Pacemaker Smaller Than a Grain of Rice: Published in Nature and Featured in the News

The Efimov lab has published a new collaborative study in Nature titled “Millimetre-scale bioresorbable optoelectronic systems for electrotherapy.” . The research presents a bioresorbable, self-powered device measuring only 1.8 mm × 3.5 mm × 1 mm, which is the smallest such device to date. The small size allows the device to be placed at the tip of a syringe and be inserted with a minimally invasive procedure. The device is powered by the electrolytes in tissue, obviating the need for a battery or other power transfer techniques. It is also bioresorbable, dissolving harmlessly in the body. The manuscript demonstrates pacing in a variety of small and large animal models, ex vivo human hearts, and demonstrates integration of the device into a valve implant. From the Efimov Lab, Eric Rytkin and Lichao Tang served as co-first authors, along with Yamin Zhang, Liangsong Zeng, Jong-Uk Kim, and Haohui Zhang.

Dr. John Rogers and Dr. Igor Efimov co-led the study with Yonggang Huang, the Jan and Marcia Achenbach Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern, Wei Ouyang, an assistant professor of engineering at Dartmouth College; and Rishi Arora, the Harold H. Hines Jr. Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago.

This technology is intended for patients who require temporary pacing, avoiding the current temporary pacemaker regimen which involves complex implantation and retrieval surgeries. In fact, it has been reported that the famed american astronaut Neil Armstrong’s death in 2012 was caused by complications from pacemaker removal. The small form factor also makes this device a viable option for infant patients born with congenital heart defects, for whom existing treatments are lacking.

The device has been featured in several mainstream news outlets such as: CBS News, NY Post, Chicago Tribune, The Times, Times of India, Popular Science, Le Figaro, Yahoo News among others.