The development of an experimental setup to measure acousto-electric interaction signal

A new method is desirable for secure efficiency of FES treatment of degenerated denervated muscles. Degeneration of denervaed muscles as a consequence of spinal injuries are treated with functional electrical stimulation (FES). So far, no effective method to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment over the whole treated muscle is available. The most common method is placing finger on appropriate tendons and sense the movement. We suggest new approach. As pressure wave changes locally electrical conductivity in its propagation direction of the medium, a change in voltage is detected when electrical field is applied simultaneously at that location. This change in voltage is called acousto-electric interaction (AEI) signal. By recording AEI signal a distribution of electrical activity can be mapped, known as ultrasound current source density imaging (UCSDI). In this paper, an experimental setup to investigate the AEI signal is developed. The signal is measured and compared to calculated values. Debye effect and AEI signal is detected.