Daily, the space age affects our. lives. The most obvious example, perhaps, is the satellite’ weather photo - regular fare on weather ‘reports. _ many people with heart - disease... Sw logy has spun. off some important products | which help. them live and enjoy a high quality | of life. _ These -products are heart pacemakers. So it is fitting to look: at how satellite and moon ship technology will. help over 100,000 hearts beat. a little better this year with the help of cardiac pace- makers. : TITANIUM . THE MYSTERY METAL ‘In ancient times, titanium "was a mystery. Early metal workers found titanium light-: weight and strong, but ‘this abundant metal tremely difficult to form, In. fact, the name piven it meant © ‘*a preat magnitude. of force and power, an uncontrollable titan." The ore was discarded. However, as man’s vision soared to new heights, the’ advantages of titanium over other metals led men _ to develop the technology ° of working: and using this metal. Engincers. liked its light weight, strength, ability to withstand . temperature extremes, and amazing resis- tance to corrosion and erosion. a The ‘'Sixties’* saw it used in the frames of rockets and | supersonic aircraft. Soon titanium was even. adopted by the automotive. racing fraternity) because -of | its strength ard weight. It. also: found its: way into jet engine compressor wheels, and _air- frame ‘skins.’ ‘Titanium © left the carth's’ atmosphere | with the Mercury and Gemini capsules which’ were’ built - almost exclusively from this metal. And, finally, a titanium- clad lunar module put man on the moon. page 20 - September 7 ’ 1977 - North Sk ore News ‘which | has become apart of the’ ‘For: . the. develon- | ment: of space techno- for. was: eCx-. soto a oN APE aR AR ABE ARI Roa GAC NI a fo Sent apesicabayen ee baw eae , About the same time, titanium was being used. in. man’s body. Because -of its” remarkable ‘properties “and | ‘resistance to corrosion, titan-. ium was adopted: as a- preferred | metal for. many _ prosthetic devices implanted._ “in the human: body. ‘These ‘included heart valves, ‘surgi-.- ‘cal screws, denture parts and. the. external casing ¢ of h a meas oe pacemakers. Today's newest heart patemakers have ex- ternal coverings of titanium. “ - - EXTHIUM. v 1 ,576,800 BEATS A YEAR : in the iate 1960s scientists began searching in earnest’ for new batteries to be used | providing. power — “for spacecraft, certain. types: of | military communications and even. to power -vehicles in areas where fuel shortages or other reasons prohibited the use of internal combustion engines. — “ From this development came a new series of power sources using lithium. -Lith-_ ium is ‘the lightest metal known and had previously been used in metallurgy. and in production’ of _ nuclear ‘reactions. But it wasn’t long ‘before. the reactive qualities -of this soft, ‘silver-white | _ metal were ‘put to use in. generating electricity. To- day, small power cells using lithium as.a prime ingredient _are cabable of helping the human heart beat as often as 72 times a minute, 4,320 times a day, 1,576,800 times a year, for years and years. Estimates of the potential longevity of some lithium pacemakers exceed 10 years. SOLID STATE CIRCUITS | The technology that makes» the pacemakers work so well and yet permits their small size (typically they weigh less than a quarter of a pound) ‘is a. direct result of the space effort of the 1960s. and 70s. The demands of space required development of electronic components that were extremely reliable, very small: (to save weight and space), and which did not _ utilize much electrical energy because of the space capsule ‘dependency on batteries for power. © ; These developments in electronics are part of the + anewk reason. n why’ ‘pacemakers. are in such ‘wide. use — today. Inside the typical. pacemaker ‘is a -circuit~ “that “is | as ~ complicated © ‘as ‘that..in a-- . modern. AM radio. ‘Yet, ‘it is packaged | into a tiny, circuit block that is.as small as % of _an inch and just ¢ over 1/8 inch deep. cin, most pacemakers i im use: _ today, the circuit not ‘only. ~ ‘regulates — the» discharge * sch af : electricity “at a rate that’ is” ~-comparable- ‘to. the - normal . fate. ofa: healthy. heart, but - it also senses when: tne neart ; is functioning. properly. Most . _ pacemaker .* patients — have”. ‘periods. “of ‘normal. heart» rhythm, with. occasional ‘epi- ‘sodes during which the heart will: not beat normally. _ rermateye su abet dbece eh ttt hy eR Ha lt il ON DCN An PY aa a ct dl Sapna eb petro nnttare ce! The modern — pacemaker — coasts when the heart is- _ functioning properly. When the heart ceases to beat at a normal rate, the pacemaker senses: this lack of. activity © and . makes. the | heart con; | tract. | Yes, . : ‘pacemakers ‘reflect the | developments oi ine space age. Metallurgy, po- wer source ‘development - each has progressed to meet * the. ‘needs - “of. the space “program. And.-this, progress; has spilled over into pace- sfant manufacture, enabl- ing tiny infants in their first day, of life and-senior citizens in ‘their 90s" and 100s to aba Maxcr : experience both.an improved quality of life, and the gift of life itself. | . wetweho Tea nee, < : HIGHLAND DANCERS of Nann Wilson’s danc- ing school of North Vancouver have been Visiting . California - at. ‘one highland events on the “West Coast. [Ellsworth | Dickson photo]. of. SA, cimaesictun, oe Try some. 7 expertly cleaned oO Ea: ahaa’ Wes offer | ws | . clothes to’ feel like. new. BENTLE v's | CLEANING SAL on ARK RC - Shopping Centre ON THE NORTH SHORE: ROPE LAE EOE EHO AVL ne ote largest ; Your heart works _ ~ harder: when ‘you're notin the. 4 game. Get fit — | and turn. the. ge UGS 16 it you ur. : [re a in the Holyburn Plaza 926-6730"