ABSTRACT
Electrical stimulation of cardiac tissue has been particularly successful to restore the function in the heart with implanted pacemakers, and functional electrical stimulation of the nervous system can provide functional restoration to neurologically impaired individuals. Biological volume conductors are highly inhomogenous and the complexity of the volume conductors requires in most cases numerical solutions using nite element or nite boundary methods. Corrosion of the electrode is a major concern since it can cause pitting, metal dissolution, and tissue damage. Corrosion occurs at the anodic phase of the stimulation during oxidation. A successful restoration of function with electrical stimulation requires that the activation of the excitable tissue be carried out without causing damage. Stimulation of the cardiac tissue diers in several respects from the stimulation of the nervous system. Electrical stimulation of an excitable tissue has been highly successful as indicated by the broad application of devices such as the cardiac pacemaker and cochlear prostheses.
