Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation

Origio Inc.

Arthur D Gershowitz

Gene Parunak

Syed Zafar Razzacki

Embryo or cell culture apparatus

An input blood supply within a blood perfusion system is pumped through a chamber. A centrifugal flow of the input blood supply is formed in a bottom region of the chamber to cause air to migrate toward an axial center of the chamber. A float is buoyantly suspended on the centrifugal flow wherein the float is disposed for vertical movement in the chamber, and wherein the float has an effective density less than the density of the blood. When a volume of air present within the chamber is less than a predetermined volume, then the float closes a valve at an air outlet from the chamber. When a volume of air present within the chamber is greater than the predetermined volume, then the float opens the valve to remove air from the chamber.

Air removal device with float valve for blood perfusion system

Cardioplegia is delivered to a heart vessel by conducting the cardioplegia through an infusion lumen of a cannula. The cardioplegia communicates with a balloon disposed on a distal end of the cannula to cause the cardioplegia to inflate the balloon into sealing contact with a wall of the coronary sinus. The flow of cardioplegia is halted while preventing drainage of cardioplegia from the balloon, to maintain the balloon in its inflated state until such time as the flow of cardioplegia is resumed. Drainage of cardioplegia from the balloon is prevented by causing a valve to be shifted to a closed position blocking communication between the infusion lumen and the balloon. The valve can be shifted manually, or automatically in response to the halting of the delivery of cardioplegia.

Retrograde cannula having automatically inflatable balloon

A retrograde cannula includes coaxial inner and outer bodies, wherein a least of the portion of the inner body is axially slidable within the outer body. The inner body forms an infusion lumen for conducting CPG. A sealing member is mounted adjacent a distal end of the outer body and is expandable into sealing relationship with a wall of a patient's heart. The sealing member includes proximal and distal ends that are moved away from one another to collapse the sealing member in response to axial sliding of the inner body within the outer body to reduce a profile of the cannula, and thereby facilitate movement of the cannula through a patient's body.

Retrograde cannula having manually retractable sealing member

A retrograde cannula for delivering fluid to a human heart has proximal and distal ends and includes an infusion lumen adapted to conduct CPG for discharge into the heart. An expandable balloon is disposed adjacent the distal end of the cannula for receiving CPG which expands the balloon into sealing relationship with a wall of the heart. A stylet lumen extends adjacent to the infusion lumen for receiving a stylet. A distal end of the stylet lumen is blocked.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Arthur D Gershowitz