Hello PSTC-ers Further and contrary to the ideal requisites noted below by Richard Woods, TENS and Muscle Stimulators ARE sold, via mail-order from the back of Muscle-builder magazines (without any restrictions or need for prescriptions).
They can also be found in shops in most any Chinatown here in the USA. These are sold over-the-counter, for sums in the vicinity of US$25.00 or less, without prescriptions and without doctor's orders. You can even find them on E-Bay once in a while. They are usually powered by AA batteries (or sometimes, 9V batteries); I guess the "industry sense" is that they don't require agency approval (the agencies we work with daily). And, I've never noted any agency markings or notations on the ones used by professionals (physical therapists) either. In their case - they sometimes open the units, set the levels, seal the units, and allow patients to take them home for self-monitored therapy sessions. And, to borrow Richard's words, "Approvals? What Approvals?" Regards, Art Michael, the Safety Link <www.safetylink.com> o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-0-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o ------------------------------------------------- On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 wo...@sensormatic.com wrote: > > TENS units (Transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation) are widely used to > treat pain. Muscle stimulators work on the same principle. Nerves will > activate (e.g., muscle contraction) with an e-field of 1.2 V/m. Here is a > spec for a typical TENS: > > Pulse amplitude: 0-80 ma, adjustable > Pulse freq.: 2-150 Hz, adjustable > Pulse width: 50-250 usec, adjustable > Maximum open circuit voltage: 100V > Maximum charge: 16 mC/pulse > > TENS are available only with a prescription and the user manual says to use > the device only as directed by your doctor. The devices are battery > operated, transformer coupled and impedance limited, so they are considered > to be safe even under a fault condition. One safety note - it should not be > used where a current path would cross the heart since the pulses might be > disrupt the heart beat. > > My guess is that the "exercisers" operate on a lower power level in order to > get under the FDA regulations - just enough power to stimulate the nerves. > Approvals? What approvals? > > > Richard Woods > > ---------- > From: Doug McKean [SMTP:dmck...@corp.auspex.com] > Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2001 2:00 PM > To: EMC-PSTC Discussion Group > Subject: Electroshock exercising devices ... > > > These things have been around for a while, IIRC. > > Basically, you hook up a pad or pads to places on > your body, adjust the level of muscle contraction you > think you need, and off you go "exercising " your > muscles while you ... walk the dog, read a book, ... > > I have several questions: > > 1. How the heck do these things get approval? > > 2. What standards include these devices? > > 3. How in the heck do you label these things > for warnings? I.e. languages? > > 4. Is there any evidence continued electrocompulsive > activation of muscle causes any sort of permanent > nerve damage? > > 5. Is there some sort of history with these things > regarding failures and injuries to the users? > > - Doug McKean > > > > ------------------------------------------- > This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety > Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. > > Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ > > To cancel your subscription, send mail to: > majord...@ieee.org > with the single line: > unsubscribe emc-pstc > > For help, send mail to the list administrators: > Michael Garretson: pstc_ad...@garretson.org > Dave Heald davehe...@mediaone.net > > For policy questions, send mail to: > Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org > Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org > > All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: > No longer online until our new server is brought online and the > old messages are imported into the new server. > > ------------------------------------------- > This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety > Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. > > Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ > > To cancel your subscription, send mail to: > majord...@ieee.org > with the single line: > unsubscribe emc-pstc > > For help, send mail to the list administrators: > Michael Garretson: pstc_ad...@garretson.org > Dave Heald davehe...@mediaone.net > > For policy questions, send mail to: > Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org > Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org > > All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: > No longer online until our new server is brought online and the old > messages are imported into the new server. > ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: pstc_ad...@garretson.org Dave Heald davehe...@mediaone.net For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: No longer online until our new server is brought online and the old messages are imported into the new server.
