OPTICAL BUNDLE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPTICAL AND/OR ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION OF PERIPHERAL NERVES
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of laser light sources configured to generate a plurality of independently controlled laser light signals;
a plurality of concentric waveguide bundles including a first waveguide bundle, and a second waveguide bundle arranged around the first waveguide bundle,wherein the plurality of waveguide bundles is operatively coupled to the plurality of laser light sources, wherein the plurality of waveguide bundles is configured to emit the plurality of independently controlled laser light signals toward a first plurality of peripheral nerves in a nerve bundle of an animal in order to independently and separately optically stimulate the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal,wherein the first waveguide bundle includes a first plurality of waveguides that have a first length and are arranged around a longitudinal axis, wherein the second waveguide bundle includes a second plurality of waveguides that have a second length and are arranged around the longitudinal axis;
a controller operatively coupled to the plurality of laser light sources and configured to selectively control the plurality of laser light signals emitted from each of the plurality of waveguide bundles such that the plurality of laser light signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal that triggers action potentials in the first plurality of peripheral nerves.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for making and using devices that generate optical signals, and optionally also electrical signals in combination with one or more such optical signals, to stimulate (i.e., trigger) and/or simulate a sensory-nerve signal in nerve and/or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human), for example to treat nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) or the central nervous system (CNS) and provide sensations to stimulate and/or simulate “sensory” signals in nerves and/or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human) to treat other sensory deficiencies (e.g., touch, feel, balance, visual, taste, or olfactory) and provide sensations related to those sensory deficiencies, and/or to stimulate (i.e., trigger) and/or simulate a motor-nerve signal in nerve and/or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human), for example to control a muscle or a robotic prosthesis.
21 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of laser light sources configured to generate a plurality of independently controlled laser light signals; a plurality of concentric waveguide bundles including a first waveguide bundle, and a second waveguide bundle arranged around the first waveguide bundle, wherein the plurality of waveguide bundles is operatively coupled to the plurality of laser light sources, wherein the plurality of waveguide bundles is configured to emit the plurality of independently controlled laser light signals toward a first plurality of peripheral nerves in a nerve bundle of an animal in order to independently and separately optically stimulate the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal, wherein the first waveguide bundle includes a first plurality of waveguides that have a first length and are arranged around a longitudinal axis, wherein the second waveguide bundle includes a second plurality of waveguides that have a second length and are arranged around the longitudinal axis; a controller operatively coupled to the plurality of laser light sources and configured to selectively control the plurality of laser light signals emitted from each of the plurality of waveguide bundles such that the plurality of laser light signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal that triggers action potentials in the first plurality of peripheral nerves. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for optically stimulating peripheral nerves of an animal, the method comprising:
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generating a plurality of independently controlled laser light signals; providing a plurality of waveguide bundles including a first waveguide bundle and a second waveguide bundle, wherein the plurality of waveguide bundles is operatively coupled to the plurality of independently controlled laser light sources, wherein the first waveguide bundle includes a first plurality of waveguides having a first length and arranged around a longitudinal axis, wherein the second waveguide bundle includes a second plurality of waveguides having a second length and arranged around the longitudinal axis; implanting the plurality of waveguide bundles in the animal; delivering the plurality of independently controlled laser light signals through the plurality of waveguide bundles to a first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal in order to independently and separately optically stimulate the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal; and selectively controlling the plurality of independently controlled laser light signals from the plurality of laser light sources such that the plurality of laser light signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal that triggers action potentials in the first plurality of peripheral nerves. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of laser light sources configured to generate a plurality of independently controlled laser light signals; a plurality of concentric waveguide bundles including a first waveguide bundle, and a second waveguide bundle arranged around the first waveguide bundle, wherein the plurality of waveguide bundles is operatively coupled to the plurality of laser light sources, wherein the plurality of waveguide bundles is configured to emit the plurality of laser light signals toward a first plurality of peripheral nerves of an animal in order to independently optically stimulate the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal, and wherein the plurality of concentric waveguide bundles is configured to be fully implanted in the animal; means for delivering the plurality of independently controlled laser light signals through the plurality of waveguide bundles to the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal in order to independently and separately optically stimulate the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal; and means for selectively controlling the plurality of independently controlled laser light signals from the plurality of laser light sources such that the plurality of laser light signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the first plurality of peripheral nerves of the animal that triggers action potentials in the first plurality of peripheral nerves.
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Specification