MTPDF2 Recent Developments in Bioengineering

Bioengineering Recent Developments

The Heart

  • Key Concept: The heart's structure and function are crucial in understanding pacemaker technology.

Heart Rate Measurement Activity

  • Steps:

    • Partner up with a classmate.

    • Use your index and middle fingers to feel the pulse at their wrist.

    • Time the pulse for measurement.

Anatomy of the Heart

  • Major components include:

    • Superior Vena Cava

    • Aorta

    • Pulmonary Arteries and Veins

    • Right and Left Atria

    • Right and Left Ventricles

    • Valves: Mitral, Aortic, Tricuspid, Pulmonary

Electrical System of the Heart

  • Components include:

    • Sinus Node: The natural pacemaker of the heart.

    • Atrioventricular Node: Relays electrical impulses.

    • Purkinje Fibers: Conduct impulses throughout the ventricles.

History of the Pacemaker

  • Definition: A device implanted to manage irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia).

  • Application: Can be temporary for recovery after heart incidents.

Early Research and Discoveries

  • Nickolve Abildgaard:

    • Resuscitated a hen using electrical energy.

  • Marie Francois Xavier Bichat:**

    • Successfully revived decapitated human hearts.

  • Rudolph Alber von Kollicker:

    • Studied electrical currents in frog hearts.

  • Duchenne de Boulogne:

    • Resuscitated a child through electrical stimulation.

Key Developments in Pacemaker Technology

  • 1926: Mark Cowley Lidwill:

    • Demonstrated cardiac muscle contraction via electrical stimulation.

  • 1932: Albert Hyman:

    • Created the first artificial pacemaker for reviving stopped hearts.

  • Early 1950s: Development of mains-powered portable pacemakers.

Milestones in Pacemaker Implantation

  • Rune Elmqvist and Ake Senning:

    • Developed modern pacemaker with rechargeable batteries and compact design.

    • First implantation in Arne Larsson (1958).

Modern Pacemaker Features

  • Components:

    • Leads (electrodes) deliver electrical impulses to heart chambers.

    • Pulse Generator manages electrical pulse rates.

Types of Modern Pacemakers

  • Single Chamber: Stimulates the right ventricle.

  • Dual Chamber: Coordinates right atrium and ventricle contractions.

  • Biventricular: Used in cardiac resynchronization therapy for heart failure.

Challenges with Pacemakers

  • Potential issues:

    • Infection, lead fractures, hematomas, and stroke risks due to lead placement.

The Leadless Pacemaker

  • Advantages:

    • Minimized risk of infection, reduced complexity in implantation.

Innovations in Pacemaker Technology

  • University of Texas:

    • Smaller batteries for longer life.

  • Rice University:

    • Energy harvesting from radio-frequency radiation.

  • Bath University:

    • Neural devices for heart failure treatment.

  • Harvard University:

    • Using atomic-scale defects for wireless energy transmission.

  • University of Buffalo:

    • Utilizing heartbeat vibrations for power.

  • Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute:

    • Gene therapy to convert heart cells into pacemaker cells.

Advances in Vaccine Delivery

Vaccine Overview

  • Definition: Medicines that train the immune system to fight pathogens.

  • Contains antigens for disease recognition.

Immune System Components

  • White blood cells include:

    • Macrophages: Digest pathogens.

    • B-lymphocytes: Produce antibodies.

    • T-lymphocytes: Attack infected cells.

Types of Vaccines

  • Live Attenuated: Lifelong immunity but requires refrigeration (e.g., measles).

  • Inactivated: Killed pathogens, stable storage, but requires boosters (e.g., polio).

  • Subunit: Specific pathogen parts, fewer side effects (e.g., influenza).

  • Conjugate: Recognizable antigens for immune response (e.g., Hib).

  • Toxoid: Weakened toxins for immunity (e.g., tetanus).

Vaccination vs. Immunization

  • Vaccination: The act of administering a vaccine.

  • Immunization: The process of becoming protected against disease.

Biomimetic Micromotor Development

  • Self-propelling motor for effective vaccine delivery through the intestinal lining.

Motor Toxoid Mechanism

  • Process of travel and delivery inside the body, including reactions that help the motor attach to the intestinal lining.

Research Findings**

  • Effective immune response and higher antigen delivery efficiency.

Summary and Conclusions

  • Advancements in both pacemaker technologies and vaccine delivery techniques are highlighted as key developments in bioengineering.