Neurology Devices: market research reports

An example of a neurological device topic covered by many of the reports in this category would be the brain machine Interface (BMI), the communication between brain and machine. This is the focus of nearly all aspects of neuroprosthetic devices. Whether the BMI is recording or interpreting sensory feedback, it requires clear communication between the brain and the machine.

What a BMI neuroprosthetic device does is functionally replace the biological signal modality with a technological one.

For example, a patient that loses communication between the brain and an arm due to a spinal cord injury can be outfitted with a BMI neuroprosthetic device. This device will read signals from the motor cortex, use these signals to control the motors in a prosthetic arm, and provide feedback signals to the sensory cortex to allow for a closed-loop control of the robotic arm.

Ideally, this BMI neuroprosthetic device would allow for a seamless translation of thoughts into action, with no signal disruption. Controlling a robotic arm should be done on a subconscious level, like moving a natural limb. A subconscious way of moving the arm allows the user to feel that controlling the arm feels natural.

Conceptually, a neuroprosthetic device could implement any function that the brain or nervous system can, provided that it could harness the appropriate signals and direct them accordingly.

With the current knowledge of the field, the following applications lie within the realm of possibility: cochlear stimulation for hearing restoration, spinal cord stimulation for pain relief, and visual system stimulation for blindness. The conceptual foundation of these applications is that they directly stimulate sensory pathways to emulate natural signals.