Embedded Files
Stimulator Designs
Tripolar Pronged
Tripolar Pronged
Bifurcated Concentric Tripolar
Bifurcated Concentric Tripolar
Field Standard
Our device aimed to utilize 2 new designs, each for a different purpose. The tripolar pronged design would serve as the initial stimulating tool, whereas the concentric design, capable of fascicle level stimulation, would be used for additional diagnosis. As compared to the market standard, these designs are both more modular, and can be attached to the nerve with greater ease.
Testing
For testing, an 8% polyacrlyamide gel was used as a nerve phantom. Next, 3D prints of different test cases were made, allowing for testing of distances and to validate the efficacy of our asymmetric design.
5 mm, 3.5 mm, and 9 mm linear distance between cathodes (control and test)
Anode placed at center of axes formed by cathodes (control x 3)
Anode placed 1/2 distance closer to one cathode (test x 3)
Powerlab 4/26 stimulation and recording device
Results
Results
Figure 1: Measured biphasic waves with input voltage of 5V. Control with 7 mm distance between cathodes, and a centrally located anode. 4 trials performed.
Figure 2: Measured biphasic waves with input voltage of 5V. Test with 7 mm distance between cathodes, and anode placed asymmetrically, 1.75 mm from cathode closest to recording pair. 4 trials performed.
Figure 3: Average measured voltage amplitude for each trial, with control and test shown in orange and blue respectively.
To determine the significance of these results, we computed the mean and standard deviation of average amplitudes from each trial, for each experiment. A t-score for these two results was computed as 2.16, assuming random error. This difference occurs 3.08% of the time, and is therefore significant at the 5% level. From this, we concluded that the asymmetrical positioning of the anode, along the axis defined by the cathodes, results in an increased signal at the target site with the same input voltage.
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