Drug release mechanisms of steroid eluting rings in cardiac pacemaker lead electrodes.

This paper reports on the drug release mechanisms of silicone structures with embedded steroids applied in pacing leads. Different derivatives of the steroid dexamethasone, which is associated with the reduction of acute stimulation thresholds, were evaluated together with different matrix based release control mechanisms with the target to potentially match optimal drug release rates during the first month after implantation. By incorporating dexamethasone-21-dihydrogen phosphate in silicone matrices in combination with release rate adaption layers, almost continuous release rates were obtained under physiological test settings.

New diagnostics with wireless pressure monitoring.

Hypertonia and heart failures have become two of the main diseases affecting today's human population. A telemetric controlled sensor implant without a battery is being developed and evaluated with in vivo experiments for use as a powerful tool in long-term post surgical evaluation of heart pressure, body temperature and pulse rate. Its capabilities are reported here.