| abstract |
In a means for support of the performance of a heart ( 1 ) in which fluid is taken from blood vessels via an external pump ( 7 ) and is returned to the blood vessels, the amount of fluid being controlled as a function of the measured values, a catheter in the ventricle is equipped with sensors ( 4 ) for measuring the volume of fluid per unit of time. The sensors ( 4 ) are connected to an evaluation circuit in which the ratio of the diastolic volume to the systolic volume per heartbeat or unit of time, especially the output rate and/or the deviation of the volume which has been delivered by the heart per unit of time from a defined setpoint, for example the setpoint which has been computed from body-specific data for the cardiac output (HZV), is evaluated and a signal is generated. The pump ( 7 ) via which fluid is withdrawn from the ventricle is controlled depending on the generated signal. |