Automated Optimization of Electrode Placement in Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Using Numerical Simulation

Electrode placement is a crucial parameter in transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. However, it is challenging to identify the optimal electrode placement that effectively stimulates a specific tissue because of the complex structure of the human body, which comprises multiple tissues. In this study, we developed a system that automatically identifies the optimal electrode placement from a large number of potential electrode positions. The system uses the finite element method to calculate the current density distribution in the target tissue for all conditions and outputs the optimal placement that stimulates the target tissue most efficiently. To evaluate the effectiveness of this system, we conducted experiments to optimize the electrode placement for electrical stimulation of the lower limbs and head. We confirm that the optimal elec-trode placement determined by the proposed system is reasonable since it was similar to that in a previous study. Fur-thermore, the automation enables verification of several conditions that would be impractical to verify using conventional methods.