Bioelectronics

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Erectile dysfunction or "ED" is defined as the inability to obtain or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual activity. It is the most widely studied disorder of male sexual function. Other less publicized disorders include: disorders of sexual desire, ejaculatory and orgasm disturbances, as well as disorders involving penile pain or curvature. ED is highly prevalent in the adult male population, and may effect as many as 50% of men between the ages of 40-70 years old.

In order to develop an erection, blood must be able to rapidly enter the male penis through two small arteries that course through the lower pelvis, just under the scrotum. The trigger for this blood flow event lies within the muscles that line the inside of the penis which relax involuntarily when there is sexual stimulation. Over the last 15 years a large amount of research has gone into defining the physiology of male erections. What has become clear is that for a man to develop a satisfactory erection there must be adequate blood flow, a well functioning nervous system, and a reasonable level of circulating male hormones such as testosterone. Diseases that affect any of these body systems can cause ED. In fact, population studies have confirmed that age, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and low male hormone levels are significant risk factors for the development of ED. In addition, there are a large number of medications that are used to treat these disorders which may also cause ED.

Prior to the late 1990s, the only treatment available to men with ED were medications that could be injected directly into the penis, a vacuum canister that was applied to the outside of the penis and created an erection through suction, and surgical placement of a prosthetic device into the penis and scrotum. While these treatment options are still available, and provide very satisfactory results in many men with ED, they are not the first choice for the majority of men with ED. What was clearly needed was a pill that could be taken to improve erections.

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Bioelectronics

Introduction

Bioelectronics generally refers to the synthesis of microelectronics and biological systems. In this article, we will discuss existing bioelectronics today, then move on to future possibilities, covering concepts such as neuro-electronics, artificial vision and augmented reality.

Sometimes misrepresented as cybernetics (the study of function and structure in complex systems), the concept of bioelectronics is well known: the melding of man and machine has been exploited both as a utopian ideal (such as the benign Robots of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series) and as a horror story (e.g., the Terminator movies, or the Borg in Star Trek) in contemporary fiction. The purpose of bioelectronics is not the conversion or creation of life as we know it, however; in fact, the largest body of research is conducted for the purpose of medical science. From simple devices like the pacemaker to biosensors designed to detect toxins, the field is rich with efforts to preserve or enhance human life.

Current breakthroughs in nanotechnology promise significant advances in bioelectronics. Nanobiotechnology research¹ is being undertaken to design nanoelectronic chips with the purpose of neural interfacing at the PNS and CNS, as well as other molecular-level interfacing with, for example, DNA and protein structures.

Biochips and biosensors

Leading medical research into bioelectronics is focusing on diagnosis, detection and monitoring of medical conditions. For example, the miniaturisation of analytical procedures will allow the production of "personal laboratories"² that enable potential patients to perform a range of clinical diagnostic tests on themselves. Although the current focus is on separate devices that take a urine or blood sample, it is not a great leap to the development of implanted microdevices that perform diagnosis internally. Expert systems and interfacing with human doctors and medical resources via the Internet are also possibilities being investigated.

Biochips have seen considerable use in genome research, including attempts to match genetic information to diseases. Genome biochips can hold the entire human genome (30,000 - 100,000 genes), and are an extremely useful tool in genetic research. Similar chips also exist for research into DNA and RNA.

Other applications for current bioeletronics that are being explored include:³

Microarrays for drug discovery
Prioritizing drug candiates by gene profiling
Microfluidic devices for microorganism detection, e.g. genetic analysis of the E. Coli and Salmonella pathogens

There is a great deal of research into the application of nanotechnology and bioeletronics for medical science, and there is no doubt significant advances in the field will benefit medicine and humanity in the present and near future.

Future applications

There are many other exciting possibilities for bioeletronics beyond the scope of medical research.

Neuro-eletronics and artificial vision focus on interfacing with the nervous system, including the possibility of direct interfaces with the brain. Scientists investigating signal processing in cat vision⁴ successfully reconstructed real-time movies from neural signals at a cat’s lateral geniculate nucleus (a part of the brain’s thalamus responsible for processing visual signals from the eye). This opens up the possibility for the development of artificial vision devices. For example, a CCD connected to a microchip that encodes digital signals of light input into the varied-strength neuron spike signals interpreted by the thalamus and visual cortex.

Applications of such a device could include:

Vision aids for the blind and partially sighted
Extended wavelength vision for night-vision, perception of IR and UV light
Embedded GUIs for "wet-wired" personal computers, PDAs or augmented reality systems

The third option deserves some elaboration, as it is a subject with very far-reaching potential. The successful integration of visual display units into human vision has a wide range of applications in itself. The benefit to augmented reality systems, such as readouts and graphics projected onto the heads-up displays of pilots, educational simulations or virtual reality systems is immediately obvious: there would be no need for bulky stereoscopic headsets or goggles, and the simulation of depth would be total.

Such visual displays could also be used for range-finding in military and surveying, geographical positioning and route-planning, face-name recognition/tagging providing instant identification of personally known persons or strangers on file. With the advent of metropolitan area wireless networks and widespread broadband, the information and communications power of the Internet could be made available instantly in one’s field of vision.

Artificial vision is certainly achievable. A much greater challenge remains: the analysis and interpretation of human thoughts and memories. Almost certainly the greatest hurdle in bioelectronics, understanding the signal and information processing routines and neural network structures within the brain is where true cybernetics and A.I. become extremely relevant. Actual electronic integration with the brain, however, is a difficult subject fraught with complex academic and ethical challenges.

It is, of course, much easier to speculate on the potential of complete neural integration with microelectronics. The possibilities might include:

Downloading and uploading of memories, experiences and skillsets
Complete integration with PDAs and personal computers, i.e. a "mind’s eye" computer display bypassing the visual system
Conversely: "thought controlled" input, for computers and any other eletronically controlled device - aeroplanes, automobiles, air conditioning, spaceships…
Artificial telepathy: communication of complete thoughts, intentions, speech, emotion, vision and other sensory information such as sensation over wireless connections and the Internet
"Communal consciousness": the complete sharing of the thoughts and minds of multiple individuals, for collaborative research, spirituality, psychiatry and general community

Neural integration would have incredible benefits for humanity, but also associated risks:

AT could be exploited by criminals much like the Internet today is used as a near-anonymous communication medium
Downloading one’s complete memories and thought processes to a computer has obvious ethical implications
Erosion of privacy and social implications: would it really be a good thing to be able to share one’s complete thoughts and emotions with another human being? The impact on society as we know it would be collosal
Propaganda and other subversive material would be even more powerful in the completely open media of human thought and emotion

Without a doubt if such a technology is realised by humanity, the necessary safeguards, social and legal implications, filtering controls and restrictions would need to be implemented before any "public connection" is allowed. Unlike with the Internet, where legal limitations and law enforcement regarding spam and other undesirable Internet phenomenon have been retroactive measures ("After the horse has bolted"), measures to ensure safe and desirable neural integration should and must be put in place from the beginning.

The benefits without a doubt, however, would outweigh the risks and allow a level of maturity, co-operation and humanism never before seen in the history of humanity.

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Bioelectronics

Introduction

Biochips and biosensors

Future applications

References

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