Vessel or sac wall treatment and a cardiac assist device

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of treating a vessel in a human or animal body, said method including the steps of: preparing a patient; identifying a site in said vessel requiring treatment; positioning an implantable device against a portion of tubular or sac wall of said vessel at said site, whereby load applied to said vessel is borne by said wall and said device, said vessel being assisted by said device when said wall and said device acts upon said load, said device including an energy storage means which is charged with a pressure or energy charge by means of said load being applied to said vessel. The present invention also provides a method of treating a vessel in a human or animal body, said method including the steps of: preparing a patient; identifying a site in said vessel requiring treatment; replacing all or a portion of said vessel requiring treatment with an implantable device, whereby load applied to the vessel is borne by said device, said vessel being assisted by said device when said device acts upon said load, said device including an energy storage means which is charged with a pressure or energy charge by means of said load being applied to said vessel. The present invention further provides a treatment or assistance device for operating in or with a tubular or sac wall of a vessel in a human or animal body, said device including a changeable volume portion which is adapted to interact with said vessel so as to modify the volume of said vessel; and an energy storage means functioning with said changeable volume portion whereby a decrease in the volume of said changeable volume portion creates a pressure or energy charge in said energy storage means, said pressure or energy charge being able to be subsequently released to cause said changeable volume portion to increase in volume.

1 . A method of treating a vessel in a human or animal body, said method including the steps of:
 preparing a patient;   identifying a site in said vessel requiring treatment for time dependent pressure dampening or diastolic time dependent pressure discharge;   positioning an implantable device against a portion of wall of said vessel at said site, whereby load applied to said vessel is borne by said wall and said implantable device, said vessel being assisted by said implantable device when said wall and said implantable device act upon said load, said implantable device including an energy storage device which is charged by said load being applied to said vessel, the energy storage device being charged with a charge selected from the group of a pressure charge and an energy charge; and   positioning said device extraluminally with respect to said vessel.   
     
     
         2 . A method of treating a vessel in a human or animal body, said method including the steps of:
 preparing a patient;   identifying a site in said vessel requiring treatment for time dependent pressure dampening or diastolic time dependent pressure discharge;   positioning an implantable device against a portion of wall of said vessel at said site, whereby load applied to said vessel is borne by said wall and said implantable device, said vessel being assisted by said implantable device when said wall and said implantable device act upon said load, said implantable device including an energy storage device which is charged by said load being applied to said vessel, the energy storage device being charged with a charge selected from the group of a pressure charge and an energy charge; and   positioning said device intraluminally with respect to said vessel.   
     
     
         3 . A treatment device for operating with a wall of a vessel in a body, said treatment device including a changeable volume portion which is adapted to interact with said vessel so as to modify the volume of said vessel; and an energy storage device functioning with said changeable volume portion whereby a decrease in the volume of said changeable volume portion creates a charge in said energy storage device, said charge being able to be subsequently released to cause said changeable volume portion to increase in volume, said energy storage device being intraluminal with respect to said vessel, said energy storage device absorbing energy when loaded, and releasing energy when unloaded.