News

Neural Interface Enables Capacitive Stimulation , senior technical editor Establishing one-to-one links between electrodes and neurons—in other words, an exceedingly high-density neural interface—is one of the broad, long-term objectives in neurotechnology. The size of stimulating electrodes is limited charge from the electronic charge carriers in metal electrodes to ionic charge carriers in the tissue, which is related to the surface area of the electrode.

The Next Stage for DBS Though there are many promising market segments emerging in the neurotechnology industry, the deep brain stimulation market is flush with activity in terms of new indications, new competitors, and new scientific findings bolstering the industry. Much of this activity was evident at the 2008 Neural Interfaces Conference in Cleveland earlier this month [see article, p7]. One of…

Neurotech Vendors Advance Therapies for Migraine The neurotech market for treating migraine took a step forward this month as vendors of new neuromodulation therapies announced promising study results. Researchers affiliated with at least two key players in the market presented data at the American Headache Society meeting in Boston earlier this month. Neuralieve, the Sunnyvale, CA developer of a transcranial magnetic stimulation device to treat migraine headache, reported completion of its clinical trial.

Psychiatric Support Groups This has been a good month for neurotechnology firms hoping to participate in the psychiatric disorders market. Several vendors presented promising results at scientific meetings such as the American Psychiatric Association, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Society of Biological Psychiatry annual meetings [see Conference Report, p6 and News Briefs, p4].

Publishing Integrity Like many other healthcare fields, the neurotechnology industry depends on a steady flow of information between device manufacturers and the clinical/university research communities. Because this field is so new and encompasses so many distinct medical specialties, access to timely information is important for both groups. But there is a difference between device manufacturers…

Lobbying the Lobbyists This year’s NIO public policy tour [see article p7] represented a significant milestone for the neurotechnology industry, much more so than last year’s event. For one thing, this year’s tour included more representation from neurotech device manufacturers, including the big three players Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and St. Jude Medical. We understand that Elliot Krames from…

Adaptive Control Methods Transform Neuroprosthetics Currently, most of the systems on the market for neural prostheses and neurorehabilitation make use of electronic controllers that send regular signals to surface or implanted electrodes. Neural engineers at several research institutions and commercial firms are developing new systems that will be able to modify control signals automatically based on sensory feedback, discerned user intent, or adaptive algorithms that are modified on the fly.

Transfer of Power Allegations made , former president of the Alfred Mann Foundation, regarding the role that the profit motive has played in determining the choice of power supplies in implanted medical devices [see article p1] are as troubling as they are untimely. Whether or not his estimate of $2 billion wasted by the U.S. government annually for replacement of cardiac pacemakers is accurate, th…

Research Progresses on Neural-Silicon Hybrid Circuits , senior technical editor Hybrid circuits, which combine the silicon circuitry traditionally used for computers with cultured networks of neurons, provide a new approach to sensing and computing. Rather than relying exclusively on the digital computing power of large numbers of silicon transistors, such hybrids seek to exploit the enormous computational power present in small neural networks.

Neural Interface Enables Capacitive Stimulation , senior technical editor Establishing one-to-one links between electrodes and neurons—in other words, an exceedingly high-density neural interface—is one of the broad, long-term objectives in neurotechnology. The size of stimulating electrodes is limited charge from the electronic charge carriers in metal electrodes to ionic charge carriers in the tissue, which is related to the surface area of the electrode.