Prospects for the development of a magnetic stimulation device for human tissue

Magnetic stimulation is a method to excite biological tissues by means of an electric current induced by a time-varying magnetic field. This field induces the necessary current level to depolarize the cell membrane so as to evoke an action potential. The action potential can propagate along neurons and be transmitted to other neurons or to a muscular cell. The objective of this paper is to discuss the prospects for the development of a magnetic stimulator that could be used in neurodiagnosis or in medical therapy for the treatment of neural or muscular disorders. Improvements on the equipment and coil designs are under way. Nervous integrity tests were carried out in healthy volunteers to determine the effectiveness and functionality of the equipment.