Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?
Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of Graph Search.
Concept
Artificial cardiac pacemaker
Summary
An artificial cardiac pacemaker (artificial pacemaker, and sometimes just pacemaker, although the term is also used to refer to the body's natural cardiac pacemaker) is a medical device, nowadays always implanted, that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart, the upper atria or lower ventricles. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to contract and pump blood, thus regulating the function of the electrical conduction system of the heart.
The primary purpose of a pacemaker is to maintain an adequate heart rate, either because the heart's natural pacemaker is not fast enough, or because there is a block in the heart's electrical conduction system. Modern pacemakers are externally programmable and allow a cardiologist, particularly a cardiac electrophysiologist, to select the optimal pacing modes for individual patients. Most pacemakers are on demand, in which the stimulation of the heart is based on the dynamic demand of the circulatory system. Others send out a fixed rate of impulses.
A specific type of pacemaker called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator combines pacemaker and defibrillator functions in a single implantable device. Others, called biventricular pacemakers, have multiple electrodes stimulating different positions within the ventricles (the lower heart chambers) to improve their synchronization.
Percussive pacing, also known as transthoracic mechanical pacing, is the use of the closed fist, usually on the left lower edge of the sternum over the right ventricle in the vena cava, striking from a distance of 20 – 30 cm to induce a ventricular beat (the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggests this must be done to raise the ventricular pressure to 10–15 mmHg to induce electrical activity). This is an old procedure used only as a life-saving means until an electrical pacemaker is brought to the patient.
Transcutaneous pacing
Transcutaneous pacing (TCP), also called external pacing, is recommended for the initial stabilization of hemodynamically significant bradycardias of all types.
Official source
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Ontological neighbourhood
Related courses (6)
EE-511: Sensors in medical instrumentation
Fundamental principles and methods used for physiological signal conditioning. Electrode, optical, resistive, capacitive, inductive, and piezoelectric sensor techniques used to detect and convert phys
BIO-377: Physiology by systems
Le but est de connaitre et comprendre le fonctionnement des systèmes cardiovasculaire, urinaire, respiratoire, digestif, ainsi que du métabolisme de base et sa régulation afin de déveloper une réflect
MICRO-624: Wearables and implantables for personalized and preventive healthcare
This multidisciplinary course presents, from both engineering and medical perspectives, the state-of-the-art, applications and impact of wearable and implantable technologies, with focus on cardiovasc
Related lectures (33)
ECG Based Devices
Explores the evolution of ECG-based devices, from historical myographs to modern technologies.
Functional Electrical Stimulation: Nerve Stimulation and Muscle Contraction
Delves into functional electrical stimulation for movement, focusing on nerve and muscle stimulation through electrodes.
Consensus Mechanisms: Bitcoin and Distributed Ledger Technology
Explores permissionless and permissioned consensus in Bitcoin, covering information-based money, public keys, and asynchronous pacing mechanisms.
Related publications (143)
Related people (33)
Related units (8)
Related concepts (33)
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults – is called tachycardia, and a resting heart rate that is too slow – below 60 beats per minute – is called bradycardia. Some types of arrhythmias have no symptoms. Symptoms, when present, may include palpitations or feeling a pause between heartbeats.
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF or A-fib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) characterized by rapid and irregular beating of the atrial chambers of the heart. It often begins as short periods of abnormal beating, which become longer or continuous over time. It may also start as other forms of arrhythmia such as atrial flutter that then transform into AF. Episodes can be asymptomatic. Symptomatic episodes may involve heart palpitations, fainting, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
Heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms, caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, and leg swelling. The shortness of breath may occur with exertion or while lying down, and may wake people up during the night. Chest pain, including angina, is not usually caused by heart failure, but may occur if the heart failure was caused by a heart attack.