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Related Experiment Videos

A decade of nuclear pacing.

V Parsonnet, L Gilbert, I R Zucker

    Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology : PACE
    |January 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary

    Nuclear pacemakers, powered by plutonium 238, demonstrated high reliability over a decade. With a 10-year survival rate of 92%, these devices show potential for future use.

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    Area of Science:

    • Cardiology
    • Nuclear Medicine
    • Biomedical Engineering

    Background:

    • Nuclear-powered pacemakers were developed to address limitations of conventional battery-powered devices.
    • The United States Atomic Energy Commission initiated a study on radioisotopic power sources for pacemakers.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the long-term performance and reliability of nuclear-powered pacemakers.
    • To assess the feasibility of using plutonium 238 as a power source for cardiac pacemakers.

    Main Methods:

    • A 10-year study involving 151 nuclear pacemaker implants in 131 patients.
    • Utilized pacemakers from 4 different manufacturers, powered by plutonium 238.
    • Actuarial survival analysis was performed to determine device longevity.

    Main Results:

    • Achieved a 10-year actuarial survival rate of 92%, exceeding the performance goal of 90%.
    • Ninety nuclear pulse generators remain in service; 36 were replaced, most commonly due to pacing mode issues.
    • Demonstrated superior reliability compared to early non-nuclear pacemaker technologies.

    Conclusions:

    • The high reliability and performance of nuclear pacemakers justify continued investigation of radioisotopic power sources.
    • Future applications could integrate advanced radioisotopic power with modern dual-chamber, multiprogrammable pacemaker electronics.

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