Protection for pacemaker debuts in-man

After a given period of time, pacemakers need to be replaced in a surgical procedure. If connective tissue has built up around the pacemaker, the procedure is complicated. Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) have now developed a protective membrane to reduce the formation of tissue around the implant. They worked with colleagues at the German Heart Center Berlin (DHZB).

The protective membrane has now been implanted in a patient for the first time, announced a statement. The procedure took place at the DHZB in Berlin. The team are observing how the new development works in the first patient, while trials are also being carried out to receive European authorization. The trials are being conducted by Hylomorph, a spinoff from the ETH, which will later market the membrane.