optical defibrillation of the heart tagged posts

This is an illustration depicting EKG readings before, during and after the use of light — optogenetic deffibtillation — to restore a normal heartbeat to an arrhythmic heart. Credit: Patrick M. Boyle/Johns Hopkins University

Using high-tech human heart models and mouse experiments, scientists at Johns Hopkins and Germany’s University of Bonn have shown that beams of light could replace electric shocks in patients reeling from a deadly heart rhythm disorder. The findings could pave the way for a new type of implantable defibrillators. Current devices deliver pulses of electricity that are extremely painful and can damage heart tissue. Light-based treatment should provide a safer and gentler remedy for patients at high risk of arrhythmia that can cause sudden cardiac death within minutes.

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