Mechanical assist device

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses relate to an implantable device for providing contractile assistance to an organ. The device may include an actuator and anchors located on either side of the actuator. The anchors engage with oppositely positioned tissue walls of an organ chamber, and provide contractile assistance to the organ, repeatedly, at appropriate times. For example, the device may be implanted within the right ventricle, anchored to the right ventricular free wall and the ventricular septum. The device may function to bring the opposing walls of the ventricle toward one another, synchronized with the pacing of the heart, resulting in an improved ejection fraction of blood from the chamber. In some embodiments, the actuator includes a bladder that is configured to contract upon receiving an inflow of pressurized fluid therein. When the fluid exits therefrom, the bladder relaxes back to an initial, extended state.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Field[0002]Aspects herein relate to mechanical assist devices for implantation in tissue and methods of use.[0003]2. Discussion of Related Art[0004]Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. While a number of methods of treatment have been developed for various types of heart failure, the options for treating certain types of heart failure, such as right ventricular heart failure, are limited and can lead to severe complications.[0005]For example, one existing method of treatment employs a continuous flow device having a tube through which blood flows and is actively pumped between the different chamber(s) of the heart. Not only does this device require open-heart surgery to implant, the device is not fully implantable within the chest cavity. That is, during use, the blood circulates both inside and outside of the body. Such a system is both invasive and cumbersome to operate. Further, use of such devices also require that anticoagulants (e.g....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The inventors have appreciated that it would be advantageous to employ a device within certain regions of the body that mechanically assists contractile motion at the region(s) of interest, in an active manner. For example, an actuator may be anchored at opposing tissue wall locations of a chamber (e.g., right ventricle, left ventricle, right atrium, left atrium) of a heart. The actuator, along with the anchors to which the actuator is coupled, may be configured to assist in suitable contraction of the chamber, at appropriate times. For instance, the device may be suitably synchronized with the pacing of the heart, assisting in contraction of a chamber in which the device is implanted, so as to improve overall ejection of blood from the chamber.

Problems solved by technology

Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

While a number of methods of treatment have been developed for various types of heart failure, the options for treating certain types of heart failure, such as right ventricular heart failure, are limited and can lead to severe complications.

Not only does this device require open-heart surgery to implant, the device is not fully implantable within the chest cavity.

Such a system is both invasive and cumbersome to operate.

However, by virtue of the jacket being in continuous contact with the heart and applying repeated compressive force to the heart, such a jacket may undesirably affect the external vasculature of the heart.

For example, the jacket may detrimentally impinge on or damage blood vessels that nourish the heart.

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