The Patch of Life by

Graphene Patch

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 19:57:02 UTC

The graphene is Carbon based which is a safe material that is flexible and soft, such as the soft tissue of the heart. This is why Northwestern University and University of Texas decided it would be more beneficial overall for patient quality of life (Hastings).

How does the "Patch of Life" work?

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 20:00:42 UTC

The graphene patch is clear which allows "the use of light to monitor and stimulate the heart." Due to the flexibility of the patch it adheres to the hearts soft tissue and can deliver more precise measurements than a current pacemaker/defibrillator(Hastings).

Pros to the Patch compared to the other Pacemakers/Defibrillators

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 20:11:25 UTC

Igor Efimov, one of the founding creators of this new and improved device, shared "One of the challenges for current pacemakers and defibrillators is that they are difficult to affix onto the surface of the heart", because "Defibrillator electrodes, for example, are essentially coils made of very thick wires that are not flexible and they break. Rigid interfaces with soft tissue, like the heart, can cause various complications. By contrast, our soft, flexible device is not only unobtrusive but also intimately and seamlessly conforms directly onto the heart and deliver more previse measurements." It is strong but light weight that can withstand the mechanically active organ such as the heart (Hastings).

References

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 20:21:06 UTC

Hastings, Conn. “Graphene Patch Affixes to Heart for Pacemaking |.” Medgadget, 1 May 2023, www.medgadget.com/2023/05/graphene-patch-affixes-to-the-heart-for-pacemaking.html#:~:text=The%20patch%20is%20optically%20clear. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023.

Lin, Z., Kireev, D., Liu, N., Gupta, S., LaPiano, J., Obaid, S. N., Chen, Z., Akinwande, D., & Efimov, I. R. (2023). Graphene Biointerface for cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis and treatment. Advanced Materials, 35(22). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202212190

Date of Publish

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 20:23:35 UTC

May 1st, 2023

Cons to think about

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 20:53:49 UTC

Working in the cardiac world, I question the surgical approach. This study showed to be done on rats that were opened up completely to place the patch on the heart(Lin et al.). Due to this, I do question risk of infection compared to the Subcutaneous approach of the currently used pacemaker or internally implanted wireless pacemakers through a peripheral vein. As this device goes through the clinical trials, it'll be interesting to see what outcomes come about. Currently, there seems to be no evidence out there that I have been able to find.

Opinion and Rationale

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 21:19:45 UTC

Technology has drastically changed the lives of many people. The Patch of life seems to be something that could overall improve many more lives. The young patients, that I encounter daily, are who come to mind with this new device. For example, the amount of young men (<50 of age) diagnosed with cardiomyopathy post COVID has been surprisingly on the rise. Many of my own personal patients claimed "I was a healthy man prior to COVID". Now, majority are diagnosed with an ejection fraction (EF) less than 20% and in need of a defibrillator for life saving measures. Or the amount of young mothers that are diagnosed with pregnancy induced cardiomyopathy. This Patch could improve the quality of life for those young men or women in need of a defibrillator due to low EF.

Teams

fquinn9 — 2023-09-25 21:38:07 UTC

1. Louis-I chose Louis because he is a strategic thinker and have a great desire to learn. He will be a great asset to helping everyone want to question and continuously improve our group overall.
2. Izzie- I chose Izzie because she is also a strategic thinker. She thrives on collecting information for improvement of quality.
3. Alice- I chose Alice because she is a hard worker. She likes to stay busy and be productive.
4. Faith- I chose Faith because she is inspired by the future and creative.
5. Andrew- I chose Andrew because he is good at turning his thoughts into actions or activated by thoughts, feelings and decisions.