| abstract |
A ventricular cuff is designed to assist a heart to pump blood by applying uniform pressure to a majority portion of an exterior ventricular surface of the heart. A heart engaging structure is preferably provided for releasably engaging the heart to hold the heart in place relative to the cuff. The ventricular cuff includes an outer shell, an inflatable inner bladder and a fastener assembly. The heart engaging structure and ventricular cuff define an upwardly opening chamber sized for receiving a heart. The bladder has an opening for communication with a source of fluid under pressure so that the bladder is cyclically inflated and deflated at a predetermined rate to assist the ventricles of the heart to properly contract. |