Cardiac treatment system and method

Abstract

Devices and methods for providing localized pressure to a region of a patient's heart to improve heart functioning, including: (a) a jacket made of a flexible biocompatible material, the jacket having an open top end that is received around the heart and a bottom portion that is received around the apex of the heart; and (b) at least one inflatable bladder disposed on an interior surface of the jacket, the inflatable bladder having an inelastic outer surface positioned adjacent to the jacket and an elastic inner surface such that inflation of the bladder causes the bladder to deform substantially inwardly to exert localized pressure against a region of the heart.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A cardiac implant for implantation around an exterior of a heart, the cardiac implant comprising:
 a jacket configured for implantation around ventricles of the heart; and   an inflatable bladder comprising an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall has different expansion properties than the outer wall such that the inner wall is more expandable than the outer wall, the inflatable bladder positioned adjacent to the jacket.   
     
     
         22 . The cardiac implant of  claim 21 , wherein the inflatable bladder is positionable adjacent a mitral valve of the heart. 
     
     
         23 . The cardiac implant of  claim 21 , wherein the jacket comprises a hem located around a perimeter of a top end of the jacket. 
     
     
         24 . The cardiac implant of  claim 23 , wherein the inflatable bladder is located proximate the hem. 
     
     
         25 . The cardiac implant of  claim 21 , wherein the inflatable bladder is attached to the jacket. 
     
     
         26 . The cardiac implant of  claim 21 , wherein the jacket further comprises a bottom end configured to be positioned adjacent an apex of the heart. 
     
     
         27 . The cardiac implant of  claim 26 , wherein the bottom end is an open bottom end, and the bottom end is configured to be closed after the jacket has been implanted around the heart. 
     
     
         28 . The cardiac implant of  claim 27 , wherein closing the bottom end comprises at least one of cinching the bottom end or sewing the bottom end after the jacket has been implanted around the heart. 
     
     
         29 . The cardiac implant of  claim 21 , wherein the inflatable bladder comprises one or more radiopaque markers. 
     
     
         30 . The cardiac implant of  claim 21 , further comprising an inflation tube configured to couple to the inflatable bladder. 
     
     
         31 . A cardiac implant for implantation around an exterior of a heart, the cardiac implant comprising:
 an implant body configured for implantation around ventricles of the heart;   a first inflatable bladder comprising an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall has different expansion properties than the outer wall such that the inner wall is more expandable than the outer wall, the first inflatable bladder positioned adjacent to the implant body; and   a second inflatable bladder positioned adjacent to the implant body at a location farther away from a top end of the implant body than the first inflatable bladder.   
     
     
         32 . The cardiac implant of  claim 31 , wherein the first inflatable bladder is positionable adjacent a mitral valve of the heart. 
     
     
         33 . The cardiac implant of  claim 32 , wherein the second inflatable bladder is positionable adjacent a papillary muscle of the heart. 
     
     
         34 . The cardiac implant of  claim 31 , further comprising a third inflatable bladder configured to exert localized pressure against a region of the heart when the third inflatable bladder is positioned adjacent the region of the heart and inflated. 
     
     
         35 . The cardiac implant of  claim 34 , wherein the region of the heart comprises a tricuspid valve. 
     
     
         36 . The cardiac implant of  claim 31 , wherein the implant body comprises a hem located around a perimeter of a top end of the implant body. 
     
     
         37 . The cardiac implant of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the first inflatable bladder is located proximate the hem; and   the second inflatable bladder is located away from the hem.   
     
     
         38 . The cardiac implant of  claim 36 , further comprising one or more radiopaque markers positioned around the hem. 
     
     
         39 . The cardiac implant of  claim 31 , further comprising one or more radiopaque markers positioned around a periphery of at least one of the first inflatable bladder and the second inflatable bladder. 
     
     
         40 . A method of providing localized pressure to one or more regions of a heart to improve heart functioning, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning a cardiac device adjacent the heart, wherein the cardiac device comprises:   a jacket configured for implantation around ventricles of the heart;   an inflatable bladder comprising an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall has different expansion properties than the outer wall such that the inner wall is more expandable than the outer wall, the inflatable bladder positioned adjacent to the jacket; and   (b) inflating the inflatable bladder such that the inflatable bladder exerts localized pressure to a region of the heart adjacent the inflatable bladder.