A practical and low-cost test method to design reliable implantable systems

Recently various test techniques have been developed which can improve the reliability of implantable devices. This paper describes a low-cost and effective test solution for designing reliable implantable systems. This test technique makes it possible to verify the functionally of the implantable system before and after implantation. Furthermore, the proposed test method can be used for on-line monitoring of power dissipation and radiation dose of the implant to prevent the malfunction of the implant. It can also detect the electrodes and lead failures which are caused by corrosion and frequent stress due to the relative motion of the different muscle groups. The proposed test methodology has been applied to a multiprogrammable implantable microstimulator and the results confirm a very high fault coverage using a small area overhead. This technique can be implemented in any implantable system to increase its reliability and to reduce the fabrication cost.