Since 1958, when the first cardiac pacing system wasimplanted, the exemplary collaboration between medicine andengineering has developed into an extremely successfultherapy.The book highlights many of the recent and most importanttechnological advances and shows the multidisciplinarynature of the technical task of pacemaker development whichis based on the diverse components of physiology,electronics, physics, electrochemistry and the materialsciences.Since 1958, when the first cardiac pacing system wasimplanted, the exemplary collaboration between medicine andengineering has developed into an extremely successfultherapy.The book highlights many of the recent and most importanttechnological advances and shows the multidisciplinarynature of the technical task of pacemaker development whichis based on the diverse components of physiology,electronics, physics, electrochemistry and the materialsciences.Basic Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart.- Position and Structure of the Heart.- Generation and Tine Course of Excitation.- Excitation-Contraction Coupling and the Contraction Process.- Physiology of the Heartbeat.- The Pacemaker Potential and the Spread of Excitation.- Cardiac Mechanics.- Adjustments of the Heartbeat.- Neural-Humoral Control of Circulation.- Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Cardiovascular Regulation.- Circulatory Regulation in Patients with Disorders of the Hearts Pacemaking or Conducting System.- Monitoring the Electrical Activity of the Heart.- Pathophysiology.- Disorders of the Pacemaking Function.- Disturbances of Conduction.- Therapy for Cardiac Rhythm Disturbances.- Electrotherapy in the Treatment of Cardiac Rhythm Disturbances.- Pacemaker Technology.- Implantable Pacemakers: History, Current Status and Trends.- Multiprogrammable Single-Chamber Pacemakers.- Technical Solution for the Multiprogrammable Single-Chamber Pacemaker.- Multiprogrammable Dual-Chamber Pacemaker.- l“ó