Reduction in the fatigue of electrically stimulated muscle using dual channel stimulation with intrafascicular electrodes

Dual channel intrafascicular electrodes were implanted within a single fascicle of a nerve innervating medial gastrocnemius in cats. Experiments were conducted to determine whether dual channel electrical stimulation can be used to decrease the rate of muscle fatigue in electrically stimulated muscle relative to single channel stimulation. We found that the level of muscle fatigue during concurrent dual channel intrafascicular stimulation did not differ significantly from that in single channel intrafascicular stimulation. However, if the stimuli of the two channels are interleaved, a significant reduction of fatigue can be achieved, provided that the two populations of activated fibers are different.