Patent ID: 7736382

Claim:
An apparatus for stimulating a nerve of a subject to generate a nerve action potential in the nerve of the subject, the apparatus comprising: a first light-emitting source operative to emit an optical signal having a first wavelength and a predetermined temporal intensity profile that are selected to directly stimulate the nerve of the subject to generate the nerve action potential the nerve of the subject, wherein the first light-emitting source includes a solid-state laser; an optical-fiber structure having a first end and a second end; a light-beam coupler that is configured to direct the optical signal from the first light-emitting source into the first end of the optical fiber structure; a light-emitting-source controller operatively coupled to the first light-emitting source to selectively control the first light-emitting source to emit the optical signal having the temporal intensity profile adapted to stimulate the nerve of the subject; and a light-delivery unit operatively coupled to the second end of the optical-fiber structure, wherein the light-delivery unit, the optical fiber structure or both the light-delivery unit and the optical-fiber structure are configured to direct the optical signal onto neural tissue in a spatial pattern, wherein the temporal intensity profile of the optical signal from the first light-emitting source controlled by the controller and the spatial pattern of the optical signal delivered by the light-delivery unit, when directed at the nerve of the subject, trigger the nerve action potential in the nerve of the subject.