TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of a simple MR-compatible vibrotactile stimulator using a planar-coil-type actuator
AU - Kim, Hyung Sik
AU - Choi, Mi Hyun
AU - Chung, Yoon Gi
AU - Kim, Sung Phil
AU - Jun, Jae Hoon
AU - Park, Jang Yeon
AU - Yi, Jeong Han
AU - Park, Jong Rak
AU - Lim, Dae Woon
AU - Chung, Soon Cheol
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - For this study, we developed a magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible vibrotactile stimulator using a planar-coil-type actuator. The newly developed vibrotactile stimulator consists of three units: control unit, drive unit, and planar-coil-type actuator. The control unit controls frequency, intensity, time, and channel, and transfers the stimulation signals to the drive unit. The drive unit operates the planar-coil-type actuator in response to commands from the control unit. The planar-coil-type actuator, which uses a planar coil instead of conventional electric wire, generates vibrating stimulation through interaction of the current of the planar coil with the static magnetic field of the MR scanner. Even though the developed tactile stimulating system is small, simple, and inexpensive, it has a wide range of stimulation frequencies (20 ~ 400 Hz, at 40 levels) and stimulation intensities (0 ~ 7 V, at 256 levels). The stimulation intensity does not change due to frequency changes. Since the transient response time is a few microseconds, the stimulation time can be controlled on a scale of microseconds. In addition, this actuator has the advantages of providing highly repeatable stimulation, being durable, being able to assume various shapes, and having an adjustable contact area with the skin. The new stimulator operated stably in an MR environment without affecting the MR images. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we observed the brain activation changes resulting from stimulation frequency and intensity changes.
AB - For this study, we developed a magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible vibrotactile stimulator using a planar-coil-type actuator. The newly developed vibrotactile stimulator consists of three units: control unit, drive unit, and planar-coil-type actuator. The control unit controls frequency, intensity, time, and channel, and transfers the stimulation signals to the drive unit. The drive unit operates the planar-coil-type actuator in response to commands from the control unit. The planar-coil-type actuator, which uses a planar coil instead of conventional electric wire, generates vibrating stimulation through interaction of the current of the planar coil with the static magnetic field of the MR scanner. Even though the developed tactile stimulating system is small, simple, and inexpensive, it has a wide range of stimulation frequencies (20 ~ 400 Hz, at 40 levels) and stimulation intensities (0 ~ 7 V, at 256 levels). The stimulation intensity does not change due to frequency changes. Since the transient response time is a few microseconds, the stimulation time can be controlled on a scale of microseconds. In addition, this actuator has the advantages of providing highly repeatable stimulation, being durable, being able to assume various shapes, and having an adjustable contact area with the skin. The new stimulator operated stably in an MR environment without affecting the MR images. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we observed the brain activation changes resulting from stimulation frequency and intensity changes.
KW - Electromagnetic
KW - MR-compatible
KW - Planar-coil-type actuator
KW - Vibrotactile stimulator
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84878225277&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3758/s13428-012-0268-z
DO - 10.3758/s13428-012-0268-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 23055173
AN - SCOPUS:84878225277
SN - 1554-351X
VL - 45
SP - 364
EP - 371
JO - Behavior Research Methods
JF - Behavior Research Methods
IS - 2
ER -