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.