The material will be used to make more abrasion-resistant components

A polyurethane-based material will soon be used in a new generation of heart pacemakers. US medical device manufacturer St Jude Medical will use the material – called Elast-Eon – in pacemaker leads. The lead carries an electrical signal from the device to the heart, but often needs to be replaced as it rubs against itself in operation. Elast-Eon’s high abrasion resistance means that the lead will not have to be replaced.

The material is manufactured in Melbourne, Australia by Aortech Biomaterials, which is owned by UK company Aortech International. It acquired the rights to the material from its developer, the Australian research organisation CSIRO. Thanks to a $2m (E1.65m) upfront payment from St Jude, Aortech is ready to begin full-scale production of the material – which is described as “a polyurethane with silicone components”.