Abstract
A form of cathodic protection has been developed for controlling the corrosion of stainless steel electrodes during electrical stimulation. The protection is achieved by using biphasic stimulation pulses with a slight (<-1%) charge imbalance in favor of the cathodic phase. Testsin vitro indicate that the “safe” charge limit (the charge density per phase at which corrosion first becomes serious) can be at least tripled by the use of imbalanced pulses. If confirmed by testsin vivo, this result may find application in the field of intramuscular stimulation where the present “safe” charge limit for stainless steel electrodes (#40 μC cm−2) does not permit an adequate range of stimulation intensities.
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McHardy, J., Geller, D. & Brummer, S.B. An approach to corrosion control during electrical stimulation. Ann Biomed Eng 5, 144–149 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02364014
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02364014