| abstract |
A ventricular assist device and a method of manufacturing the ventricular assist device. The device is generally flat in shape and gently curved so that it may be comfortably implanted under the skin or inside the chest of a patient. The device includes a housing comprising an atrial blood chamber, an atrial compliance chamber, a ventricular blood chamber and a ventricular pjmping chamber. Blood is introduced through an inlet port into the atrial blood chamber. An atrial compliance membrane within the housing separates the atrial blood chamber from the atrial compliance chamber and responds to the changing volume of blood. The ventricular blood chamber receives the blood from the atrial blood chamber through a flap valve which is formed as an integral extension of the compliance membrane. A pumping membrane within the housing separates the ventricular blood chamber from the ventricular pumping chamber and is displaced by a drive fluid to expel blood out of the ventricular blood chamber through an outlet port that is controlled by a second valve mechanism. The device is manufactured using a novel vacuum forming technique that is both simple and inexpensive. |