Patent ID: 8317848

Claim:
A method comprising: obtaining a plurality of laser light sources configured to generate a plurality of laser signals; providing an optical head configured to direct the plurality of laser signals toward one or more nerves of each of one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of an animal, wherein the providing of the optical head includes providing a plurality of spatially separated optical emitters on an emitting face of the optical head such that the plurality of emitters emit the plurality of laser signals from locations on the emitting face having a fixed spatial separation from one another and such that at least three of the plurality of emitters direct the plurality of laser signals in substantially parallel directions; implanting the optical head in the animal such that the plurality of emitters of the optical head directs the plurality of laser signals toward the one or more nerves of each of the one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of the animal; delivering the plurality of laser signals through the plurality of emitters to the one or more nerves of each of the one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of the animal; testing the implanted optical head to determine which ones of the spatially separated optical emitters are most effective for optical stimulation of desired nerves of the one or more nerves, wherein the testing causes laser light sources of the plurality of laser light sources to emit laser signals through the plurality of emitters toward the one or more nerves based on a search algorithm that searches through the plurality of laser light sources, wherein the testing includes sensing one or more conditions that affect balance of the animal during the testing, wherein the one or more conditions are related to nerve action potentials (NAPs) triggered in the one or more nerves by the laser signals emitted during the testing, wherein the most effective emitters are determined at least partly based on the sensing of the one or more conditions; and selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals from each of the plurality of laser light sources such that the plurality of laser signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the desired nerves in order to trigger nerve action potentials (NAPs) in the desired nerves, wherein the selectively controlling includes using results of the testing of the implantable optical head such that the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals results in the optical head emitting laser signals through those selected emitters of the plurality of emitters that were determined to be most effective for optical stimulation of the desired nerves.