A temporary cardiac pacemaker that is completely wireless and dissolves in the body has been shown to be safe in animal studies, researchers say.

In a proof-of-concept study, the team has demonstrated the feasibility and safety of a biodegradable electronic device that can temporarily monitor the heart and permit minimally invasive cardiac control after cardiac surgery.

“This paper is a result of about a decade of work of our laboratories,” co-developer Dr Igor Efimov, of Northwestern University in Illinois, US wrote in Science.

The pacemaker combines a time-synchronised, network of skin-integrated devices with a bioresorbable pacemaker to control cardiac rhythms, track cardiopulmonary status, and provide multi-haptic feedback.