PURPOSE
Team CARDIO's research focuses on harvesting electrical energy from cardiac cells to power devices such as a pacemaker.
BackgroundAccording to a cohort study that looked at over 1,000 patients who underwent a pacemaker battery replacement operation, more than 1% of patients died shortly afterwards due to surgical complications such as incision-site infections, septic shock, immune rejection, blood clots, and death . Replacement of pacemakers can cost anywhere between $20,000 to $30,000. Roughly 600,000 people receive a pacemaker and/or the pacemaker replacement surgery every year, costing a total of roughly 15 billion dollars.
ProblemPacemakers are devices that help resynchronize cardiac rhythms. When the battery power begins to diminish every 5-7 years, the entire pacemaker must be replaced, which wastes money and resources, and can pose potential health risks to the patient. On average, a patient will have to get their pacemaker replaced more than two times, which in itself requires additional surgeries By eliminating the need for battery replacements, surgeries and associated complications from such an invasive procedure can be avoided.
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ProjectWe hope to culture cardiac muscle in vitro in order to harvest electrical impulses with the use of an electrode to power a small device (potentially a pacemaker). Studies suggest that these cardiac muscles produce energy in excess of what would be required to power a small device such as a pacemaker. Team CARDIO aims to further this research and conduct experiments to implement their findings.
Future DirectionsIf completed, our project will allow pacemakers to continue to function properly without an invasive surgery. This will reduce both medical costs and the frequency of surgical and postoperative complications.
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