Patent ID: 9700659
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61M

Claim:
1. A cardiac assist device adapted for placement in an incision in an aorta wherein a part of the assist device after placement is in contact with blood passing through the aorta and is inflated and deflated to provide left ventricular assistance, the assist device comprising: a foldable elongate housing comprising a flexible extra-aortic wall associated with a flexible endo-aortic membrane and without a wholly rigid back, the flexibility allowing the cardiac assist device to be folded without creating a crease, and preserving topologic relationships between a set of components of the cardiac assist device; a discrete stiffener present within said housing to increase the housing rigidity versus the housing rigidity without the stiffener and defining the outer dimensions thereof, wherein the extra-aorta wall has a rigidity insufficient to independently maintain a shaped configuration sufficient for operation without the stiffener; an airtight pumping chamber located within said housing and in fluid communication with a region external to said device; and wherein the flexible endo-aortic membrane has a blood contacting part of the cardiac assist device which, after placement, is in contact with blood passing through an aorta and is inflatable and deflatable to provide left ventricular assistance.