Reconstruction of Hyman's Second Pacemaker

Abstract

Though journal articles and newspaper reports suggest that three Hyman pacemakers existed or were intended; a patent, descriptive photographs and a written description of an earlier model and only a photograph of a later model exist. A replica of the earlier has been made based on the patent and description, and a new replica of the second based on a critical deconstruction and analysis of the photograph of the second with a modern circuit duplicating the function of the earlier circuit. Both replicas were "operational" in that stimuli were mimicked though not delivered and neither could under any circumstances actually resuscitate the heart. The design and construction of the second Hyman pacemaker are presented.

The past, present, and future of pacemaker therapies

“…The Hymans did not build their device to treat conditions such as SAN dysfunction or heart block, but were spurred by the "stopped heart", a condition occurring in electrical power workers who died suddenly after accidental electrocution. 9 Both Lidwell and the Hymans focused on the resuscitation setting and did not link their pacemaker therapies to bradycardia and syncope that had been recognized for centuries as potentially lethal. Noteworthy in this respect are the early descriptions by the 18 th century Italian anatomist and physician Giovanni Battista Morgagni and by the 19 th century Irish physicians Robert Adams and William Stokes.…”

In-Vivo Microsystems: A Review

“…They are used regulating the heart such as pacing, defibrillation and synchronization. The first real understanding of the electrical significance came in the 19th century, and through the first half of the 20th century, there were many developments that eventually led to the pacemakers we have today [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ]. Early devices were external and although inconvenient to wear, it was easy and straightforward to replace them.…”

In Search of Alternate Implantation Sites for Pacemakers and Defibrillators: Pacing Along Creativity and Innovation

“…2 This so-called "artificial pacemaker" was tested in several animals and at least one human. 4 However, it never gained widespread acceptance by the medical community, which largely opposed Hyman in his attempts to popularize the use of this invention. It was not until 1958 when Rune Elmqvist and Åke Senning from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden implanted the first "implantable" pacemaker in Arne Larsson, a patient suffering from complete heart block and recurrent bouts of Stokes-Adams syncope.…”