Nuclear-powered pacemakers

["Gibbs, S Julian" <s.julian.gibbs@vanderbilt.edu>]

I inquired of my cardiologist about pacemakers containing 

radioactive material.  Here is his reply:



I believe that Medtronic made a plutonium-powered device briefly

back in the 1970s, but this proved to be impractical due to its

unusual bulk/weight, radiation issues, and unnecessary device

longevity (usually out-living its recipients by many years).

Ironically, USSR party chairman Leonid Breshnev received one of

these devices, but it apparently took great diplomatic wrangling to

send plutonium (in any form) from the US to the USSR at the height

of the cold war!!!  After his death, the US then insisted that the

device and plutonium were returned to the US promptly!  And for

many years, this information was kept confidential, so that there

wouldn't be any public outcry or controversies.



***********************************************************

S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD              Office: 615-322-1477

Professor, Emeritus

Dept. of Radiology & Radiological Sciences

Vanderbilt University Medical Center     Home: 615-356-3615

209 Oxford House        Email:s.julian.gibbs@vanderbilt.edu

Nashville TN 37232-4245     or alias:j.gibbs@vanderbilt.edu

***********************************************************

The powers of a man's mind are directly proportional to the

quantity of coffee he drinks.

                         --Sir James MacKintosh (1765-1862)

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