Designing and constructing a magnetic stimulator: theoretical and practical considerations

Magnetic nerve stimulation has proven to be an effective non-invasive technique that can be used to excite peripheral and central nervous systems. In this technique, the excitement of the neural tissue depends on exposing the body to a transient magnetic field. This field can be generated by passing a high pulse of current through a coil over a short period of time. This paper presents general guidelines for designing and constructing a magnetic stimulator. These guidelines cover theoretical concepts, hardware aspects and components required to build these systems. The critical points discussed in this paper are based on key findings and difficulties encountered during the process of building the system used for this study. Furthermore, some suggestions were addressed to improve future designs.