Stimulation System for Positioned TMS with Adjustable Pulse Shape

• Subject Area: Electrical Engineering and Information Technology ; Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 441647281

The proposal should support the setup of a new lab after being hired. Whereas the previous focus of the institute was exclusively electrical machines, which is also reflected by the available equipment, the applicant can refer to an additional research background in power electronics for noninvasive neuro- and brain stimulation. In this context, the applicant has developed stimulation devices and methods for modeling the physics and physiology for improving technology and support data extraction. His expertise is particularly the pulse shape, the temporal course of the electrical current during a pulse, which has shown to mediate stimulation selectivity and improved neuromodulation in his and other groups’ preliminary work. A stimulation system with flexible pulse source and, because of the high spatial sensitivity, a positioning system is a requirement of any further work in this field. The requested system will allow studying neurophysiology as well as serve as a reference for future developments and is currently the only available system that can change the pulse shape within reasonable limits. Further, the applicant can refer to more than a decade of experience in the use of such devices in vitro, in vivo and in physical models.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Stimulationssystem für positionierte TMS mit veränderbarer Pulsform
• Instrumentation Group: 3400 Nervenreizgeräte
• Applicant Institution: Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau
• Leader: Professor Dr. Stefan Götz