Medusa

Miniature Pacemaker Trials

Miniature Pacemaker Trials

<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">In the 1950s&comma; researchers invented the first implanted cardiac pacemakers&period; the battery-operated unit measured about the size of a transistor radio&period; Over the decades&comma; the technology continually evolved&period; However&comma; implantation required extensive invasive surgery&period; Medical engineers recently introduced a devices that is no larger than a capsule multivitamin&period; A cardiac patient at the Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton and Vascular Hospital in Dallas&comma; Texas&comma; received the trial device that physicians named the Medtronic Micra Transcatheter Pacing System&period;<&excl;--more--><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">In all&comma; fifty different medical facilities located around the world are currently participating in testing the innovative technology&period; Surgeons install the tiny pacemaker by inserting the device using catherization through a femoral vein&period; Once arriving at the proper destination&comma; the pacemaker is then attached and secured to the heart wall&period; The method of installation allows surgeons to reposition or remove the device if needed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h2 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><b><i>The Micra TPS<&sol;i><&sol;b><&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The unique design of the technology means that patients receive the most advanced pacing technology available without having to endure major surgery&period; Unlike pacemakers commonly used by cardiac specialists today&comma; implanting the Micra TPS does not require a surgical incision&period; The unit is also not visible compared to current devices&period; Physicians report that taking these two factors into consideration&comma; the likelihood of complications is drastically reduced&period; Chief Nursing Officer Nancy Vish PhD&period; R&period;N&period; shares that if successful&comma; the pacemaker could benefit more than one million patients worldwide who require the medical implants&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1674" alt&equals;"Miniature Pacemaker Trials" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;medusamagazine&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;10&sol;pace&period;jpg" width&equals;"600" height&equals;"360" &sol;><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h2 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><b><i>Function of a Pacemaker<&sol;i><&sol;b><&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Pacemakers are battery-operated devices that normalize heart rhythm and alleviate symptoms by emitting electrical impulses to the heart in order to regulate heart rate&period; Current technology consists of a pulse generator and wire leads&period; Surgeons implant the unit beneath the skin using an incision&period; Lead wires are installed from the heart to the device&period; The generator is then programmed to emit timed pulses at specific intervals&period; The pulses travel through the leads to the heart&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Some units feature variable timing that alters heartbeats based on physical activity&period; These on demand pacemakers are manufactured with a sensing mechanism that prevents the device from emitting impulses when the heart rate rises above a specified rate&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h2 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><b><i>Who Needs a Pacemaker&quest;<&sol;i><&sol;b><&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Patients requiring pacemakers suffer from heart rates that are too slow&comma; too fast or irregular&period; Dysrhythmias frequently interfere with normal physical function as the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently&period; Irregular rhythms may also contribute to blood clot formation&period; If a clot dislodges and circulates&comma; patients become victims of heart attacks&comma; strokes or pulmonary emergencies&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><span style&equals;"line-height&colon; 1&period;5&semi;">The sinoatrial node in the right atrium of the heart normally regulates beats by sending impulses through the heart to the ventricles&comma; and causes the pumping action between the upper and lower regions of the heart&period; Disease processes damage the cells responsible for initiating and sending the impulses&period; The damage is commonly referred to as a blockage and is named depending on where in the organ the impulse blockage occurs&period; The damage then causes anomalies in heart rate from absent or abnormal signal transmissions&period; A pacemaker takes the place of the SA node&comma; which ensures that the organ pumps effectively<&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;

Exit mobile version