Brendan O’Keefe, Talk #2

Neuroprosthetics are devices implanted in the body that simulate the function of an organ or organ system that has since failed due to disease or injury

Their functions range from providing hearing, seeing, and feeling abilities as well as pain-relief and restoring damaged brain cells

First documented use in 1957, first cochlear implant; failed after short time

Auditory: Most commonly the cochlear implant, this device gives patients their ability to hear back

Visual: In patients with macular degeneration and other visual diseases, implants can bring lost vision back

Spinal Cord Stimulator: Used for pain relief in patients with chronic moderate back pain

Most popular neuroprosthetic Usually consists of two different sets of parts: External: Outside the ear is the microphone,

speech processor to filter sound, and transmitter to receive auditory input and send the input to internal components

Internal: Receiver gets input from transmitter and converts it into electrical impulses◦ The stimulator is the device that allows this technology

to be possible. A device containing electrodes wound through cochlea and then uses the existing (yet damaged) nerves to transmit singals directly to brain

Motor prosthetics are devices that support the autonomous nervous system◦ These are functions that are uncontrollable by the

patientAn example is a bladder control implant

Restore function to brain tissue lost Circuits are integrated Parkinson’s Speech Deficits Paralysis Traumatic Brain Injury

Size Power Consumption Data Transmission Accuracy

Self-charging implants Uploading/downloading information Controlling machinery with thoughts

Anissimov, Michael, and Bronwyn Harris. "What Are Neuroprosthetics?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.

Andersen, R.A., Musallam, S., and J.W. Burdick. “Cognitive Based Neural Prosthetics”. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.

"Neuroprosthetics." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.

"Cochlear Implant." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.