Due to the success pacemakers have had regulating heart rate, recent research has focused on eliminating complications (or complication-causing components), such as leads, surgical implantation, relatively short battery life, and surgical pockets.
To zoom in, click here.
To zoom in, click here
Each of these new developments is important because they target specific problems and risk factors current patients face.
- The bio-artificial pacemakers (if successful) would allow the patient to have a self-reliant heart with little to no risk of rejection because their own cells are being used, as well as no infections due to foreign objects, which is currently a large issue with leads and surgical pockets.
- The two miniature pacemakers (Micro TPS and Nanostim) eliminate the risk and cost of surgical implantation, the possibility of infection due to leads and surgical pockets, and make replacement/readjustment simpler.
- EBR's wireless Cardiac Stimulation system eliminates leads and all complications associated with them. It also allows pacing of the left ventricle, which is very risky with the currently available pacemakers.
- The piezoelectric batteries reduce/eliminate the need for surgical replacement of batteries, which occurs every 7 to 12 years and is risky for elderly patients.