Comparative electrothermal analysis of single and small-electrode grid configurations for HD-inspired peripheral transcutaneous neurostimulation

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In high-density peripheral transcutaneous neurostimulation, electrothermal effects do not scale linearly with the number of active electrodes, but instead decline across three distinct regimes as electrode count increases. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

Yuanshan Zhong; Filip Stefanovic

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2026.1904885

August 28, 2026Frontiers in Bioengineering and BiotechnologyOpen Access

Comparative electrothermal analysis of single and small-electrode grid configurations for HD-inspired peripheral transcutaneous neurostimulation

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Key Points

To investigate how high-density clusters of small-area electrodes alter current-density distribution and electrothermal behavior compared to conventional single electrodes.
Developed a coupled electrical–thermal finite-element model in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3 simulating current-controlled pulsed stimulation.
Compared conventional single electrodes against a series of small-electrode grids from 1 to 16 active units (grid1 to grid16) with fixed electrode radius and inter-electrode spacing.
Conducted control simulations varying active area while holding electrode count constant, as well as area-matched series adjusting electrode radius.
Identified three distinct electrothermal regimes: extreme concentration (N = 1–4), transition (N = 5–8), and return-electrode dominated (N ≥ 9, crossover N = 8–9).
Stimulation-side temperature change followed a power-law decline with active electrode count (ΔT ≈ 9.69 × N^−0.91, R² = 0.999), with N = 9 closely matching the single-electrode baseline (ΔT = 1.340 °C vs. 1.370 °C, difference of 0.030 °C).
The sparse grid1 configuration generated the highest superficial current density and thermal rise (ΔT = 10.18 °C) across all tested configurations.

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Implication

Computational modeling study reveals non-linear electrothermal scaling across small-electrode grids in transcutaneous neurostimulation models, highlighting thermal safety design thresholds.

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Zhong et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9541eaf20e493292a7413d https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2026.1904885

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Comparative electrothermal analysis of single and small-electrode grid configurations for HD-inspired peripheral transcutaneous neurostimulation

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Comparative electrothermal analysis of single and small-electrode grid configurations for HD-inspired peripheral transcutaneous neurostimulation

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