New defibrillation technique found to reduce energy
A new defibrillation technique that delivers five sequential low-energy pulses to a fibrillating heart reduces energy use by an average of 84 percent compared to standard defibrillation, according to study findings published July 13 in Nature.
Stefan Luther, PhD, associate professor in the department of biomedical sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and a team of more than a dozen international scientists, developed the Low-Energy Anti-fibrillation Pacing (LEAP) technique, which initiates a completely different process than standard defibrillation, according to the researchers.
The current standard defibrillation technique uses a strong electrical pulse—delivering a shock of up to 4,000 volts, known to be capable of damaging tissue—to force the heart back to its regular beating. The new method uses a cardiac catheter to create a sequence of weak electrical signals in the heart. Although at first glance the new method appears similar to the old way, the process is completely different, according to the researchers.
“The classic defibrillator works by using a very strong electric field that excites all cells of the organ. In contrast, LEAP uses low-energy pulses to synchronize the tissues,” said Flavio H. Fenton, PhD, research associate, biomedical sciences at Cornell.
After a short period, chaotic activity ends, according to the researchers, and the heart resumes normal beating. The method is a step-by-step approach to terminating turbulent activity and resuming normal heart function.
“Our most important allies are natural heterogeneities within the heart such as blood vessels, fatty tissue or fibrotic tissue,” said Eberhard Bodenschatz, PhD, of Max Planck Society in Munich.
Experiments demonstrated that heterogeneities can act as origins for synchronizing waves. For patients who wear implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, the new technique may eliminate pain, improve success rates and prolong battery life, therefore possibly reducing future surgeries.
Stefan Luther, PhD, associate professor in the department of biomedical sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and a team of more than a dozen international scientists, developed the Low-Energy Anti-fibrillation Pacing (LEAP) technique, which initiates a completely different process than standard defibrillation, according to the researchers.
The current standard defibrillation technique uses a strong electrical pulse—delivering a shock of up to 4,000 volts, known to be capable of damaging tissue—to force the heart back to its regular beating. The new method uses a cardiac catheter to create a sequence of weak electrical signals in the heart. Although at first glance the new method appears similar to the old way, the process is completely different, according to the researchers.
“The classic defibrillator works by using a very strong electric field that excites all cells of the organ. In contrast, LEAP uses low-energy pulses to synchronize the tissues,” said Flavio H. Fenton, PhD, research associate, biomedical sciences at Cornell.
After a short period, chaotic activity ends, according to the researchers, and the heart resumes normal beating. The method is a step-by-step approach to terminating turbulent activity and resuming normal heart function.
“Our most important allies are natural heterogeneities within the heart such as blood vessels, fatty tissue or fibrotic tissue,” said Eberhard Bodenschatz, PhD, of Max Planck Society in Munich.
Experiments demonstrated that heterogeneities can act as origins for synchronizing waves. For patients who wear implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, the new technique may eliminate pain, improve success rates and prolong battery life, therefore possibly reducing future surgeries.