Healing transmyocardial implant

Abstract

A transmyocardial implant establishes a blood flow path through a myocardium between a heart chamber and a lumen of a coronary vessel residing on an exterior of the heart. The implant includes a coronary portion sized to be received within the vessel. A myocardial portion is sized to pass through the myocardium into the heart chamber. A transition portion connects the coronary and myocardial portions for directing blood flow from the myocardial portion to the coronary portion. The coronary portion and the myocardial portion have an open construction for permitting tissue growth across a wall thickness of the coronary portion and the myocardial portion. The myocardial portion includes an agent for controlling a coagulation cascade and platelet formation.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A transmyocardial implant for defining a blood flow pathway directly from a left ventricle to a coronary vessel, the implant comprising: 
 a coronary portion sized to be received within the vessel;    a myocardial portion sized to pass through the myocardium into the left ventricle;    a transition portion connecting the coronary and myocardial portion for directing blood flow from the myocardial portion to the coronary portion;    at least the coronary portion and the myocardial portion having an open construction for permitting tissue growth across a wall thickness of the coronary portion and the myocardial portion; and    at least the myocardial portion including an agent for controlling a coagulation cascade and platelet activation.    
     
     
         2 . An implant according to  claim 1  further comprising an agent for encouraging healing.  
     
     
         3 . An implant according to  claim 1  further comprising a porous lining in at least the myocardial portion with the porous lining have pores smaller than openings of the open construction of the myocardial portion.  
     
     
         4 . An implant according to  claim 1  wherein the porous lining contains the agent.  
     
     
         5 . An implant according to  claim 1  wherein the agent is heparin.  
     
     
         6 . An implant according to  claim 1  wherein the agent is an anti-coagulant.  
     
     
         7 . An implant according to  claim 1  wherein the agent is an anti-platelet.  
     
     
         8 . An implant according to  claim 2  wherein the agent for encouraging healing is a growth factor.  
     
     
         9 . An implant according to  claim 1  wherein the coronary portion is expandable from a first diameter to an enlarged second diameter.  
     
     
         10 . An implant according to  claim 1  wherein the myocardial portion is expandable from a first diameter to an enlarged second diameter.  
     
     
         11 . An implant according to  claim 1  wherein the transition portion permits articulation between the coronary portion and the myocardial portion.  
     
     
         12 . A transmyocardial implant for defining a blood flow pathway directly from a left ventricle to a coronary vessel, the implant comprising: 
 a coronary portion sized to be received within the vessel;    a myocardial portion sized to pass through the myocardium into the left ventricle;    a transition portion connecting the coronary and myocardial portion for directing blood flow from the myocardial portion to the coronary portion; and    the myocardial portion including a construction to facilitate tissue integration and including an agent for controlling a coagulation cascade and platelet activation.    
     
     
         13 . An implant according to  claim 12  wherein the coronary portion includes an open structure to facilitate growth of vascular endothelial cells along the coronary portion.  
     
     
         14 . An implant according to  claim 12  wherein the myocardial portion includes a porous structure for facilitating growth of vascular endothelial cells into the myocardial portion.  
     
     
         15 . An implant according to  claim 14  wherein the porous structure includes a fabric liner.  
     
     
         16 . An implant according to  claim 14  wherein the myocardial portion further includes a wall structure for facilitating growth of structural cells into the interior of the myocardial portion.  
     
     
         17 . An implant according to  claim 16  wherein the wall structure is an open cell construction of the myocardial portion.