The present disclosure relates to a tactile emotion recognition method and device, and is directed to assigning an impedance value to each object in a virtual space; inducing virtual force using displacement between the object and a user's body in the virtual space; inducing a signal, which causes a signal of a sensory nerve to be fired, with a value corresponding to the virtual force; stimulating a location where the sensory nerve is located temporarily or over time; and generating feedback in the virtual space based on a stimulation result.

Embodiments herein relate to medical devices and methods for using the same to treat cancerous tumors within a bodily tissue. A medical device system is included having an electric field generating circuit configured to generate one or more electric fields and a control circuit in communication with the electric field generating circuit. The control circuit configured to control delivery of the one or more electric fields from the electric field generating circuit. The system can include two or more electrodes to deliver the electric fields to a site of a cancerous tumor within a patient and a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of tissue at the site of the cancerous tumor. The control circuit can cause the electric field generating circuit to generate one or more electric fields at frequencies selected from a range of between 10 kHz to 1 MHz. Other embodiments are also included herein.

A closed loop control system automatically ensures that an output of a device is constant. The system can receive an input to set a fixed value for a variable (e.g., a current, a heart rate, a tissue perfusion, an ion level, etc.), and this variable can be delivered to a feedback component. The system can also include the device to deliver the variable to a load. The feedback component can be coupled to the delivery device to sample the output of the delivery device at different times. Based on the sampling, the feedback component can vary a property of the delivery device related to the delivery of the variable to the load to ensure that the variable remains constant at the fixed value. In some instances, the system can be implemented as a stimulator that delivers the constant current of a current source and has a low output impedance of a voltage source.

An apparatus includes an implantable stimulator to treat sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and at least one electrode associated with the stimulator.

A method, electrical tissue stimulation system, and programmer for providing therapy to a patient are provided. Electrodes are placed adjacent tissue (e.g., spinal cord tissue) of the patient, electrical stimulation energy is delivered from the electrodes to the tissue in accordance with a defined waveform, and a pulse shape of the defined waveform is modified, thereby changing the characteristics of the electrical stimulation energy delivered from the electrode(s) to the tissue. The pulse shape may be modified by selecting one of a plurality of different pulse shape types or by adjusting a time constant of the pulse shape.

Stimulation of neural activity in a nerve supplying the spleen, wherein the nerve is adjacent to the splenic artery at a position where the splenic artery is not in direct contact with the pancreas, can modulate pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules levels, thereby reducing inflammation and providing ways of treating disorders, such as disorders associated with inflammation. The invention provides improved ways of reducing inflammation with minimized off-target effects, in particular surgical trauma.

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for selectively and reversibly modulating targeted neural and non-neural tissue of a nervous system for the treatment of pain. An electrical stimulation is delivered to the treatment site that selectively and reversibly modulates the targeted neural- and non-neural tissue of the nervous structure, inhibiting pain while preserving other sensory and motor function, and proprioception.

Embodiments herein relate to a medical device for treating a cancerous tumor, including an electric field generating circuit configured to generate one or more electric fields at or near a site of the cancerous tumor and control circuitry in communication with the electric field generating circuit. The medical device includes one or more supply wires in electrical communication with the electric field generating circuit and one or more supply electrodes. The supply electrodes are configured to deliver an electric field at or near the site of the cancerous tumor. The medical device can include one or more sensing wires in electrical communication with the control circuitry and one or more sensing electrodes. The sensing electrodes can be configured to measure an impedance of the cancerous tumor at at least two different electric field strengths. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Disclosed examples include technology for the detection and treatment of neotissue formation proximate an implantable stimulator. Neotissue formation can include ossification, scar tissue, soft tissue fibrosis, and other tissue growth. The neotissue formation can be detected by analyzing (e.g., using a machine-learning framework) stimulation data relating to the implantable stimulator. Neotissue formation characteristics can be analyzed to determine appropriate treatment actions for ameliorating the effects of neotissue formation.

An apparatus includes an implantable stimulator to treat sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and at least one electrode associated with the stimulator.