'Wireless' Pacemaker Working Well So Far, Researchers Say
'Wireless' Pacemaker Working Well So Far, Researchers Say
Small, manufacturer-funded study of tiny device reports no complications
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For a handful of patients who've received the first wire-free pacemaker, the results are still good after 18 months, researchers reported Wednesday.
Unlike traditional pacemakers, the new device -- marketed as Nanostim -- is completely self-contained and requires no wires to connect it to the heart muscle. It's also implanted through a catheter, which bypasses the need for a chest incision.
Nanostim and similar devices under development could "transform the field of cardiology in the next five to 10 years," said Dr. Ken Ellenbogen, an AHA spokesman and chairman of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia, in Richmond.
The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA), are based on just eight patients. And, findings presented at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Still, experts said the new research adds to optimism about the new technology.
Although traditional pacemakers have a long history of working well, the new devices are expected to be even safer, said Ellenbogen, who was not involved in the new study.
Pacemakers help control certain abnormal heart rhythms, by sending electrical impulses to the heart muscle.
Conventional pacemakers, Ellenbogen explained, consist of a battery-powered pulse generator -- which is placed under the skin of the chest -- and insulated wires called "leads." Those leads run through the blood vessels to connect the generator to the heart.
Usually, the devices work well for years, Ellenbogen said. But the leads can occasionally malfunction, break or dislodge, or the area around the pulse generator or leads can become infected.
The Nanostim device is implanted directly into the wall of the right ventricle, one of heart's lower chambers.
"These leadless pacemakers are tiny -- a little bigger than a penny," Ellenbogen said. "It's really remarkable that all of the circuitry can be contained within them."
Nanostim is already approved in Europe. The device doesn't yet have approval in the United States because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stricter requirements for approving new devices, Ellenbogen said.
'Wireless' Pacemaker Working Well, Researchers Say
Small, manufacturer-funded study of tiny device reports no complications
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For a handful of patients who've received the first wire-free pacemaker, the results are still good after 18 months, researchers reported Wednesday.
Unlike traditional pacemakers, the new device -- marketed as Nanostim -- is completely self-contained and requires no wires to connect it to the heart muscle. It's also implanted through a catheter, which bypasses the need for a chest incision.
Nanostim and similar devices under development could "transform the field of cardiology in the next five to 10 years," said Dr. Ken Ellenbogen, an AHA spokesman and chairman of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia, in Richmond.
The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA), are based on just eight patients. And, findings presented at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Still, experts said the new research adds to optimism about the new technology.
Although traditional pacemakers have a long history of working well, the new devices are expected to be even safer, said Ellenbogen, who was not involved in the new study.
Pacemakers help control certain abnormal heart rhythms, by sending electrical impulses to the heart muscle.
Conventional pacemakers, Ellenbogen explained, consist of a battery-powered pulse generator -- which is placed under the skin of the chest -- and insulated wires called "leads." Those leads run through the blood vessels to connect the generator to the heart.
Usually, the devices work well for years, Ellenbogen said. But the leads can occasionally malfunction, break or dislodge, or the area around the pulse generator or leads can become infected.
The Nanostim device is implanted directly into the wall of the right ventricle, one of heart's lower chambers.
"These leadless pacemakers are tiny -- a little bigger than a penny," Ellenbogen said. "It's really remarkable that all of the circuitry can be contained within them."
Nanostim is already approved in Europe. The device doesn't yet have approval in the United States because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stricter requirements for approving new devices, Ellenbogen said.
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