In vivo impedance measurements on nerves and surrounding skeletal muscles in rats and human body.

The aim of the work was to use impedance measurements to find the location of nerves under the human skin. In vivo impedance measurements were performed on exposed nervous and muscular tissues of rats. Similarly, the impedance measurements were also performed on the skin of six men, over the median nerve at the wrist, as well as 4-5 mm away from this location. Results obtained with rats have shown that the relative permittivity and conductivity of nerves are larger (by almost two orders of magnitude) than those observed for the muscular tissues surrounding the nerve. The results obtained on human skin in the frequency range of 20-200 kHz, when the electrodes were placed over the nerve, show lower resistance and higher capacitance than in the other areas measured. These preliminary results indicate that it may be possible to use impedance measurements to find the location of exposed nerves and also nerves under the skin.