Abstract: Obesity and other medical conditions can be managed using a closed-loop system, which uses one or more implantable recording electrodes, a processing device, and one or more implantable stimulating electrodes. The one or more implantable recording electrodes can record signals from a portion of one or more subdiaphragmatic branches of a patient’s vagus nerve. The processing device can be configured to: receive the signals from the portion of the one or more subdiaphragmatic branches of the patient’s vagus nerve, perform signal processing to decode the signals from the portion of the one or more subdiaphragmatic branches of the patient’s vagus nerve, and configure a stimulation to decrease the patient’s hunger and/or increase the patient’s satiety based on the decoded signals. The one or more implantable stimulating electrodes can deliver the configured stimulation to another portion of one or more subdiaphragmatic branches of the patient’s vagus nerve.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure relates a method of diagnosis and/or treatment of a solid tumor. The method includes directly measuring neural activity within a solid tumor for a time and determining a state of the solid tumor based on the neural activity. The diagnosis and/or treatment can be determined based on the state of the solid tumor. In some instances, the neural activity can be used in a closed loop to detect the neural activity, determine the state, determine the risk, apply treatment, check again for neural activity, and cease treatment when the neural activity is gone.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure relates a method of diagnosis and/or treatment of a solid tumor. The method includes directly measuring neural activity within a solid tumor for a time and determining a state of the solid tumor based on the neural activity. The diagnosis and/or treatment can be determined based on the state of the solid tumor. In some instances, the neural activity can be used in a closed loop to detect the neural activity, determine the state, determine the risk, apply treatment, check again for neural activity, and cease treatment when the neural activity is gone.

Abstract: A system for reducing and/or eliminating noise in chronic neural recording of low amplitude neural signals from conscious, freely-moving subjects. Triboelectric noise effects are reduced or eliminated using in implant lead with insulating materials with charge affinities separated by 10 nC/J or less. The recording device can include a preamplifier device that uses capacitors with a low-distortion dielectric material.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure can include an intrafascicular neural electrode. The intrafascicular neural electrode can include a microwire body having a proximal end, a distal anchoring end, and a middle portion extending between the proximal end and the distal anchoring end. The distal anchoring end can substantially match the mechanical and biological properties of the target nerve. The microwire body can have a middle anchoring portion extending between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein at least a portion of the distal end and/or the middle anchoring portion substantially match(es) the mechanical and biological properties of the target nerve. The electrode can be made of graphene. The microwire body, except for the distal anchoring end, can be coated with an insulation material, preferably with a biocompatible agent adsorbed onto the insulation material.

Abstract: A stealthy conductor that may be placed inside a fascicle in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is described. The conductor is placed using a targeted-fascicle or targeted-axon approach to improve specificity and signal to noise ratio (SNR). The conductor is part of a targeted fascicular interface device and is placed using an insertion tool in a manner that reduces nerve damage as compared to conventional systems. The conductor is so small (e.g., <10 ?m diameter) and so flexible (e.g., approximates flexibility of surrounding neuronal material) that biological reactions (e.g., recruitment of macrophages, edema) to the presence of the conductor may be reduced. The targeted fascicular interface device has an insulated portion and a non-insulated portion that may act as an electrode. The insulated portion may include materials that promote healing at the entry/exit site and that adhere to the perineurium.

Abstract: The present disclose generally relates to a system that controls blood pressure based on feedback-based neural stimulation. The system can include an electrode implantable within a nerve (e.g., an intra-fascicular electrode). The system can also include a hermetically-sealed electronics module connected to the electrode to record data related to neural activity from the nerve. The data related to the neural activity is indicative of the blood pressure. The system can also include an external device to communicate with the hermetically-sealed electronics module to receive and analyze the data related to the neural activity.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure relates a method of diagnosis and/or treatment of a solid tumor. The method includes directly measuring neural activity within a solid tumor for a time and determining a state of the solid tumor based on the neural activity. The diagnosis and/or treatment can be determined based on the state of the solid tumor. In some instances, the neural activity can be used in a closed loop to detect the neural activity, determine the state, determine the risk, apply treatment, check again for neural activity, and cease treatment when the neural activity is gone.

