An IC-based controllable stimulator for respiratory muscle stimulation investigations

Functional Electrical Stimulation can be used to restore motor functions loss consecutive to spinal cord injury, such as respiratory deficiency due to paralysis of ventilatory muscles. This paper presents a fully configurable IC-centered stimulator designed to investigate muscle stimulation paradigms. It provides 8 current stimulation channels with high-voltage compliance and real-time operation capabilities, to enable a wide range of FES applications. The stimulator can be used in a standalone mode, or within a closed-loop setup. Primary in vivo results show successful drive of respiratory muscles stimulation using a computer-based dedicated controller.