Small Wireless Pacemaker Fits Inside the Heart

A new biomedical device company in California called Nanostim, which was recently acquired by St. Jude Medical, has developed a wireless pacemaker that is significantly smaller than any other pacemaker on the market. It is the size and shape of a AAA battery and can be inserted into the heart through the femoral artery using a catheter where it provides direct stimulation. This is a huge advance from the slightly more invasive procedure required to insert currently used pacemakers.The lack of required leads is also promising because leads are where contemporary pacemakers tend to fail. The pacemakers last about 9 to 13 years and can be removed and replaced noninvasively.  These new pacemakers have been approved for market in Europe, but have not yet been submitted for approval by the US FDA.

This article caught my attention because pacemakers are such a commonly required device, this advancement could affect a large population. If this device has less incidence of malfunction, many lives could be saved. Also, I found it interesting that the pacemaker would actually be inside of the heart rather than externally attached to leads. I would think this would adversely affect the volume of blood that could be pumped into the heart.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/devices/teeny-tiny-pacemaker-fits-inside-the-heart