(Circulation. 1998;98:1456.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Images in Cardiovascular Medicine |
Progress in Device Technology
Victor Parsonnet, MD
From the Department of Surgery and the New Jersey Pacemaker and
Defibrillator Evaluation Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark,
NJ.
Correspondence to Victor Parsonnet, MD, Department of Surgery and New Jersey Pacemaker and Defibrillator Evaluation Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, 201 Lyons Ave, Newark, NJ 07112.
Advances in implantable device technology over the past
few years can be seen in these illustrations. The photograph on the
left shows a 1997-model implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in
front of an older version. Beside it is a modern single-chamber
pacemaker in front of an older mercury-zinc–cell model. The
Table
shows their relative weights. These
devices are now small enough to permit implantation of both in the same
pectoral position, as shown in the photograph on the right. The
implanted devices in this case were not the same as the one in the
photograph but were of similar vintage. Tomorrow's dual-chamber
pacemakers and ICDs will surely be contained in the same "can" and
will be smaller still.
Footnotes
The editor of Images in Cardiovascular Medicine is Hugh A. McAllister, Jr, MD, Chief, Department of Pathology, St Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute, and Clinical Professor of Pathology, University of Texas Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine.
Circulation encourages readers to submit cardiovascular images to Dr Hugh A. McAllister, Jr, St Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute, 6720 Bertner Ave, MC1–267, Houston, TX 77030.
