Pacemakers are small devices that regulate abnormal heart rates through low-energy electrical pulses. They consist of leads that transmit pulses to the heart and a pulse generator that produces the signals. Over a million people receive pacemakers each year, which are implanted through minor surgery and help alleviate symptoms like fainting or fatigue through stabilized heart rhythms. While pacemaker technology has advanced to be more compact and reliable over decades, it continues to improve patients' quality of life and survival.

1. TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE
OUR MINDS AND BODIES -
PACEMAKER
Social Impact of Technology
Bree Payne
July 31st 2016

2. Pacemaker
What it it?
• A small device placed in
the chest or abdomen
• Used to treat arrhythmias
• Problems with the rate/rhythm
(either too fast or too slow) of
the heartbeat
• Can relieve some
arrhythmias symptoms:
• Fatigue
• Fainting

3. Functions
What does it do?
• Regulates the heart rate and
rhythm in people with
abnormal heart rates
• Uses low-energy electrical
pulses to prompt the heart to
beat normally (Medicine Net,
2016)

4. Components
Made of Two Parts:
• “Leads are wires with electrodes at the tip that transmit
electrical signals to the heart muscle from the pulse
generator” (Heart & Stroke Foundation, 2012)
• “electrical signals cause the
heart muscle to contract
(pump)” (Heart & Stroke
Foundation, 2012)

5. Facts About Pacemakers
According to StarTribune (2010),
• About 1 million people worldwide have a pacemaker
implanted per year and about 1.5 million Americans have
one today
• The main companies who manufacture pacemakers are
Medtronic Inc., St. Jude Medical Inc., and Boston
Scientific Corp.

6. Facts About Pacemakers
• “The pulse generator (aka pacemaker) is a small unit with
a computer that generates the electrical signal (Heart &
Stroke Foundation, 2012)”
• Pacemakers are most
commonly recommended
for people experiencing
bradycardia (a slow
heartbeat) and heart block
(problem with the heart’s
electrical system)
(MedicineNet, 2016)

7. Facts About Pacemakers
• Consists of a battery, wires with sensors, and a
computerized generator
• the electrodes detect the electrical activity and send data through
the wires to the computer (MedicineNet, 2016)
• New pacemakers can monitor blood temperature or
breathing
• A pacemaker is most commonly found in person’s of the
age 65 or older, who need medical imaging doubles
(StarTribune, 2010)

8. Surgery
• Placement requires minor surgery
• Surgery takes only a couple hours
• Will stay in hospital overnight to ensure pacemaker is working
correctly
• Surgery is done in either a hospital or special heart
treatment laboratory
• Medicine will be given to help relaxation before surgery
• Complications are very rare, but always possible
• Most people can return to regular activities after a couple
days
(MedicineNet, 2016)

9. Evolution of the Pacemaker
• Over the last thirty years, pacemaker technology has
expanded rapidly
• Has lead to improvements in clinical benefits and
disadvantageous interaction of physiology and technology
(Clinical Cardiology, 1992)

10. Evolution of the Pacemaker
• With each new development of the pacemaker, it has
become smaller with greater technology and increased
longevity
• Almost all problems of pacing have been overcome, but
the increasing complexity of pacemaker technology is
now a major limitation to its proper use (Clinical
Cardiology, 1992)

11. Benefits of Pacemakers
Improved Quality of Life
• According to Dr. Kristen E. Fleischmann in the June 2006
issue of Heart Rhythm, she examined over two thousand
patients to determine their quality of life after their
pacemaker implantation surgery (Hornby, 2015)
• She found that most patietns had an improvement in
physical activity post surgery (Hornby, 2015)

12. Benefits of Pacemakers
Symptom Alleviation
• A pacemaker is advised by a physician on three
conditions:
• Tachyarrhythemia (fast beat)
• Bradycardia (slow beat), or
• Arrhythmia (irregular beat)
• Symptoms include:
• Dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain
• The pacemaker stabilizes the heart rhythm and helps to
alleviate some of these symptoms

13. Conclusion
• Technology has advanced greatly, creating a number of
devices that are more reliable, compact, and lighter
• These devices offer improved survival and quality of life,
however the cost of these devices have not changed
greatly
• All previous disadvantages to this technology have been
overcome by an expansion of knowledge
(Clinical Cardiology, 1992)

14. References
Hornby, S. (2015, October 13). What are the Benefits of a
Pacemaker?. In LiveStrong. Retrieved July 31, 2016,
from http://www.livestrong.com/article/170515-what-
are-the-benefits-of-a-pacemaker/
Shakespeare, C. F., & Comm, J. A. (1992, August). Benefits
of the Advances in Cardiac Pacemaker Technology.
Clinical Cardiology, 15, 601-603. Retrieved from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/clc.4960150
811/epdf
StarTribune. (2010, March 7). Facts about pacemakers. In
StarTribune. Retrieved July 31, 2016, from
http://www.startribune.com/facts-about-
pacemakers/86678617/

15. References
Heart & Stroke Foundation. (2012, August). Implantable
pacemaker. In Heart & Stroke Foundation. Retrieved
July 31, 2016, from
http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.
3831921/k.4858/Heart_disease__Implantable_pacem
aker.htm
MedicineNet. (2016). Pacemaker. In MedicineNet.com.
Retrieved July 31, 2016, from
http://www.medicinenet.com/pacemaker/article.htm