Evolution of the pacemaker


1958	1960	1986	2008

The pictures above represent the evolution of the pacemaker.

A pacemaker is a small medical device that is placed in the chest to help regulate a person’s heartbeat. The device works by sending electrical impulses, through electrodes that are in contact with the heart muscles, to stimulate the heart to beat at a normal rate. The heart has its own internal electrical system that regulates the rate and rhythm of the heart beat. With each heart beat an electrical signal travels from the top to the bottom of the heart which causes the heart to contract and blood to pump. Pacemakers are primarily used in patients to treat arrhythmias. An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate of the heartbeat, whether its beating to fast, to slow or at an irregular rhythm. During an arrhythmia, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body which can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, or even fainting and in severe cases it can damage the body’s vital organs and even cause loss of consciousness or death.

The size of the pacemaker has greatly decreased since they were first available, but the effectiveness has greatly increased. The timeline of photos above shows the progress of the pacemakers that have been created by Medtronics, an innovative medical device technology company.

Pacemaker of the future

The first pacemaker that was created in 1958 was actually twice the size of the one in the photo which truly shows how much the pacemaker has changed in the last 50 years. Medtronics is currently developing a new type of pacemaker, it is only in the early concept phases; however, it could completely revolutionize the industry of pacemakers. Their vision is to create a

pacemaker that is the size of a vitamin capsule that it can be placed directly inside of the heart! The photo on the left is what they expect the pacemaker to look like in the heart. They plan to insert this pacemaker through a catheter (a tube) in a small incision in the leg instead of by a minor surgery, which is how pacemakers are inserted nowadays. This pacemaker has many benefits: it makes transplantation easier, its easier on the patients, reduces procedure time, reduces complications with the lead wires, and is overall easier on the body. This technology would change the lives of so many people with pacemakers, we can only hope that it is successful!