This Pacemaker Membrane Can Keep A Heart Beating Perfectly
Monday, March 3, 2014 - 14:00
in Physics & Chemistry
You're looking at what might be the pacemaker of a decade from now: a custom-made membrane, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Washington University in St. Louis, that slides over a heart and keeps it regulated by a network of sensors and electrodes. This is a rabbit's heart, but the building process would be similar for people: a team computer-modeled the heart, 3-D printed a mold, and created a membrane tailored to the organ. The sensors make sure the heart stays beating at a proper rate, and the electrodes automatically correct any discrepancies, like an arrhythmia. And, yes, unlike this one, a real one stays inside your chest. [St. Louis Public Radio via Sploid]