Researchers at the University of Leeds, Université Grenoble Alpes and University Hospital of Grenoble-Alpes, France, have developed an algorithm which allows doctors to work out which pacemaker functions are likely to use the most battery power. Depending on the individual patient’s needs, some of these may be switched off, thereby conserving battery life.

Pacemakers usually last from seven to 14 years, depending on the features used—so switching off unnecessary functions has the potential to considerably increase the life of the device. This would benefit patients by reducing the number of surgeries needed, and would lower associated costs for the NHS.

A research paper, titled “Cardiac implantable electronic devices’ longevity: A novel modeling tool for estimation and comparison,” is published in the journal PLOS One. It has been made available via open access by the University of Leeds so doctors everywhere can access the modeling tool freely and use it to inform their clinical practice.