| abstract |
An extracardiac pumping system for supplementing the circulation of blood through a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and method of using same. The extracardiac system comprises a pump implanted subcutaneously at or about the patient's groin in a minimally-invasive procedure, wherein the pump is powered by a battery, and means for charging the battery extracorporeally, wherein the pump draws blood through an inflow conduit fluidly coupled to the patient's femoral artery via a subcutaneous anastomosis connection, and discharges blood through an outflow conduit fluidly coupled to a peripheral artery that stems from the patient's aortic arch via a subcutaneous anastomosis connection. The pump may be operated continuously or in a pulsatile fashion, synchronous with the patient's heart, thereby potentially reducing the pumping load on the heart. |