About artificial pacemaker
An artificial pacemaker, also known as artificial cardiac pacemaker, is a medical device that is generally implanted in the location of the chest below the collar bone. Electrical pulses are generated so that respective chambers will contract and pump the blood in the upper atria and lower ventricles, allowing the cardiac conduction system to be regulated effectively.
Appearance of a Pacemaker
An artificial pacemaker looks like a flat oval gadget that is about 5 by 4 cm with a thickness of around 6–7 mm. Inside the gadget, there is a pulse generator with battery and a small computer circuit. The battery usually takes up half of the device volume, but normally it won’t weigh over 30g and the overall weight of the device ranges from 20g to 50g, and its size is just similar to a matchbox. While lying down, the pacemaker can still be felt.
Working Mechanism of A Pacemaker
To detect the situation of the heart, sensation is made via a wire. When the pacemaker has detected that the movement of the heart has slowed down or showed irregular heart beats, it sends an electrical impulse to stimulate the heart to beat at a normal rate.
When To Implant a Pacemaker
Patients generally opt for an implantation of pacemaker if they are experiencing:
- a heart rhythm that is too slow (bradycardia), resulting in inadequate supply of blood,
- irregular heart beats, either fast or slow (Tachy-brady syndrome) or
- a heart block, when there is a delay in electrical signal.
Typical Factors of A Pacemaker
- Cost of the surgery:
→ Generally, a pacemaker costs from around US$5,000 to US$10,800, depending on the type and the quality. For an implantation surgery, it’s often about US$9,600 to US$20,000, with an average of US$14,300.
- Material of the pacemaker:
→Pacemakers are usually made of metal, normally titanium, with polymers covering the surface of the pacemaker. It is also crucial to ensure there is a reliable encapsulant in the pacemaker, so that the leakage of hydrogen gas produced by the battery can be avoided.
Citations:
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pacemaker-implantation/#:~:text=A%20pacemaker%20is%20a%20small,which%20attach%20to%20your%20heart.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28365650/
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17360-permanent-pacemaker
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/pacemaker-insertion#:~:text=A%20pacemaker%20insertion%20is%20the,to%20a%20dangerously%20low%20rate
- https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/how-does-a-pacemaker-work#:~:text=The%20box%20sits%20in%20the,it%20to%20its%20normal%20rate.
