Pacemaker for plutonium battery implanted patients, 34 years ago, still has its purpose. For all the time he needed only a small repair. According to the doctor, who described the medical history of the patient, in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, Nuclear pacemaker is likely to outlive its owner. Employees Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Dr. Victor Parsonnet (Victor Parsonnet) secured 20-year-old woman kardistimulyator company Numec NU-5 in 1973. The cost of the unit was quite high - in terms of today's prices will cost the patient about 23 thousand dollars. But in the long run nuclear pacemaker was very economical - other similar instrument for this period would be required to change 4-5 times. In the many years of observation of any serious complications, including the effects of radiation exposure plutonium batteries, the patient was noted. According to Dr. Parsonneta pacemaker NU-5 were installed in a total of 139 patients. Most of these people have died, others have been given a new, more sophisticated models powered by traditional batteries. However, 9 of these devices to work even more. The main advantage of nuclear pacemaker was extremely long life. The half-life batteries in NU-five plutonium-238 is used is 88 years, but after this period the pacemaker should remain in operation. The heavy-duty shell NU-5 protects the patient from the radiation can pacemaker batteries withstand a direct hit by a bullet, and the high temperatures - in the case of cremation of the body of the owner. The use of plutonium pacemaker activity ended with the advent of lithium battery life is comparable to the average life expectancy of patients.
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