Aortically located blood pumping catheter and method of use

Claim 2

Apparatus for disposition within the aorta of a living being to effect the pumping of blood through at least a portion of the being's vascular system, said apparatus comprising an elongated catheter having a distal end portion, said catheter being of sufficiently small diameter to enable it to be freely located within the aorta so that its distal end portion is at a predetermined position spaced away from and not in contact with the aortic valve, said apparatus comprising pump means located at said distal end portion, barrier means located at said distal end portion, and drive means coupled to said pump means for operating said pump means, whereupon blood is made to flow through said aorta, said distal end portion of said apparatus comprising an inlet in fluid communication with said aorta distally of said pump means and an outlet in fluid communication with said aorta proximally of said pump means, said barrier means comprising conformable wall means for closely engaging the inner periphery of said aorta at said predetermined position to ensure that substantially all of the blood flowing through the aorta flows into said inlet to said pump means and out said outlet from said pump means and not around the exterior of the distal end portion of said apparatus.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wall means serves to hold the distal end portion of said apparatus in place at said predetermined position within said aorta.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said wall means comprises a flexible skirt extending about the periphery of said distal end portion.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wall means comprises a flexible skirt extending about the periphery of said distal end portion.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said distal end portion of said apparatus comprises a tubular portion, said tubular portion including a first opening portion defining said inlet and an oppositely disposed second opening defining said outlet, said skirt extending about the periphery of said tubular portion between said first and second openings.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said wall means serves to hold the distal end portion of said apparatus in place at said predetermined position within said aorta.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said distal end portion of said apparatus comprises a tubular portion, said tubular portion including a first opening portion defining said inlet and an oppositely disposed second opening defining said outlet, said wall portion being located between said first and second openings.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said tubular portion is expandable from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration and vice versa.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said wall portion comprises a flexible skirt extending about the periphery of said tubular portion.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said skirt is arranged to conform to the internal periphery of said aorta at said predetermined position.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said pump comprises at least one blade, said blade being movable from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration.

Claim 13

Apparatus for disposition within the aorta of a living being to effect the pumping of blood through at least a portion of the being's vascular system, said apparatus comprising an elongated catheter having a distal end portion, said catheter being of sufficiently small diameter to enable it to be freely located within the aorta so that its distal end portion is at a predetermined position spaced away from the aortic valve, said apparatus comprising pump means located at said distal end portion, barrier means located at said distal end portion, and drive means coupled to said pump means for operating said pump means, whereupon blood is made to flow through said aorta, said distal end portion of said apparatus additionally comprising an inlet in fluid communication with said aorta distally of said pump means, an outlet in fluid communication with said aorta proximally of said pump means, and a tubular portion, said tubular portion comprising a first opening defining said inlet, an oppositely disposed second opening defining said outlet, a flexible sleeve and a plurality of elongated fingers disposed about the periphery of said distal end portion and supporting said sleeve, said fingers being arranged to be moved from a compacted position to an expanded position to expand said sleeve from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration, said barrier means comprising a wall located between said first and second openings for engaging the inner periphery of said aorta at said predetermined position to ensure that substantially all of the blood flowing through the aorta flows into said inlet to said pump means and out said outlet from said pump means and not around the exterior of the distal end portion of said apparatus.

Claim 14

Apparatus for disposition within the aorta of a living being to effect the pumping of blood through at least a portion of the being's vascular system, said apparatus comprising an elongated catheter having a distal end portion, said catheter being of sufficiently small diameter to enable it to be freely located within the aorta so that its distal end portion is at a predetermined position spaced away from the aortic valve, said apparatus comprising pump means located at said distal end portion, barrier means located at said distal end portion, and drive means coupled to said pump means for operating said pump means, whereupon blood is made to flow through said aorta, said distal end portion of said apparatus additionally comprising an inlet in fluid communication with said aorta distally of said pump means, an outlet in fluid communication with said aorta proximally of said pump means, and a tubular portion, said tubular portion comprising a first opening defining said inlet, an oppositely disposed second opening defining said outlet, a flexible sleeve and a plurality of elongated fingers disposed about the periphery of said distal end portion and supporting said sleeve, said fingers being arranged to be moved from a compacted position to an expanded position to expand said sleeve from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration, said barrier means comprising a wall located between said first and second openings for engaging the inner periphery of said aorta at said predetermined position to ensure that substantially all of the blood flowing through the aorta flows into said inlet to said pump means and out said outlet from said pump means and not around the exterior of the distal end portion of said apparatus.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said sleeve comprises a pair of openings and wherein said outlet comprises spaces between said fingers and one end of said sleeve and wherein said inlet comprises the other opening of said sleeve.

Claim 16

Apparatus for disposition within the aorta of a living being to effect the pumping of blood through at least a portion of the being's vascular system, said apparatus comprising an elongated catheter having a distal end portion, said catheter being of sufficiently small diameter to enable it to be freely located within the aorta so that its distal end portion is at a predetermined position spaced away from the aortic valve, said apparatus comprising pump means located at said distal end portion, barrier means located at said distal end portion, and drive means coupled to said pump means for operating said pump means, whereupon blood is made to flow through said aorta, said distal end portion of said apparatus additionally comprising an inlet in fluid communication with said aorta distally of said pump means, an outlet in fluid communication with said aorta proximally of said pump means, and a tubular portion, said tubular portion comprising a flexible sleeve and a plurality of elongated fingers disposed about the periphery of said distal end portion and supporting said sleeve, said fingers being arranged to be moved from a compacted position to an expanded position to expand said sleeve from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration, said pump comprising at least one blade, said blade being movable from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration.

Claim 17

Apparatus for disposition within the aorta of a living being to effect the pumping of blood through at least a portion of the being's vascular system, said apparatus comprising an elongated catheter having a distal end portion, said catheter being of sufficiently small diameter to enable it to be freely located within the aorta so that its distal end portion is at a predetermined position spaced away from the aortic valve, said apparatus comprising pump means located at said distal end portion, barrier means located at said distal end portion, and drive means coupled to said pump means for operating said pump means, whereupon blood is made to flow through said aorta, said distal end portion of said apparatus additionally comprising an inlet in fluid communication with said aorta distally of said pump means, an outlet in fluid communication with said aorta proximally of said pump means, and a tubular portion, said tubular portion comprising a flexible sleeve and a plurality of elongated fingers disposed about the periphery of said distal end portion and supporting said sleeve, said fingers being arranged to be moved from a compacted position to an expanded position to expand said sleeve from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration, said pump comprising at least one blade, said blade being movable from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said sleeve comprises a pair of openings and wherein said outlet comprises spaces between said fingers and one end of said sleeve and wherein said inlet comprises the other opening of said sleeve.

Claim 21

The method of claim 16 additionally comprising the step of causing said distal end portion of said catheter to expand from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration once said distal end portion is located within said aorta.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17 wherein said distal end portion of said catheter is held in said compacted configuration during the introduction of said catheter into the body of said being to enable it to be freely located at the predetermined position in the aorta, and once at said predetermined position said distal end portion is expanded to said expanded configuration.

Claim 23

The method of claim 18 wherein said pump comprises at least one movable blade which is moved from a compacted configuration to an expanded configuration once the distal end portion of said catheter is located at said predetermined position.

Claim 24

The method of claim 16 wherein the operation of the pump is controlled so the blood may flow into the coronary arteries of said being.

Claim 25

The method of claim 20 wherein the speed and/or duration of operation of said pump is controlled.

Claim 26

The method of claim 21 wherein the speed of said pump is reduced periodically in synchronism with the pumping action of the being's heart.