Using artificial brain cells to design a heart pacemaker

Central Pattern Generator Implant to improve Cardiac Function in Heart Failure

A healthy person’s heart rate naturally varies slightly as they breathe – increasing with the ‘in’ breath, and slowing with the ‘out’ breath. In heart failure (where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands), this natural variation, known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), becomes disrupted. There is currently no cure for heart failure, but researchers believe restoring RSA could improve heart function. Dr Alain Nogaret at the University of Bath has built a new pacemaker device that uses artificial brain cells to time the delivery of electrical impulses to the heart, to restore RSA. They believe this periodic slowing of the heartbeat with every breath will save the failing heart energy, increase its contraction strength and pumping ability, and improve blood flow. Dr Nogaret has now been awarded a BHF grant to optimise the device and miniaturise it onto a chip for implantation. They’ll determine the effect that modulating heart rate has on the heart, and how the device improves heart output. They will first test the device in rats with heart failure to confirm it works, before studies in pigs – aiming to provide the evidence that it could benefit people with heart failure.