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Cardiac pacemakers are routinely used for the treatment of bradyarrhythmias. Contemporary pacemakers are reliable and allow for a patient specific programming. However, pacemaker replacements due to battery depletion are common (~25 % of all implantation procedures) and bear the risk of complications. Batteryless pacemakers may allow overcoming this limitation. To power a batteryless pacemaker, a mechanism for intracorporeal energy harvesting is required. Such a generator may consist out of subcutaneously implanted solar cells, transforming the small amount of transcutaneously available light into electrical energy. Alternatively, intravascular turbines may harvest energy from the blood flow. Energy may also be harvested from the ventricular wall motion by a dedicated mechanical clockwork converting motion into electrical energy. All these approaches have successfully been tested in vivo. Pacemaker leads constitute another Achilles heel of contemporary pacemakers. Thus, leadless devices are desired. Miniaturized pacemaker circuits and suitable energy harvesting mechanisms (incorporated in a single device) may allow catheter-based implantation of the pacemaker in the heart. Such miniaturized battery- and leadless pacemakers would combine the advantages of both approaches and overcome major limitations of today’s systems.

Aim of this study is to present a survey of the dog population and breed distribution in Switzerland from 1955 to 2008 as basis to realize a population based canine cancer register for Switzerland. The number of dogs rose from 309'000 in 1955 to approximately 500'000 in 2008 correlating with a parallel increase of human population. The ratio of dogs per 100 inhabitants remains stable. This ratio is lower in German speaking compared to French or Italian speaking Cantons. The variety and popularity of breeds changed from 1955 to 2008, "winners" are Labrador and Golden Retrievers, Yorkshire and Jack Russel Terriers. Less popular breeds over the years are German Sheherd dogs and Poodles.