by
Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | June 04, 2026
Image: Courtesy of the researchers
MIT researchers have developed an ultrasound-based pacemaker designed to regulate heart rhythms without surgery, according to a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
The system consists of a wearable ultrasound sticker roughly the size of a postage stamp and a separate pocket-sized control unit containing batteries and electronics. The sticker uses miniature ultrasound transducers to send acoustic pulses through the chest, stimulating heart cells and helping maintain a regular heartbeat.
In laboratory testing, the researchers applied ultrasound to genetically engineered human cardiac cells and found the cells contracted in sync with the ultrasound pulses. The team also tested the approach in rats, where the device corrected arrhythmias and restored normal heart rhythms without invasive procedures.
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The technology combines ultrasound stimulation with sonogenetics, a technique that genetically modifies cells to respond more strongly to sound waves. Researchers engineered heart cells to produce ion channels that open more readily when exposed to ultrasound. When activated, the channels allow calcium to enter the cells, triggering contractions.
The investigators envision that a future clinical version would require a one-time gene therapy treatment to increase cardiac cells’ sensitivity to ultrasound. Gene therapies are already approved for certain inherited disorders, though the pacemaker approach remains at a preclinical stage.
Traditional pacemakers, used by millions of patients worldwide, require surgical implantation and direct contact with heart tissue. The MIT team said a noninvasive alternative could reduce some of the risks associated with implanted devices.
Researchers are also exploring whether the technology could be integrated with a previously developed ultrasound imaging patch. A combined system could potentially monitor heart activity and deliver pacing therapy through the same wearable device.
The study was led by researchers at MIT in collaboration with the University of Southern California, Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
The work received support from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, Research to Prevent Blindness and the U.S. Department of Defense.
