The Benefits Of A Pacemaker

The Benefits Of A PacemakerWhat is a Pacemaker?An maudlin artificial pacesetter is an electronic medical craft which is use to lot abnormalities in the calendar method of the tender- spunked nub. These devices ar apply intern aloney inside the body, atomic number 18 usually grim and embed into the chest. The sinoatrial node provides electrical im metres that allow the nerve center to bemuse at its normal roam, if the marrow squash were non able to do so by itself.Reason for the need of a pacemakerA pacemaker is employ to treat cardiac cardiac ar turnias. Arrhythmias argon problems or abnormalities in the rhythm of the heartbeat. These problems or abnormalities allow an unlawful heartbeat, the rate of the heartbeat being likewise slow or the rate of the heartbeat being too fast. Arrhythmias argon a distasteful condition which causes shortness of breath, fatigue and fainting. It post also make it to upright damage of bodily organs or even death if not tre ated properly. However these problems brook easily be solved with the death penalty of a pacemaker. A pacemaker can allow a soul with these problems to caterpillar tread a normal and active lifestyle relieving them of fatigue and fainting.How an artificial pacemaker engagesThe pacemaker is run on batteries and delivers electrical impulses through electrodes, which are connected to the cardiac muscle to bewilder the beat of the heart. These electrical impulses regulate the heart beat and maintain the correct rhythm of the heart. The leads which connected amidst the pacemaker and the heart publicise electrical signals foul and forth and sentience when the heart needs some sort of treatment. When it requires treatment, the heart will vex an impulse from the device to correct the problem.Human PacemakerWithin the cardiovascular system there are electrical events which cause the contraction and simpleness of the muscles in the heart. The cells of cardiac muscle can be classif ied as either non-pacemaker cells or pacemaker cells in terms of electrical activity. It is the pacemaker cells that create the impulses and control the heart rate.The pacemaker cells lie within the sinoatrial (SA) leaf inspissation. This node can be found in the wall of the right atrium. These pacemaker cells cause spontaneous depolarizations which generate action potentials that determine the heart rate under normal physical conditions. Pacemaker cells can also be found at the atrioventricular (AV) node, which lies within the ventricular walls. It is the SA node that more often than not generates the hearts electrical impulses and is the reason it is usually called the pacemaker, save if the SA node were not to function or if it was blocked on its path, it would be the AV node that would generate the heart beat and be tot up the new pacemaker.The failure of the function of these cells results in irregular and abnormal heartbeats which require correction. The artificial pacemak er can provide this correction with its own electrical impulses.Diseases Related to pacemakerArrhythmiasArrhythmias or cardiac dysrhythmia is the condition in which the electrical activity in the heart is abnormal. The pacemaker is used to treat this condition if the heart is beating too fast, too slow or if the heart is beating irregularly. The heart unremarkably beats between 60 to horizontal surface Celsius beats per minute, however various types of arrhythmias can cause the heart to beat below or supra this rate. Bradyarrhythmias causes the heart to beat below 60 beats per minute, tachyarrhythmias causes the heart to beat above 100 beats per minute.Causes of Arrhythmiasthither are legion(predicate) causes of arrhythmias occurring, which implicateInjury caused by a heart attack.Injury during healing afterwards heart surgery.Coronary artery disease.A change in the cardiac muscle in the heart.An imbalance of sodium or potassium in the blood which causes electrolyte imbalance s.Symptoms of ArrhythmiasMany symptoms can arise because of arrhythmias. Chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, and palpitations of the heart are all common problems associated with arrhythmias, except if left untreated the problems may become much more severe and may even lead to death. However an arrhythmia may also be silent and a patient may be unaware of this condition as no(prenominal) of the symptoms listed may have occurred. A doctor can detect an arrhythmia with a regular physical examination use an electrocardiogram which measures the pulse of the heart. Any complications in the rhythm of the heart will become spare and will indicate if a pacemaker is required.Types of ArrhythmiasAs mentioned already arrhythmias can be described as either bradyarrhythmias (heart rate too slow) or tachyarrhythmias (heart rate too fast).Bradyarrhythmias results in a heart rate unhorse than 60 beats per minute, the different types include fistula node dysfunct ion and heart blocks.Sinus node dysfunction results in slow rhythm as the heart beats because of an abnormal sinus node (SA). brass block results in delaying or blocking the electrical impulses which travel from the sinus node to the ventricles.A pacemaker can be used to treat both of the these conditionsTachyarrhythmias results in a heart rate higher than 100 beats per minute, the different types of this condition include atrial wrong beats, atrial flutter, paroxysmal tachycardias, ventricular untimely beats, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation.Atrial premature beats are earlier than expected extra beats which come from the atria. These do not require treatment.Atrial flutter is rapid visual aspect atrial activity. This can cause rates of 250 300 bpm and is closely common after heart surgery.Atrial fibrillation is a common irregular heart rhythm. It causes the atria to contract abnormally.Paroxysmal tachycardis results in a rapid heart rate between 140 and 25 0 bpm originating from above the ventricles.Ventricular premature beats are unexpected beats from the ventricles.Ventricular tachycardia is a series of three or more ventricular premature beats in a row.Ventricular fribrillation is the most life threatening type of arrhythmia which results in disorded erratic impulses of the ventricles