The Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
designed a wireless, ultrathin pacemaker that operates like a solar panel. This design not only eliminates the need for batteries but also minimizes disruptions to the heart's natural function by molding to its contours.implanted in the body to regulate heart rhythms. They're composed of electronic circuits with batteries and leads anchored to the heart muscle to stimulate it.
However, leads can fail and damage tissue. The location of the leads can't be changed once they're implanted, limiting access to different heart regions. Because pacemakers use rigid, metallic electrodes, they may also damage tissue when Our team envisioned a leadless and more flexible pacemaker that could precisely stimulate multiple areas of the heart. So we designed a device thatthat are usually designed to collect as much energy as possible, we tweaked our device to generate electricity only at points where light strikes so it can precisely regulate heartbeats. We did this by using a layer of very small pores that can trap light and electrical current. Only cardiac muscles exposed to light-activated pores are stimulated.