The Pacemaker

A pacemaker is a tiny device that helps the heart beat steadily. It is placed inside a person's chest by a doctor. The pacemaker sends small electrical signals to keep the heart beating at the right speed.

How the Pacemaker Was Invented

The first pacemaker was made in the 1950s. Early pacemakers were big machines that had to be plugged into the wall. In 1958, a Swedish doctor implanted the first pacemaker inside a patient's body.

That first implanted pacemaker only lasted a few hours. But the technology got better fast. Today's pacemakers are tiny and can last 10 to 15 years on a single battery.

How Pacemakers Help People

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day. Sometimes a heart beats too slowly or in an uneven pattern. A pacemaker fixes this by sending tiny electrical pulses to the heart.

Millions of people around the world live with pacemakers. The device is about the size of a large coin. People with pacemakers can do most normal activities, including exercising and playing sports.

Fun Facts

• A pacemaker is about the size of a half-dollar coin.
• More than 3 million people worldwide have pacemakers.
• Modern pacemakers can send data to a doctor's computer wirelessly.

Did You Know?

The first person to receive an implanted pacemaker lived for 43 more years with it and actually outlived the inventor of his pacemaker.