DEVELOPMENT OF OPEN SYSTEM MICROCURRENT ELECTRICAL THERAPY STIMULATOR AND SIGNAL PROGRAM AS CLINICAL RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

Microcurrent electrical therapy (MET) is a therapeutic method using low voltage
microamperage stimulation. For the application in Indonesia, this method still needs
policy, facility, and further research supports. This research is to develop the adequate
microcurrent electrical stimulation instrument for medical research application for
medical doctors in Indonesia. This one develops the open system microcurrent electrical
stimulator, called OpenMCS and stimulation signal program called μStimS. The
development of OpenMCS is based on PIC 16F877A microcontroller while the μStimS
was programmed using MicroCode Studio – PICBASIC PRO version 2.46 software. The
OpenMCS consists of the modality of therapeutic signal data processor circuit, 16-bit
DAC with bipolar output, voltage to current converter, and the protection system circuit
while the μStimS consists of the main program and therapeutic signals generator.
The testing comprises OpenMCS performance test, protection system test, and preclinical
test as the supporting test. The obtained results from output signal parameters
have mean error of 0,28%, 0,83%, and 0% for amplitude, frequency, and pulse width. The
protection system test shows the error rate of 0,59%, 0,70%, and 0,66% for exceeded
current, exceeded electrical charge, and exceeded mean current. Pre-clinical test was held
by comparing EEG signal from the patients, before and after the microcurrent stimulation
at cranial nerve on P4 point. The result shows the increasing of alpha wave activity after
stimulation. The accomplishment of this research results the adequate microcurrent
electrical stimulation instrument for medical research, more excellent in feature and more
economics than the similar products in market. The further development can be set to
research on the advantage of microcurrent for health, microcurrent signal for degenerative
disease treatment, microcurrent stimulator products for clinical usage, beauty treatment,
and animal treatment.