A finite element model to identify electrode influence on current distribution in the skin

Discomfort experienced during surface functional electrical stimulation (FES) is thought to be partly a result of localised high current density in the skin underneath the stimulating electrode. This paper describes a finite element (FE) model to predict skin current density distribution in the region of the electrode during stimulation andits application to the identification of electrode properties that may act to reduce sensation. The FE model results showed that the peak current density was located in an area immediately under the stratum corneum, adjacent to a sweat duct. A simulation of surface FES via a high resistivity electrode showed a reduction in this peak current density, when compared with that with a low resistivity electrode