Patent Document ID: 20130023965
Application ID: 13555098
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for optically stimulating neurons of a plurality of auditory nerve pathways of a person including a first auditory nerve pathway and a second auditory nerve pathway, to provide auditory sensations for the person, the method comprising: generating a plurality of pulsed light signals having one or more successive pulses that, when applied to a neuron of a person, will each stimulate a nerve action potential (NAP) in the neuron, wherein the plurality of light signals includes a first light signal and a second light signal; delivering the first light signal to one or more neurons of the first auditory nerve pathway of the person; delivering the second light signal to one or more neurons of the second auditory nerve pathway of the person; and selectively controlling the plurality of light signals to optically stimulate and trigger NAPs in the one or more neurons in the first auditory nerve pathway independently from NAPs in the one or more neurons in the second auditory nerve pathway, wherein the selectively controlling includes empirically testing the delivering of the plurality of light signals and determining which pulse-repetition rates of a plurality of pulse-repetition rates used for the plurality of light signals during the testing are most effective for optically stimulating the neurons of the plurality of auditory nerve pathways of the person, and using results of the testing such that the delivering includes delivering the plurality of light signals at the pulse-repetition rates that were determined to be most effective for optically stimulating.