The use of neuromodulation to treat an array of medical conditions and diseases has generated a lot of excitement in recent years. Adapting cardiac rhythm management techniques, neuromodulation uses electrical signals to stimulate or block different nerve impulses in the body. It holds promise for reducing or eliminating back pain, curing obesity, lowering high blood pressure and controlling diabetes, among many other conditions.
 

Advanced ceramic materials play an important role in this technology, and they are poised to play an even greater one as these medical devices continue to evolve. Advanced ceramics enable the manufacture of brazed assemblies for hermetically sealed electrical feed throughs, for example, and piezocomposite materials facilitate ultrasonic communication in devices. Biocompatible ceramics can be a desirable alternative to titanium for the fabrication of device casings. [Read the rest of this article.]