• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

Optical stimulation provides a promising alternative to electrical stimulation to selectively modulate tissue. However, developing noninvasive techniques to directly stimulate excitable tissue without introducing genetic modifications and minimizing cellular stress remains an ongoing challenge. Infrared (IR) light has been used to achieve optical pacing for electrophysiological studies in embryonic quail and mammalian hearts. Here, we demonstrate optical stimulation and pacing of the embryonic chicken heart using a pulsed infrared thulium laser with a wavelength of 1927 nm. By recording stereomicroscope outputs and quantifying heart rates and movements through video processing, we found that heart rate increases instantly following irradiation with a large spot size and high radiant exposure. Targeting the atrium using a smaller spot size and lower radiant exposure achieved pacing, as the heart rate synchronized with the laser to 2 Hz. This study demonstrates the viability of using the 1927 nm thulium laser for cardiac stimulation and optical pacing, expanding the optical parameters and IR lasers that can be used to modulate cardiac dynamics.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.269-275
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• 2016

This study has investigated the feasibility of 980-nm low-energy pulsed near-infrared laser stimulation to evoke auditory responses, as well as the effects of radiant exposure and pulse duration on auditory responses. In the experiments, a hole was drilled in the basal turn of the cochlea in guinea pigs. An optical fiber with a 980-nm pulsed infrared laser was inserted into the hole, orientating the spiral ganglion cells in the cochlea. To model deafness, the tympanic membrane was mechanically damaged. Acoustically evoked compound action potentials (ACAPs) were recorded before and after deafness, and optically evoked compound action potentials (OCAPs) were recorded after deafness. Similar spatial selectivity between optical and acoustical stimulation was found. In addition, OCAP amplitudes increased with radiant exposure, indicating a photothermal mechanism induced by optical stimulation. Furthermore, at a fixed radiant exposure, OCAP amplitudes decreased as pulse duration increased, suggesting that optical stimulation might be governed by the time duration over which the energy is delivered. Thus, the current experiments have demonstrated that a 980-nm pulsed near-infrared laser with low energy can evoke auditory neural responses similar to those evoked by acoustical stimulation. This approach could be used to develop optical cochlear implants.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.02a
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• pp.427-428
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• 2009

Optical imaging offers excellent spatio-temporal sensitivity that is unparalleled by any other perfusion based imaging techniques. We used in vivo optical recording of intrinsic signals (ORIS) to map neurovascular hemodynamics of perfusion, oximetry and membrane potential during epileptic events in rat and mouse neocortex. Studies of hemodynamic changes with ORIS alone were also performed in human. Laboratory studies in rodent epilepsy models have demonstrated a persistent increase in deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hbr) and a decrease in tissue oxygenation during interictal spikes and ictal events. This "epileptic dip", like the "initial dip" recorded during normal sensory processing, implies that the enormous rise in cerebral blood flow (CBF) is inadequate to meet the increased metabolic demands associated with synchronized epileptic activity. These findings are critically important to the interpretation of the perfusion-based imaging studies, such as fMRI. In addition, we visualized the effect of direct cortical electrical stimulation, an alterative epilepsy treatment. The optical data following direct cortical electrical stimulation showed that hemodynamic signals are sensitive to different electrical stimulation parameters. Furthermore, our recent data demonstrated that the application of unilateral electrical stimulation is able to elicit bilateral hemodynamic responses in rat neocortex.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.166-170
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• 2009

NIRS (Near-infrared spectroscopy) is a relatively, new, non-invasive, and non-ionizing method of measuring hemodynamic responses in thick biological tissues such as the cerebral cortex. In this study, we measured the hemodynamic responses of the rat barrel cortex to whisker stimulation by using a frequency-domain NIRS system. We designed multiple optical probes comprising multi-mode optical fibers and manipulating arms, both of which can be easily applied to small animals. Various electrical stimulations were applied to rat whiskers at different voltage levels and stimulation frequencies. Our results show that the hemodynamic responses are highly dependent on the stimulation voltage level, and not so much on stimulation frequency. This paper suggests that NIRS technology is highly suitable for the study of small animal brains.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.39-45
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• 1999

