Patent ID: 7883536

Claim:
A method for optically stimulating a tissue of an animal and transmitting an elicited electrical response caused by the stimulating, the method comprising: obtaining light from an optical source, wherein the light is suitable to optically stimulate the tissue of the animal to elicit the electrical response; providing an optical fiber having a longitudinal axis and operatively coupled to the optical source and configured to transmit the light obtained from the optical source, wherein a plurality of electrical conductors including a first electrical conductor having an insulation-covered portion and an exposed conductor electrode portion and a second electrical conductor having an insulation-covered portion and an exposed conductor electrode portion has been deposited on the optical fiber, wherein the exposed conductor electrode of the first electrical conductor is longitudinally offset along the optical fiber from the exposed conductor electrode of the second electrical conductor relative to the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber; electromagnetically shielding the first electrical conductor using the second electrical conductor; aligning the optical fiber such that the obtained light is directed toward the tissue of the animal; transmitting the light through the optical fiber between the optical source and the tissue of the animal and optically stimulating a nerve action potential in the tissue of the animal using the transmitted light; detecting an electric field, elicited by the optical stimulation of the tissue of the animal, using the plurality of electrical conductors; and transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the detected electric field using the plurality of electrical conductors deposited on the optical fiber.