Coronary artery by-pass method

Claim 2

A cardiovascular treatment method comprising the steps of: providing a stent made of a biocompatible material; moving said stent in a collapsed configuration through a blood vessel of a patient's vascular system to the patient's heart; inserting said stent in the patient's myocardium so that said stent extends at least partially through the myocardium only within the myocardium; and upon the disposition of said stent in the myocardium, expanding said stent from said collapsed configuration to a substantially tubular expanded configuration so that a blood flow path is formed at least partially through the myocardium.

Claim 3

The method defined in claim 1 wherein said step of inserting includes the step of ejecting said stent from a distal end of a catheter into the myocardium, further comprising the step of inserting said catheter through the vascular system of the patient.

Claim 4

The method defined in claim 2 wherein said step of inserting further includes the step of forming a perforation or recess in the myocardium prior to said step of ejecting.

Claim 5

The method defined in claim 3 wherein said step of inserting also includes the steps of ejecting a collapsed inflatable balloon with said stent into the myocardium from said distal end of said catheter, said stent surrounding said balloon, and inflating said balloon and opening said stent upon ejection of said balloon and said stent into the myocardium.

Claim 6

The method defined in claim 4 wherein said steps of inflating and opening are performed during diastole.

Claim 7

The method defined in claim 4 wherein said balloon and said stent are inserted into the myocardium over a guide wire, further including the step of inserting said guide wire into said perforation or recess prior to the ejection of said collapsed inflatable balloon and said stent from said distal end of said catheter.

Claim 8

The method defined in claim 3, further comprising the steps of inserting a distal end portion of said catheter into said perforation or recess prior to said step of ejecting, and sensing pressure on said catheter along said distal end portion, thereby determining a thickness of the myocardium at said perforation or recess, and cutting said stent from a piece of stent material so that said stent has a length corresponding to the thickness of the myocardium at said perforation or recess.

Claim 9

The method defined in claim 3 wherein said step of forming includes the step of ejecting a needle into the myocardium from said distal end of said catheter.

Claim 10

The method defined in claim 3 wherein said step of forming includes the steps of pushing a drill head into the myocardium from said distal end of said catheter and rotating said drill head during said step of pushing.

Claim 11

The method defined in claim 3 wherein said steps of forming and ejecting are implemented during diastole.

Claim 12

The method defined in claim 3, further comprising the step of operating a computer to synchronize said steps of forming and ejecting with the rhythm of said heart.

Claim 13

The method defined in claim 1 wherein said step of inserting includes the step of disposing said stent in the myocardium so that said stent extends only partially through the myocardium from the patient's left ventricle, further comprising the step of moving said stent in said collapsed configuration into the left ventricle prior to said step of inserting.

Claim 14

The method defined in claim 1 wherein said step of inserting includes the step of disposing said stent in the myocardium so that said stent extends only partially through the myocardium from a coronary artery of the patient, further comprising the step of moving said stent in said collapsed configuration into the coronary artery prior to said step of inserting.

Claim 15

The method defined in claim 1 wherein said step of inserting includes the step of disposing said stent in the myocardium so that said stent extends from the left ventricle to the coronary artery, further comprising the step of moving said stent in said collapsed configuration into the coronary artery prior to said step of inserting.

Claim 16

The method defined in claim 1 wherein said stent has an inherent spring bias tending to form the stent into said opened configuration, further comprising the steps of opening said stent and thereby allowing blood to flow from said left ventricle into said stent during diastole and closing said stent by heart contraction during systole.

Claim 17

The method defined in claim 1 wherein said stent is provided with a one-way valve, further comprising the steps of: maintaining said stent expanded in said opened configuration during both diastole and systole upon completion of said step of expanding; permitting flow into said stent during systole; and blocking flow from said stent back through said valve during diastole.

Claim 20

The method defined in claim 17 wherein said step of directing includes the steps of, during systole, forcing blood directly into the myocardium through said stent and, during diastole, closing a valve in said stent to block a return of blood through said stent.

Claim 21

The method defined in claim 17 wherein said step of directing includes the steps of, during diastole, guiding blood into said myocardium through said stent and, during systole, closing said stent.

Claim 22

A cardiovascular treatment method comprising the steps of: providing a stent made of a biocompatible material; moving said stent in a collapsed configuration through a blood vessel of a patient's vascular system to the patient's heart; upon reaching the patient's heart, disposing said stent in a wall of the patient's heart so that said stent extends only partially into the myocardium and extends only within the myocardium and does not extend into the left ventricle or the coronary artery; and upon the disposition of said stent in the myocardium, expanding said stent from said collapsed configuration to a substantially tubular permanently expanded configuration so that a flow path is formed directly into the myocardium through said stent.

Claim 23

A cardiovascular treatment method comprising the steps of: providing a stent made of a biocompatible material; moving said stent in a collapsed configuration through a blood vessel of a patient's vascular system to the patient's heart; upon reaching the patient's heart, disposing said stent in a wall of the patient's heart so that said stent extends only partially into the myocardium and extends only within the myocardium and does not extend into the left ventricle or the coronary artery; and upon the disposition of said stent in the myocardium, expanding said stent from said collapsed configuration to a substantially tubular permanently expanded configuration so that a flow path is formed directly into the myocardium through said stent.

Claim 24

The method defined in claim 20 wherein said step of disposing further includes the step of forming a perforation or recess in the myocardium prior to said step of disposing.

Claim 25

The method defined in claim 21 wherein said step of disposing also includes the steps of ejecting a collapsed inflatable balloon with said stent into the myocardium from a distal end of a catheter, said stent surrounding said balloon, and inflating said balloon and opening said stent upon ejection of said balloon and said stent into the myocardium.

Claim 26

The method defined in claim 20 wherein said step of disposing includes the steps of inserting a catheter into the coronary artery and ejecting said stent from a distal end of said catheter into the myocardium.

Claim 27

The method defined in claim 20 wherein said step of disposing includes the steps of inserting a catheter into the left ventricle and ejecting said stent from a distal end of said catheter into the myocardium.