Patent ID: 8715305

Claim:
An angularly orientable magnetic connector system for attaching a cannula to a heart for passing blood into or from a chamber within the heart, the magnetic connector system, comprising: a first member having an inflow tip at a proximal end, a distal end and a first orifice; a second member having a second orifice sized to receive the inflow tip of the first member therethrough; a first magnetic material attached to the first member intermediate the inflow tip and the distal end and having an opening aligned with the first orifice of the first member; a second magnetic material attached to the second member and having an opening, such that the opening of the first magnetic material attached to the first member is aligned with the opening of the second magnetic material attached to the second member and the first magnetic material attached to the first member is magnetically attracted to the second magnetic material attached to the second member upon receiving the inflow tip of the first member through and beyond the second orifice of the second member; and a flexible attachment ring secured at a central opening in the attachment ring to the second member for attaching the second member to an exterior wall of the heart; wherein the inflow tip of the first member is insertable in, and then magnetically securable beyond, the second orifice of the second member using a single hand; wherein insertion of the inflow tip of the first member into the second orifice of the second member guides the first magnetic material attached to the first member to a magnetically coupled position proximal to and aligned with the second magnetic material of the second member; wherein the inflow tip of the first member is angularly orientable relative to the attachment ring of the second member after the attachment ring is attached to the heart by rotation of the first member about an axis through the first orifice; and wherein unwanted twists in a flexible cannula connected to the distal end of the first member can be eliminated by angularly orienting the first member, to which the cannula is connected, relative to the second member.