A pulse generator implanted in the shoulder (not shown) regularly electrify a probe that touches a structure deep in the brain. The pulses interrupt the brain signals that cause tremors in many sufferers of Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.
Cost: $25,000 including surgery
Status: Approved by the FDA for use in the U.S.
Tiny microchips, implanted in the eye, could provide a crude form of vision for people made blind by diseases of the A small video camera on the user's glasses transmits a coded image into the eye-ball via a laser, where a microchip implant receives the information. Inside the eye, the implant translates the laser's data and activates a grid of electrodes which directly stimulate the nerves in the eye, creating dots of light and dark.The implant's microchip, 2 mm square, contains electronics as complex as those in a color TV. print may become readable, but color and detail are still lost.
Cost: $13-18,000 including surgery
Status: Approved in mid-July by the FDA for use in the U.S.
An experimental technology would place tiny circuit boards deep in the brain which give off electrical signals mimicking natural brain function. They could be used to correct localized brain and spinal cord damage, and could someday be used in healthy brains to improve functions such as the recall of memories.
Status: Researchers expect tests in humans within 15 years
Inside the Human Cyborg
Scientists have long known that the body's nervous system uses electrical signals. Now they're implanting devices in humans that communicate directly with nerves in a language they understand.
Researchers have created rudimentary thought-controlled switches. Sensors placed on the skin monitor brain waves; the user can make a yes or no choice by altering their mood, such as by thinking of something happy or sad.
Unlike hearing aids, which simply amplify sound, cochlear implants stimulate nerves in the ear, helping some deaf people hear. The implant analyzes sounds by volume and pitch and stimulates ear nerves accordingly. The noise heard by the user is not like normal sound, but with training, speech can be understood. A microphone and sound processor outside the skin transmits signals to an implant wired in-side the inner ear.
Cost: $25,000 to $35,000, including surgery and training
Status: About 1,000 people receive implants each year.
Instead of transplanting a heart or installing an artificial heart, a pump implanted in the chest can take over for a weak or damaged heart. Unlike artificial hearts, which must beat at a fixed rate, a heart-assist pump speeds up and slows down with the natural heart's pumping, allowing the user more freedom to exercise.
Cost: $100,000 including surgery
Status: Available in the U.S.; more than 1,000 users
Implantable defibrillator
These pacemakers, implanted in the shoulder or chest, monitor the heart and correct abnormally slow and fast heartbeats with small pulses of electricity. If the heart rate becomes dangerously fast, the device automatically jolts the heart with high-energy shocks like the paddles used by paramedics and in hospitals. The implants can track and relay heart information to doctors and can be reprogrammed after they've been implanted.
Cost: $35,000-$45,000 including surgery
Status: approved by FDA for use in U.S.
Instead of transplanting a heart or installing an artificial heart, a pump implanted in the chest can take over for a weak or damaged heart. Unlike artificial hearts, which must beat at a fixed rate, a heart-assist pump speeds up and slows down with the natural heart's pumping, allowing the user more freedom to exercise.
Cost: $100,000 including surgery
Status: Available in the U.S.; more than 1,000 users
Neural arm implant
For people with weak or paralyzed arms and hands, an network of electrodes implanted under the skin can activate certain muscles and restore gripping and lifting abilities.
A controller (not shown) is placed in a movable part of the body. It responds to small movements and signals electrodes to activate arm and hand muscles. For instance, the user might move their shoulder upward to make their hand grip an object and move the shoulder down to release it.
Cost: $45-60,000 for a partly implanted, partly external system. Fully implantable systems are being tested.
Status: More than 70 users
Prosthetic devices can be equipped with pressure and temperature sensors. The sensors activate electrodes on the residual limb, where the user can feel what the prosthetic is sensing. Used in artificial legs, they help the user keep their balance and prevent injury.
Status: Models expected within a year
Spinal neuroimplant
Used to alleviate chronic pain, an implanted device sends signals to an electrode attached to the spine, blocking pain signals from reaching the brain. The device can be customized to work on different parts of the body and can be operated with a hand-held remote control.
Cost: $50,000 including surgery
Status: Available since more than a decade; Thousands of users.
