Development of a Low-Cost Miniaturized Wearable Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation

Research on brain stimulation devices such as TMS, tDCS, tACS, tRNS, and tPCS has been actively conducted for neuromodulation, especially in the field of rehabilitation. Transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) is a non-invasive technology using pulsed current, which has the potential to treat neuropsychiatric diseases and improve cognitive function. However, current tPCS devices are bulky and expensive, limiting their use in clinical and personalized treatment. This study aims to develop an inexpensive and miniaturized wearable tPCS device. The compact current generation and control module is designed to maintain similar performance to existing devices. Current up to 2 mA, frequency of 100 Hz, and direction-controlled stimulation time. Performance tests on human models and experimental devices confirmed that the stimulation efficiency is similar to that of large devices, the cost is as low as $10, and the size is 55 × 55 × 15 mm, which is convenient to carry. The low-cost tPCS devices makes them suitable for commercialization in both clinical and home care.