World’s Smallest Pacemaker: a Revolution for Babies’ Little Hearts

In a significant leap forward in medical technology, the world’s smallest temporary pacemaker could revolutionize the treatment of newborns with congenital heart defects.

“It’s a paradigm shift in temporary pacing and bioelectronic medicine, opening up possibilities far beyond cardiology – including nerve regeneration, wound healing, and integrated smart implants,” says John Rogers, senior author of the study and physical chemist at Northwestern University.

Pacemakers are used to help ensure the heart maintains its natural rhythm, but they can also lead to various complications, including infections, damaged tissue, device dislodgement, blood clots, and bleeding. This revolutionary new pacemaker, however, is so small that no surgery is necessary for the placement or removal of the device. The pacemaker, developed by researchers at Northwestern University, is smaller than a grain of rice and can be inserted using a syringe. It will then be naturally absorbed by the body after serving its function, effectively eliminating the risks associated with standard surgical placement and removal of the device. For now, the pacemaker has only been tested on animals and the hearts of deceased organ donors, but many are hopeful that human trials will begin in the next two to three years.