Patent ID: 8585572

Claim:
Cardiac assist device, comprising: a stent implantable in a blood vessel of a patient, said stent enclosing an inner volume; at least one inflatable element attached to said stent, said at least one inflatable element being provided in said inner volume of said stent, wherein said at least one inflatable element comprises an elastic envelope enclosing an inner volume of said at least one inflatable element, wherein the elastic envelope annularly encloses a central opening being parallel to a longitudinal axis of said stent and having a variable diameter; and a fluid supply comprising at least one fluid supply line connected to said inner volume of said elastic envelope of said at least one inflatable element and implantable into a blood vessel of said patient, the fluid supply being adapted for periodically inflating and deflating said at least one inflatable element by periodically supplying a fluid to and removing the fluid from said inner volume of said elastic envelope of said at least one inflatable element; said annular central opening not being in fluid communication with said inner volume of said elastic envelope of said at least one inflatable element.