Patent ID: 8328752

Claim:
A method of facilitating myocardial infarct repair, the method comprising the steps of: introducing at least one suction/infusion catheter having a lumen therethrough to a pericardial space surrounding a heart at or near a site of myocardial infarct, the at least one suction/infusion catheter comprising: one or more apertures defined along a portion of the at least one suction/infusion catheter at or near a distal end of the at least one suction/infusion catheter; and a first configuration when the at least one suction/infusion catheter is at least partially extended from a delivery catheter, the first configuration comprising a coil, and wherein the one or more apertures are defined along the coil; operably connecting a vacuum source at or near a proximal end of the at least one suction/infusion catheter; extending the at least one suction/infusion catheter from the delivery catheter to create the coil; and operating the vacuum source to create suction from the one or more apertures at or near the distal end of the at least one suction/infusion catheter, wherein the suction results in increased blood flow at or near the site of myocardial infarct.