Object
Pulaski's Experimental Neural Stimulator
A bedside medical apparatus built for targeted cortical stimulation: a compact console with tactile amplitude knobs, a narrow amber-cyan status display, braided sensor leads ending in a curved electrode hood and adhesive pads. The unit emits a low electrical hum and pulsed diagnostic tones; its output is described as differential current patterns and adjustable amplitudes. Dr. Pulaski clamps the hood/contacts to Riker's skull, twists dials and reprograms waveform parameters while watching spiking neurographs as Troi monitors empathy signatures. The crew treats it like a desperate tool—handled with clinical urgency, reconfigured mid‑procedure and flipped between stabilizing and repellent modes as Riker's vitals swing.
2 appearances
Purpose
To generate and modulate targeted neural stimulation patterns — induce REM, refocus impulse activity on specific cortical regions (interpretive cortex), and emit adjustable differential‑current signatures intended to stabilize, probe, or repel a neuroreactive organism.
Significance
Narratively pivotal medical implement that converts discovery into action: it stalls the infection, enables the memory‑based diagnostic gambles, forces ethically fraught choices (weaponizing pain vs. saving a life), and marks the decisive turning points in Riker's treatment and the episode's moral stakes.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used