A Medical School professor reported yesterday he has kept a human heart functioning as long as 109 hours after it stopped normal beating, through use of an electric stimulator.
Paul M. Zoll, associate in Medicine, said he has treated 27 cases of heart arrest, keeping those hearts going until they were able to function without assistance.
The apparatus applies two metal electrodes to the chest, near the heart. The operator of the machine then adjusts the current to set the heart beat at the desired rate.
The machine is a small, simple box, which weights about 13 pounds, and will run on electricity from a wall current, storage battery, or even the socket for a cigarette lighter in a car.
Zell explained that the staff made the equipment simple so that it could be applied rapidly in case of emergency. Patients usually die when treated three or four minutes after their hearts have stopped beating, he said.
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