Myocardial prosthetic device

Claim 1

A MYOCARDIAL PROSTHETIC DEVICE, COMPRISING A UNITARY BODY ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A MAMMALIAN THORACIC CAVITY ABOUT THE HEART, INCLUDING CUP-SHAPED INNER AND OUTER SHELLS ARRANGED IN GENERALLY NESTED RELATION TO PROVIDE AN OPEN TOP AND A CLOSED BOTTOM APEX, SAID OUTER SHELL BEING RELATIVELY RIGID SO AS TO WITHSTAND A PRESSURE OF THE ORDER OF ABOUT 5 P.S.I. WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL STRETCHING WHILE BEING CAPABLE OF FLEXING LIMITEDLY TO ACCOMMODATE HEART DISTENTION AND ROTATION, SAID INNER SHELL BEING RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE AND BEING PERIPHERALLY UNITED TO THE OUTER SHELL ADJACENT SAID OPEN TOP TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID SHELLS, THE CUP-SHAPE BEING SIZED TO ENVELOP THE HEAT VENTRICLES BUT TO ONLY PARTIALLY OVERLAY THE HEART ATRIA, THE SHELLS ALSO BEING UNITED IN THE PORTION OVERLYING THE SAID BOTTOM APEX, AND A STEM MOUNTED ON THE OUTER SHELL BETWEEN THE UNITED AREAS AND PROVIDING A CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ANNULAR SPACE, AND STEM HAVING A FLEXIBLE PORTION AT THE POINT OF STEM MOUNTING ON SAID OUTER SHELL TO PERMIT HEART ROTATION DURING VENTURI CONTRACTION, SAID OUTER SHELL ON THE INSIDE SURFACE THEREOF BEING EQUIPPED WITH A PLURALITY OF GROOVES COMMUNICATING WITH SAID STEM FOR FLOW OF PRESSURE FLUID DURING PERIODIC EVACUATION OF SAID ANNULAR SPACE.