Patent ID: 8109868

Claim:
A device for treating diseases of a heart, the device comprising: a biocompatible material configured to cover an external surface of the heart; the material having a compliance reflecting an ability to deform under strain to a stretched state, and an elasticity reflecting a tendency to return to a rest state from the stretched state; the material having a rest size at the rest state and a stretched size at the stretched state, the stretched size being at least 20% greater than the rest size; the elasticity and compliance being selected to store energy in the material to assist chronic remodeling of the heart and avoid significant acute resistance to diastolic filling of the heart, and wherein the compliance is greater than a compliance of a normal myocardium, the compliance being the inverse of stiffness, and wherein the biocompatible material conforms to the external surface of the heart and is sized to provide resistance to circumferential expansion of the heart without impeding systolic contraction; and wherein the material has a stiffness of less than about 3.8 lbs/in (0.68 kg/cm) when subjected to a uniaxial load at a strain of less than 30%.