Nerve stimulation technology utilizing electricity, magnetism, light, and ultrasound has found extensive applications in biotechnology and medical fields. Neurostimulation devices serve as the crucial interface between biological tissue and the external environment, posing a bottleneck in the advancement of neurostimulation technology. Ensuring safety and stability is essential for their future applications. Traditional rigid devices often elicit significant immune responses due to the mechanical mismatch between their materials and biological tissues. Consequently, there is a growing demand for flexible nerve stimulation devices that offer enhanced treatment efficacy while minimizing irritation to the human body. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the historical development and recent advancements in flexible devices utilizing four neurostimulation techniques: electrical stimulation, magnetic stimulation, optic stimulation, and ultrasonic stimulation. It highlights their potential for high biocompatibility, low power consumption, wireless operation, and superior stability. The aim is to offer valuable insights and guidance for the future development and application of flexible neurostimulation devices.

This open access book describes modern applications of computational human modeling with specific emphasis in the areas of neurology and neuroelectromagnetics, depression and cancer treatments, radio-frequency studies and wireless communications. Special consideration is also given to the use of human modeling to the computational assessment of relevant regulatory and safety requirements. Readers working on applications that may expose human subjects to electromagnetic radiation will benefit from this book’s coverage of the latest developments in computational modelling and human phantom development to assess a given technology’s safety and efficacy in a timely manner. Describes construction and application of computational human models including anatomically detailed and subject specific models; Explains new practices in computational human modeling for neuroelectromagnetics, electromagnetic safety, and exposure evaluations; Includes a survey of modern applications for which computational human models are critical; Describes cellular-level interactions between the human body and electromagnetic fields.

The book introduces flexible and stretchable wearable electronic systems and covers in detail the technologies and materials required for healthcare and medical applications. A team of excellent authors gives an overview of currently available flexible devices and thoroughly describes their physical mechanisms that enable sensing human conditions. In dedicated chapters, crucial components needed to realize flexible and wearable devices are discussed which include transistors and sensors and deal with memory, data handling and display. Additionally, suitable power sources based on photovoltaics, thermoelectric energy and supercapacitors are reviewed. A special chapter treats implantable flexible sensors for neural recording. The book editor concludes with a perspective on this rapidly developing field which is expected to have a great impact on healthcare in the 21st century.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a technique that delivers mild electrical currents across the intact surface of the skin to reduce pain. TENS is used by practitioners throughout the world to manage painful conditions and TENS equipment can be purchased by the general public so that they can self-administer treatment. There are thousands of experimental and clinical research studies published on TENS and related techniques yet there is uncertainty about the best way to administer TENS in clinical practice. This is because currents used during TENS can be administered in a variety of ways and the findings of research studies have been inconclusive. This book provides guidance on how best to use TENS based on an evaluation of current research evidence. The book covers what TENS is, how it works, and safe and appropriate clinical techniques for many conditions including chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis and cancer pain. It also offers solutions to the problems faced by researchers when trying to design clinical trials on TENS. Accessibility written, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) provides a comprehensive coverage of research issues and findings about TENS and will be essential reading for healthcare professionals, practitioners and students.

"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine."

Smart Textiles for in situ Monitoring of Composites proposes a 'smart textile' approach to help solve the problem of real-time monitoring of the structural health of composites. The book combines textiles, composites and structural health monitoring knowledge to present an integrated approach to the deployment of smart textiles to monitor failure modes in composite materials. It introduces the theory of smart textiles for monitoring and measurement applications, describes established and developing techniques and approaches for using smart textiles for in-situ monitoring, and includes different fiber/matrix combinations and hybrid structures that are all presented using academic research and real-world case studies. As smart textiles are fitted with flexible adapted sensors and actuators that detect stress, deformation, temperature changes, light intensity, and other signals from the environment, this book is a timely resource on the topic. - Proposes a 'smart textile' approach to in situ monitoring of the structural health of composites where the composite structure's functionalized reinforcement also plays a role - Discusses the impact of this technology on different reinforcement materials and matrices - Demonstrates, through a review of research and case studies, the implementation of sensing and measurement systems

