Scientists Develop Graphene 'Tattoo' To Correct Heartbeat Irregularities
Scientists have devised a novel way to keep the heart pumping properly. In a report published in Advanced Materials, scientists refer to a graphene "tattoo" that was able to treat abnormal heartbeat in rats.
In many ways, the device feels like an upgrade to a pacemaker and delivers electrical signals to keep the heart pumping normally. Currently, the device is just a proof of concept, but human hearts could be equipped with the same in less than five years, said Igor Efimov, a cardiovascular engineer at Northwestern University in Chicago.
What is the graphene tattoo about?
While creating the device, the scientists took cognisance of how hard it is to make electronic devices work alongside human tissues. While the complete failure of a modern pacemaker are rare, the device could eventually break due to flexing of the wires, according to Efimov.
For this new device, scientists used graphene, a very thin material that is almost transparent, hence functioning like an "electronic tattoo" on the skin. The graphene tattoo was placed on a heart issue by Dmitry Kireev, a biomedical engineer at the University of Texas at Austin, and Efimov.?
Also read:?AI Helps Doctors Detect 3,000 Serious Heart Attacks In Maharashtra
The tattoo was tested on the mouse hearts as well as inside living rats. They found that the heart tattoo was able to correct an irregular heartbeat by sending electric pulses to the organ. Between sheets of silicone and super thin polymer is situated a transparent layer of graphene - connected by a gold tape to wires that run to a power source to allow the passage of electric current.
Also read:?Scientists Grew A Piece Of The Human Heart In A Lab, And It Beats Perfectly Too!
In future iterations, the tattoos could become wireless, Efimov says, by using a tiny antenna to pick electrical signals. If all goes well, Efimov hopes that rice grain-sized graphene electrodes could be injected into the heart muscle, thereby working as a pacemaker for the fraction of its size.
What do you think about this fascinating invention? Let us know in the comments below.?For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.
