Granted Patent B2

US 6,881,199 · App. 09/828,794 · Granted Apr 19, 2005

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. A method of flowing blood from a heart chamber to a coronary vessel, the method comprising:

providing a conduit with a first end and a second end;

providing a natural valve;

placing the conduit within a heart wall such that the first end of the conduit is open towards the heart chamber and the second end is open towards the blood vessel; and

during diastole, restricting a flow of blood from the coronary vessel to the heart chamber via the natural valve.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the natural valve includes providing a section of blood vessel containing at least one naturally occurring valve.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the section of blood vessel is a human vein.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the section of blood vessel is an autograft.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the section of blood vessel is an allograft.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the section of blood vessel is a xenograft.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the natural valve includes providing the natural valve inside the conduit.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heart chamber is a left ventricle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coronary vessel is a coronary artery.

10. A bypass system for implantation in a body of a patient, the system comprising:

a tube having a first end and a second end and being configured to be implanted in a heart wall such that the first end is open towards a heart chamber and the second end is open towards a coronary vessel, the tube being further configured to permit blood to flow therethrough from the heart chamber to the coronary vessel; and

a natural valve configured to restrict blood flow from the coronary vessel to the heart chamber during diastole.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the natural valve includes a section of blood vessel containing at least one naturally occurring valve.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the section of blood vessel lines an interior of the tube.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the section of blood vessel is a human vein.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the section of blood vessel is an autograft.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the section of blood vessel is an allograft.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the section of blood vessel is a xenograft.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the natural valve is disposed inside the tube.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the heart chamber is a left ventricle.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the coronary vessel is a coronary artery.

Assignments (10)