Rice-Sized Pacemaker Dissolves After Saving Baby Hearts

When babies are born with heart defects, they often need just seven days of electrical help after surgery for their hearts to heal themselves. Now a breakthrough device the size of a rice grain is making those critical days safer than ever before.

Professor Igor Efimov and his team at Northwestern University created the world's smallest pacemaker specifically for newborns. The device gets injected directly into the heart with minimal invasion and completely dissolves when it's no longer needed.

Traditional pacemakers require wires that stick out of the body, creating serious risks. When doctors remove those wires, they can tear scar tissue and damage the heart. This complication actually caused astronaut Neil Armstrong's death after his bypass surgery.

The new pacemaker eliminates those dangers entirely. Doctors pair it with a soft, flexible patch that sits on the baby's chest. When the patch detects an irregular heartbeat, it automatically sends pulses of near-infrared light to wirelessly control the tiny device.

Despite its miniscule size, the pacemaker delivers just as much stimulation as full-sized versions. Efimov's team tested it successfully in small and large animals, plus hearts from organ donors.

About 1% of children are born with congenital heart defects each year. Most only need temporary heart support after corrective surgery, making this dissolvable technology perfectly suited to their needs.

The Ripple Effect

This innovation could transform temporary medical implants far beyond pediatric cardiology. Efimov's team hopes their research will lead to dissolvable devices for other short-term medical needs, eliminating risky removal surgeries across multiple specialties.

The combination of miniaturization, wireless control, and biodegradable materials represents a new approach to temporary medical devices. Parents no longer have to watch their newborns endure a second surgery just to remove equipment that saved their lives.

Thousands of families each year will skip the anxiety of removal procedures and the risks that come with them.