Dissolving pacemaker offers safer solution for temporary pacing

Developed by researchers at Northwestern and George Washington (GW) universities, the flexible device – which is 250μ thick and weighs under 0.5g - could be used in patients who need temporary pacing after cardiac surgery or while waiting for a permanent pacemaker. All components of the pacemaker are said to be biocompatible and naturally absorb into the body's biofluids over the course of five to seven weeks.

CLICK FOR MORE FROM MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE

The device wirelessly harvests energy from an external, remote antenna using near-field communication protocols, which eliminates the need for batteries and rigid hardware, including wires that can introduce infections or become enveloped in scar tissue.

The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, demonstrates the device's efficacy across a series of large and small animal models.

"Hardware placed in or near the heart creates risks for infection and other complications," said Northwestern's John A. Rogers, who led the device's development. "Our wireless, transient pacemakers overcome key disadvantages of traditional temporary devices by eliminating the need for percutaneous leads for surgical extraction procedures - thereby offering the potential for reduced costs and improved outcomes in patient care. This unusual type of device could represent the future of temporary pacing technology."