foc.us GO FLOW 4 Guide
GO FLOW 4
foc.us Go Flow 4
tDCS & sotDCS Brain Stimulator
User Manual & Warranty
English
INTRODUCTION
Important!
Again
WARNING
Welcome to the new Go Flow brain stimulator by Foc.us. I imagine you are keen to get started
but please take a few minutes to read this booklet and familiarize yourself with the key
concepts and details. Go Flow 4 has double the output current of most tDCS stimulators so
you should exercise double the caution. With great power comes great responsibility and self-
administration of tDCS puts the safety responsibility squarely in your hands.
Use Go Flow 4 to:
Learn new skills faster
Increase endurance levels
Turbo-charge sleep
Recreate other tDCS and sotDCS studies
You should not use the Foc.us stimulator if you suer from epilepsy, seizures, brain lesions,
bipolar depression, or severe heart disease. Immediately stop using foc.us if you experience
short short-term negative eects. Foc.us is not a toy and is not intended to be used by anyone
under the age of 18 years old. If using external electrodes, it is not recommended to place
electrodes in patterns that dier from the default foc.us congurations. Do not position
electrodes in a manner where current may pass through the brainstem. Do not position
electrodes over cuts, grazes, or damaged skin. Allow at least 48 hours between each use of foc.
us. Always place wet sponges between the electrodes and your skin when using foc.us. Do not
touch the black silicone electrodes when using foc.us as you may get burned. Take extra care if
using hydrogels.
Foc.us Go Flow 4 is designed to be used by healthy adults who do not suer from epilepsy,
brain conditions, have a metalic implant such as a skull plate, or have other implants such as a
cochlear implant or pace-maker. The sole purpose of foc.us Go Flow is to improve your brain.
You are responsible for the administration of your tDCS so look after yourself.
2
If you suer from epilepsy, brain lesions, bipolar depression of severe
heart disease you should not use a foc.us stimulator. If you experience
short term negative eects with foc.us you should immediately stop
using it. This is not a toy and is not intended to be used by anyone
under the age of 18 years old. Do not position the electrodes over cuts,
grazes or damaged skin. Allow at least 48 hours between usage. Do
not directly touch the electrodes as this can lead to burns. Always use
electrodes with wet sponges.
YOUR GO FLOW BRAIN STIMULATOR
Understand the dierent parts of your Go Flow brain stimulator.
●Always store your Go Flow in the supplied case when not in use. Squeeze any excess liquid
from the sponges and place them in the electrodes. Ensure the lid of the supplied water
bottle is tightly closed before returning to its place.
●The silicone electrodes can be disassembled for cleaning. Push rmly in the centre of the
black silicone to reinsert into the metal connectors.The expected service life is three years.
Go Flow 4
amx-y electrodes
Foc.us Headband
X/Y Magnetic Cables
Electrode Water Bottle
9V Battery
This is the Go Flow 4 tDCS &
sotDCS stimulator.
This is the amx-y conductive
silicone sponge electrode cup.
This is the Foc.us headband
with amxy-y electrode holes.
This is the stimulation
electrode cables. X is anode, Y
is cathode.
Use this small dropper bottle
to hold water for sponges.
foc.us 9V 6LR61 Ultra alkaline
non-rechargable battery.
3
CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduction................................................................................................................ 2
Included with Go Flow 4............................................................................................ 3
Quick start guide ....................................................................................................... 5
Specications ........................................................................................................... 14
Troubleshooting....................................................................................................... 14
Warranty & guarantee............................................................................................. 15
Technical support contacts..................................................................................... 16
Go Flow 4 : tDCS & sotDCS Stimulator ................................................................... 6
Step by step instructions ......................................................................................... 7
Electrode placements ............................................................................................... 8
Electrode setup details.............................................................................................. 9
Learn New Skills Faster ........................................................................................... 10
Increased endurance with tDCS............................................................................. 11
Power Nap with sotDCS .......................................................................................... 12
What to expect ......................................................................................................... 13
Getting Started
Stimulation Montages
Go Flow 4
Addendum
4
QUICK START GUIDE
5
Prepare Electrodes
Position the electrodes & wet sponges in the headband
and place headband on head. Connect the magnetic
ends to the electrodes and the 2.5mm jack to the Go
Flow. Liberally wet the sponges before use.
1.
Set Current & Duration
When the lights are ORANGE/RED you can change the
current using the red rocker. Press to set.
GREEN lights let you change and start the duration timer.
Tip: 3 presses total: 1) Turn on 2) Set current 3) Start timer
3.
Go Flow
Your brain cells are now excited, your plasticity is
increased. Go learn, train or sleep!
Tip: Test yourself to conrm if it’s working
5.
Battery & Go Flow Together
Connect the 9V battery to the Go Flow 4 and they
can stay connected forever. Go Flow 4 will power-o
automatically and can be turned on by a 2 second press
of the rocker.
2.
take charge
The stimulation will start at 0mA and slowly increase.
The lights will change every 5 seconds between showing
the actual current in ORANGE/RED and the remaining
duration in GREEN. You can increase or decrease the
current using the red rocker.
4.
GO FLOW TDCS & SOTDCS STIMULATOR
6
Your Foc.us Go Flow 4 is an electrical neurostimulator which is designed to deliver a direct
(meaning: constant) current across your cranium.
