Dynamic aortic patch for thoracic or abdominal implantation

Claim 1

In a dynamic aortic patch or the like adapted to be positioned in a aorta including a flexible bladder means in contact with blood passing through the aorta, the bladder means adapted to be cyclically inflated and deflated and conduit means for conducting fluid to and from the interior of said bladder to inflate and deflate said bladder means; the improvement wherein said bladder means comprises an elongate semi-rigid shell member having an outer surface and a concave inner surface terminating at a smoothly rounded, continuously curved peripheral side edge located between the concave inner surface and the outer surface, and a flexible, air-tight membrane bonded to said shell member continuously along the outer surface of the shell membrane immediately adjacent to the entire peripheral side edge and defining an enclosed internal chamber between said membrane and said concave inner surface of said shell membrane, said membrane having a surface area substantially equal to the surface area of said inner surface whereby said membrane lies in substantially smooth, face-to-face contact with said inner surface when said bladder means is deflated, passage means extending through said shell member for placing said internal chamber in fluid communication with said conduit means.