Patent ID: 6889082

Claim:
An extracardiac pumping system for supplementing blood circulation through a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, the extracardiac system comprising: a pump configured to pump blood through the patient at subcardiac volumetric rates, said pump having an average flow rate that, during normal operation thereof, is substantially below that of the patient's heart when healthy; a first conduit comprising at least in part biocompatible synthetic material having a first distal end sized and configured to fluidly couple to a non-primary blood vessel, the first conduit also being fluidly coupled to the pump to conduct blood between the pump and the non-primary blood vessel; and a second conduit having a first distal end sized and configured to be positioned at least in part within the non-primary blood vessel and within the first conduit, the second conduit being fluidly coupled to the pump to conduct blood between the pump and the patient, the first conduit further comprising means for permitting the second conduit to sealably extend through a wall of said first conduit to form an internal lumen within the proximal end of the first conduit; whereby the first conduit may be fluidly coupled to the blood vessel subcutaneously to permit application of the extracardiac pumping system in a minimally-invasive procedure through a single site and whereby the second conduit may extend into the non-primary blood vessel so that the distal end of said second conduit may reside either in said blood vessel or a different blood vessel.