Patent ID: 8597874

Claim:
A method for harvesting and preparing mammalian hearts for use in at least cardiac surgical simulator systems, including the steps of: (A) harvesting a mammalian heart from a host mammalian including the substeps of, (1) from a host mammalian tissue block that includes at least a mammalian heart, mammalian lungs and vascular connections between the mammalian heart and mammalian lungs, a predetermined length of the aorta connected to the mammalian heart, a predetermined length of the trachea associated at least with the aorta, and predetermined lengths of a superior vena cava (SVC) and an inferior vena cava (IVC), (2) dissecting from the tissue block the SVC and transecting a distal end of the SVC at a predetermined length from the mammalian heart, (3) dissecting from the tissue block the IVC and transecting a distal end of the IVC at a predetermined length from the mammalian heart, (4) dissecting superior and inferior pulmonary veins (SPV and IPV, respectively) from the tissue block and transecting a distal end of each the SPV and IPV substantially adjacent to an ingress of the SPV and IPV in the mammalian lungs, (5) dissecting a right pulmonary artery (RPA) from the tissue block and transecting a distal end of the RPA substantially adjacent to an ingress of the RPA in the mammalian lungs, (6) dissecting a left pulmonary artery (LPA) from the tissue block and transecting a distal end of the LPA substantially adjacent to an ingress of the LPA in the mammalian lungs, (7) dissecting the aorta from the tissue block and transecting distal ends of at least first, second, and third arteries extending from an anterior surface of the aorta to predetermined lengths from such anterior surface; and (B) preparing a mammalian heart harvested according to step (A), including the substeps of; (1) suturing closed open distal ends of the SPV, IPV, SVC, and IVC, (2) ligating open distal ends of the RPA and LPA, (3) inserting a first inflatable member into a right ventricle (RV) of the mammalian heart and securing a first ingress structure of the first inflatable member in the open distal end of the SVC, (4) inserting a second inflatable member into a left ventricle (LV) of the mammalian heart and securing a second ingress structure of the second inflatable member in the open distal end of the SPV or IPV, (5) inserting a first connector member in an open distal end of an SPV or IPV that remains after step (B)(4) and securing the first connector member in the open distal end of the remaining SPV or IPV, (6) ligating at least the first and second arteries extending from the aorta and inserting a second connector member in an open distal end of at least the third artery extending from the aorta, and securing the second connector member in the open distal end of the at least the third artery using ligature, and (7) inserting a third connector member in an open distal end of the IVC and securing the third connector in the open distal end of the IVC.