The future of cardiac pacing may boil down to a single grain of rice.
Engineers at Northwestern University in Chicago have developed a biodegradable pacing device so small it can be injected by needle into the heart muscle of newborn babies. The design of the tiny gadget, designed for temporary use and still in the experimental stage, leans heavily on techniques from the semiconductor industry, whose prime directive is to shrink an ever larger number of transistors into an ever smaller package.
The new technology is wirelessly connected to a small, wearable patch worn on the chest. When the patch detects an irregular heartbeat it transmits a signal via infrared light pulses that penetrate the skin. The light flashes on and off at a rate that corresponds to the desired rhythm, thereby correcting the pace of the heart.
