A team of researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Texas at Austin Heart implant They have made a new graphene that is as thick as a strand of hair and can precisely control and correct abnormal heart rhythms using light.
The new pacemaker is the first device to be made of extremely strong, lightweight and biocompatible graphene, and is also the thinnest ever made. Unlike existing implantable pacemakers and defibrillators, this device can be shaped like heart tissue and is strong enough to withstand a heartbeat.
Igor Efimov, the senior author of the study, says:
“One of the challenges with current pacemakers and defibrillators is that they are difficult to attach to the surface of the heart. Defibrillator electrodes, for example, are basically wires made of very thick wires. These wires are not flexible and break. Soft tissues, such as the heart, can be damaged by contact with rigid interfaces. “In contrast, our soft and flexible device is not only simple, but also precisely and seamlessly conforms to the heart to provide more accurate measurements.”
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have already been developing a graphene electronic tattoo model with sensory capabilities that sticks to the skin to monitor vital signs such as blood pressure. For the new study, the researchers used the model’s design to develop a device that could work inside the body.
Using light to examine heart problems
In their tests on mice, they found that the device could accurately sense arrhythmias and then deliver electrical stimulation without restricting the heart’s normal movement. Also, researchers from the light They use to monitor and control the heart rhythm, they claim that this device provides them with more transparency. Photostimulation is a more accurate method for correcting arrhythmias than electrical stimulation, and with light it is possible to trace certain enzymes and examine heart, nerve and muscle cells.
According to the researchers, the use of light with this device can provide a new way to diagnose and treat heart diseases.
Heart rhythm disorders, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, are caused by faulty electrical signals in the heart that make it beat too fast or too slow. In some cases, these disorders can lead to heart failure, stroke, and even sudden death.
Heart arrhythmias are usually treated with implantable pacemakers and defibrillators that control abnormal rhythms. But these devices are inflexible and can put pressure on the heart and on the other hand cause tissue damage.
