Patent ID: 8562519

Claim:
A pumping system for assisting a human patient's heart, comprising: a blood pump disposed outside the patient's body; a drainage cannula in fluid communication with an inlet to the blood pump to provide blood to the blood pump; and a blood supply cannula in fluid communication with an outlet of the blood pump to provide blood to the patient's heart, the blood supply cannula further comprising: an elongated body defining a channel extending through the elongated body; a wire embedded within at least a portion of the wall of the elongated body; and the elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end having a distal tip defining a tip opening communicating with the channel, and the distal end comprising a plurality of side holes in proximity to the distal tip and communicating with the channel for unimpeded flow of blood at the distal end, and wherein the drainage cannula has a length to extend from the patient's groin to the patient's right atrium, and wherein the blood supply cannula has a length to extend from the patient's groin to the patient's pulmonary artery, whereby the patient's right ventricle is essentially bypassed by draining the right atrium and blood is pumped by the blood pump into the patient's pulmonary artery thereby allowing the patient's right ventricle to rest and establishing right ventricular support.