In a major leap forward for pediatric medicine, researchers at Northwestern University have introduced an incredibly small, biodegradable pacemaker — no larger than a grain of rice — that could transform care for infants with congenital heart conditions.
This revolutionary device, detailed in a recent Nature publication, is soft, flexible, and small enough to be delivered via syringe, eliminating the need for invasive surgery. Even more impressive: it naturally dissolves inside the body once it’s no longer needed, removing the risks and complications associated with traditional device removal.
A Gentle Solution for the Most Fragile Hearts
Each year, roughly 1% of babies worldwide are born with congenital heart defects. While many of these children require short-term pacing support after corrective surgery, existing pacemakers are bulky and typically demand surgical implantation and removal — a particularly invasive and risky process for such tiny patients.
That’s where this new dissolvable pacemaker comes in. It offers temporary, non-invasive support precisely when it’s needed most — during the critical first week following heart surgery. According to Professor Igor Efimov, a co-lead on the project, this brief window is vital: “Most of these newborns only need pacing support for about seven days. After that, their hearts often recover enough to function on their own.”
How It Works
The pacemaker itself is just part of the system. It is paired with a lightweight, wearable controller that attaches externally to the patient’s chest. This wearable device monitors the heart’s rhythm, and when it detects a problem, it sends a pulse of light through the skin and underlying tissue to activate the internal pacemaker.
This use of light — known as photonic pacing — allows for precise, real-time cardiac regulation without any wires or direct electrical contact with the heart. The light pulses pass harmlessly through the chest to reach the dissolvable pacemaker, which then stimulates the heart to maintain a steady rhythm.
The entire internal device is crafted from bioresorbable materials that are fully compatible with the human body. After fulfilling its purpose, it gradually breaks down into natural components that are absorbed into the body’s fluids, leaving nothing behind. No surgical extraction is required, significantly reducing both risk and healthcare costs.
Designed for Delicate Situations
While the technology can be scaled to work with patients of all ages, its compact size and soft structure make it especially well-suited for newborns and infants. “Miniaturization was key,” said bioelectronics engineer John A. Rogers, who led the device’s development. “For pediatric patients, particularly those in low-resource settings, a temporary, minimally invasive pacemaker can be life-saving.”
The research team tested the device extensively, including in animal models and in donated human hearts, to demonstrate its effectiveness and safety across different sizes and biological environments.
A Collaborative Breakthrough
The project brought together experts from several institutions and specialties. John A. Rogers holds multiple professorships at Northwestern, spanning materials science, biomedical engineering, and neurological surgery. He was joined by co-leaders Efimov, a biomedical engineering and cardiology expert; Yonggang Huang, a mechanical engineering professor; Wei Ouyang from Dartmouth College; and Rishi Arora from the University of Chicago.
Together, this cross-disciplinary team tackled one of the most delicate challenges in pediatric cardiology: providing reliable, temporary pacing without the trauma of multiple surgeries or the complications of permanent implants.
A Glimpse into the Future of Bioelectronics
The tiny pacemaker is more than just a medical device — it’s part of a growing movement toward soft, flexible, and transient electronics that work harmoniously with the body. These kinds of innovations could lead to a future where medical devices are seamlessly integrated into healing processes and then vanish once their job is done.
“Technology like this opens doors not just in cardiology, but across many fields of medicine,” Efimov noted. “Imagine temporary implants for post-surgical support, drug delivery, or nerve stimulation — all without the need for retrieval or permanent implantation.”
As this groundbreaking pacemaker moves closer to clinical application, it carries with it the promise of safer, gentler care for the youngest and most vulnerable patients.
