Scientists have developed a tattoo-like pacemaker, marking a revolutionary new type of medical technology.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and Northwestern University have partnered to create the first graphene heart implant. This new implant is the thinnest and most flexible ever developed, per a news release.
This new device fulfills the function of a pacemaker and is made from graphene, an extremely thin form of carbon known for its strength, conductivity, and lightness.
The research team released a paper outlining the project and its results in the journal Advanced Materials on March 25.
Their aim was to develop a more effective way of treating heart conditions such as cardiac arrhythmia. Pacemakers and defibrillators are the typical forms of technology used to help manage this problem.
Heart arrhythmia is when the heart has an irregular beat caused by improper electrical signals. This condition is classified based on the speed of one’s heart rate, with tachycardia being for a fast heart rate of over 100 beats a minute and bradycardia for a slow heart rate of less than 60.
Some scientists have identified obesity as a major risk factor for this affliction. In particular, it is associated with atrial fibrillation, the most commonly sustained form of arrhythmia.
The Mayo Clinic reported that while in some cases arrhythmia can be harmless, in others it can be fatal and necessitate the need for a pacemaker or another regulatory measure.
Prior to the collaboration with Northwestern, co-authors Dmitry Kireev and Deji Akinwande from UTA had already been working on a lightweight graphene electronic tattoo that could monitor vital signs.
Their efforts were joined by those of researchers from Northwestern led by Igor Efimov who were seeking ways to interface these devices directly with an organ.
About 1.14 million pacemakers were in use in 2016 and this number is expected to rise to 1.43 million by this year, per Statista.
Unlike conventional devices, this new device is placed directly on the heart to monitor for and sense irregular heartbeats.
“One of the challenges for current pacemakers and defibrillators is that they are difficult to affix onto the surface of the heart,” said Efimov, senior author of the paper.
The scientists tested the on a rat, demonstrating that the graphene implant could not only monitor the activities of the heart but could also sense irregularities and administer electric impulses to counteract these without disrupting the heart’s rhythm.
This device was able to remain active and stable for 60 days and scientists were also able to use light to record and stimulate the heart.
They claim that this method of using optical stimulation is more effective than the electrical stimulation found in traditional pacemakers. This is because light can interact with the muscles and nerves of the heart on a cellular level.
“We can essentially combine electrical and optical functions into one biointerface,” said Efimov, per the press release. “Because graphene is optically transparent, we can actually read through it, which gives us a much higher density of readout.”
Some more work needs to be done in order to make the device work without wiring, per Medical Daily. One idea is to attach an antenna that will draw electrical signals to it from an external device.
The researchers now hope to find other ways to use graphene in the fabrication of biomedical devices.
Efimov told Medical Daily that he aims to make graphene devices as small as a rice grain one day.