The present disclosure relates to a method of generating visual percepts using conformal electrode arrays. The electrode arrays can be placed into the ventricular system or cerebral venous sinuses, which function as minimally invasive techniques for precise spatial and temporal localization of electrical activity within the brain, and precise electrical stimulation of brain tissue, to diagnose and restore function in conditions caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The disclosure further comprises a system for using these arrays to generate time-varying electric fields to stimulate the visual pathways of the brain, including the optic radiations and the occipital cortex, in ways that lead to visual perception.

The present invention is an improved spatial fitting and training system for a visual prosthesis. The system of the present invention maps projected locations of percepts, where a person perceives a percept from a visual prosthesis to the intended location of the percepts. The projected location may vary over time. This test results can be used to correct a visual prosthesis or spatially map the visual prosthesis.

A system and method for applying stimulation therapy to a patient, the system including a first stimulation strip that includes a first elongated portion configured to be placed on the upper eyelid of the first eye of the patient and a second elongated portion configured to be placed on the lower eyelid of the first eye of the patient, wherein the first stimulation strip includes: a first plurality of individually controlled electrodes configured to deliver a microcurrent stimulation therapy to the patient, a first plurality of individually controlled light emitters configured to deliver light stimulation therapy to the patient, and a first plurality of individually controlled heat sources configured to deliver heat therapy to the patient; and a controller operatively coupled to the first stimulation strip and configured to control delivery of the microcurrent stimulation therapy, the light stimulation therapy, and the heat therapy.

The present disclosure provides a method of forming a hermetically sealed enclosure that comprises a diamond material. The method comprises providing first and second enclosure components comprising the diamond material and having first and second recesses, respectively, at edge portions. At least one of the first and second enclosure components has a cavity. The enclosure components have respective contact surfaces at the first and second recesses and are shaped such that an outer channel is formed by the co-operation of the first and second recesses when the first and second enclosure components are contacted at the contact surfaces to form the enclosure. The method further comprises bonding a first type of material to at least surface portions of the first and second recesses of the first and second enclosure components, respectively. The method also comprises bonding a second type of material to the first type of material so that the second type of material covers at least portions of the first type of material. The second type of material is biocompatible and suitable for forming a hermetically sealed seal. In addition, the method comprises contacting the enclosure components to form the enclosure and bonding the second type of material of the first enclosure component to the second type of material of the second enclosure component so as to form a hermetically sealed seal in the outer channel.

Described here are devices, systems, and methods for treating meibomian gland disease and/or blepharitis by providing intranasal stimulation. Generally, the devices may deliver electrical stimulation to the nasal mucosa. Intranasal stimulation may unblock obstructed meibomian glands and increase the lipid content of tears, both acutely during stimulation and subsequent to intranasal stimulation. The methods may include an initial round of stimulation to unblock obstructed meibomian glands, and subsequent shorter rounds of stimulation to cause meibum secretion and maintain the open glands.

The present invention is a method for measuring stable and reproducible electrode-tissue impedance, comprising preconditioning an electrode-tissue interface. Further aspect of the invention is a stimulation system for a visual prosthesis generating a stimulation signal to precondition the electrode-tissue interface, comprising a computer; software, loaded in the computer, adapted to perform a stimulating method for a visual prosthesis having a plurality of electrodes; a video processing unit; and an implanted neuron-stimulator.

An apparatus for controlled healing of ocular erosions is described. The apparatus comprising; an optical surface comprising an energizable controller capable of being programmed to transmit energy from an energy source onto/into an ocular surface, through the use of a current generator in electrical connection with energy emitting contacts capable of transmitting an electric field. The controller, current generator and energy emitting contacts are biocompatible or encapsulated by a conductive biocompatible layer to allow positioning of said apparatus in an ocular surface.

Examples disclosed herein are relevant to monitoring and treating sensory conditions affecting an individual. Sensors and intelligence integrated within a sensory prosthesis (e.g., an auditory prosthesis) can automatically obtain objective data regarding the ability of one or more of an individuals senses during day-to-day activities. A treatment action can be taken based on the objective data. Further disclosed herein are techniques relating to reducing the gathering of irrelevant sensory input and automatically transmitting relevant data to a caregiver device.

A method, including the action of operating a sense prosthesis, such as a retinal implant, according to a first operating regime while the recipient has a first fatigue level, and operating the sense prosthesis according to a second operating regime while the recipient has a second fatigue level that is greater than the first fatigue level.

The present invention relates to a saliency-based apparatus and methods for visual prostheses. A saliency-based component processes video data output by a digital signal processor before the video data are input to the retinal stimulator. In a saliency-based method, an intensity stream is extracted from an input image, feature maps based on the intensity stream are developed, plural most salient regions of the input image are detected and one of the regions is selected as a highest saliency region.