To develop a self-sustaining leadless intracardiac pacemaker powered by energy harvested from cardiac motion.
Approach:
Device Development: Researchers created a leadless intracardiac pacemaker with two triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) to convert heartbeats into electrical energy.
Preclinical Testing: The device was tested in 12 adult swine through acute experiments and a 4-week chronic implantation evaluation.
Energy Harvesting Evaluation: Energy harvesting was assessed under controlled mechanical conditions, measuring outputs at various accelerations.
Chronic Evaluation: One swine underwent chronic evaluation for 4 weeks, with assessments of device position, cardiac function, and safety.
Key Findings:
The TENGs produced electrical outputs synchronized with cardiac activity, with maximum outputs of 14.2 V and 1.1 μA.
The device achieved a volumetric power density of 277 μW/cm³, over 100% higher than previously reported implanted nanogenerators.
The pacemaker electronics increased heart rates from 92 to 100 bpm and from 75 to 120 bpm while maintaining stable capture.
No thrombus formation or significant adverse effects were observed during the chronic study.
Limitations:
The study was preclinical and involved only one swine for chronic implantation evaluation.
Controlled mechanical simulations could not replicate the complexity of physiological cardiac conditions.
Longer studies in larger animal cohorts are needed to assess tissue remodeling and device stability.
As ASE convenes its 37th Scientific Sessions near Denver, the meeting will spotlight echocardiographic AI and big data, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, evolving guidelines, the Feigenbaum Lecture, and the future of the sonographer workforce.
