• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.462-466
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• 2002

This paper describes a low frequency electrical nerve stimulator for muscle care. The developed system consist of 8bit low power consumed MPU, voltage boosting circuit converting 9V input to 120V output, repairing circuit for distorted output pulse, LED and buttons for I/O, and electro-chemical pad. The pulse generation algorithm for the muscle care effect is developed with basic pulses such as a single phase rectangle pulse, symmetric rectangle pulse, and depolarized interrupt pulse.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.179-184
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• 2016

Background: Recently, ultrasound has been commonly used. Ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block (IBPB) by posterior approach is more commonly used because anterior approach has been reported to have the risk of phrenic nerve injury. However, posterior approach also has the risk of causing nerve injury because there are risks of encountering dorsal scapular nerve (DSN) and long thoracic nerve (LTN). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of encountering DSN and LTN during ultrasound-guided IBPB by posterior approach. Methods: A total of 70 patients who were scheduled for shoulder surgery were enrolled in this study. After deciding insertion site with ultrasound, awake ultrasound-guided IBPB with nerve stimulator by posterior approach was performed. Incidence of muscle twitches (rhomboids, levator scapulae, and serratus anterior muscles) and current intensity immediately before muscle twitches disappeared were recorded. Results: Of the total 70 cases, DSN was encountered in 44 cases (62.8%) and LTN was encountered in 15 cases (21.4%). Both nerves were encountered in 10 cases (14.3%). Neither was encountered in 21 cases (30.4%). The average current measured immediately before the disappearance of muscle twitches was 0.44 mA and 0.50 mA at DSN and LTN, respectively. Conclusions: Physicians should be cautious on the risk of injury related to the anatomical structures of nerves, including DSN and LTN, during ultrasound-guided IBPB by posterior approach. Nerve stimulator could be another option for a safer intervention. Moreover, if there is a motor response, it is recommended to select another way to secure better safety.

• International journal of thyroidology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2018

It is very important to identify recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and prevent RLN injury during thyroid surgery. The intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) for the prevention of RLN injury is a useful method because it can identify the location and status of RLN and predict postoperative vocal cord function easily. The IONM consists of a stimulating side that applies electrical stimulation to the nerve and a recording side that measures the surface electromyography (EMG) of the vocal cord muscle through electrode endotracheal tube. The nerve stimulator and surgical dissector are separate instruments. So, during IONM for the prevention of the RLN injury in conventional, endoscopic, or robotic thyroid surgery, repeated exchanging between surgical instruments and the nerve stimulator is inconvenient and time consuming. On the recording side, the accuracy of the electrode endotracheal tube which measures the EMG of the vocalis muscle can be affected by contact with between electrode and vocal fold and position change of patient. We would like to introduce recent several researches to overcome the current limitations of IONM.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1996 no.11
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• pp.99-102
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• 1996

The ultimate object of FES is on the recovering function of body and shape demaged from desease or injury to original state. On this study, object is recovering of gait function of the disabled who, especially, have gait disturbance. Paralyzed muscle from the central nerve disable, if peripheral nerves which be in the lower part of the harmed are activated, muscle contraction is possible. The traumatic trouble, peripheral nerves aren't connected to a central nerve but origin of peripheral nerve cells which are in the lower part of the harmed are alive, react on stimulation. We design 4-channel stimulator, being based on standard stimuli pattern. stimulator is manufactured with compact size and light weight to portable.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1996 no.05
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• pp.260-265
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to implemented a general purpose programmable nerve stimulator system as a research tool for studying psychophysiological performance associated with various stimulation waveform. This system is composed of hardware and software, the former are the personal computer(180586) and control unit(one-chip microprocessor, D/A converter, digital output), the latter are programmed in VISUAL BASIC and ASSEMBLY Which are programmed for the programmable nerve stimuli pattern editor and communication interface, waveform preprocessing, and stimuli generator. The control unit which is entrolled by the personal computer is capable of delivering the programmable nerve stimuli waveform. This system has research potential for determining the effect of various neuromuscular blockade in alternated physiological stat is.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.171-183
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• 1994

