App Tells When Battery is Low in Deep Brain Stimulator

Medical students and faculty at the University of Florida, along with one high school student, have released an app that can measure the battery life in deep brain stimulation devices.

The app began as a summer project and led to a paper published online in PLOS ONE. Called the DBS Battery Estimator, it is available in the Apple app store and the Android market and is compatible with Android phones, iPhones, the iPod Touch and iPad.

Deep brain stimulation uses leads implanted deep in patients’ brains to stimulate neurons, reducing the symptoms of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia and Tourette’s syndrome. As with any electronic device, if the battery runs out, the device ceases to function and symptoms return. — Lena Freund

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