World's Smallest Pacemaker

Scientists at Northwestern University announced yesterday they have developed the world’s tiniest pacemaker—smaller than a grain of rice—that can be inserted with a syringe. The device could revolutionize heart surgery, offering a minimally invasive way to regulate the essential organ.

Pacemakers are small, battery-operated devices that assist heartbeats with irregular rhythms by sending small electric shocks to help the heart beat normally. The devices can be permanent or temporary, with insertion and removal surgery posing potential risks. The new invention, years from being tested on humans, is activated by infrared light pulses from a wearable device and dissolves after the patient no longer needs it.

Its small size is partially due to its power source, a galvanic cell, which is a simple battery that uses the body’s fluids to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. The pacemaker could be especially effective in helping children with congenital heart defects who require temporary pacemakers after surgery. 

Experts say the breakthrough in technology opens up possibilities for use in bioelectric medicines, including healing wounds and blocking pain.