Measuring the action potential in a nerve using a toroid
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Abstract
For years the only way to test for nerve damage was to place two electrodes on the nerve and test the voltage between them. While this method can be used to test for nerve damage, it can be quite painful. It will also not give a high amount of detail without being performed multiple times, causing more pain to the patient. The experiment I have been a part of will test a possible solution to this problem. Through the use of a toroid the nerve can be tested with considerably less pain and to a greater degree of accuracy. While this experiment has been in progress for almost a decade, I have only been a part of it for the last year. My research group is in the process of collecting data in the near future. I will explain the fundamental physics behind the experiment, the devices used to imitate the conditions in which the experiment will be performed, and what we expect to learn from the experiment.