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Muscle Contraction During Electro‐muscular Incapacitation: A Comparison Between Square‐wave Pulses and the TASER ® X26 Electronic Control Device *
Author(s) -
Comeaux James A.,
Jauchem James R.,
Cox D. Duane,
Crane Carrie C.,
D’Andrea John A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01580.x
Subject(s) - waveform , square wave , contraction (grammar) , pulse duration , pulse (music) , muscle contraction , poison control , biomedical engineering , pulse width modulation , pulse wave , voltage , materials science , electrical engineering , engineering , medicine , physics , anatomy , medical emergency , optics , laser , jitter
Electronic control devices (including the Advanced TASER ® X26 model produced by TASER International) incapacitate individuals by causing muscle contractions. To provide information relevant to development of future potential devices, effects of monophasic square waves with different parameters were compared with those of the X26 electronic control device, using two animal models (frogs and swine). Pulse power, electrical pulse charge, pulse duration, and pulse repetition frequency affected muscle contraction. There was no difference in the charge required, between the square waveform and the X26 waveform, to cause approximately the same muscle‐contraction response (in terms of the strength‐duration curve). Thus, on the basis of these initial studies, the detailed shape of a waveform may not be important in terms of generating electro‐muscular incapacitation. More detailed studies, however, may be required to thoroughly test all potential waveforms to be considered for future use in ECDs.