Electrical Stimulation and Electropathology

Human response to short-term electrical exposure can be beneficial, as in the application of electrical stimulation for medical purposes, or pathological, as in unintended electric shock. This book is the first to offer a cohesive treatment of the subject, covering fundamental principles, specific human responses, and electrical safety. The book begins with a description of fundamental bioelectric principles. Subsequent chapters treat human reactions to electrical stimulation according to the nature of the response - sensory reactions, cardiac reactions, muscle reactions, electric and magnetic field exposure, and high-voltage and high-current injuries. The last chapter discusses standards and protective measures in consumer products. The author is a member of the principal professional staff at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. To supplement his own chapters, he has invited specialists to contribute chapters in their fields of expertise: Hermann Antoni, University of Freiburg, on electrical properties of the heart; James Sweeney, University of Arizona, on skeletal muscle responses; Michael Chilbert, Medical College of Wisconsin, on high-voltage and high-current injuries; and Walter Skuggevig, Underwriters Laboratories, on standards and protective measures. Sifting through a vast body of engineering and biomedical literature, Reilly has provided a unique reference that will interest researchers, designers, and regulatory personnel.