Direct Physical and Biological Modification Neurotechnology for Medical Applications While technologies in the previous categories often use electrical signals, more recent technologies have been using methods to directly interact with physical and biological modifications. While many experiments have been tried on animal models, applications on humans are still in an early development stage. An example of this category is optogenetics. …
Closed-Loop Neurotechnology for Medical Applications
Closed-Loop Neurotechnology for Medical Applications Closed-loop or feedback-controlled neurotechnologies combine measurement and stimulation with the goal of more accurately controlling the state of a specific physiological signal for therapeutic purposes. Thus, neurotechnologies belonging to this category should be able to both read from and stimulate the nervous system. For example, closed-loop systems to prevent seizures use intracranial electrodes to monitor …
Stimulating/Actuating Neurotechnology for Medical Applications
Stimulating/Actuating Neurotechnology for Medical Applications Neurotechnologies designed to provide treatment often rely on direct interaction with the nervous system to supply an external input or stimulation. Since we are not considering drugs in the scope of this framework, electrical inputs are the most common type of stimulation that can be provided with neurotechnologies. With non-invasive technologies, it is possible to …
Medical Examples Overview
Categories of Neurotechnology A multitude of neurotechnologies, with different maturity levels, belong to one or more types of medical neurotechnology. For example, there may be technologies for physical modification that also involve stimulation. In that case, the ethical, legal, social, and cultural issues for both classifications should be considered. Some neurotechnologies have been used for decades and are part of …
Recording/Sensing Neurotechnology for Medical Applications
Recording/Sensing Neurotechnology for Medical Applications To better diagnose and treat medical conditions it is often helpful to access and measure the state of the brain and the nervous system. For the case of neural recording, there are different types of signals that can be measured and that have been identified as viable proxies of brain and nervous system activity: namely, …
Medical Application Preamble
Medical Preamble Over the last twenty years, remarkable technological advances have been made in science and medicine. However, while medical therapies for management of non-brain related disorders and trauma have advanced, treatments for brain diseases, brain injury, and other medical conditions related to the nervous system have proved less successful. One reason for this is that pharmaceuticals and immunotherapies are …
IEEE Neuroethics Framework
Addressing the Ethical, Legal, Social, and Cultural Implications of Neurotechnology As part of our effort to support the neuroengineering community, the IEEE Brain Neuroethics Subcommittee is developing a neuroethical framework for evaluating the ethical, legal, social, and cultural issues that may arise with the deployment of such neurotechnologies. Find more information on the IEEE Neuroethics Framework HERE. The IEEE Brain ...
