Neural Engineering (Term Paper Sample)

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Part One: Neural Engineering
Technology has evolved over the years, and it is used to make everyday life easier. Innovations have enabled daily lives of people to be a lot easier. New technologies have made it possible for breakthroughs in different areas of professions from business to medicine (WESTON 2004).
However, technology has also come with its shortcoming. As much as the new technologies are useful they may be used by, individuals to inflict harm to others. In the modern day of global terrorism and terror threats, extremists use technology to their advantage.
Neural engineering attempts to merge the human sensory system with artificial technologies to produce higher functions by the human body. Rudiments behind neural engineering involve the correlation of neurons, neural networks, and nervous system functions. Neural engineering uses quantifiable models to aid the development of devices that can construe and control signals and produce purposeful responses to aid the human body.
Through technologies in neuromechanics and neuromodulation, neural engineering can be used in fields such as clinical emergency response service. This technology should be embraced in emergency response. However, the use of some technologies is not as easy as one would think. There is the suggestion that the use of Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) is viable. It has been deployed in a small scale but with many challenges, the main one being the management of the frequencies at an incident location (VAUGHAN 2006). This has proved to be a challenge, as those people that have bad intent can also monitor frequencies.
The use of neuroengineering technology is an expensive endeavor as it is extremely costly to put up the system, run it and train personnel on its effective use over time. Neural Engineering is still a relatively new field of science with little material and research available. However, innovations are made, and the need to solve some existing human problems. The allocation of valuable manpower in the training of neural techniques is a luxury that most cannot afford.
The need for biotechnology in emergency response has elicited suggestions to use neural engineering in identification of emergency response personnel with emphasis on smart cards and body receptors as the preferred technique for the identification process. This is quite an ingenious approach as it enables people to be uniquely identified at the scene. However, it faces various challenges from the cost of running the program to its implementation. The main challenge in my view will have to be the time constraint that is associated with the use of the technology (CHASE 2006).
Usually, a scene is usually chaotic, and management of personnel is the main challenge. Introducing this technology will not only put another layer of logistics that will make it difficult to do their work, but creating a huddle that personnel will have to jump over.
In conclusion, technology should make life easier should one choose to embrace it rather than create more problems that would need costly solution. Therefore, the technology that is being employed here creates more problems than solutions. However, one may argue that technology and innovation come at a cost.
Part two: Implanted neural stimulators to counteract epileptic seizures
An individual’s health is the one of the most crucial aspect in his/her life. Living a healthy life ensures one goes through life healthy. The health of a person is directly related to various aspects in his life. One needs to ensure that he stays in shape and fully functional.
Epileptic seizures are a symptom of abnormally, excessive synchronous neuronal activity in the human brain. These seizures, also called fits, have visible effects on a person experiencing them. Seizures are manifested through hard, wild thrust movements, also called a tonic-clonic seizure. Another symptom of a seizure can be as little as a mild loss of awareness, also called absence seizure. Epileptic episodes are diverse depending on the medical condition of an individual. However, the causes are the same.
Health is a key pillar in the social setting of a population. However, over the years, healthy living has become a common topic of discussion. This is mainly because of ailments and health complications that have arisen over the years. Data from the Center for Disease control shows 4% of the population will experience a seizure by the age of 80. Further studies have shown that the chance of experiencing a subsequent seizure increase significantly by as much as 40%. Medical syndrome of regular, gratuitous seizures is termed epilepsy. However, seizures can happen to people who do not have epilepsy as a medical condition (VAUGHAN 2006).
Neural engineering has made it possible in the treatment and management of epileptic patients. Through neural stimulators, patients are able to manage epileptic episodes. Research done on neural stimulation has shown results that indicate electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve alters the Electroencephalography (EEG) in humans. Given certain stimulus parameters, electrical stimulation can change the levels of electrical activity in the brain. This research has shown significant progress on the effects of neural stimulation as a treatment to epileptic seizures.
In the United States alone, the CDC estimates epilepsy affects 0.6%, which is over two million of the total population. This figure is more than any other neurological diseases combined. This is a large number of people with a majority of them being children (CHASE 2006). In finding solutions to this problem, medical institutions have been attempting to use neural engineering, neural stimulation find the best was of managing the condition. Technological innovations have made it possible to have existing technology that treats and manages epileptic episodes more manageable.
Recently, vagus-nerve stimulator technology has been approved for management of epileptic seizure patients above 12 years. The device, which is like a pace maker, is implanted using two electrodes in the left vagus nerve. Studies have shown reduced rates of epileptic episodes among patients. This closed-loop device has extended to human trials. NeuroPace's Responsive Neurostimulation System (RNS) is an electrical stimulation implant which has two leads, containing four electrodes placed in the brain at the seizure focus point. The technology detects electrical impulses in the brain thus sends stimulation to normalize the seizures in the patient. The device also records the electrical activity in the brain so that it can be analyzed later. Manufacturers of the device have warned of the effect the devices have on the human brain. Since the devices are implanted at the base of the scalp, malfunctioning may cause catastrophic effects to the patient.
Approval of neural stimulants in the treatment and management of epileptic seizures largely depend on the results from human trials. Early results show positive responses as epileptic episodes in a group of patients been reduced by almost 50%. The positive impacts this technology can have of patients cannot be over emphasized.
Part Three: Bionic Eye or artificial vision research programs
Innovations in neural engineering have made it possible for research into areas of neural science, which were unimaginable, possible. In the past neural stimulation has been used in different areas of the human physiology to help in treating and managing certain conditions, SCHACHTER & SCHMIDT (2001). In Australia, scientists and surgeons have been able to use the bionic ear technology for patients as little as 6 years. By implanting neural stimulators in auditory areas of the brain, scientists have been able to restore hearing or improved in patients having hearing disorders. This has enabled research in vision research to take tremendous strides in efforts to help those with vision problems, FINN & LOPRESTI (2003).
Some of the institutions involved in artificial vision research include
1 Fight for Sight in New York
2 University of California -Invention of active epi-retinal prosthesis revealed evidence of the principle in acute patients.
3 University of Louvain - Microsystem-based Visual Prosthesis (MIVIP) technology was designed
4 Johns Hopkins University
5 VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies where Implantable Miniature Telescope developed
6 University Eye Hospital in Tübingen - Tübingen MPDA Project Alpha IMS
7 Harvard/MIT Retinal Implant, Dobelle Eye
8 Stanford University - Optoelectronic Retinal Prosthesis
9 Bionic Vision Australia
10 Illinois Institute Of Technology (IIT) - Intracortical Visual Prosthesis
Polystim neurotechnologies Laboratory at the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal - Visual Cortical Implant
Vision Quest
Bionic Vision Australia
Researchers in Australia led by Professor Anthony Burkitt are in the process of developing two retinal prostheses. The researchers are using existing neural stimulus technology to try and change vision technology. Using neural stimulus to stimulate areas of the brain in charge of vision, the technology incorporates advancements made in other organ treatment. The researchers use approximately 98 implanted electrodes in different parts of the brain to increase vision. However, this technology is still limited as they work with individuals who have poor eyesight rather that totally imparted. The technology is awaiting human trial approval, and prototypes have are expected in the market in 2013, DENYS & SCHUURMAN (2012).
The team of researchers is also in the process of developing a High-Acuity device. By incorporating various new innovative technologies, the device uses microchips, and an implant which contains 1024 electrodes. The...