January 2025 | Tips & Information

The Future of Pacemaker Technology: Long-Term Power With NanoTritium™ Batteries

Pacemakers are life-saving devices for patients with arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), ensuring their hearts beat at the correct rate. However, the lifespan of pacemaker batteries has long been a limiting factor in cardiac care. 

Leadless pacemakers (i.e., pacemakers without electrical leads) have emerged as an alternative to traditional pacemakers, boasting some notable benefits over traditional pacemaker alternatives. However, current leadless pacemakers rely on chemical batteries that typically last 7-10 years, necessitating replacement surgeries that can be risky, especially for older or medically vulnerable patients.

To understand how City Labs is revolutionizing this field, it is first important to understand current leadless pacemaker technology.

Leadless Pacemakers and Their Battery Limitations

Leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCPs) are compact, wire/lead-free implants placed directly in the heart. These devices are an improvement over traditional transvenous pacemakers (TVPs), which require leads that can cause complications such as infections, migration, or dislodgement. 

The minimally invasive implantation process of leadless pacemakers reduces postoperative complications and improves recovery times. However, their reliance on lithium-based batteries with lifespans typically under a decade has limited their utility, since many patients would likely require several surgical procedures throughout their lives to remove and replace expired pacemakers.

Current lithium batteries face several challenges:

  1. Finite lifespan. Most pacemakers require replacement surgeries when their batteries deplete, increasing the risk of complications and added healthcare costs.
  2. Miniaturization limit. Lithium batteries cannot easily scale down further to accommodate smaller, more advanced pacemakers.
  3. Unpredictable power draw. Variations in a patient’s heart condition can accelerate battery depletion, making replacements more frequent.

These limitations mean leadless pacemakers are often reserved for older patients who are less likely to outlive the battery. This leaves younger patients, who could benefit greatly from leadless pacemaker technology, with fewer options.

The Promise of NanoTritium™ Batteries

City Labs’ NanoTritium™ batteries represent a breakthrough in pacemaker technology. Unlike traditional batteries, NanoTritium™ batteries use the radioactive decay of tritium to generate low amounts of power through betavoltaic technology

This process is safe, consistent, and unaffected by factors like power draw or temperature. With a lifespan of 20+ years, NanoTritium™ batteries eliminate the need for frequent replacements and open up new possibilities for pacemaker design and usage. 

Key Advantages of NanoTritium™ Batteries

  1. Extended lifespan. NanoTritium™ batteries can power pacemakers for over 20 years, doubling or tripling the lifespan of current devices. This long-term reliability significantly reduces the need for replacement surgeries, lowering risks and costs.
  2. Compact size. With a volume as small as 0.1 cc, NanoTritium™ batteries support the miniaturization of leadless pacemakers. This enables more streamlined and patient-friendly designs, enhancing implantation safety and reducing the device’s impact on the body.
  3. Consistent power output. Unlike chemical batteries, which degrade over time or under varying usage conditions, NanoTritium™ batteries provide a stable power supply throughout their lifespan. This reliability ensures uninterrupted performance for critical medical devices.
  4. Safety. The solid-state design of NanoTritium™ batteries eliminates liquid components, reducing risks like leakage or swelling. Tritium’s low-energy beta particles are safely contained within the battery, posing no risk to patients or healthcare professionals.

Advancing Pacemaker Technology With BIOTRONIK

City Labs’ advancements in nuclear-powered pacemaker batteries have garnered support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). In 2024, City Labs received a Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) award from the NHLBI to advance its betavoltaic batteries for leadless pacemakers. This funding supports the development of scalable fabrication techniques and pre-clinical testing to prepare the technology for broader clinical applications.

City Labs is collaborating with BIOTRONIK, a global leader in cardiovascular medical devices, to develop next-generation leadless pacemakers. By integrating NanoTritium™ batteries, these pacemakers aim to:

  • Expand leadless pacing options to younger patients, who currently face limitations due to battery lifespan.
  • Reduce complications associated with traditional pacemaker replacements, such as surgical risks and patient recovery times.
  • Enhance device performance and reliability for improved patient outcomes.

Transforming Patient Care

The integration of NanoTritium™ batteries into leadless pacemakers has the potential to transform cardiac care for millions of patients worldwide. With their extended lifespan and consistent performance, these batteries address many of the challenges associated with traditional pacemaker technology. 

Patients can benefit from:

  • Fewer replacement surgeries. A 20+ year battery life minimizes the need for invasive procedures, reducing risks and healthcare costs.
  • Broader accessibility. Younger patients, who are often excluded from leadless pacing technology due to battery limitations, can now access safer and more effective treatment options.
  • Improved quality of life. The compact size and reliability of NanoTritium™ batteries support the development of smaller, less intrusive pacemakers, allowing patients to live with greater comfort and confidence.

A Safer and More Reliable Future

The journey to revolutionize pacemaker technology is well underway. City Labs’ NanoTritium™ batteries are paving the way for safer, more reliable, and longer-lasting pacemakers and other medical device applications that cater to a wider range of patients. With support from organizations like the NHLBI and partnerships with industry leaders like BIOTRONIK, City Labs is at the forefront of this medical innovation.

If you’re interested in learning more about how NanoTritium™ batteries can advance your medical device technology, contact us today. Together, we can create a future where pacemaker technology not only meets but exceeds the needs of patients and clinicians alike.