A model for current regulated transcutaneous electrical stimulation: Simulations and experiments

Complex nerve models have been developed for describing the generation of action potentials in humans. Such nerve models have primarily been used to model implantable electrical stimulation systems, where the stimulation electrodes are close to the nerve (near-field). To address if these nerve models can also be used to model transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) (far-field), we have developed a TES model that comprises a volume conductor and different previously published non-linear nerve models. The volume conductor models the resistive and capacitive properties of electrodes, electrode-skin interface, skin, fat, musAndreas Kuhn · Thierry Keller ·Marc Lawrence ·Manfred Morari Automatic Control Laboratory, ETH Zurich Physikstrasse 3 CH-8092 Zurich Tel.: +41 44 632 6571 Fax: +41 44 632 1211 E-mail: [email protected] Andreas Kuhn · Thierry Keller ·Marc Lawrence Sensory-Motor Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich CH-8092 Zurich Number of words: 4923 Number of words (abstract): 167