Activating function of needle electrodes in anisotropic tissue

We present an analytical solution for the electrical potential and activating function (AF) established by cylindrical needle electrodes in anisotropic tissue. We compare this activating function to (1) AF computed assuming line-source electrodes and (2) AF computed using a finite element program. The results show that when the fiber is two needle diameters away from the electrodes, the maximum of the AF for needle electrodes is 1.43-times larger than for line-source electrodes, which results in lower thresholds for stimulation and electroporation. Therefore, for fibers that are close to the stimulating electrodes, one would benefit from using the formula that accounts for the electrodes’ geometry.