[Effect of infiltrating water vapors on mercury-zinc elements in implanted electric cardiac stimulators]

A complex character of the water vapours effect on the energy source used in electrical pacemaker is investigated on the RMCC-1 type Hg-Zn element. The water vapours were shown to cause electrolyte effluence and hence the appearance of the leakage eddy currents amounted up to 22mA through the insulation of electrodes. The resulted charge loss reduce the clinical service term of the pacemaker electrodes. This can be avoided by the provision of equal water-vapours' partial pressure in the surrounding medium and in electrolyte, by means of special construction. At the doby temperature this requirement is achieved at the 27%-air relative humidity.