Electric mesh shows potential for treating cardiac arrhythmias

A new electric mesh that wraps around the heart to deliver electrical impulses could be used to improve the functionality of damaged hearts.

Created by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Seoul National University, the mesh has shown potential to enhance heart function and address arrhythmias by compensating for damaged cardiac muscle, while helping healthy muscle to work more efficiently.

The mesh is made of nanowires embedded in a rubber polymer that conforms to the individual three-dimensional anatomy of the patient's heart. It wraps around the organ to deliver electrical impulses to the entire ventricular myocardium.

Studies involving rats showed the system was able to integrate structurally and electrically with the myocardium following a heart attack, acting as a substructure of the heart during cardiac movement and improving cardiac contractile function, without disturbing relaxation.

Dr Peter Zimetbaum, associate chief and director of clinical cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said: "The concept of wrapping the heart is not new, but doing it with this attention to a more physiologic approach makes the device exceptionally smart."