Computational study of thermal changes during the non-invasive neuro-electrostimulation of the nerve structures in the human neck modelling using finite element method

Abstract

In the article methodology of FEM stimulation of thermal effects, caused by neck-region neuro-electrostimulation was shown. Algorithm of the voxel model conversion to the 3-D objects represented as the complex of the STL-files was described. The evaluation of the temperature in the biological tissues is based on the association of the partial thermal changes, caused by the harmonics components of the pulsed neuro-electrostimulation signal. Features of the thermal changes in the neck region were considered for the neuro-electrostimulation by means of the current pulse field formed in the "SYMPATHOCOR-01" device. Results have shown that for modulation frequencies in range 45-55 Hz, duration of the partial pulses 25-30 us, current pulse amplitude less than 13 mA, the neuro-electrostimulation does not cause thermal changes higher than 0.1 K. Copyright © 2017 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved.