VIBROTACTILE DEVICES FOR CONTROLLED SOMATOSENSORY STIMULUS DURING FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONSANCE IMAGING

摘要

-27- A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) compatible magnetomechanical vibrotactile device (MVD) uses wire coils having small oscillatory currents to interact with the large static magnetic field inhere nt to MRI scanners. The resulting Lorentz forces which are exerted on the MVD can be oriented to generate large vibrations that may be easily converted to translational motions as large as several centimetres. Representative data demonstrate the flexibility of MVDs to generate different well-controlled vibratory and tactile stimuli to activate special proprioceptive and cutaneous somatosensory afferent pathways.