World’s Smallest Pacemaker Revealed

Science Daily ----- A pacemaker the size of a nickel can now be implanted in patients, report experts. When a lower heart rate is present, the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body during normal activity or exercise. Pacemakers are the most common way to treat bradycardia to help restore the heart's normal rhythm and relieve symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the heart to increase the heart rate. The Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS), recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a new type of heart device that provides patients with the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker and is the only leadless pacemaker approved for use in the U.S. The device is the size of a large vitamin, and unlike traditional pacemakers, it does not require cardiac wires (leads) or a surgical "pocket" under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy. For more in depth information click on the picture below to read the article.