Key Takeaways
1. Temporary pacemakers are crucial in heart surgeries but carry risks like infections and potential tissue damage.
2. Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a miniaturized pacemaker prototype that is less invasive.
3. The new device uses biocompatible materials that biodegrade into cardiac muscle after use.
4. It is powered by energy from living tissue and regulated through near-infrared pulses via a chest patch.
5. This wireless technology is considered safer and more effective than traditional wired pacemakers, with potential applications beyond just heart defects.
The application of a temporary pacemaker can be a vital part of surgeries addressing heart issues, helping to manage a person’s heartbeat during or following the operation. However, these devices can come with risks like infections or damage to heart tissue. Some of these negative effects have even led to fatalities, as was the case with Neil Armstrong, the first astronaut to walk on the moon, who died in 2012 after undergoing a bypass surgery.
Innovative Technology
A research group headed by Professors Igor Efimov and John A. Rogers from Northwestern University in Chicago claims they have found a way to enhance outcomes for patients using temporary pacemakers with their novel approach to the technology.
Their prototype is said to be miniaturized, measuring only 1.8 mm × 3.5 mm × 1 mm, which allows it to fit inside the tip of certain syringes, possibly reducing the invasiveness of where it is placed.
Bio-Compatible Materials
The device features a cathode made from molybdenum trioxide and an anode composed of either a zinc (Zn) composite or an AZ31 magnesium alloy, both of which are biocompatible materials. These should biodegrade into the cardiac muscle once their function is complete.
This tiny pacemaker is powered by energy generated upon contact with living tissue. It is regulated through near-infrared pulses, which aim to maintain a steady heartbeat, delivered through a flexible patch that is worn on the chest.
Advantages of the Wireless System
The wireless technology, stemming from the field of bio-optoelectronics, is said to be more advantageous than the traditional physical wires (or pacing leads) that come with standard pacemakers.
Efimov and Rogers claim that their new type of pacemaker is both effective and safe, as indicated in their recent paper published in the journal Nature in February 2025.
The researchers designed their innovation primarily to address congenital heart defects in infants, but they also propose that this technology might be applicable in other areas or conditions that could benefit from similar electrotherapy, such as managing pain and aiding in neural regeneration.
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