They create an intelligent pacemaker that dissolves in the body after completing its useful life

When talking about a pacemaker, it refers to an electronic device capable of producing electrical impulses that exert a stimulus on the heart musclethus ensuring that the heart can continue to function when there is a failure or absence of physiological stimulation.

Regarding its design, it is presented in the form of a small metal casingof a size similar to that of an old pocket watch, inside which the electronic circuits are integrated, along with the pacemaker battery.

Once implanted, this device can stay active between 8 and 10 yearsafter which it will be necessary to replace it.

However, a team of scientists from Northwestern University and George Washington University have created a temporary pacemakerwhich unlike the traditional version is designed to dissolve on its ownthereby avoiding the need for surgical intervention to remove it.

Once manufactured, the team in charge of the project proceeded to pair the pacemaker with the help of a series of wireless skin sensors. Through this device it is possible to carry out a smart vital signs monitoring of a patient so that their rhythm is adjusted autonomously when required.

If it continues to show good performance, this peculiar pacemaker could be implemented in patients who undergo cardiac surgery and require wearing it for a short period of time.

On the other hand, this pacemaker presents a biocompatible structure. This means that none of the components that make it up would make the body where it is implanted prone to have a toxic or immune response.

Added to this, no batteries or cables required to put this device into operation, being also bioabsorbable being made with metals that dissolve in water, along with other components that after several weeks are dissolved in body fluids.

Regarding this technology, the professor of biomedical engineering and professor of medicine at Northwestern University, Igor Efimov pointed out that it could be useful for improve the heart health of thousands of patientsincluding newborns with heart defects, adults whose heart valve had to undergo surgery, as well as others who may temporarily require the use of this device prior to the placement of a permanent one.