Reliability evaluation and improvement of deep brain stimulator based on accelerated flexing test

Reliability of a deep brain stimulator is very important. In this paper, the reliability performance of the extension and lead of a deep brain stimulator was evaluated based on an accelerated flexing test, and through a weakness detection, segment level improvement and assembly level improvement procedure, failure frequency was reduced and bending count till failure values got significant increased for the weak points of the extension and lead. The deep brain stimulator is now under clinical trial, and the results showed that the method and improvement strategy is helpful to reliability design and process improvement.