World’s Smallest Pacemaker Uses Light to Activate

Context: Recently, scientists have engineered a pacemaker smaller than a grain of rice.

What Is a Pacemaker?

• A pacemaker is a small medical device that helps the heart beat at a normal rate.
• It sends electrical signals to the heart muscles when the heartbeat is too slow, irregular or has stopped.
• Pacemakers are used in people with heart conditions such as bradycardia (slow heart rate), especially after surgery or in infants with congenital (from birth) heart disease.

About Newly Discovered Pacemaker

• Ultra-Tiny Pacemaker is smaller than a grain of rice.
• It is 2.5 times smaller than the previous smallest pacemaker created by Oklahoma University.
• It can be injected directly into the heart using a needle — no surgery is needed.
• Traditional temporary pacemakers require open-heart or endovascular surgery to put in and later remove the device.

Key Features

• It is made of Bioresorbable Materials, which naturally dissolve in the body after a certain time. So, there is no need to remove it after use.
• No Battery or External Power Source (Self-powered):
  • The pacemaker has two electrodes at the bottom.
  • These electrodes interact with the body’s fluids (like blood) to produce electricity, similar to a small chemical battery.
• It is controlled by an external patch. The patient wears a small patch on the chest (outside the body) which monitors the heart rate.

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