1. A ventricular assist system comprising:
(a) a ventricular assist device including a pump and an inlet element defining an inlet opening communicating with the pump, the inlet element being adapted for positioning with the inlet opening disposed within a ventricle of a heart when the system is in an operative condition; and
(b) an expandable stent adapted for positioning within the ventricle when the system is in the operative condition.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a mounting securing a part of the stent in position relative to the inlet element when the stent is positioned within the ventricle.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the mounting includes an anchor element configured for attachment to the heart and wherein the inlet element and the stent are secured to the anchor element with the system is in the operative condition.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the anchor element includes a channel extending therethrough.
5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a one-way valve positioned at least partially within the channel.
6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a sealing element configured to be positioned within the channel proximal to the one-way valve to seal the channel.
7. The system of claim 4, wherein the channel has a diameter and the stent has a collapsed condition and an expanded condition, the diameter of the channel being adapted to allow the stent to pass through the channel when the stent is in the collapsed condition.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the anchor element includes a ring.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the anchor element includes a substantially cylindrical member configured to be mounted to the heart at various positions along a length of the substantially cylindrical member.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the stent includes a plurality of struts, the struts having inner ends and outer ends, the inner ends being disposed adjacent one another and the outer ends extending away from one another when the stent is in an expanded condition.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the stent has a collapsed condition and an expanded condition, the stent being substantially cylindrical when in the expanded condition.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the stent is formed of a braided mesh.
13. A method of installing a ventricular assist device in a subject comprising:
mounting the ventricular assist device to the subject so that an inlet opening of an inlet element is disposed within a ventricle of the heart and the inlet opening communicates with a pump;
positioning an outflow cannula so that the outflow cannula communicates with the pump and with an artery;
positioning a stent in the ventricle at least partially upstream of the inlet of the pump.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising operating the pump to draw blood from the ventricle and return the blood to the artery, and holding a wall of the ventricle away from the inlet opening with the stent.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising passing the stent through a channel in the ventricular assist device while the stent is in a collapsed condition.
16. The method of claim 15, further wherein the step of passing the stent through the channel in the ventricular assist device includes passing the stent through a one-way valve positioned at least partially within the channel.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising transitioning the stent from the collapsed condition to an expanded condition.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sealing the channel with a sealing element.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A sports ballast base comprising:
a base member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface adapted to contact a support surface; and
a displaceable first wheel assembly having at least one wheel for contacting the support surface, wherein said first wheel assembly is configured to be displaced from a lowered position to a raised position such that when in the raised position, the bottom surface of said base member substantially contacts the support surface and when in the lowered position said at least one wheel contacts the support surface thereby separating said base member from the support surface.
2. A sports ballast base as in claim 1 further comprising a second wheel assembly having at least one wheel for contacting the support surface.
3. A sports ballast as in claim 2, wherein said second wheel assembly is configured to be displaced from a lowered position to a raised position such that when in the raised position, the bottom surface of said base member substantially contacts the support surface and when in the lowered position said at least one wheel contacts the support surface thereby separating said base member from the support surface.
4. The sports ballast base of claim 2, wherein said base member further comprises a bottom recession in said bottom surface of said base member and a hole defined through said base member extending from said bottom recession to the top surface;
said second wheel assembly is fixed in position such that said at least one wheel engages said support surface; and
said displaceable first wheel assembly comprises
at least one caster having a top portion attached to said base member within said bottom recession; and
a retraction device having a first end and a second end, pivotally attached at said second end by a mounting bracket disposed within said hole, said second end being configured to engage the top portion of said at least one caster.
5. The sports ballast base of claim 4, wherein said top portion of said at least one caster is pivotally attached to said base member within said bottom recession, such that downward force on the top portion of said at least one caster causes said caster to engage the support surface.
6. The sports ballast base of claim 4, wherein said retraction device is a lever adapted to communicate with a top recession in the top surface of said base member, the second end of said retraction device being provided with a cam thereon such that when the first end is separated from said top recession, the second end rollably communicates with the top portion of said caster such that said caster contacts the support surface and the bottom surface of said base member is separated from the support surface.
7. The sports ballast base of claim 6, further comprising a handgrip positioned on the support member.
8. The sports ballast base of claim 4, further comprising threads on the top portion of said at least one caster for engaging said base member.
9. The sports ballast base of claim 8, wherein said retraction device is configured to rotate around an axis substantially perpendicular to the top portion of said at least one caster, such that rotation of said handle about the axis displaces said caster relative to the support surface.
