Numerical Simulation of the Energy Distribution in Biological Tissues During Electrical Stimulation

Abstract

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is used for activation of nerves and muscles in order to restore their normal functions after an injury or stroke. Taking into consideration that electrical stimulation does not directly activate neural tissues, our intention was to show how this power is distributed in the tissues. In order to estimate the power (energy) distribution in the natural multilayer system of different tissues (skin, fat, muscle, and bone) we considered their respective geometries and electrical properties. Simulation was performed using a tissue model based on a finite element method. We present the energy distribution for each layer, and show that the largest portion of the energy is lost in the top skin layer, and that only a fraction reaches the targeted neural tissue.