An axon emulator for evaluation of nerve recording systems

This paper describes an emulator of peripheral nerve for the testing of state-of-the-art bio-potential recording systems reducing the need for early in vitro experiments and providing reproducible results. The emulator can be configured as an artificial nerve for ENG recording, which emulates the natural behavior of a nerve and provides an interface to the circuit under test. It is representative of a real nerve in terms of impedances, electrode voltages and action potential propagation characteristics. Its dynamic behavior is controlled by a series of linked microcontrollers. The system emulates different scenarios including compound action potential propagation following stimulation, naturally occurring nerve traffic, and adjustable signal-to-noise ratio. Measured results from a prototype implementation are reported.