ISM Weekly Report 6

This week in ISM, I sent a follow-up email to the first surgeon that allowed me an interview, Dr. Charles Roberts. Due to the sheer amount of time we talked, the instant connection I felt, the various ideas he has for my final project, and the ability for mentorship with make Dr. Roberts a perfect possible mentor. That being said I do still have to complete 2 more interviews to gather more information on the field first hand from professionals in the field. This is why I have also sent out 2 other email to professionals for an interview in the coming weeks. Hopefully, there will be a reply coming from these professionals in the next week or two. Also this week I made my 4th Research assessment. This time I decided to do research over the future of Pacemakers and ideal future iteration of the device. The article began with the history of the Pacemaker and how it evolved over time. This was something that really fascinated me due to the fact that the device went from being a wall plugged the device to be a full-on implanted, battery-powered, life saver. The most interesting thing about the research was not the past, however. It was the future ambitions for the device. The dream device is completely leadless and has no need for a battery internally or externally. This eliminates the need for a replacement of the module or the battery every few years. The device will be powered from the rhythm of the hearts beat instead of a battery. This means the device can be implanted once and will not ever have to be taken out unless there is an issue. This is an innovation that will overall cut cost, make lives easier for heart patients, and will ultimately further science and Cardiothoracic Surgery for years to come.