The first Russian three-chamber pacemaker
A modern pacemaker from the defense industry is being prepared for mass production
The Vegaritm device helps patients with severe heart failureRostec Group Press Service
The United Instrument-Making Corporation is preparing for mass production the first Russian three-chamber pacemaker for the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure and coronary heart disease. The medical device is able to prolong the life of seriously ill patients for several years.
"The Vegaritm three–chamber pacemaker was made by order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia by our Vega concern," said Alexander Kalinin, head of the department of the United Instrument Corporation. – As part of the corporation, the concern is responsible for the development and production of medical equipment as one of the priorities of our activities."
Such pacemakers help patients with mixed pathology when conduction to several parts of the heart is disrupted: the left ventricle and the left atrium (one- and two-chamber pacemakers are enough to stimulate them) and the right ventricle. Vegaritm can work not only in three-chamber, but also in single-chamber and two-chamber stimulation modes, the corporation said in a press release.
The new pacemaker is able to adapt the frequency of stimulation depending on physical activity. Its working life in standard mode is up to 8 years. The device also records diagnostically important episodes of the electrocardiogram in automatic mode and interacts with the programmer via wireless communication.
Today, pacemakers are the most effective type of therapy for serious heart diseases. With the help of special electrodes, they stimulate the departments of the heart, providing the rhythm of contraction of the heart muscle and the physiological movement of blood.
In Russia, only single-chamber and two-chamber pacemakers are produced for the treatment of mild and moderate heart diseases. In the treatment of chronic heart failure, it is necessary to use three-chamber pacemakers. Such devices are currently only imported, which significantly increases the cost of treatment. Meanwhile, according to medical estimates, by 2018, about 48 thousand people will need implantation of three-chamber pacemakers annually.
"We are developing not only a pacemaker, but also a set of electrodes for it, since stricter requirements are imposed on the electrode for stimulating the right ventricle compared to the others," explains Alexander Kulish, head of the Directorate for the development of advanced medical technologies of the Vega concern. – The specifics of its use are as follows: to stimulate the right ventricle, it is required to dissect the interventricular septum of the heart, conduct an electrode and attach it to the right parts of the heart. In this regard, it should be even thinner and even stronger, compared to electrodes for stimulation of the left atrium and left ventricle. Our know-how for Russia lies precisely in the creation of such an electrode."
At the moment, the prototype of the Vegaritm pacemaker has passed preliminary tests, following which it received the necessary approval. Acceptance tests of prototypes will begin in the near future. By the end of the year, the Defense Industry plans to release an installation series of pacemakers.
The project to develop the technology for the production of a three-chamber electrical stimulator is being implemented under the Federal Target Program "Development of the pharmaceutical and medical industry of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2020 and beyond".
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru13.02.2015