Surgical tool for attaching heart-pump connector and inflow conduit to heart

摘要

Apparatus connects a pump to a chamber of a heart. A cuff attaches to the heart, the cuff having a flange portion for attaching to a surface of the heart and a sleeve portion extending from the flange portion. An inflow conduit has a first end for inserting into the heart, an intermediate portion for attaching to the sleeve portion of the cuff, and a second end for conveying blood from the heart to the pump. An expansion tool is releasably mounted with the inflow conduit to slide longitudinally within the inflow conduit. The expansion tool has a blunt tip for punching through the heart into the chamber at a distal end and a manual grip at a proximal end for pulling the expansion tool out from the inflow conduit. The expansion tool has a sliding seal substantially adjacent the blunt tip so that after punching into the heart and joining the inflow conduit to the sleeve portion of the cuff, the expansion tool can be withdrawn from the inflow conduit resulting in gradual entry of blood into the first end and withdrawal of air from the second end.