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In this study, a Magnetic Resonance (MR)-compatible finger stimulator was developed that can display pressure and heat stimulation simultaneously. The developed finger stimulator consists of three parts: a main controller, drive units, and tactors. The main controller controls stimulation parameters such as stimulation intensity and time. The drive units operate pressure and heat tactors in response to commands from the main controller. The tactors display various pressure and heat stimulation quantitatively and simultaneously. The developed stimulator has many advantages in overall system, stimulation control, and tactor aspects. The new stimulator operated stably in MR circumstance without affecting MR images. Therefore, it can be used for the various intra-and inter-finger functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on pressure and heat sensation.

In this study, we developed a simple finger stimulator that can simultaneously control vibration and heat stimulation. The newly developed stimulator consists of three parts, namely the control unit, drive unit, and an actuator. The control unit controls the stimulation type, frequency, intensity, and time. The drive unit amplifies the stimulation signal that drives the actuator. The actuator displays the vibration and heat stimuli quantitatively and simultaneously. Although the developed stimulator is simple, it has a wide frequency range of 0-400 Hz comprising 40 levels, and vibration stimulation intensity comprising 50 levels. The control temperature and stimulation temperature used for heat stimulation comprise four and eight levels, respectively. In addition, the developed stimulator has many advantages in terms of the overall system, stimulation control, and safety. Therefore, the developed stimulator can be used for integrative tactile perception and cognition studies on various vibration and heat sensations.