Low velocity aortic cannula

US5643226A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company · US
• The Cleveland Clinic Foundation · US

Inventors

• Delos M. Cosgrove · Hunting Valley, US
• J. Frederick Cornhill · New York, US
• Christopher M. Boykin · Athens, US
• Nelson L. Huldin · Ann Arbor, US
• William G. O'Neill · Maple Grove, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 6, 1994
• Grant date: Jul 1, 1997
• Expiry date: Oct 6, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61M2210/127
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An improved aortic cannula having a sidewall with a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therebetween for conducting blood, the distal end being adapted for insertion into the aorta during heart surgery to provide blood to the aorta. The cannula has a cap substantially blocking axial flow through the distal end of the lumen. There are a plurality of outlet openings in the sidewall of the cannula adjacent the distal end. The distal end of the lumen is flush with or preferably distally beyond the distal ends of the outlet openings. The aortic cannula may have a bend therein, as is known in the art, in which case the outlet openings on the outside side of the bend are smaller than the outlet openings on the inside side of the bend, to reduce disparity in the flow that would otherwise be caused by the bend, substantially equalizing flow through the openings. According to the method of this invention, an opening is made in the aorta of the patient; the distal end of the cannula is inserted into the opening in the aorta; and blood flow through the cannula is initiated to provide blood to the aorta without jetting.