Epilepsy and Behavior Case Reports (Jan 2016)

Mitigating bit flips or single event upsets in epilepsy neurostimulators

  • Alice X. Dong,
  • Ryder P. Gwinn,
  • Nicole M. Warner,
  • Lisa M. Caylor,
  • Michael J. Doherty

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebcr.2016.04.002
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. C
pp. 72 – 74

Abstract

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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.

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