Journal of Automatic Control 2013 Volume 21, Issue 1, Pages: 13-18
https://doi.org/10.2298/JAC1301013P
Full text ( 1389 KB)
Cited by
Electrical stimulation of the forearm: A method for transmitting sensory signals from the artificial hand to the brain
Perović Minja (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade)
Stevanović Marija (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade)
Jevtić Tijana (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade + Tecnalia Serbia Ltd, Belgrade)
Štrbac Matija (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade + Tecnalia Serbia Ltd, Belgrade)
Bijelić Goran (Tecnalia Serbia Ltd, Belgrade)
Vučetić Čedomir (Medical School, Belgrade + Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade)
Popović-Maneski Lana (State University of Novi Pazar, Novi Pazar + Institute of Technical Sciences of SANU, Belgrade)
Popović Dejan B. (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade)
This research is in line with an important comment from the first amputee who
tried the prosthetic hand with tactile feedback developed within the
Smarthand project [1]. While trying the system with tactile feedback the
patient said: "It's a feeling I have not had in a long time. When I grab
something tightly I can feel it in the fingertips. It's strange since I don't
have them anymore! It's amazing." We describe here the instrumentation and
methods for testing the abilities of humans to discriminate sensations
generated by electrical stimulation applied to the skin on the forearm. The
instruments allowed testing of electrical stimulation with various properties
(pulse duration, intensity, and rate). We tested the perception and pain
thresholds, with the emphasis that comfortable sensations are a must. During
the tests subjects were asked to locate the point on the skin that was
stimulated and describe their perception of the elicited sensation. Results
of first tests with small concentric electrodes suggest that non-amputees can
distinguish up to seven perceptual qualities (the most common one was
vibration, followed by tingling and tickling). Certain sensations had a
higher occurrence rate along one axial line of the forearm than another of
the forearm. In terms of spatial acuity, the subjects had more difficulties
in distinguishing between the positions in the axial direction of the forearm
compared with the circumferential direction. These results guided the design
of the new array electrode with multiple cathodes and anodes positioned
circumferential to the forearm. The results of the tests conducted with this
electrode design showed high location discernment accuracy, and demonstrated
the ability to memorize and later accurately recall six different electrical
“messages” created by delivering electrical stimulation onto three different
electrode pads with two different stimulation parameters.
Projekat
Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR35040