Mitigating bit flips or single event upsets in epilepsy neurostimulators

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review software errors known as single event upsets (SEUs) or bit flips due to cosmic rays in epilepsy neurostimulators. Materials and methods: A case report of a single event upset or bit flip is discussed; device manufacturers and publicly available data were queried for both incidence and types of error as well as strategies of software error mitigation. Results: Neurostimulators, like other implanted devices such as pacemakers, are prone to single event upsets. Strategies for SEU mitigation are reviewed. Conclusions: Cosmic radiation can threaten RAM and settings of neurostimulators; neuromodulation teams and device designers need to take this threat into account when designing multifunctional neuromodulation systems.

Keywords

• Neurostimulation
• Epilepsy
• Software
• Cosmic
• Neutron
• Safety