title: Development of a simple pressure and heat stimulator for intra- and interdigit functional magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: For this study, we developed a simple pressure and heat stimulator that can quantitatively control pressure and provide heat stimulation to intra- and interdigit areas. The developed stimulator consists of a control unit, drive units, and tactors. The control unit controls the stimulation parameters, such as stimulation types, intensity, time, and channel, and transmits a created signal of stimulation to the drive units. The drive units operate pressure and heat tactors in response to commands from the control unit. The pressure and heat tactors can display various stimulation intensities quantitatively, apply stimulation continuously, and adjust the stimulation areas. Additionally, they can easily be attached to and detached from the digits. The developed pressure and heat stimulator is small in total size, easy to install, and inexpensive to manufacture. The new stimulator operated stably in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment without affecting the obtained images. A preliminary functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment confirmed that differences in activation of somatosensory areas were induced from the pressure and heat stimulation. The developed pressure and heat stimulator is expected to be utilized for future intra- and interdigit fMRI studies on pressure and heat stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Research Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical & Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung-Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Hyun
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hyun-Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Pyo
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jang-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Jeong-Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Yoon-Gi
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Sung-Phil
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Rak
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae-Woon
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Soon-Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011312:Pressure; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D055698:Touch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult