlers. The support may be optimized to replicate naturally occurring vortex formation within the descending aorta.

Mechanical circulatory supports configured to operate in series with the native heart are disclosed. In an embodiment, an intravascular propeller is installed into the descending aorta and anchored within via an expandable anchoring mechanism. The propeller and anchoring mechanism may be foldable so as to be percutaneously deliverable to the aorta. The propeller may have foldable blades. The blades may be magnetic and may be driven by a concentric electromagnetic stator circumferentially outside the magnetic blades. The stator may be intravascular or may be configured to be installed around the outer circumference of the blood vessel. The support may create a pressure rise between about 20-50 mmHg, and maintain a flow rate of about 5 L/min. The support may have one or more pairs of contra-rotating propellers to modulate the tangential velocity of the blood flow. The support may have static pre-swirlers and or de-swirlers. The support may be optimized to replicate naturally occurring vortex formation within the descending aorta.