SMALLER THAN A GRAIN OF RICE, IT DISSOLVES INTO THE BODY ONCE IT IS NOT NEEDED.
It’s smaller than a grain of rice. And the best part? It’s just dissolves after its job is done.
Doctors say it could be a game-changer for newborns with congenital heart defects. “Our major motivation was helping children.”
“About 1% of children are born with congenital heart defects. The good news is that these children only temporary pacing after a surgery as most of their hearts will self-repair in about seven days. But those seven days are absolutely critical. Now, we can place, this tiny, few-millimeters-long pacemaker-long pacemaker on a child’s heart and stimulate it with a soft, gentle, wearable device. And no surgery is needed to remove it.”
Pacemakers are small implants that help the heart maintain a normal beat via electrical pulses. Temporary pacemakers are often required after heart surgery or while waiting for a permanent pacemaker.
HOW DOES IT WORK?:
“It consists of two electrodes — conducting metal pads — that are designed to inject current into the cardiac tissue to stimulate contractions that lead to an overall cardiac cycle.” The electrodes also provide a power source for driving the operation of the pacemaker. The mini pacemaker isn’t really powered by a separate battery. Instead, it functions as a galvanic cell where the electrodes (made of magnesium, zinc and molybdenum) react with the body’s natural electrolytes to produce an electric current.
“A very tiny light-activated switch on the opposite side of the ‘battery’ allows us to turn the device from its ‘off’ state to an ‘on’ state upon delivery of light that passes through the patient’s body from the skin-mounted patch.” The team used infrared light that was safe and penetrated deep into the body. Once the patient’s heart rate drops below a point, the patch detects it and automatically activates a light-emitting diode. The light then flashes on and off, mimicking the normal heart rate so that the pacemaker can catch on.
Currently, all temporary pacemakers have wired electrodes that are implanted into the heart muscle, with an external battery to set the heart’s rhythm. When the device is no longer needed, it needs to be surgically removed and can lead to unnecessary complications like infection, damaged tissues, blood clots, and bleeding. “Wires literally protrude from the body and can get enveloped in scar tissue. So when they are pulled out, that can potentially damage the heart muscle. That’s actually how astronaut Neil Armstrong died. He had a temporary pacemaker after a bypass surgery. When the wires were removed, he experienced internal bleeding.” The new mini pacemaker allays many such fears.
Depending on the choice of metals for the electrodes, the device and work from between a few days and around three weeks. “We can use many of these millimeter-scale pacemakers simultaneously at different locations of the heart at different wavelengths,” adding that it could potentially terminate arrhythmias.
LEADLESS DEVICE FOR ADULTS:
Pacemaker improvements are also helping adults with bradycardia, a condition where the heart beats too slowly. The leadless pacemaker weighed only 2.4 gm and was implanted using a catheter inserted into a vein in the patient’s leg and guided to the heart. It uses nanotechnology to remain securely positioned in the heart and has a lifespan of 20-25 years, triple that of a regular pacemaker. Besides, it’s non-magnetic, which makes it immune to MRI machines, airport scanners and high-voltage electrical currents.
It’s Bluetooth-enabled, which allows remote monitoring and reduces the need for frequent hospital visits. “It’s ideal for patients with compromised immunity those on dialysis, young and elderly women concerned about scarring, or patients consuming blood thinners.”
MINI PACER:
- Can easily fit inside the tip of a syringe.
- No wires, so cuts risk of infections. Dissolves once it is no longer needed, so no removal surgery required.
- No battery, but operates like a galvanic cell that transforms the chemical energy of bodily fluids into electrical energy.
- Comes with a small, soft wireless device worn on the chest. When the external device registers irregular heartbeats, it automatically emits light pulses that activate and control the pacemaker.
- Technology can be used for bioelectronic medicines treating wounds and blocking pain.
