Patent ID: 7998129

Claim:
A method of delivering cardioplegia solution to the coronary arteries even in the presence of aortic valve incompetence, comprising the steps of: puncturing the ascending aorta at a puncture position between a cross-clamp above the coronary arteries and the left ventricle using a coaxial needle inserted through a lumen of a cardioplegia cannula; removing the coaxial needle from the cardioplegia cannula; inserting the cardioplegia cannula into the ascending aorta at the puncture position, the cannula including at least one lumen for cardioplegia delivery and for accepting a folded non-porous membrane that is adapted to cover the aortic valve when opened; inserting a folded membrane into the at least one lumen and advancing the folded membrane until the membrane is within the ascending aorta just above the aortic valve; opening the membrane upon emergence from a distal end of the lumen and advancing the opened membrane away from the distal end of the lumen until it covers the aortic valve at a deployment position below the coronary arteries; and inserting the cardioplegia solution into the first lumen, whereby the membrane prevents the cardioplegia solution from entering the left ventricle through the aortic valve and the membrane traps the cardioplegia solution above the membrane and below the cross-clamp so as to force the cardioplegia solution down the coronary arteries.