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BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAMIn a brilliant medical innovation, researchers developed the smallest known pacemaker—smaller than a grain of rice—that dissolves in the body once its job is done. Detailed in the journal Nature, this biodegradable, injectable device could revolutionize short-term heart care, especially for newborns and patients recovering from surgery.Pacemakers play a vital role in stabilizing abnormal heart rhythms.
But conventional temporary pacemakers often require invasive surgeries for both implantation and removal—procedures that carry risks of infection, tissue damage, and even fatal complications.“The removal of temporary pacemakers has always posed significant risks,” said Igor Efimov, professor of biomedical engineering and cardiology at Northwestern University. He cited the example of astronaut Neil Armstrong, who died from internal bleeding caused by the removal of pacemaker wires after heart surgery.
To eliminate these dangers, Efimov and his team first developed a dissolvable pacemaker in 2021. That version, about the size of a quarter, performed well in animals but was still too large for one crucial group: newborns with congenital heart defects.Meeting the needs of fragile hearts“We were motivated by an unmet need: children born with congenital heart defects,” Efimov explained.
Roughly one percent of children are born with these defects, and while many require temporary pacemakers after surgery, their hearts typically recover in about a week. The challenge was to create something tiny and safe enough for use in these vulnerable patients.The team responded by shrinking the device down to just 13.
8 milligrams—measuring only 1.8 by 3.5 by 1 millimeters.
“The small size of the pacemaker is without precedent,” Efimov said. It can be delivered using a syringe through an incision less than three millimeters wide, making the implantation minimally invasive.No wires, no batteries, no problemUnlike its predecessor, which relied on a built-in antenna for power, the new version harnesses body fluids to activate its electrodes, producing enough electrical current to stimulate the heart.
This self-powering design eliminates the need for external power sources, wires, or antennas—all of which can complicate treatment and limit miniaturization.After completing its job, the device naturally dissolves and is absorbed by the body, avoiding any need for removal surgery. It also doesn’t interfere with common imaging techniques like MRIs or CT scans, a major plus for patients needing routine follow-ups.
Smart sensing and wireless controlTo control the pacemaker, researchers developed a flexible, wearable patch that sits on the chest. When the patch detects an irregular heartbeat, it emits near-infrared light through the skin and tissues to wirelessly activate the pacemaker. The light pulses match the desired heart rate, allowing non-invasive, real-time control of cardiac stimulation.
In lab tests, the system proved effective across a range of animal models—including mice, rats, dogs, pigs—and even in human donor hearts. Despite its microscopic size, the new pacemaker delivered stimulation comparable to that of conventional devices.Researchers even found that they could implant multiple pacemakers simultaneously across different regions of the heart.
This ability opens doors for treating more complex arrhythmias, as multiple points of stimulation can help restore coordinated heart rhythms.More than a heart deviceThe implications of this innovation could go beyond cardiology. According to the researchers, these tiny, dissolvable stimulators may one day assist in areas like nerve regeneration, wound healing, bone growth, and pain management.
Their flexibility, biocompatibility, and self-powered nature make them ideal candidates for temporary medical interventions across the body.The next steps include further clinical testing, with hopes that this new generation of pacemakers will not only make procedures safer but also expand cardiac care to some of the most delicate patients— infants with congenital heart defects.Efimov and his colleagues are optimistic about the possibilities.
“This is just the beginning,” he said.Source study: Nature— Millimetre-scale bioresorbable optoelectronic systems for electrotherapyThe post Super small dissolvable pacemaker offers safer, simpler heart treatment first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News..
