Patent ID: 8372145

Claim:
An artificial ventricle, comprising: (A) a pulsatile, positive-displacement blood pump comprising a biologically inert housing containing: a hollow, flexible compliance chamber, an inlet valve for said compliance chamber, said inlet valve adapted to be operatively connected to a patient's ventricular apex or atrial wall, an outlet valve for said compliance chamber, said outlet valve adapted to be operatively connected to the patient's aorta or pulmonary artery; a plurality of contractile elements radiating outward from an apex of said compliance chamber, said contractile elements being incorporated in and/or in contact with at least a portion of an outer surface of said compliance chamber, said contractile elements comprising an electroactive dielectric elastomer or an ion exchange membrane metallic composite, said contractile elements operatively connected to a common electrode, and (B) an implantable energy source operatively connected to said common electrode, wherein said electroactive dielectric elastomer is a member of the group consisting of polyaniline elastomers, polysulfone elastomers, polyacetylene elastomers, polypyrrole elastomers, polyvinylidene difluoride elastomers, silicone elastomers, and acrylic elastomers.