FES Waveforms

FES involves depolarising nerve/muscle fibers via externally applied electric current. Once depolarised these fibers conduct action potentials as occurs in healthy tissue.

The electrical pulses applied may be:

Monophasic

The monophasic waveforms tend to be asymmetric biphasic as the net charge built up in the body by the waveform discharges:

Charge Balanced

When charge balanced pulse types are used no net charge is introduced to the body. This is particularly important for some types of denervated muscle stimulation and for implanted electrodes, where electolysis at the electrode tissue interface could take place if there was a non-zero net charge.