December 24, 2024
This 3D-Printed ‘Electronic Glove’ Might Keep Your Heart Beating for Life
Did we just take one step closer to immortality? That might sound like a bit of a stretch, but consider how many deaths are heart-related. Now, imagine if you had a heart that could effectively live forever. This may soon be a reality due to the creation of a 3D-printed electronic glove that fits over your heart, significantly extending your lifespan.
The 3D-printed Electronic Glove For Your Heart
Incase you missed it, this tech made headlines in 2014. In the study, published in the journal Nature Communications scientists described a groundbreaking electronic membrane that may substitute pacemakers. It fits over the heart, keeping it beating steadily for an indefinite amount of time. The 3D-printed electronic glove employs a web-like sensory network that constantly tracks the electrical activity of your heart. The researchers used computer modeling and a 3D printer to produce a prototype membrane that was then fitted to a rabbit’s heart. It kept the organ functioning efficiently outside of the body in a nutritional and oxygen-rich fluid.
A Snug Fit
Because they are using this high-resolution imaging technology, the elastic membrane will be perfectly customized to fit snugly over the heart. Additionally. when it detects an extreme situation like a heart attack, it also administers high-definition therapy. It can deliver electrical impulses from several spots on the device in the most effective way to interrupt arrhythmia and avert sudden cardiac death.
The History of Cardiac Socks
While the design may have been around for a few decades already, this new model is far more effective. In fact, similar cardiac sock designs have actually been around since the 1980s already! However, these were rather crude and were made from fabric with the electronics sewn into them. This basically made it impossible for the sensors to maintain full contact with the heart.
New Innovations
The application of stretchy electronics invented by John Rogers, a materials scientist at the University of Illinois, is the innovative feature of this new technology. While Rogers’ electronics employ the same kind of rigid materials as standard electronics (e.g., silicon), the circuits have been laid out in a curved arrangement which enables them to flex and bend without breaking. Rogers likened the silicon sleeve to the pericardium, which is the heart’s own membrane. This artificial pericardium has been fitted with high-quality, man-made technology that can detect and communicate with the heart in several ways pertinent to clinical cardiology.
The Bottom Line
It is fascinating to imagine what this technology will achieve in the future. At the moment, the device’s primary function is to serve as a research tool. It allows scientists to find out how heart rate fluctuates in reaction to various conditions. However, electronic membranes of this type may become commonplace in the future, monitoring at-risk people and protecting them from heart attacks. Researchers also admit that it may be a while until human trails are conducted, but the tech is promising.
