Generation 4 for Gary's tech education and regulation starts in 2009, when he acquired a deep brain stimulator. The DBS includes a battery powered pacemaker in Gary's chest, near his heart, eight 24" wires bundled into a cable that runs from the pacemaker up through his neck, over the top of his head and down to electrodes inside his brain behind his eyes.
After Gary's surgery, Medtronic--the implant's manufacturer--published an extensive list of electronic devices that may interfere with a deep brain stimulator. Besides lessening the symptoms of Parkinson's, a DBS works as an antenna. Of course, any metal object can act as an antenna, though it won't be efficient unless it's designed to work like one.
Gary learned that to keep his implant functioning properly, he needs to keep his head and body at least 20 inches from cell phones and other mobile devices. Closer proximity can reprogram or shut the implant off. Some exposures can heat the wires in his brain; such heat could damage his brain or cause his death.
Electronics became Gary's savior and his bane. He realized that walking through theft detectors at a mall or the public library can shut off his DBS. Metal detectors at airports and government offices, MRI diagnostics, surgical electrocautery tools and many electric and hybrid cars can also reprogram or shut off his implant. When this happens, has seconds to reset it--or he shakes so badly that he can't reset it without help.
At the start of each school year, School of Mines geophysics faculty gather at a retreat center on Lookout Mountain. This mountain also houses TV, radio and cell phone service antennas for the Denver area. Gary realized that being at the Lookout Mountain retreat for more than 90 seconds could heat the wires in his implant and damage his brain.
If you're thanking your lucky stars that you don't have a DBS or a cardiac pacemaker or an insulin pump or a cochlear implant, consider your dental work: a metal crown or tooth filling can also work as a radio receiver.
Gary doesn't live far from here, but he could not attend this talk because, like many parks, Colorado Chautauqua has Wi-Fi, and we could not predict how many cell phones would be in the audience. The combination of Wi-Fi and an auditorium full of cell phones could reprogram his deep brain stimulator or shut if off.
In year 2000, NIH estimated that 8 - 10% of the American population had some kind of medical implant. Besides cardiac pacemakers and neurostimulators, insulin pumps and cochlear implants are increasingly common. In 2013, President Obama committed $100 million to expanding use of deep brain stimulators for people with pain, depression and obsessive compulsive disorders.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
