Re: Atomic Pacemakers

[GAMMATRON <GAMMAT@swbell.net>]

Franta, Jaroslav wrote:
> 
>         on Wednesday, May 26, 1999 3:14 PM, you wrote,
> 
> >  There are approximately 70 being worn by patients in the U.S.  The two
> > principal manufacturers of these pacemakers were  Cordis and Medtronic
> > (Coratomic).  They are no longer involved with the monitoring.  Other
> > companies have assumed that function.
> > Each pacemaker contains 175 mg plutonium-238 about 2.8 curies).
> <><><><><><><><><><>
> 
> Surprised to see there are so few left now !
> Question: were similar devices ever used/made in other countries -- France,
> U.K., Germany, Canada, Belgium, Japan, etc. ?
> 
> Question 2: there seems to be some inconsistency in the Pu content figures;
> for instance, the following is posted at URL
> http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/pn/pn19858.htm
> 
> Subject: LOSS OF A NUCLEAR-POWERED CARDIAC PACEMAKER
> At approximately 5:00 p.m. on November 30, 1998, the Radiation Safety
> Officer (RSO) of Washington Hospital Center informed Region I that there was
> a potential loss of a nuclear-powered cardiac pacemaker, containing 250
> milligrams of plutonium-238, which equates to approximately 4.27 curies. The
> pacemaker had been explanted from an expired patient at a funeral home on
> August 26, 1998 and returned to Washington Hospital Center, the pacemaker
> licensee, for disposal by Washington Hospital Center. The RSO stated that
> the pacemaker had been mailed to St. Jude Medical, Inc. of Sylmar,
> California on September 15, 1998 via U.S. Postal Service.St. Jude Medical,
> Inc. was supposed to receive the pacemaker on behalf ofthe pacemaker vendor.
> On or about October 22, 1998, the licensee called St. Jude Medical for
> confirmation of receipt of the pacemaker. However, St. Jude Medical
> indicated that it had not received the pacemaker. In its search for the
> missing pacemaker, surveys were conducted of various areas of the Washington
> Hospital Center facility, including the Postal Area. Washington Hospital
> Center has requested that St. Jude Medical, Inc. conduct an extensive
> search, including radiological surveys, of its various facilities in its
> continued attempts to locate the missing pacemaker. Region I will continue
> to follow up on the incident and is planning an on-site inspection. The
> District of Columbia has been informed. The Region I Office of Public
> Affairs is prepared to respond to media inquiries. The information is
> current as of 2:00 p.m., December 1, 1998.
> 
> Any insights on these additional questions ?
> 
> Thanks to everyone for their generous replies.
> 
> jaro
> frantaj@aecl.ca
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There were also some made within the former Soviet Union.

C. Gallagher
Gammat@swbell.net
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