A microscale photovoltaic neurostimulator for fiber optic delivery of functional electrical stimulation.
Publication/Presentation Date
9-1-2007
Abstract
Recent advances in functional electrical stimulation (FES) show significant promise for restoring voluntary movement in patients with paralysis or other severe motor impairments. Current approaches for implantable FES systems involve multisite stimulation, posing research issues related to their physical size, power and signal delivery, surgical and safety challenges. To explore a different means for delivering the stimulus to a distant muscle nerve site, we have elicited in vitro FES response using a high efficiency microcrystal photovoltaic device as a neurostimulator, integrated with a biocompatible glass optical fiber which forms a lossless, interference-free lightwave conduit for signal and energy transport. As a proof of concept demonstration, a sciatic nerve of a frog is stimulated by the microcrystal device connected to a multimode optical fiber (core diameter of 62.5 microm), which converts optical activation pulses ( approximately 100 micros) from an infrared semiconductor laser source (at 852 nm wavelength) into an FES signal.
Volume
4
Issue
3
First Page
213
Last Page
218
ISSN
1741-2560
Published In/Presented At
Song, Y. K., Stein, J., Patterson, W. R., Bull, C. W., Davitt, K. M., Serruya, M. D., Zhang, J., Nurmikko, A. V., & Donoghue, J. P. (2007). A microscale photovoltaic neurostimulator for fiber optic delivery of functional electrical stimulation. Journal of neural engineering, 4(3), 213–218. https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2560/4/3/006
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
17873423
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article