Keeping the Pace: The Science of Pacemakers and Defibrillators

Today’s smallest pacemaker is the size of a multivitamin, weighing as little as a penny. It’s a long way from the first pacemaker, which was worn around the neck and weighed over half a pound. Today more than 3 million people have pacemakers, with over 600,000 implanted yearly.

Tom Choi, a pediatric cardiologist and electrophysiologist in Delaware, and Carolyn Ramwell, an electrophysiology nurse clinician in Washington, D.C., discuss the fascinating past, present, and future of this small but essential lifesaving device. In a lively talk, they cover the experimental history of the modern pacemaker and defibrillator; the current applications of both; the risk-taking scientists involved in discovering the electrical properties of the heart and the ability to restart the heartbeat; and the future implications posed by artificial intelligence and technological advances.

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