Patent ID: 8273072

Claim:
A method for epicardially injecting a substance into a heart having an epicardial surface and disposed within a torso, the method comprising: providing a substance-injecting device including a plurality of needles, a cardiac contraction sensor, an elongate shaft having a longitudinal axis, a proximal region, a distal region, and a transverse needle driver coupled to the elongate shaft distal region for driving the needles substantially perpendicularly to the elongate shaft distal region longitudinal axis and into the tissue; making an opening into the torso; advancing the injecting device through the opening to the heart epicardial surface; sensing contractions of the heart; longitudinally moving the elongate shaft and converting the longitudinal movement for transversely driving the needles into the heart and through the epicardium; and injecting the substance from the device into the myocardium, wherein the substance is injected between contractions of the heart.