40-Hz square-wave stimulation requires less energy to produce muscle contraction: compared with the TASER® X26 conducted energy weapon.

Conducted energy weapons (CEWs) (including the Advanced TASER(®) X26 model produced by TASER International, Inc.) incapacitate individuals by causing muscle contractions. In this study using anesthetized swine, the potential incapacitating effect of primarily monophasic, 19-Hz voltage imposed by the commercial CEW was compared with the effect of voltages imposed by a laboratory device that created 40-Hz square waves. Forces of muscle contraction were measured with the use of strain gauges. Stimulation with 40-Hz square waves required less pulse energy than stimulation with the commercial CEW to produce similar muscle contraction. The square-pulse stimulation, at the higher repetition rate, caused a more complete tetanus at a lower energy. Use of such a simple shape of waveform may be used to make future nonlethal weapon devices more efficient.

Muscle contraction during electro-muscular incapacitation: A comparison between square-wave pulses and the TASER(®) X26 Electronic control device.

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.

ED50 study of femtosecond terawatt laser pulses on porcine skin.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Terawatt (TW) lasers have become commonplace since the development of the chirped-pulse amplification method using Ti:sapphire and Nd:glass laser rods. We have measured the minimum visible lesion (MVL) thresholds for porcine1The animals involved in this study were procured, maintained, and used in accordance with the Federal Animal Welfare Act and the "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals" prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources-National Research Council. Brooks City-Base, TX has been fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC) since 1967. (Yucatan mini-pig) skin using TW laser pulses. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our system produced laser pulses at 810 nm and sub-50 femtoseconds. These 1-2 TW laser pulses created multiple self-focusing (SF) filaments during propagation and were directed on the flanks of mini-pigs under anesthesia. We measured the pulse energies necessary to determine the ED(50) skin damage thresholds. RESULTS: The MVL ED(50) threshold at 1 hour was 8 mJ and increased to 21 mJ after 24 hours. Histological sections were obtained after 1-hour and 24-hour readings. CONCLUSIONS: The damage patterns on the skin indicated the number of filaments in the laser pulse. Many of the pulses produced only superficial damage that disappeared in 24 hours and that nearly three times the pulse energy was required to cause subdural or cellular damage. With further research, non-thermal tissue ablation using TW laser pulses could provide a viable alternative to current techniques of laser use in dermatology.