Abstract: A stealthy conductor that may be placed inside a fascicle in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is described. The conductor is placed using a targeted-fascicle or targeted-axon approach to improve specificity and signal to noise ratio (SNR). The conductor is part of a targeted fascicular interface device and is placed using an insertion tool in a manner that reduces nerve damage as compared to conventional systems. The conductor is so small (e.g., <10 ?m diameter) and so flexible (e.g., approximates flexibility of surrounding neuronal material) that biological reactions (e.g., recruitment of macrophages, edema) to the presence of the conductor may be reduced. The targeted fascicular interface device has an insulated portion and a non-insulated portion that may act as an electrode. The insulated portion may include materials that promote healing at the entry/exit site and that adhere to the perineurium.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure can include an intrafascicular neural electrode. The intrafascicular neural electrode can include a microwire body having a proximal end, a distal anchoring end, and a middle portion extending between the proximal end and the distal anchoring end. The distal anchoring end can substantially match the mechanical and biological properties of the target nerve. The microwire body can have a middle anchoring portion extending between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein at least a portion of the distal end and/or the middle anchoring portion substantially match(es) the mechanical and biological properties of the target nerve. The electrode can be made of graphene. The microwire body, except for the distal anchoring end, can be coated with an insulation material, preferably with a biocompatible agent adsorbed onto the insulation material.

Abstract: The present disclose generally relates to a system that controls blood pressure based on feedback-based neural stimulation. The system can include an electrode implantable within a nerve (e.g., an intra-fascicular electrode). The system can also include a hermetically-sealed electronics module connected to the electrode to record data related to neural activity from the nerve. The data related to the neural activity is indicative of the blood pressure. The system can also include an external device to communicate with the hermetically-sealed electronics module to receive and analyze the data related to the neural activity.

Abstract: A stealthy conductor that may be placed inside a fascicle in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is described. The conductor is placed using a targeted-fascicle or targeted-axon approach to improve specificity and signal to noise ratio (SNR). The conductor is part of a targeted fascicular interface device and is placed using an insertion tool in a manner that reduces nerve damage as compared to conventional systems. The conductor is so small (e.g., <10 ?m diameter) and so flexible (e.g., approximates flexibility of surrounding neuronal material) that biological reactions (e.g., recruitment of macrophages, edema) to the presence of the conductor may be reduced. The targeted fascicular interface device has an insulated portion and a non-insulated portion that may act as an electrode. The insulated portion may include materials that promote healing at the entry/exit site and that adhere to the perineurium.

Abstract: A sensing system and method to detect and determine magnitude and direction of ciliary body movement within an eye of a patient is disclosed. The invention comprises a permanent magnet (PM) positioned in the ciliary body, and a sensing device (SD) positioned adjacent the ciliary body and configured to detect displacement of the permanent magnet relative to the sensing device via movement of the ciliary body. The invention also comprises a data processing device (DPD) configured to determine magnitude and direction of the ciliary body movement based on the displacement of the permanent magnet detected by the sensing device.

Abstract: A neural probe for stimulating neural tissue is disclosed. The probe comprises a three-dimensional arrangement of individually addressable electrodes. As a result, embodiments of the present invention can steer stimulative electric current through a wide range of paths through neighboring neural tissue. This enables specific targeting of neural selected neural tissue. In addition, embodiments of the present invention provide increased tolerance to probe misplacement or movement after insertion. Further, embodiments of the present invention enable changes in the neural tissue being stimulated without requiring additional surgical procedures.

Abstract: A sensing system and method to detect and determine magnitude and direction of ciliary body movement within an eye of a patient is disclosed. The invention comprises a permanent magnet (PM) positioned in the ciliary body, and a sensing device (SD) positioned adjacent the ciliary body and configured to detect displacement of the permanent magnet relative to the sensing device via movement of the ciliary body. The invention also comprises a data processing device (DPD) configured to determine magnitude and direction of the ciliary body movement based on the displacement of the permanent magnet detected by the sensing device.