Smart Pacemaker Simply Dissolves Inside the Body When It's No Longer Needed (gizmodo.com) 14
An anonymous reader writes: A team of scientists created a novel type of temporary pacemaker -- one that dissolves on its own, without requiring any removal. In their latest research, they've paired the pacemaker with a series of wireless sensors on the skin, which should allow it to smartly monitor a patient's vital signs and adjust its pacing autonomously. Should the device continue to show promise, it could one day be used in patients undergoing cardiac surgery or who otherwise only need a pacemaker for a short while.
Last year, researchers at Northwestern University and George Washington University debuted the first version of the pacemaker. [...] In their new study, published Thursday in Science, the group has added more features to their pacemaker. According to author Igor Efimov, a professor of biomedical engineering and professor of medicine at Northwestern University, the pacemaker now comes with a "fully integrated network of wearable devices" attached to a patient's skin, four in total.
These devices not only monitor a person's heartbeat and other vital signs like body temperature -- they also wirelessly power the pacemaker and control its pacing automatically as needed. Doctors can remotely monitor the data collected by the device via a computer network. And in experiments with living rodents and dogs, as well as human hearts in the lab, the pacemaker and its closed loop system seemed to work as intended.
Last year, researchers at Northwestern University and George Washington University debuted the first version of the pacemaker. [...] In their new study, published Thursday in Science, the group has added more features to their pacemaker. According to author Igor Efimov, a professor of biomedical engineering and professor of medicine at Northwestern University, the pacemaker now comes with a "fully integrated network of wearable devices" attached to a patient's skin, four in total.
These devices not only monitor a person's heartbeat and other vital signs like body temperature -- they also wirelessly power the pacemaker and control its pacing automatically as needed. Doctors can remotely monitor the data collected by the device via a computer network. And in experiments with living rodents and dogs, as well as human hearts in the lab, the pacemaker and its closed loop system seemed to work as intended.
Another possible use (Score:3, Funny)
Seems like this technology could be combined with the previous story to make USB cables that dissolve when they're no longer needed. No more tangling, and no need for pesky magnets that are always inconveniently sticking to things (also, think of the Juggalos). Judging by the state of my genuine Apple lightning cords, I think Apple might already have some prior art, though.
PMAAS (Score:2)
This is step one towards Pacemakers As A Service.
Power source constraint (Score:3)
Presumably, these dissolving pacemakers will not be a good application for those Pu-238 atomic batteries they sometimes implanted.
Re:Power source constraint (Score:5, Funny)
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Re: Class Action Suits To Follow (Score:1)
It did say wireless charger. So it contains no battery. But heaven help you if the charger cable becomes separated from your chest wall.
What if (Score:3, Interesting)
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Let's make everything "dissolve" (Score:2)
That will make the peasants know that they don't own anything. Of course, the posessions of the rich never dissolve.
for your health (Score:1)