Bag for at least partially enveloping a heart

Abstract

A pouch to at least partly enclose a heart ( 1 ), the wall of the pouch ( 2 ) being elastic. The purpose of the pouch is to enclose at least part of a heart ( 1 ) and to oppose excessive dilation of the heart ( 1 ) that might be due to infectious disease of the heart muscle, for instance a viral infection or an autoimmune process. In many cases the use of such a pouch ( 2 ) may circumvent the need for a heart transplant.

1 . A pouch ( 2 ) enclosing at least partly a heart ( 1 ) characterized in that the wall of the pouch ( 2 ) is elastic.  
     
     
         2 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the elasticity of the wall of the pouch ( 2 ) decreases with increasing stretching.  
     
     
         3 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the stretching is bounded by a limit value.  
     
     
         4 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that the limit value is set at a pouch volume corresponding to the volume of the heart in the stage of maximum diastolic filling.  
     
     
         5 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the pouch volume in the stretched condition corresponds at a m maximum to the volume of the heart in the stage of maximum diastolic filling.  
     
     
         6 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that it is composed of elastic and of inelastic material.  
     
     
         7 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 6 , characterized in that the elastic material consists of a sheet or a fabric or a knit consisting of threads into which are incorporated substantially non-elastic threads.  
     
     
         8 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the substantially inelastic threads are incorporated into the sheet or the fabric or knit in longitudinally displaceable manner.  
     
     
         9 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that the substantially inelastic threads are guided each in by segment out of the pouch and thus are adjustable in length by means of segment-wise knotting and in that the volume and/or the shape of the pouch can be matched to the volume and/or the shape of the heart at maximum diastolic filling.  
     
     
         10 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 9 , characterized in that the substantially inelastic threads run from the aperture edge of the pouch to a substantially opposite pouch tip.  
     
     
         11 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 10 , characterized in that threads issue from the pouch in the vicinity of its tip.  
     
     
         12 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that consists of a sheet, a fabric or a knit comprising crimps, a pleat, accordion geometry or the like.  
     
     
         13 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that it consists of a fabric or knit of inelastic but bending threads crimped transversely to their longitudinal direction, in particular in wavy and/or sig-zag manner.  
     
     
         14 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 13 , characterized in that the crimps are thermally set.  
     
     
         15 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that the pouch is made of a knit and in that the knit's threads are inelastic but bending.  
     
     
         16 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall of the pouch ( 2 ) consists of plastic or a biological material.  
     
     
         17 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 16 , characterized in that the biological material is bovine pericardium.  
     
     
         18 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall is in the form of a netting ( 3 ).  
     
     
         19 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 18 , characterized in that the netting ( 3 ) consists of open-pore foam.  
     
     
         20 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 18 , characterized in that the netting ( 3 ) consists of a perforated sheet.  
     
     
         21 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 18 , characterized in that the netting ( 3 ) consists of a fabric or a knit.  
     
     
         22 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 21 , characterized in that the sheet or the fabric or knit is coated with open-pore foam.  
     
     
         23 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the pouch ( 2 ) consists of two kinds of thermoplastic threads or fibers, one kind of which is of a higher, preferably substantially higher shaping temperature than the other kind, the one kind being elastic and the other kind being relatively less elastic, preferably substantially less elastic.  
     
     
         24 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 23 , characterized in that the plastic is a thermoplastic.  
     
     
         25 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 19 , characterized in that the foam consists of silicone.  
     
     
         26 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 19 , characterized in that the foam is a lubricant.  
     
     
         27 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 26 , characterized in that the lubricant is a biological lubricant.  
     
     
         28 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 26 , characterized in that the lubricant is genetically engineered.  
     
     
         29 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 28 , characterized in that the genetically engineered lubricant is hyaluronic acid.  
     
     
         30 . A method for manufacturing a pouch as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that a mold in the shape of the article intended to enclose the heart is manufactured and in that a gas- and/or a liquid-permeable sheet or a netting or a knit made of a thermoplastic is pulled over the mold and shaped while heated.  
     
     
         31 . Method as claimed in  claim 30 , characterized in that the shape of the heart to be enclosed is imaged and in that the mold is made based on that image.  
     
     
         32 . Pouch as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall of the pouch is made of tetrafluoroethylene, in particular of open-pore polytetrafluoroethylne foam