Implantable Optical Stimulators

Abstract

Various systems and methods are implemented for in vivo use in a living animal. One such method involves stimulating target cells having light-responsive proteins and includes providing an elongated light-delivery structure in a narrow passageway in the animal, the elongated light-delivery structure having separately-activatable light sources located along the length of the elongated light-delivery structure. The method also includes activating less than all the light sources to deliver light to light-responsive proteins adjacent to the activated light sources along the length of the elongated light-delivery structure, thereby stimulating target cells in vivo.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A circuit arrangement for selecting and implementing neuromodulation parameters corresponding to a plurality of control channels, the plurality of control channels providing control of respective light-delivery elements, the circuit arrangement comprising:
 a sensor for sensing effects of neuromodulation due to stimuli from the light-delivery elements; and   a computer operatively connected to the sensor,   wherein the computer is configured to:   generate sets of control data, wherein each of the sets include control information for use with the plurality of control channels;   deliver optical stimuli in response to the candidate specification settings;   generate correlation data about the sets of control data with the sensed neuromodulation effects;   select one set of control data from the sets of control data, the selection responsive to the data that correlation data; and   implement the selected candidate parameter setting as a treatment regimen.   
     
     
         18 . The circuit arrangement of  claim 17 , further comprising a multichannel driver configured to individually control the light-delivery elements. 
     
     
         19 . The circuit arrangement of  claim 17 , wherein the of light-delivery elements comprise liquid crystal display (LCD) elements, and wherein the LCD elements are responsive to the plurality of control channels. 
     
     
         20 . The circuit arrangement of  claim 17 , wherein the light-delivery elements each include a separate light-generating element, and wherein each light-generating element is responsive to a separate control channel of the plurality of control channels. 
     
     
         21 . The circuit arrangement of  claim 17 , wherein each of the light-delivery elements comprises a light-emitting diode. 
     
     
         22 . The circuit arrangement of  claim 17 , wherein each of the light-delivery elements comprises a fiber optic cable. 
     
     
         23 . The circuit arrangement of  claim 17 , whereine control data comprise a neuromodulation parameter. 
     
     
         24 . The circuit arrangement of  claim 23 , wherein the neuromodulation parameter further comprises one or more of a location of the light-delivery element, an intensity of the light from the light-delivery element, and a wavelength of the light from the light-delivery element.