Abiomed, Inc.

Abiomed R & D, Inc.

Robert B Stewart

Robert T Kung

Michael Milbocker

Meir Rosenberg

Ella Zaslavsky

Stephen Vaughan

Robert L Buck

William Bolt

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for attaching cardiac devices onto a natural heart by employing arrays of gripping elements, such as hooks or barbs. The gripping elements are designed to penetrate and lodge themselves in the epicardial tissue in order to secure the device to at least a portion of the surface of the heart muscle. The gripping elements, although designed to penetrate the surface of the heart, have limited depth penetration so as to avoid puncture of blood vessels. The attachment mechanisms disclosed herein can also permit both attachment and detachment of device.

Apparatus and method for detachably securing a device to a natural heart

A tissue pick for use during minimally invasive surgeries includes a tissue grasping member disposed at the end of the tissue pick. The tissue grasping member may be rotated, articulated at an angle, axially displaced or otherwise manipulated by controlling the opposite end of the tissue pick.

Tissue pick and method for use in minimally invasive surgical procedures

A laser welding apparatus and system for surgically bonding tissue together provides a beam of coherent light at a wavelength corresponding to a specific tissue thickness at which full absorption of the laser energy occurs, and adjusts the energy of the laser beam in response to tissue temperature throughout the tissue thickness to prevent the tissue temperature from either exceeding a predetermined limit or varying outside a predetermined range. Preferably, the coherent light beam has a center wavelength of 1.9 .mu.m, and is variable between 1.85 and 1.91 .mu.m.

Laser welding system

A multi-wavelength surgical laser apparatus of improved construction employs a fluid-filled stimulated Raman scattering cell in an optical feedback path of a pump laser having a power in a range suitable for surgery, and drives the Raman cell at a high repetition rate in a manner to produce a laser output at a substantially shifted wavelength at a power commensurate with that of the pump laser. In a preferred system, the relative proportions of pump light and Raman scattered light are varied to achieve a desired cutting or coagulating action. Preferably, the pump laser is operated at a pulse repetition rate above five hundred Hz. The fluid Raman medium is pumped across the optical axis of the cell. The flow system effectively doubles the Raman conversion efficiency and permits high power output while lowering the Raman lasing threshold. Systems include a fiber for conducting output light to a surgical probe, and a variable output coupler to vary the relative amounts of pump and Stokes radiation coupled into the fiber. Light generated at visible wavelengths by Stokes processes in the Raman cell provides auxiliary beam for targeting or observation purposes.

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Ipswich, MA, United States of America

Robert B Stewart