| CPC A61M 60/148 (2021.01) [A61M 60/126 (2021.01); A61M 60/13 (2021.01); A61M 60/135 (2021.01); A61M 60/216 (2021.01); A61M 60/237 (2021.01); A61M 60/414 (2021.01); A61M 60/419 (2021.01); A61M 60/422 (2021.01); A61M 60/531 (2021.01); A61M 60/808 (2021.01); A61M 60/818 (2021.01); A61M 60/825 (2021.01); A61M 60/829 (2021.01); A61M 60/857 (2021.01); A61M 60/894 (2021.01); A61M 60/896 (2021.01); B05D 1/02 (2013.01); F04D 29/382 (2013.01); F04D 29/526 (2013.01); F04D 29/545 (2013.01); A61M 60/122 (2021.01); A61M 60/205 (2021.01); A61M 60/804 (2021.01); A61M 2205/0216 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3344 (2013.01); A61M 2230/30 (2013.01)] | 23 Claims |

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1. An apparatus including:
a left-ventricular assist device configured to assist left-ventricular functioning of a subject, the left-ventricular assist device comprising:
a tube configured such that a proximal portion of the tube traverses an aortic valve of the subject, and a distal portion of the tube is disposed within a left ventricle of the subject, the tube defining a set of one or more blood-inlet openings that are configured to be disposed within the subject's left ventricle, and a set of one or more blood-outlet openings that are configured to be disposed within the subject's aorta;
a frame disposed within the distal portion of the tube, the frame being configured to hold the distal portion of the tube in an open state,
the frame not being disposed within the proximal portion of the tube, and the proximal portion of the tube thereby being configured to collapse inwardly in response to pressure outside of the proximal portion of the tube exceeding pressure inside the proximal portion of the tube;
a pump disposed within the frame and configured to pump blood through the tube from the subject's left ventricle to the subject's aorta, by pumping the blood into the tube via the one or more blood-inlet openings and by pumping blood out of the tube via the one or more blood-outlet openings,
wherein the tube is configured such that during pumping of the blood through the tube the proximal portion of the tube is maintained in an open state, and
wherein the tube is pre-shaped such that during pumping of the blood through the tube at least a portion of the tube becomes curved.
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