10. The sports ballast base of claim 2, wherein said second wheel assembly is fixed in position such that said at least one wheel engages the support surface; and
said displaceable first wheel assembly comprises
a pivoting connector coupled to said base member;
a wheel bracket coupled to said pivoting connector adapted to receive an axle having first and second ends and at least one wheel, said wheel bracket further provided with a handle extending outwardly from said wheel bracket for pivotally rotating said first wheel assembly about a transverse axis such that when said handle is rotated away from said base member, said at least one wheel contacts the support surface and the bottom surface of the base member is separated from the support surface.
11. The sports ballast base of claim 10, wherein said base member is provided with a bottom recession in the bottom surface, said pivoting connector being coupled to said base member within said bottom recession; and
said handle comprises a first element substantially parallel to a second element, each said element extending outwardly from said wheel bracket.
12. The sports ballast base of claim 11, further comprising:
a linkage member disposed between said first element and said second element; and
a sports apparatus support member with an indentation for lockably receiving said linkage member.
13. The sports ballast base of claim 11, wherein said displaceable first wheel assembly is positioned proximate the first edge of said base member and said second wheel assembly is positioned proximate the second edge of said base member.
14. The sports ballast base of claim 13, wherein said base member is provided with a first indent and a second indent, in said first edge of said base member, adapted to receive said first element and said second element of said handle respectively, such that when said first element and said second element of said handle are positioned such that each element slidably engages said first and second indent, said displaceable first wheel assembly is retracted within said bottom recession and the bottom surface of said base member is in contact with the support surface.
15. The sports ballast base of claim 13, wherein said pivoting connector comprises an upper pivot bracket coupled to said base member, a lower pivot bracket pivotally connected to said upper pivot bracket, and a swivel connector coupled between said lower pivot bracket and said wheel bracket, such that said displaceable first wheel assembly is adapted to swivel about a vertical axis perpendicular to the bottom surface of said base member.
16. The sports ballast base of claim 15, wherein said sports apparatus support member is provided with an eyebolt therein, proximate said base member, for threadedly engaging said upper pivot bracket.
17. The sports ballast base of claim 15, wherein said base member further comprises a second recession within said bottom recession thereby defining a flange for contacting said pivoting connector, said flange defining a limit for an arc of rotation of said displaceable first wheel assembly about an axis about said sports apparatus support member.
18. The sports ballast base of claim 9, wherein said base member is provided with a top recession in said top surface for receiving said handle; and
said first wheel assembly comprises two wheels, each disposed on opposite ends of said axle.
19. The sports ballast base of claim 18, wherein said first wheel assembly is positioned proximate the first edge of said base member and said second wheel assembly is positioned proximate the second edge of said base member.
20. The sports ballast base of claim 1, said base member further comprising a first recession for receiving said deployable first wheel assembly.
21. The sports ballast base of claim 20, further comprising a deployable second wheel assembly having at least one wheel for contacting the support surface; said deployable second wheel assembly being retractable from a lowered position to a raised position such that when in the raised position, the bottom surface of said base member substantially contacts the support surface and in the lowered position said first and second wheel assemblies contact the support surface thereby separating said base member from the support surface.
22. The sports ballast base of claim 21, further comprising a second recession for receiving said deployable second wheel assembly.
23. The sports ballast base of claim 22, said base member further comprising a first edge, a second edge, a first side and a second side;
wherein said first wheel assembly is positioned proximate the first side of said base member and said second wheel assembly positioned proximate the second side of said base member and each said wheel assembly comprises a pair of wheels connected to opposite ends of a first axle member and a second axle member respectively; each said axle member being pivotally connected to said base member and extending from the first edge of said base member to the second edge of said base member, such that when a sufficient force is applied to the sports apparatus support member in a direction perpendicular to the first side of said base member, said first wheel assembly deploys such that it is adapted to engage the support surface, and when a sufficient force is applied to the sports apparatus support member in a direction perpendicular to the second side of said base member, said second wheel assembly deploys such that it is adapted to engage the support surface thereby separating said base member from the support surface.
24. The sports ballast base of claim 1, said base member further comprising:
a first recession and a second recession in said bottom surface for receiving said deployable first wheel assembly;
first slots adjacent said first recession; and
second slots adjacent said second recession.
25. The sports ballast base of claim 24, said deployable first wheel assembly further comprising an axle member for engaging said base member.
26. The sports ballast base of claim 25, wherein said axle member engages said first slots and said second slots in said base member.
27. The sports ballast of claim 26, further comprising a pivot member pivotally connecting said deployable first wheel assembly to said base member such that said deployable first wheel assembly is adapted to communicate with said first recession in the raised position and swivel to communicate with said second recession in the lowered position.