Nuclear-Powered Cardiac Pacemakers
The Off-Site Source Recovery Program, or OSRP, recovers excess and unwanted radioactive sealed sources as part of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Global Material Security. Radioactive materials are used for good in many applications and industries, including certain cardiac pacemakers. Pacemakers are used to stimulate a regular heartbeat when the body’s natural electrical pacing system is irregular or not transmitting properly. Pacemakers that are powered by putonium-238 need to be disposed of properly upon removal.
Identifying Nuclear-Powered Pacemakers
Not all pacemakers look the same and different indicators may be used to determine if a pacemaker is nuclear-powered, or non-nuclear. To determine if a pacemaker contains radioactive material, observe the pacemaker body for any of the following markings:
- The radiation symbol in any size or color.
- Radioactive
- Nuclear
- Isotopic
- Plutonium or Pu-238
- Curies or Ci
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Additionally, nuclear-powered cardiac pacemakers were manufactured by many companies. If one of the following manufacturer names appears on the device, it may contain radioactive material:
- ARCO (Perma-grain)
- Medtronic (Laurens-Alcatel)
- Gulf General Atomic
- Cordis (Telektronic, Accuffix)
- American Optical
- Biocontrol Technology (Coratomic)
- Medical Devices, Inc (MDI)
Disposal of Nuclear-Powered Pacemakers
If any of the markings indicate that the device contains radioactive material, please contact OSRP (osrp@lanl.gov) for shipping and disposal instructions. If the markings do not indicate that the pacemaker contains radioactive material, you do not have to contact OSRP. Instead, due to the chemical nature of the battery, contact your state solid waste authorities for information on proper disposition.