Patent ID: 8277476

Claim:
A device for use in a cardiovascular surgery for insertion into the chest cavity to stabilize the beating heart through communication with a fixed support or retractor located at least partially outside of the chest cavity, the device comprising: a shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; a plurality of contact members attachable to said distal end portion of said shaft, said contact members each comprising a flexible main body having a contact surface and an elongated malleable member extending along a length of said flexible main body member; wherein said malleable members are shapeable to engage the surface of the beating heart and are configured to be placed on opposite sides of a site of anastomosis, wherein each of said malleable members is continuously adjustably shapeable by manipulation thereof to any one of a plurality of desired shapes, and wherein upon release of manipulation forces, said malleable member maintains said desired shape into which it was adjustably shaped and maintains said contact surface in said desired shape; and wherein said shaft has sufficient strength to withstand a stabilizing force exerted on the heart via manipulation or fixation of said shaft to cause said contact member to exert a stabilizing force on the beating heart.