Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology, Armaments Bureau, Dept. of National Defense

Kea-Tiong Tang

James Singleton Little

Rongqing Dai

Robert Jay Greenberg

Kelly Hobart McClure

Arup Roy

Chunhong Zhou

Sumit Yadav

John J Reinhold

Pishoy Maksy

Richard Agustin Castro

Dao Min Zhou

David Daomin Zhou

Li-Chun Wang

Cheng-Long Ho

Han-Wen Kuo

Shang-Ren Yang

Richard Augustin Castro

Tseng-Hsiung Su

Kelly Mcclure

In electrically stimulating neural tissue it is important to prevent over stimulation and unbalanced stimulation, which would cause damage to the neural tissue, the electrode, or both. It is critical that neural tissue is not subjected to any direct current or alternating current above a safe threshold. Further, it is important to identify defective electrodes, as continued use may result in neural damage and further electrode damage. The present invention presents system and stimulator control mechanisms to prevent damage to neural tissue.

Method and apparatus to provide safety checks for neural stimulation

In electrically stimulating neural tissue it is important to prevent over stimulation and unbalanced stimulation which would cause damage to the neural tissue, the electrode, or both. It is critical that neural tissue is not subjected to any direct current or alternating current above a safe threshold. Further, it is important to identify defective electrodes as continued use may result in neural damage and further electrode damage. The present invention presents system and stimulator control mechanisms to prevent damage to neural tissue.

An apparatus for controlling the stimulation of neural tissue which includes a neural stimulator, an input device for providing input to the neural stimulator for neural stimulation, at least one electrode electrically connected to and driven by the neural stimulator and suitable to stimulate neural tissue, a device capable of determining a charge per phase by calculating a discrete integral of the wave form of the input for the at least one electrode, a calculating device for comparing the charge per phase to a predetermined maximum and determining a reduced stimulation for the at least one electrode by the amount necessary not to exceed the predetermined maximum for the at least one electrode, and a current pulse generator for stimulating the neural tissue according to the reduced stimulation level.

In electrically stimulating neural tissue it is important to prevent over stimulation and unbalanced stimulation which would cause damage to the neural tissue, the electrode, or both. It is critical that neural tissue in not subjected to any direct current or alternating current above a safe threshold. Further, it is important to identify defective electrodes as continued use may result in neural and further electrode damage. The present invention presents system and stimulator control mechanisms to prevent damage to neural tissue.

There is disclosed a method for making a nano-composite gas sensor. At first, there is provided a substrate. Then, electrodes are provided on the substrate in an array. Finally, a gas-sensing membrane is provided on the electrodes. The gas-sensing membrane includes a nano-conductive film and a peptide film.

Method for making a nano-composite gas sensor

In electrically stimulating neural tissue it is important to prevent over stimulation and unbalanced stimulation which would cause damage to the neural tissue, the electrode, or both. It is critical that neural tissue in not subjected to any direct current or alternating current above a safe threshold. Further, it is important to identify defective electrodes as continued use may result in neural and further electrode damage. Systems and stimulator control mechanisms to prevent damage to neural tissue.

The present application deals generally with the stimulation of neural tissue by electronic means and specifically with controlling the level of electrical stimulation in order to prevent damage to the neural tissue. Methods presented in the disclosure include detecting current leakage via electrode impedance measurement, electrode capacitance measurement, and testing the electrode response to test current pulse. Apparatus presented in the disclosure include circuitry and systems capable of performing the methods disclosed.

Electronic neural tissue stimulators for controlling the level of electrical stimulation in order to prevent damage to the neural tissue. Methods presented in the disclosure include detecting current leakage via electrode impedance measurement, electrode capacitance measurement, and testing the electrode response to a test current pulse. Apparatus presented in the disclosure include circuitry and systems capable of performing the methods disclosed.

The present invention provides a DAC constructed from a series of floating gate devices which are programmable to a series of predetermined values. Addressing one or more of the programmed floating gate devices will select from a wide variety of analog outputs. Reprogramming the floating gate devices, can provide a different variety of analog outputs. For example, the floating gate devices can be preprogrammed to a different range of outputs matching a range of perceptible signals.

Floating gate digital-to-analog converter

The present invention provides a DAC constructed from a series of floating gate devices which are programmable to a series of predetermined values. Addressing one or more of the programmed floating gate devices, will select from a wide variety of analog outputs. Reprogramming the floating gate devices, can provide a different variety of analog outputs. For example, the floating gate devices can be preprogrammed to a different range of outputs matching a range of perceptible signals.

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Temple City, CA, United States of America

Kea-Tiong Tang