Risk assessment of active human implants exposed to incident lightning electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

The implantable medical device market size is projected to increase globally from US newline$ 86.3 billion in 2020 to US $ 145.6 billion by 2030 due to their broad therapeutic newlineapplications. However, the observed breakthroughs in treatment measures of such newlineactive human implants, typically pacemakers and neuro stimulators, concurrently newlinedemand attention in ensuring risk-free post-implantation life of patient. As disclosed newlinein all implant device manuals, these devices are prone to threats posed by external newlineelectromagnetic interference. Hence, dedicated research is happening to mitigate all newlinepossible interference effects that may appear on the implants. newline newlineIn this regard, electromagnetic interference from predictable sources like mag- newlinenetic resonance imaging machines, metal detectors, and mobile phones are exten- newlinesively addressed and dealt with. However, recent case studies published in clinical newline newlinejournals have reported that erratic at the same time sporadic natural events, such newlineas lightning, also have unignorable effects on delicate and precise active implants newlinein the human body, and these influences have not been quantified yet. Hence this newlinethesis attempts to study the response of active human implants when exposed to newlinelightning electromagnetic fields. Among the various types of implants, a typical deep newlinebrain stimulator (DBS) is selected for the investigation owing to its broad scope for newlinetreatment of movement disorders like Parkinson s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, newlineas well as non-movement symptoms like neuro-behavioral disorders. newline