Cardiac reinforcement devices and methods

Claim 1

A cardiac reinforcement device, said device comprising: a jacket which can be applied to a heart to constrain cardiac expansion to a predetermined limit; said jacket comprising an apex end and a base end and having a longitudinal axis from said apex end to said base end, said base end of said jacket being oriented toward a base of the heart when said jacket is applied to the heart; and said jacket further comprising: a plurality of circumferential rows of cells comprised of a weave material, said rows of cells being approximately perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; wherein said weave material has intersecting strands, said strands being oriented according to: spirals emanating in a clockwise direction outward from a common point at said apex end; spirals emanating in a counterclockwise direction outward from said common point at said apex end; said clockwise spirals and said counterclockwise spirals forming intersections; and said intersections forming corners of individual cells; each circumferential row of cells comprising an equal number of cells; each cell having a cell area; said cell area being approximately the same for all cells in a selected circumferential row; and at least one circumferential row of cells having cells with said cell area being unequal to said cell area of cells in another circumferential row of cells.

Claim 9

A method of using a cardiac reinforcement device to constrain heart dilation, said method comprising: selecting a cardiac reinforcement device, said device comprising a jacket that can be applied to a heart to constrain cardiac expansion to a predetermined limit, said jacket comprising: an apex end and a base end and having a longitudinal axis from said apex end to said base end, said base end of said jacket is oriented toward a base of the heart when said jacket is applied to the heart; a plurality of circumferential rows of cells being approximately perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; each circumferential row comprising an equal number of cell; each cell having a cell area; said cell area being approximately the same for all cells in a selected circumferential row; and at least one circumferential row of cells having cells with said cell area being unequal to said cell area of cells in another circumferential row of cells; wherein said jacket is comprised of a weave material having intersecting strands, wherein said strands are oriented according to: spirals emanating in a clockwise direction outward from a common point at said apex end; spirals emanating in a counterclockwise direction outward from said common point at said apex end; said clockwise spirals and said counterclockwise spirals forming intersections; and said intersections forming corners of individual cells; applying said cardiac reinforcement device to the heart; and adjusting said cardiac reinforcement device to snugly conform to an external geometry of the heart and assume a maximum predetermined size for said jacket to constrain circumferential expansion of the heart beyond a predetermined limit.

Claim 10

A method of using a cardiac reinforcement device to constrain heart dilation, said method comprising: selecting a cardiac reinforcement device, said device comprising a jacket that can be applied to a heart to constrain cardiac expansion to a predetermined limit, said jacket comprising: an apex end and a base end and having a longitudinal axis from said apex end to said base end, said base end of said jacket is oriented toward a base of the heart when said jacket is applied to the heart; a plurality of circumferential rows of cells being approximately perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; each circumferential row comprising an equal number of cell; each cell having a cell area; said cell area being approximately the same for all cells in a selected circumferential row; and at least one circumferential row of cells having cells with said cell area being unequal to said cell area of cells in another circumferential row of cells; wherein said jacket is comprised of a weave material having intersecting strands, wherein said strands are oriented according to: spirals emanating in a clockwise direction outward from a common point at said apex end; spirals emanating in a counterclockwise direction outward from said common point at said apex end; said clockwise spirals and said counterclockwise spirals forming intersections; and said intersections forming corners of individual cells; applying said cardiac reinforcement device to the heart; and adjusting said cardiac reinforcement device to snugly conform to an external geometry of the heart and assume a maximum predetermined size for said jacket to constrain circumferential expansion of the heart beyond a predetermined limit.