TMS coil design

The design of TMS coils determines the electric field pattern that is induced in the brain. Depending on the stimulation target, designs with various degrees of focality and field penetration depth could be desirable. We are interested in coil designs for deep brain TMS, which are particularly challenging due to the rapid decay of electric field away from the coil. In the process of coil development, we use finite element modeling (FEM) of electromagnetic fields which allows fast optimization of designs before a hardware prototype is constructed. [Deng et al., Brain Stimulation 2013, Clinical Neurophysiology 2014]

Another objective is to create TMS coils with significantly reduced acoustic noise, which can be as high as 140 dB in standard coils. [Goetz et al, IEEE Magnetics Letters 2014]

Finally, are exploring designs for "sham" (or "placebo") coils with the objective to replicate all sensations associated with TMS except for stimulation of the brain. Sham coils are essential for properly controlled basic studies and clinical trials, however existing sham systems have significant shortcomings. [Deng and Peterchev, Proc IEEE EMBC 2011]