Is there a right way to study how the brain works? Following the empiricist's tradition, the most common approach involves the study of neural reactions to stimuli presented by an experimenter. This 'outside-in' method fueled a generation of brain research and now must confront hidden assumptions about causation and concepts that may not hold neatly for systems that act and react. György Buzsáki's The Brain from Inside Out examines why the outside-in framework for understanding brain function has become stagnant and points to new directions for understanding neural function. Building upon the success of 2011's Rhythms of the Brain, Professor Buzsáki presents the brain as a foretelling device that interacts with its environment through action and the examination of action's consequence. Consider that our brains are initially filled with nonsense patterns, all of which are gibberish until grounded by action-based interactions. By matching these nonsense "words" to the outcomes of action, they acquire meaning. Once its circuits are "calibrated" by action and experience, the brain can disengage from its sensors and actuators, and examine "what happens if" scenarios by peeking into its own computation, a process that we refer to as cognition. The Brain from Inside Out explains why our brain is not an information-absorbing coding device, as it is often portrayed, but a venture-seeking explorer constantly controlling the body to test hypotheses. Our brain does not process information: it creates it.

Did you know... Medical interventions have become the third leading cause of death in America. An estimated 10 percent of Americans are implanted with medical devices -- like pacemakers, artificial hips, cardiac stents, etc. The overwhelming majority of high-risk implanted devices have never undergone a single clinical trial. In The Danger Within Us, award-winning journalist Jeanne Lenzer brings these horrifying statistics to life through the story of one working class man who, after his "cure" nearly kills him, ends up in a battle for justice against the medical establishment. His crusade leads Lenzer on a journey through the dark underbelly of the medical device industry, a fascinating and disturbing world that hasn't been written about before. What Lenzer exposes will shock readers: rampant corruption, elaborate cover-ups, shameless profiteering, and astonishing lack of oversight, all of which leads to dangerous devices (from artificial hips to pacemakers) going to market and into our bodies. In the vein of America's Bitter Pill and A Civil Action, The Danger Within Us is a stirring call for reform and a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of American healthcare. "Before you get anything implanted in your body, read this book."-Shannon Brownlee, author of Overtreated

This revised, updated, and substantially expanded third edition provides an accessible, practical overview of major areas of research, technical development and clinical application in the field of neurorehabilitation movement therapy. The initial section provides the basic framework and a rationale for technology application in movement therapy by summarizing recent findings in neuroplasticity and motor learning. The following section provides a detailed overview of the movement physiology of various neurologic conditions, illustrating how this knowledge has been used to design various neurorehabilitation technologies. The third section then explains the principles of human-machine interaction for movement rehabilitation. The fourth section provides an overview of assessment technology and predictive modeling in neurorehabilitation. The fifth section provides a survey of technological approaches to neurorehabilitation, including spinal cord stimulation, functional electrical stimulation, virtual reality, wearable sensing, brain computer interfaces, mobile technologies, and telerehabilitation. The final two sections examine in greater detail the ongoing revolution in robotic therapy for upper extremity movement and walking, respectively. The promises and limitations of these technologies in neurorehabilitation are discussed, including an Epilogue which debates the impact and utility of robotics for neurorehabilitation. Throughout the book the chapters provide detailed practical information on state-of-the-art clinical applications of these devices following stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neurologic disorders and future developments in the field. The text is illustrated throughout with photographs and schematic diagrams which serve to clarify the information for the reader. Neurorehabilitation Technology, Third Edition is a valuable resource for neurologists, biomedical engineers, roboticists, rehabilitation specialists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and those training in these fields. Chapter “Spinal Cord Stimulation to Enable Leg Motor Control and Walking in People with Spinal Cord Injury is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Prostheses, assistive systems, and rehabilitation systems are essential to increasing the quality of life for people with disabilities. Research and development over the last decade has resulted in enormous advances toward that goal-none more so than the development of intelligent systems and technologies. In the first truly comprehensive book addressing intelligent technologies for the disabled, top experts from around the world provide an overview of this dynamic, rapidly evolving field. They present state-of-the-art information on the latest, innovative technologies and their applications in various systems designed to better the lives of the disabled. From the underlying principles to the design, practical applications, and assessment of results, Intelligent Systems and Technologies in Rehabilitation Engineering offers broad, pragmatic coverage of the field. It incorporates the most recent advances in sensory and limb prostheses, myoelectric control systems, circulatory systems, assistive technologies, and applications of virtual reality. Rapid progress demands a concerted effort to keep up with the latest developments so they can begin to serve their purpose and improve the lives of the disabled. By incorporating details of the latest and most important advances into one volume, Intelligent Systems and Technologies in Rehabilitation Engineering makes that undertaking essentially effortless.