Posted on 04/03/2025 12:13:42 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The world’s tiniest pacemaker — smaller than a grain of rice — could help save babies born with heart defects, say scientists.
The miniature device can be inserted with a syringe and dissolves after it’s no longer needed.
Although it can work with hearts of all sizes, the engineers who created it at Northwestern University say it is particularly well-suited to the tiny, fragile hearts of new-born babies with congenital heart defects.
It measures just 1.8 millimeters in width, 3.5 millimeters in length and one millimeter in thickness, but it still delivers as much stimulation as a full-sized pacemaker.
The tiny pacemaker is paired with a small, soft, flexible, wireless, wearable device that mounts onto a patient’s chest to control pacing.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
As someone who was implanted with a pacemaker less than a year ago, I think any advancement in this area even something that doesn’t directly affect me is still a good thing.
I have a Medtronic pacemaker, the morning after it was implanted, a Representative from Medtronic was in my hospital room with an iPad, connected to the pacemaker implanted inside my chest and programmed to the specifications from the Surgeon who put it in.
It was sort of surreal that someone standing next to me was connected electronically to something inside my chest and controlling it.
You are a member of the collective now. :)
I take from your response you are part of the pacemaker club.
Never thought I would be in the club, given the alternative, I’m very glad to be a member in good standing.
Sorry, I am not, just giving you some levity. Stay well.
My dad had one and years ago, he did his pacemaker tests over the landline phone.
What if he dialed the wrong number?.... 😵😲
Actually, now that you mention it. They called him at a set time. Then the check began.
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