Medical Bionics

Abstract

We review the basic fundamentals of medical bionics, implantable devices such as heart pacemakers that help control rhythmic heart activity, and cochlear implants (bionic ears) that provide hearing for the severely or profoundly deaf. Design considerations for medical bionics are examined, including the principles of electrical stimulation of neural tissue; tissue response to chronic implantation; strategies for safe electrical stimulation; and the criteria for clinical devices. We then review a number of prostheses with long histories of successful clinical application, before describing some of the new devices currently within the development pipeline. Although far from exhaustive, this ov..