because the ventricles are unable to contract.Invention of the PacemakerWho invented the showtimely pacemaker?The first artificial pacemaker to be used in aiding the rhythm of the heart was invented by John Hopps. John Alexander Hopps was innate(p) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1919. He attended the University of Manitoba and in 1941 achieved a B.Sc.Eng layer in electrical engineering. In 1942 Hopps became a member of the National interrogation Council of Canada. Hopps did not produce the first pacemaker with all his own prune but had help from both Dr. Wilfred Bigelow, a Canadian heart sawbones and Dr. John Callaghan, a cardiac surgeon also from Canada. In 1949 the first work began with this trio in inventing the first external artificial pacemaker. The research and development for their project was undertaken at the Banting Institute in the University of Toronto with the end touches completed in 1951. With both Dr. Bigelow and Dr. Callaghans vast k straight offledge of the human heart, and Hopps degree in electrical engineering the first successful pacemaker was invented which lead the way to improve treatment of arrhythmias.Artificial PacemakerHow does it work?The innovational implantable artificial cardiac pacemaker consists of two parts, the pacemaker device which generates the impulses and the insulated leads which are connected to the heart via electrodes.The pacemaker generator device (pulse generator) is run by the use of batteries these batteries must store enough energy to provide electrical impulses to maintain the rhythm of the heart, they are recharged when required and put electrical signals back and forth to the heart through the leads. This device is relatively small and is implanted into the chest.The pacemaker leads which are insulated are also implanted into the body. These leads are genuinely thin and are connected to both the heart wall and the pacemaker generator device. The electrical signals which are produced by the pulse generator send small amounts of electrical energy through the leads which prompt the device to send impulses to the heart if the rhythm of the heartbeat is incorrect.Method of PacingThe methods of pace the rhythm of the heart include percussive pacing, transcutaneous pacing, epicardial pacing, and transvenous pacing. However these methods of pacing are only used temporarily in conjunction with an external pacemaker or in an emergency. The method used in the implantable pacemaker is imperishable pacing.Permanent pacing involves placing one or more pacing leads (electrodes) in the chamber/chambers of the heart. The electrode lead is inserted and pas sed through a vein until it reaches the heart valve, the lead continues to pass through the valve and is rigid inside the chamber of the heart. at a time the surgeon is pleased with the position of the electrode in heart chamber the pivotal end of the lead is connected to pacemaker generator device. The generator device is also implanted into the chest of the body.Different types of PacemakersThere are now many different types of pacemakers which assist in treating former(a) heart conditions as well such as combining pacemakers and defibrillators in one device. some(a) devices only use one electrode while others make use of many electrodes to regulate different positions of the heart.The three basic types of implantable pacemakers which use permanent pacing includeSingle-chamber pacemakers, this type of pacemaker only uses one pacing lead. The pacing lead is placed in only one chamber, either the atrium or the ventricle.Dual-chamber pacemakers, this type of pacemaker uses two pac ing leads. The pacing leads are placed in two chambers of the heart, with one pacing the ventricle and the other pacing the atrium.Rate-responsive pacemakers, this type of pacemaker includes a sensor that automatically adjusts ascribable to a change in the activity of the human body.Materials UsedThe materials used for producing the pacemaker generator and electrodes are inert, nontoxic, biocompatible and all function within the body.The plate of the pacemaker generator is made of stainless steel, titanium or a titanium alloy. The battery requires storing a large amount of energy but cannot be too big because of the small size of the device, for this a atomic number 3 battery is used. The electrodes are made from platinum or platinum-iridium alloy but insulated with polyurethane. Sealing of the casing or any other parts is do using silicon rubber or polypropylene.Methods of productionPacemaker devices are produced by biomedical engineering companies such as Boston Scientific. The re are three main components which must be produced to make a pacemaker.The main battery used for a pacemaker device is a lithium/iodine cell. The iodine and a polymer are mixed and het up(p) together first. The liquid iodine/polymer solidifies to form the cathode with the lithium forming the anode. Moisture is prevented from first appearance the battery by hermetically sealing it.The wires in the leads are produced using a method of extrusion. The wires are bundled together and insulated with polyurethane. One end is determine to fit the pacemaker and the other to be placed in the heart.The motherboard used in the pacemaker includes semiconductors, resistors and capacitors which are combined together on a single circuit using hybridization.Once these components are produced they can all be put together in the casing of titanium or stainless steel, and sealed using the polypropylene or silicon rubber.Improvements and the proxThere have been many improvements in the technology of pacemakers. They have been rock-bottom in size for the comfort of patients, the lithium batteries used have vastly improved the multiyear life spans of the device, better leads and wires along with improved electronics have cut power consumption, and now the device can treat various types of arrhythmias. change magnitude numbers of patients requiring pacemakers will mean more will have to be produced. Further research will be carried out to improve the be devices. Future improvements may include longer lasting batteries with the use of hot isotopes, smaller devices, and an application of cardiac pace making technology to the brain.