Ah, the pacemaker – a medical implant that has helped keep the hearts of many ticking over the years, but it is time that new technology continues to build upon the rich legacy of this medical device. Researchers could very well develop a new way to power pacemakers of the future by charging it wirelessly, as they have already successfully come up with a working prototype of a rice-sized wireless pacemaker that enjoys such a capability. In fact, this pacemaker has been implanted in a rabbit, and if existing tests hold up, then we, the public, can expect to see a new range of smaller and safer medical implants which could hit the market in as early as the coming 5 years.
Does this mean that there will no longer be the need for messy surgery in the future to replace the batteries or wires in pacemakers, cochlear implants, and other internal medical devices down the road? Quite rightly so, if this particular design were to be perfected and declared safe for use in humans.
A wireless pacemaker requires a decent working transmitter, resulting in a design which focuses energy directly on an implant. This technology should eventually be able to cater not only to just pacemakers, but for cochlear implants as well as other implanted devices to boot.
Filed in . Read more about Science.