Special session keynote address: The physics of the stimulation process

Experimental evidence for transverse stimulation of nerve cells is presented. Stimulation is initiated by a polarization current of short duration. In one example, the initial voltage is 8.5 Volt and the current lasts for only few microseconds. The stimulation process becomes irreversible after 10-50 microseconds, depending on the initial voltage. The standard cable model cannot describe the process. In practical applications with multi-electrode-arrays, the shortness of the proposed pulses, together with randomization of the firing order of electrodes, can help to reduce cross-talk.