Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, 98693, Germany.
Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), School of Computer Science, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2022 May 5;12(1):7335. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10708-9.
Our long-term goal is the development of a wearable warning system that uses electrocutaneous stimulation. To find appropriate stimulation parameters and electrode configurations, we investigate perception amplitude thresholds and qualitative perceptions of electrocutaneous stimulation for varying pulse widths, electrode sizes, and electrode positions. The upper right arm was stimulated in 81 healthy volunteers with biphasic rectangular current pulses varying between 20 and [Formula: see text]. We determined perception, attention, and intolerance thresholds and the corresponding qualitative perceptions for 8 electrode pairs distributed around the upper arm. For a pulse width of [Formula: see text], we find median values of 3.5, 6.9, and 13.8 mA for perception, attention, and intolerance thresholds, respectively. All thresholds decrease with increasing pulse width. Lateral electrode positions have higher intolerance thresholds than medial electrode positions, but perception and attention threshold are not significantly different across electrode positions. Electrode size between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] has no significant influence on the thresholds. Knocking is the prevailing perception for perception and attention thresholds while mostly muscle twitching, pinching, and stinging are reported at the intolerance threshold. Biphasic stimulation pulse widths between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are suitable for electric warning wearables. Within the given practical limits at the upper arm, electrode size, inter-electrode distance, and electrode position are flexible parameters of electric warning wearables. Our investigations provide the basis for electric warning wearables.
我们的长期目标是开发一种使用电皮肤刺激的可穿戴式警告系统。为了找到合适的刺激参数和电极配置，我们研究了不同脉冲宽度、电极尺寸和电极位置下的电皮肤刺激感知幅度阈值和定性感知。用双相矩形电流脉冲刺激 81 名健康志愿者的右上臂，脉冲宽度在 20 到[公式：见文本]之间变化。我们确定了 8 对电极分布在上臂周围的感知、注意和不耐受阈值以及相应的定性感知。对于脉冲宽度为[公式：见文本]，我们发现感知、注意和不耐受阈值的中位数分别为 3.5、6.9 和 13.8 mA。所有阈值都随脉冲宽度的增加而降低。外侧电极位置的不耐受阈值高于内侧电极位置，但电极位置对感知和注意阈值没有显著影响。电极尺寸在[公式：见文本]和[公式：见文本]之间对阈值没有显著影响。敲击是感知和注意阈值的主要感知，而不耐受阈值主要报告肌肉抽搐、刺痛和刺痛。双相刺激脉冲宽度在[公式：见文本]和[公式：见文本]之间适用于电警告可穿戴设备。在上臂的给定实际限制内，电极尺寸、电极之间的距离和电极位置是电警告可穿戴设备的灵活参数。我们的研究为电警告可穿戴设备提供了基础。
