Week 2

          With this second week for the internship, I was still of course becoming accustomed to the lab equipment, but was able to complete a couple of tests on my own. I helped in uncovering issues on why one test was failing for several chips by changing variables one by one. For example, a test can fail for multiple reasons such as a temperature-related problem, a mistake in timing, or an error in the code of the test. Another major concept that causes many tests to fail is process variation. Essentially, process variation is natural variation that occurs when the silicon chips are fabricated, in which many factors such as device lengths and widths of the chips may vary from chip to chip. 

            Digging into Cardiac Pacing and Device Therapy, I discovered that the first pacemakers were external, wearable, and made independent of a 110 V battery. A major milestone was hit when the first pacemaker implantation occurred in Sweden in 1958. The pacemaker was implanted into Arne Larsson, however, failed after eight hours. The second implanted pacemaker functioned for one whole week before failing most likely due to lead fracture. With the processes behind making an implantable pacemaker recorded, pacemakers have since been made smaller and smaller and tested more rigorously. In 2013, Medtronic successfully implanted the world's current smallest pacemaker, which attaches directly to the inside wall of the heart.

            Overall, this week has once again been eye-opening as I continue to learn of the various tests as well as the history behind the cardiac pacemaker.

Week 1

          Before I begin, I want to just let everyone know that I will probably post every Sunday to maintain consistency. With that said, here we go. This week was definitely an eye-opener into the amount of testing that is done for individual chips that then become part of the larger pacemaker, which is actually about the size of a silver dollar. The first day at Medtronic was more of a tour and introduction to all the facilities and testing equipment used.  The main obstacle I face right now is trying to remember all the names of the pieces of equipment and remember how they function. On the first day, I spent time on the IC(integrated circuit) test floor where everyone who enter must dress up in a gown, booties, hair net, and face mask to ensure there is no foreign material or static electricity to damage any silicon chips. After viewing different types of test code and programs used to test silicon chips on the IC test floor, we went back to the office floor where the data had to be graphed and analyzed. Once graphed, I attended a meeting where the graphs were each looked at by design experts and noted if any additional testing needed to be done. Overall, I  received spurts of knowledge on codes, equipment, and programs, but became even much more informed of ensuring safety the second day. 

         During the second day, I learned how larger test programs are broken up into smaller test blocks to create more efficient test solutions.  Essentially, each test block or flow has tests at multiple combinations of conditions to ensure that the chip is fully and completely tested. The one intriguing thing I discovered is that some of the tests are designed to force a fail to ensure that the marginal chip will not be shipped. These tests are done in parameters that are outside the normal operating range. For example, one of the conditions that the chips are tested for is temperature. Certain tests will always be expected to fail at the extreme low or high temperatures or the endpoints. Since the temperatures will never reach that extremely low or extremely high temperature in the human body, a fail is completely normal and intended. 

          As the weeks pass, I am very excited to continue with this internship as well as this project and hope to gain an even better insight and understanding into the many ways medical devices are fully tested for safety. 

Introduction:

          As my first post, I should probably give a little background on who I am and what I plan to do with this blog. First off, my name is Branson Scott and I am a senior at BASIS Peoria. I love playing soccer, traveling, and spending time with my family. I enjoy being challenged, solving problems, and helping others. As I prepare for college and ultimately my future, I know that I want to do something with my life where I am directly changing people's lives.Thus, I hope to use my desire to make a positive impact on this world by pursuing a degree in bio-medical engineering, and hopefully eventually I might be able to say this:

       

          Now to discuss the purpose of this blog. For the last trimester of school, seniors are sent off to finalize college plans, undergo an internship, or get a job and so on. I am using my last trimester for a SRP (Senior Research Project), which is specific to my school. I know that this SRP will be an excellent starting point as I head into college next fall. 

         

          Essentially, for my SRP, I will be analyzing all parts of the testing done behind implantable medical devices, specifically pacemakers. While undergoing this project, I have attained an internship where I can better answer my research questions. I will be following a team of electrical engineers at a company called Medtronic where my dad works and where I hope to gain a better insight into how devices are determined reliable for human implant. At Medtronic, they specialize in medical technology and their one mission is alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life. I am super excited to start this internship as well as undergo this project and will post weekly updates on the status of my research.