Purphose. This present study examines the effect of brief, intense transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(BTENS) on sensory nerve conduction, electrical pain threshold, and two-point discrimination measured at the superficial radial nevre distribution in 20 healthy subjects. Subjects. Twenty volunteercs, (10 females and 10 males(age range : 20-38 years : $mean{\pm}SD\;:\;27.00{\pm}5.12$), only subjects without prior traumatological and pathological were eligible to participated in this study. Methods. Nerve conduction were determined for the right superficial radial nerve. Electrical pain threshold were determined for the right wrist ipsilateral to the site of BTENS. Small disc electrodes were attached to the surface of the skin stradding the end of the radius. Square wave electrical pulses were delivered from an isolated stimulator through a constant current device at a frequency of 2 Hz(5 ms pulse width). Two-point discrimination, measured on the sensory distribution of superficial radial nerve. BTENS was delivered using a Max-SD( Medical design co.) portable battery powered stimulator. A cicular Ag/AgCl electrode in contact with hypertonic saline gel was attached to the lateral(radial side) surface of the forearm. Results. No significant effects were observed between stimulation methods in the prestimulation cycle(multi-way ANOVA repeated measures : distal latency ; F1.14=0.332. amplitude ; F 0.80=0.445, pain threshold ; F0.06=0.940.2 point discrimination ; F1.50=0.236). Highly significant effects were observed time with the pretreatment and 6 posttreatment cycles(p<0.01). Mighty significants differences in nerve conduction and pain threshold were found using un multi-way ANOVA repeated measures among stimulation methods for each cycles(p<0.01). Conclusion and Discussion The authors concludes that both nerve conduction and pain threshold changes are associated with therapy (stimulation) level of BTENS.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.361-364
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• 1989

A PC-based motor nerve conduction velocity measuring system was designed and constructed. The system was composed with an EMG preamplifier, a stimulator, an Apple II plus microcomputer and an 8 bit AD converter. The system was primariliy intended to screen motor nerve difficulties of industrial workers. This system can acquire, store and display the waveforms of evoked potentials. The PC-based system is expected to increase the versatility and applicability as well as to reduce the system cost.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.395-400
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• 2010

Hypertension is the chronic disease that the 16% of total population are suffering, and it needs to be studied to find alternative treatment because of the tolerance and side effect of medications that may bother some patients. in this paper, we verified practicality of implantable electrical stimulator that can readily change stimulus magnitude and frequency. And this device is possible to stimulate baroreflex or parasympathetic nerve. Therefore we performed in vitro tests and animal experiment for device's operating conditions. This device consist of implantable electrical stimulator and extracorporeal control/monitoring system. Stimulator was designed to make 1Hz~100Hz pulses and it can change continuous or periodic pulse train type. And this device can control stimulator's function and monitor stimulator's status and patients' blood pressure at exterior of body using ZigBee module as wireless telecommunication. We verified that stimulator have error rate under 5% at 50mm depth of organs and, stimulator makes high-efficiency energy with closer position of two electrodes. Also we can confirm the performance of device that decreasing blood pressure and heart rate of a rat by electrical stimulation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.257-268
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• 1990

A system has been developed for monitoring the effect of neuromuscular blocking frugs and the neuromuscular function during anesthesia and surgery. This system is composed of software and hardware, the latter are nerve stimulator, force transducer, interface board(preamplifier, filter, peripheral input/output) and personal computer (apple ll) , the former are programmed in ASSEMBLY and BASIC language. The nerve stimulator which is controlled by personal computer is capable of delivering single shocks at o.)Hz, train of four at 2Hz and tetanic stimulation at 30, 100, 200Hz. The response, adduction of the thumb, is sensed by the force transducer. The output of the force transducer Is amplified, filtered, converted digital signal and then processed by the per- sonal computer. The personal computer quantia4es twitch and traln of four tesponse and calculates the 74 ratio (Ta/Tl )between the first and fourth response of train of four. This ratio is used to estimate the level of the neuromuscular block. This system has reaserch potential for determining the effect of newer neuromuscular blocking drugs for comparlsion with presently used drugs of alternatively, for delerminig the effects of blocking drugs in altered physilogical states.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.201-211
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• 2004

This paper introduces a development of an electrical stimulator for auditory stimulation. The electrical stimulator is useful in neurotological diagnosis, audiological evaluation, candidate selection for cochlear implantation, optimal device selection and decision making of MAP strategy for severe-to-profound hearing impaired persons. The development was based on sound parameters of auditory brainstem responses and auditory electrophysiological characteristic such as effective firing of auditory nerve and recording evoked potentials during refractory period of neuron. Besides pulse parameter could adjustable by programming for more varied electrical stimulation evoked response audiometry. Using the electrical stimulator, electrical square pulse was applied to promontory, and electrically evoked auditory brainstem response and electrically middle latency response were successfully recorded in cats.