A report in the Daily Mail talks about a new type of pacemaker the "Concerto" which offers much more that a normal type of pacemaker. A usual pacemaker, first developed 40 years ago, operate by producing a tiny electrical pulse to keep the heart beating at the correct pace.

The Concerto pacemaker however offers much more than this and it can even detect a build up of water in the kidneys, normally due to the heart not pumping effectively, and the warn the patient through an external screen in the patients home. The sophisticated pacemaker can also detect when the heart shows signs of stopping and step in to maintain a heartbeat. It can do this without having to deliver the normal large pulse of electricity used by a defibrilator.

The information provided by the pacemaker can also be delivered to doctors via telephone lines so saving unneccessary trips to the hospital, and because it picks up problems early it can prevent the need of weeks being spent in hospital.

The pacemaker has only recently been given an official licence and so only a few patients have been fitted with it.

Source : Daily Mail
Date : 19/06/2006

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