An innovative pacemaker, smaller than a grain of rice, has been unveiled by researchers at Northwestern University. In contrast to the traditional pacemakers which requires sewing electrodes to the patient’s heart via wires and attaching to the a patient’s chest externally, the new pacemaker device is tiny, dissolvable and can be implanted without any wires.
The tiny pacemaker provides temporary rhythmic support for patients undergoing congenital heart surgery and can be administered on varying ages from newborns to adults. The device is wireless and can be injected via a syringe which is then accompanied by a chest patch that detects irregular heartbeats and emits light to trigger electrical pulses, stabilizing the cardiac rhythms. The pacemaker is designed to dissolve naturally after use, eliminating the need for surgical removal.
The introduction of the new device design aims to provide cardiac care in a safer and less invasive manner.