Comparative photoresponsive current-volt-age characteristics of n-channel PHEMT and MESFET on GaAs substrate. with (W/L)=200${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/1${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ of gates, are reported as a function of electro-optical stimulation (P\ulcorner, λ=830nm) for the first time as far as we know. Significantly different photoresponses are observed in MESFET and PHEMT, mainly due to different optoelectronic mechanisms in the formation and current conduction of channel carriers. Under high optical power, high photoresponsity with a strong non-linearity with P\ulcorner, predominantly due to a parallel conduction via a heavily doped Al\ulcornerGa\ulcornerAs donor layer, was observed in PHEMT while the optically induced drain current has been very small but monotonically increasing with optical stimulation in GaAs MESFET. We also investigated differences in optically stimulated gate leakage currents and photonic gate responses on gate voltage and drain voltage as a function of P\ulcorner. Based on the drain and gate responses to electro-optical stimulation. PHEMTs are expected to be a better candidate for high performance photonically responsive microwave device compared with MESFETs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.987-988
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• 2013

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.611-615
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• 2004

A neural prostheses can be designed to permit stimulation of specific sites in the nervous system to restore their functions, lost due to disease or trauma. This study focuses on the feasibility of optoelecronic stimulation into nervous system. Optoelectronic stimulation supplies, power and signal into the implanted optical detector inside the body by optics. It can be effective strategy especially on the retinal prosthesis, because it enables the non-invasive connection between the external source and internal detector through natural optical window 'eye'. Therefore, we designed an effective neural stimulating setup by optically based stimulation. Stimulating on the sciatic nerve of a rat with proper depth probe through optical stimulation needs higher ratio of current spreading through the neural surface, because of high impedance of neural interface. To increase the insertion current spreading into the neuron, we used a parallel low resistance compared to load resistance organic interface and calculated the optimized outer parallel resistance for maximum insertion current with the assumption of limited current by photodiode. Optimized outer parallel resistance was at a range of 500Ω-700Ω and a current was at a level between 580uA and 650uA. Stimulating current efficiency from initial photodiode induced current was between 47.5 and 59.7%. Various amplitude and frequency of the optical stimulation on the sciatic nerve showed the reliable visual tremble, and the action potential was also recorded near the stimulating area. These result demonstrate that optoelectronic stimulation with no bias can be applied to the retinal prosthesis and other neuroprosthetic area.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.88-93
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• 2016

Recently laser speckle contrast (LSC) imaging has become a widely used optical method for in vivo assessment of blood flow in the animal brain. LSC imaging is useful for monitoring brain hemodynamics with relatively high spatio-temporal resolution. A speckle contrast imaging system has been implemented with electrical sensory stimulation apparatus. LSC imaging is combined with optical intrinsic signal imaging in order to measure changes in cerebral blood flow as well as neural activity in response to electrical sensory stimulation applied to the hindlimb region of the mouse brain. We found that blood flow and oxygen consumption are correlated and both sides of hindlimb activation regions are symmetrically located. This apparatus could be used to monitor spatial or temporal responses of cerebral blood flow in animal disease models such as ischemic stroke or cortical spreading depression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.1509-1510
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• 2013

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.56-68
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• 2001

Objective : Functional brain mapping study on acupuncture stimulation using the [14C]2-deoxyglucose([14C]2-DG) autoradiography provides quantitative data and visualized pathway in central nervous system(CNS). We aimed to investigate the neural pathway and spatial distribution of metabolic activity elicited in CNS on electroacupuncture stimulation using [14C]2-DG autoradiography. Methods : The study were divided into three groups by stimulation times. 45-mins stimulation group according to Sokoloffs method, 5-mins stimulation group according to Duncun's method, and 15-mins stimulation group. ;A venous catheter was equipped into right jugular vein. The rats (Sprague-Dawley rats, 230-260g) were kept fastened loosely on a holding platform without anesthesia. Electroacupuncture stimulation (5 ms, 2 Hz, 1~3 mA) were applied on the left Zusanli (ST36) acupoint and [14C]2-DG ($25{\mu}Ci/rat$) injection was performed through the catheter. After sacrifice, the brain and the spinal cord were made to sections for film image. The film images were digitalized as the isotope concentration based upon comparison of optical densities with that of the standards and normalized by the optical density of corpus callosum. Results : 1. 15-mins stimulation group was most effective among 3 experiments. 2. On 15-mins stimulation group, medial geniculate nucleus, intetpeduncular nucleus intermedius, ventral periolivary nucleus, caudal periolivary nucleus, medial superior olive, lateral paragigantocellular nucleus, including hypothalamic arcuate nucleus were increased by more than 25% (at least, p<0.05) by electroacupuncture stimulation. 3. Especially, the metabolism in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus was increased by 90% (p<0.05). 4. The fact that arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus might play a role of interconnection area between ascending and descending pathway of acupuncture stimulation was demonstrated visually. Conclusions : Advanced study on electroacupuncture stimulation elicited significant increase of metabolic activity in various nuclei of hypothalamus will provide the important experimental basis in research of the relationship between electroacupuncture stimulation and internal visceral functions.