The medtech device is available at the Cleveland Clinic in the Emirati capital.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, the world has taken note of the ease with which the Emirates was able to integrate technology into healthcare for tracking and tracing infections to keep infections at bay, before using its connectivity to deploy telemedicine as a means to monitor positive patients. These developments further encouraged medical practitioners in the UAE to embrace smart tools including robotic assistants for surgery, and headgear that is designed to solve ailments like migraines in a non-invasive manner.

Among other medtech gadgets being introduced by inventors in the Middle East, Emirati doctors have used tiny implants for various purposes, including regulation of the heart rate, and also to stimulate brainwaves in order to keep seizures at bay. Buoyed by the success of these small devices in the health tech ecosystem, an American hospital with a base in Abu Dhabi has managed to save over a 1000 lives, through the deployment of a coin sized implant placed near the heart, to prevent strokes.

Used by the Cleveland Clinic which also helped a teenager with an erratic heart rate, the tiny device acts as an alternative for blood thinners, in order to keep coagulation under control and ensure regular blood flow. By doing so, the implant protects patients from a condition called atrial fibrillation, which is a disorder that disrupts the rhythm of the heart.

Placed right next to the organ, the device soon becomes completely invisible as the heart tissue grows and engulfs it over a period of 45 days after the procedure. The process that just takes an hour, involves pushing the implant into the body with a small incision, through a tube into the heart's left appendage.

Once the tiny machine is completely covered by heart tissues, the patient simply needs to take an aspirin on a daily basis to stay safe from strokes. The implant which is suitable for those who can't take anticoagulants, has the potential to help millions of people who face atrial fibrillation globally.