Researchers in Sweden have tested a technique, that successfully stimulated the heart in different species of animals, and could offer an improved way to treat heart conditions.
Arrhythmia is a condition where the heart beats irregularly and abnormally, with symptoms ranging from harmless to life-threatening. To control the heartbeat, pacemakers, defibrillators or surgery can be used, but it can be challenging to intervene in emergency situations when these options are not feasible.
A study, led by Lund University, used tiny nanoparticles suspended in a solution, that were injected into zebrafish and chicken embryo hearts. When the nanoparticle solution reached the heart tissue, it acted like an electrode to conduct electricity, allowing the electrical signals of the heart to be recorded and regulated.
The method is minimally invasive and the heart stimulator spontaneously degrades and is excreted from the body after treatment, so it does not need to be surgically removed.
The heart stimulator also operates at low power and, according to the researchers, the charge could be provided by a handheld device like a phone.
The next step will be to test the technique in larger animals, such as pigs, to better understand if it could work for people.