Table 2.

The Subject Implanted Devices

Device	Physical Description	Physiological Function
CI	Cochlear Implants are composed of an external component (a microphone, speech processor, and transmitter), which sits behind the ear, and an internal component (an electrode array), which is surgically placed within the ear.	Cochlear Implants can provide a sense of sound to those who are profoundly deaf or extremely hard-of-hearing. They do not restore ‘normal hearing’, but rather replace it by interacting with the environment and the auditory nerve to generate a physiological reaction.*
ICD	Implanted Cardiac Defibrillators are flat, metal devices containing programmable electronics and a battery. Though surgically implanted in the chest, they have leads that run to the heart.	Implanted Cardiac Defibrillators deliver electrical shocks to the heart when they sense the onset of life-threatening arrhythmias.
IVBS	In Vivo Biosensors are metal sensors, often coated in gold, that are extremely small, almost pinhead-sized, and contain an electrical power source.	In Vivo Biosensors measure a tumour’s biological environment, assessing whether real-time fluctuations in oxygen, Ph levels, etc., can be exploited to optimise the timing of treatment thereby overcoming radiotherapy resistance (i.e., treatment can be scheduled for when the tumour is least resistant).
DBS	Deep Brain Stimulators comprise a pulse generator implanted in the chest (near the collarbone), and subcutaneous leads running to electrodes implanted in the brain.**	Deep Brain Stimulators are intended to alleviate tremor, stiffness, and slowness caused by Parkinson’s. They are patient-controlled and there is some evidence that they may improve lung function, memory, and mood disorders such as depression.***

^*Notes: For more on the development of this technology, see Raghu Garud and Michael Rappa, ‘A Socio-Cognitive Model of Technology Evolution: The Case of Cochlear Implants’ (1994) 5 Organisation Science 344.

^**See <www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265445.php> (accessed 26 February 2014).

^***Michael Okun, Hubert Fernandez, Ramon Rodriguez and Kelly Foote, ‘Identifying Candidates for Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease: The Role of the Primary Care Physician’ (2007) 62 Geriatrics 18; Walter Glannon, ‘Consent to Deep Brain Stimulation for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders’ (2010) 21 Journal Clinical Ethics 104; Jonathan Hyam, ‘Controlling the Lungs Via the Brain: A Novel Neurosurgical Method to Improve Lung Function in Humans’ (2012) 70 Neurosurgery 469.