The theory of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is that by delivering a constant
current into your brain, the excitation levels of your brain cells are altered. The delivered current
is small compared to the current that is already owing in your brain so the current itself does
not induce your brain cells to re, but does prime some of your brain cells to re more readily
depending on the specic settings that are used. It is therefore important that the right settings
are used to induce the right level of charge. It is recommended that you do not deviate from
prescribed levels of current intensities, current durations and electrode placements. Given the
right settings, the subtly induced changes in brain cell excitation levels can result in signicant
cognitive performance enhancements.
Possible side-eects include visual artifacts (such as white ashes), nausea, headaches, and
fatigue. If you experience any of these side-eects, stop your foc.us session. If you see white
ashes (known as phosphenes), adjust the position of the Foc.us electrodes away from your
eyes. You may feel tingling, hot, or cold sensations from using foc.us. If these sensations
become uncomfortable or painful, stop your foc.us session. Skin redness may appear under
electrodes after use, which will disappear after a short time. Repeated use of foc.us may lead
to skin irritation. If you exceed the recommended session duration, you increase the risk of
consolidating both the excitatory and inhibitory processes. Always proceed gradually and with
caution.
Battery connector
Red Rocker
Light Indicators
x/y Cable Socket
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS
7
Connect cable & battery
Set Duration - GREEN lights
Go Flow should remain connected to the 9V battery between
uses. Press the RED rocker for 2 seconds to turn on the
device in tDCS mode.
Tip: Leave the battery connected when not in use
Green lights indicate the stimulation duration. Each light is
5 minutes of stimulation. Set any value from 5 to 35 minutes
using the red rocker up or down. Press once to conrm
duration and start the session.
Tip: You cannot change the duration once set
1.
3.
Step by step Go Flow instructions
Set Current - ORANGE/RED
Monitor & Adjust Current
Orange and red lights indicate the current in mA. One light
indicates 1mA and all seven lights 4mA. Use the red rocker
to increase or decrease the target current in 0.5mA steps.
Press the red button ONCE to conrm the target current.
During the stimulation session the lights will alternate from
Green to Orange/Red. Orange/Red shows you the exact
actual current. Green shows the approximate remaining
duration.
Tip: You can change the current up or down during a session
2.
4.
ELECTRODE PLACEMENTS
8
The eects of tDCS and sotDCS depend on the positioning and polarity of the electrodes.
Anodal stimulation induces an increase in cortical excitability under the X electrode. Cathodal
stimulation induces an increase in cortical inhibition under the Y electrode. When electrodes
are placed on the shoulder or arm, the exact location is less important than when placed on the
head, so long as the correct arm/shoulder is used i.e. left or right.
The most common system for electrode positioning is know as the 10-20 system. This system
involves measuring your head and placing electrodes at the10%, 20%, 20%, 20%, 20% and 10%
positions. This is shown in the dark circles below. The 10-20 system has been further divided
into smaller percentages as shown by the gray circles in the same gure.
The focus headband is not designed to be as precise as the 10-20 system. The best way to nd
accurate electrode placements is to use the montages as a starting guide only. Measure the
results from stimulation and use trial and error to nd the exact location for your personal
physiology.
ELECTRODE SETUP DETAILS
9
Wet sponges in amx-y
Connect x/y cable to amx-y
Sponges should be wet. Use the small water bottle to keep
water handy. Be careful not to touch the black silicone as
this can result in burns.
Tip: Add a pinch of salt if you want a saline solution
X is the anode and Y is the cathode so it is important to get
this the right way around. The X and Y magnetically connect
to the metal backs on the amx-y electrodes. Use the cable
with as few electrodes as required.
Tip: X is the anode, Y is the cathode
1.
3.
Step by step connection instructions
Amx-y electrodes in place
Connect x/y cable to Go Flow
The amx-y electrode mushroom tips are designed to t
comfortably through the headband holes. Get them in
place before putting the headband on your head. It doesn’t
matter which one you use as the polarity is determined by
the cable. Shoulder placements can be held under a t-shirt.
Insert the 2.5mm 4 pin jack end of the x/y cable into the
socket on the top of the Go Flow and you are ready to go.
2.
4.
Goal Learn new skills faster with Focus
Target current 2mA or less for comfort
Duration 20 mins
Electrode placement X front right (shown red), Y left shoulder
Notes Stimulate prior to learning new skills
GO FLOW MONTAGES
The Internet contains information on hundreds of tDCS studies. Go Flow is exible enough
to recreate the protocols of all of them but this does not mean you will nd the same results
as those published. Electrical stimulation is cutting edge and many studies are yet to be
reproduced by other scientists.
Here are three of the most reliable stimulation montages you can try with Go Flow 4.
Learn New Skills Faster
The ability to sustain attention and maintain goal-directed behaviour for extended periods of
time is known as vigilance. It’s a life or death quality in a soldier. Lack of vigilance may not be so
fatal in your line of work but you can imagine why increased vigilance would be benecial.
tDCS signicantly altered baseline
task-induced physiologic and
behavioral changes.
Behavioral measures showed a
signicant improvement in target
detection performance with tDCS
compared to the sham stimulation.
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