Manipulating the Response of Peripheral Nerves with Nanosecond Electric Pulses

Electrical stimulation is widely used in clinical applications to treat different conditions, such as refractory pain and Parkinsons disease. However, today’s technologies are either invasive or suffer for low penetration and resolution. Our recent findings show that by tuning the amplitude, duration and interpulse interval of bipolar nanosecond pulses, we can reduce, and eventually suppress the response of the nerve. The quantification of this effect is crucial for future medical applications. Our idea is to superposition and synchronize two bipolar pulses so that the E field distribution created in the tissue results in a biologically inefficient bipolar exposure close to the electrodes in contact with the body, while producing an effective unipolar pulse in a region distant from them. This ability to spatially modulate the response of tissues opens tremendous opportunities for remote, targeted deep tissue stimulation.