Patent ID: 8187323

Claim:
A method of passively treating an in situ mitral valve, the method comprising: securing a passive device to the in situ mitral valve, wherein the device includes a ring and a plurality of flexible elongate members extending therefrom into a left ventricle associated with the in situ mitral valve; extending a first flexible elongate member of the plurality of flexible elongate members from the ring across the ventricular cavity to a papillary muscle within the left ventricle; disposing a distal portion of the first flexible elongate member in direct contact with the papillary muscle; securing a first anchoring structure at the papillary muscle to a distal end of the first flexible elongate member so as to establish tension in the first flexible elongate member directly between the papillary muscle and the passive device; extending a second flexible elongate member of the plurality of flexible elongate members across the ventricular cavity directly to a second heart structure within the left ventricle other than a heart valve; securing a second anchoring structure at the second heart structure to a distal end of the second flexible elongate member so as to establish tension in the second flexible elongate member directly between the second heart structure and the passive device, wherein the second anchoring structure is discrete from the first anchoring structure.