For the earliest recipients of pacemakers back in the 1950s, they were heavy boxes strapped to their bodies, which helped their hearts keep beating. This was the reality of cardiac pacemaker, which were newly invented during the mid-19th century. They were futuristic, but at the same time, they were bulky. Fast forward to today, where pacemakers have become tiny life-saving devices that reside inside the body of the patient and often go unnoticed. This is nothing but a testament to the advancements and improvements medical technology has gone through in the past decades. The story of the evolution of pacemakers is not just a story of advancements in science and technology, but it is also a symbol of human grit, resilience, and the ability to conquer biology and science. Pacemakers have given new hope to life to millions of people across the world who were facing disorders and problems related to the rhythm of the heart. These revolutionary devices, which started off as large metal boxes, powered by an external source plugged into a wall, have now turned into compact devices having intelligent sensors and long-lasting batteries that sit inside the human bodies. In this article, we will discuss in detail the evolution of Pacemaker and how it has helped patients in the past decades.
The introduction of pacemakers
The story of the cardiac pacemaker in the form we know it today started around 100 years ago, in 1928, when it was developed in Australia and America separately. However, it took another series of experiments and advancements for scientists across the globe to develop the first external pacemaker in the 1950s. In 1958, a patient named Arne Larrson became the first patient in the world to receive a pacemaker, which was successfully implanted by a team of Swedish doctors. This pacemaker was completely hand-made, and it was powered by nickel-cadmium batteries, with the mold to produce it being based on a shoe polish can. The patient was required to power this pacemaker by charging it through an externally-plugged source, which required him to stay at a place for around 12 hours at least once a week. Though it might seem very primitive and even scary today, this device was the first breakthrough that led to the beginning of implantable pacemakers, and made humans realise the life-lenghthening potential of this technology. The patient who received the first pacemaker implant lived on for the next 43 years, receiving more than 22 units and multiple surgical interventions.
Modern advancements in pacemakers
Ever since the advent of the first generation of pacemakers as discussed above, this technology has evolved rapidly and leading to the modern-day pacemakers which are compact, longer-lasting, and more efficient in regulating the rhythms of the heart.
- Compact Size : Modern cardiac pacemaker are much smaller in size as compared to the older ones, some of them being as small as a vitamin capsule. These pacemakers are attached under the skin near the collar bone, and are connected to the heart through leads or wires. These include passing of electrodes to the heart chamber through the veins which can regulate the heartbeat.
- Multi-chamber pacemakers: In modern era, pacemakers are tailored to specific chambers of the heart, designed with the specific number of leads and electrodes that correspond to the specific needs of the patient.
- Longer Battery Life: Pacemaker in the earlier times required frequent charging or changing of batteries which resulted in more invasion and hassle in the entire process for the patients. Modern pacemakers have lithium batteries that last for five to seven years, with the latest advancements further increasing the span to about fifteen years, in turn, reducing the number of replacement procedures and devices for the patients.
- Remote Monitoring: Modern-day Pacemaker makes it possible for the doctors and healthcare providers to monitor the performance of the device and the heart health of the patient through a home monitoring system.
Scope for future developments in Pacemakers
Let us now understand the scope for future developments in pacemaker devices.
- Leadless Pacemakers: These are small, self-contained units that are placed directly in the heart of the patient with a minimally invasive Heart pacemaker surgery. Since it does not involve leads, it reduces the risk of infection and lead displacement, while further improving patient comfort.
- Artificial Intelligence: Use of AI in pacemakers can pave way for revolutionary achievements in healthcare, as AI can analyse large amounts of data which is difficult to be anlysed by the humans. The performance data collected from various Pacemaker devices can be used to improve the entire landscape of pacemakers dramatically.
Overall, pacemakers as a technology are one of the most transformative achievements on medicine and science, which continue to get better with time and provide the patients a new hope, and better quality of life.
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