Programming Wand Magnet

Pacemaker puck

by Theknotguy - 2018-08-18 08:19:32

The magnet in the pacemaker puck used during readings/programming activates a switch that puts the pacemaker into a programming mode.  Used to be a mechanical reed switch. On the newer models it's an electronic switch.  

As for how much of a voltage drop or stress on the battery - it's minimal.  You're switching from one mode to another and that's been factored into the overall life of the pacemaker.  You won't see a drop in life expectancy on the reports just because a reading has been done.  Besides your pacemaker is an electronic/mechanical/electrical device and it will need maintenance.  So rather than skip a reading session because you're worried about stress on the battery or the unit, I'd be more concerned about skipping a reading and have them miss some other problem that needs to be addressed.  

Most of us are getting 8 to 10 years from the batteries we have now.  Future models are only going to get better as technology improves.  

My unit is coming up on the four year mark and it's obsolete.  I have to wait another four years until the battery runs out and I can go to a newer and better unit.  It would be nice if I could go to the latest and greatest without having the four year wait.  But, oh well.  I'm alive to complain about it and in the meantime no one is shoveling dirt on top of me so I guess I'm doing OK.  

Hope things are going well for you.  

Thanks Theknotguy

by GS - 2018-08-18 08:57:42

Thanks for the reply. It helped a lot. Aslo, was speaking to the programming guy but he was confused. He said it was either .1% or .01%. what should be the difference between programmings, once a year?

Don't get hung up about readings and battery depletion

by Theknotguy - 2018-08-19 07:59:15

Don't get hung up about readings and battery depletion.  As I said before you have a mechanical/electronic/medical device that will need occasional maintenance and it will probably also need to be tweaked to make it work better with your heart situation.  They're going  to need to interrogate it occasionally and that's just part and parcel of having a pacemaker.  Overall the interrogations don't really do that much to deplete the battery and isn't something to get concerned about.  

Depending upon your heart situation they can interrogate anywhere from once a year to a couple of times a day.  They were doing readings on mine once every 90 days at the first.  They needed to do some tweaking to get things working right with my heart.  I've also got two programs running for afib.  So in addition to mine just being a pacemaker it's running two programs which will run down the battery faster.  The initial reports said I would have twelve years and the numbers decreased until they held steady at eight.  At first I wasn't happy but considering everything the pacemaker is doing I'm amazed I'm getting eight.  

I do hope you are adjusting well to your new pacemaker.  

You've asked this before

by Gotrhythm - 2018-08-19 13:45:56

What's up? This is the third or fourth time you have asked some variation of this question. The answer is the same every time, i.e. "Not enough to worry about. Not likely to effect the overall longeveity of the battery."

Is there something else you want to know but don't know how to ask?

What answer are you looking for?

Battery Life

by Selwyn - 2018-08-20 12:25:41

This is an inexact science as to how long your battery will last. 

I am on a 9 month check up at present as my battery's life minimum expectation is just over a year. The maximum is 5 years. My implant was 2009, so I expect 14 years would be good for a battery at the upper end of expectation. 

There is such a big range, depending on demand, resistance, thresholds, and programmes. 

I drive an all electric car- the battery is guaranteed for 10 years, with the technology improving as each model comes to the market.  It is a shame we cannot charge up our batteries overnight ( a bit like my electric toothbrush) by induction and then prolong even further our PM battery life. I can foresee wearing a special electric vest at night and never needing a PM battery replacement! 

Selwyn 

Depends...

by ROBO Pop - 2018-08-20 18:28:08

No, not the adult diapers, it depends on many many factors for example read Selwyn's response, however the most important issue is whether they stuffed one of those devices under recall inside you. Now see mine, the batteries are defective and can die anytime without advance warning, then again so could I so what's the worry?

Use some reason for heaven sake. If you put a battery inside a flash light it'll operate for x amount of time. Put another battery in that same flash light and the life could be shorter or longer under the same conditions. It ain't an exact science, even your body chemistry affects it.

One thing I know for certain as fact though, worry causes batteries to drain much faster.