#01 🧬🍼🔋 | the world’s smallest pacemaker.

TL;DR

Researchers at Northwestern University announced the development of an ultra-miniaturized, biodegradable pacemaker designed specifically for use in critically ill newborns. This device, measuring just 1.8 millimeters wide and 3.5 millimeters long—smaller than a grain of rice—represents the convergence of decades of progress in biomedical engineering, materials science, and electronics. Its core function is to provide temporary cardiac pacing support following surgery for congenital heart defects, a condition that affects approximately 1 in every 100 live births globally. The pacemaker is injectable via a syringe and operates without the traditional reliance on batteries or wires, offering a new paradigm for patient safety, especially in vulnerable pediatric populations.