Patent ID: 8192478

Claim:
A system for treating a patient's heart to improve cardiac function, comprising: a. at least one external actuator; b. an elongate manipulator connected to the external actuator; c. a manipulator-side engagement component on a distal end of the elongate manipulator; d. a collapsible and expandable reinforced membrane; e. a engagement component coupled to the reinforced membrane that is releasably engageable with the manipulator-side engagement component so that the external actuator can steer the reinforced membrane when collapsed into a ventricle of a heart whereafter the reinforced membrane is expanded; the engagement component includes a stem extending distally from the reinforced membrane; f. at least one anchor connected to the reinforced membrane, movement of the external actuator allowing for (i) insertion of the anchor into heart tissue defining in part the ventricle, (ii) subsequent withdrawal of the anchor out of the heart tissue, (iii) subsequent re-insertion of the anchor into the heart tissue, the insertion securing the reinforced membrane to the heart tissue in a selected position, and (iv) subsequent disengagement of the manipulator-side engagement component from the engagement component of the reinforced membrane, the disengagement releasing the reinforced membrane from the elongate manipulator; and wherein the at least one anchor is movable from a position completely inside the stem to a position external to the stem.