Patent ID: 8784461

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a nerve-stimulation unit, the nerve-stimulation unit including a first nerve-stimulation-light-emitting source, a first visible-wavelength laser source, and a second visible-wavelength laser source, wherein the first nerve-stimulation-light-emitting source includes a first laser diode mounted in the nerve-stimulation unit; emitting, from the first visible-wavelength laser source, a first visible optical pointer signal at a first visible color wavelength, wherein the first visible color wavelength is visible to humans; emitting, from the second visible-wavelength laser source, a second visible optical pointer signal at a second visible color wavelength, wherein the second visible color wavelength is visible to humans; obtaining user input, and based on the user input, outputting from the first laser diode mounted in the nerve-stimulation unit, a first infrared laser beam having a third wavelength, wherein the third wavelength is different than the first visible color wavelength and the second visible color wavelength, wherein the first visible optical pointer signal and the second visible optical pointer signal together indicate a focus location of the first infrared laser beam at which the first infrared laser beam has a desired focus, and wherein at least the first visible optical pointer signal is non-coincident to the first infrared laser beam as the first visible optical pointer signal propagates through an exit surface of the nerve-stimulation unit; focusing the first infrared laser beam to the focus location, wherein the focussed first infrared laser beam is configured to directly optically stimulate an action potential response in a neural tissue of an animal subject; and stimulating the neural tissue, wherein the stimulating includes adjusting the focusing of the first infrared laser beam, by observing the first visible optical pointer signal and the second visible optical pointer signal, such that the focused first infrared laser beam triggers the action potential response in the neural tissue.