Electroneuroprostheses: past and present uses in man

The effects of electrical currents on living tissues have long fascinated man, especially physicians and engineers. Applying electrical shock for its therapeutic effect dates back to at least Roman times. Using modern electronic technology, biomedical engineers and physicians can control the faltering heart beat by a cardiac pacemaker, enhance breathing by electrophrenic respiration, or, more recently, enable the paraplegic to empty his paralyzed bladder by a self generated electronic signal from a special spinal cord implant. These new electronic devices represent the highest development and application in the field of biomedical engineering. For the engineer and physician, it is a new and exciting adventure, opening a new era for relief from human suffering.