Electromyogram method and apparatus

• US 20050049517A1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathew, Thomas, Olson, William L., Hong, Di-An, Valliath, George
• Application Number:
  US10/654,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20050049517A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]

Abstract

An electromyogram device (10) have a conformable housing (11) that houses or otherwise supports an electromyogram signal processor (13), electromyogram sensors (14), and a display (15) that provides, for example, information corresponding to one or more muscle condition parameters such as muscular fatigue. In various embodiments, the device can further include additional displays (34), memory (31), audible alarm mechanisms (32), and/or a wireless receiver and/or transmitter (33). In one embodiment, such devices can communicate amongst one another to permit central and/or remote display of the resultant electromyogram information.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a conformable housing of sufficient size to permit substantially conformal disposition about a human body part;

an electromyogram sensor supported by the conformable housing, such that when the conformable housing is substantially conformally disposed about a human body part the electromyogram sensor can detect muscle activity;

an electromyogram signal processor operably coupled to the electromyogram sensor and being supported by the conformable housing;

a display operably coupled to the electromyogram signal processor and being supported by the conformable housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conformable housing comprises an elastic member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electromyogram signal processor is substantially disposed within the conformable housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a multi-color display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display comprises an alphanumeric display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising at least a second display operably coupled to the electromyogram signal processor and being supported by the conformable housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a user input interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the user input interface comprises a switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein in the display provides a display that corresponds to a muscle condition parameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the muscle condition parameter corresponds to muscular fatigue.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a portable power source that is supported by the conformable housing and that is operably coupled to the electromyogram signal processor and the electromyogram sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the portable power source comprises a rechargeable portable power source.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the rechargeable portable power source comprises a non-contact rechargeable portable power source.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising an audible alarm that is supported by the conformable housing and that is operably coupled to the electromyogram signal processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a wireless receiver supported by the conformable housing and being operably coupled to the electromyogram signal processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a wireless transmitter supported by the conformable housing and being operably coupled to the electromyogram signal processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a memory supported by the conformable housing and being operably coupled to the electromyogram signal processor.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the memory has stored therein at least one of:

strength information;

power information;

a number of muscle flextures;

present rate of muscle flextures;

historical information regarding a rate of muscle flextures;

a number of muscle relaxation events;

present rate of muscle relaxation events;

historical information regarding a rate of muscle relaxation events.

19. A method comprising:

at an electromyogram signal processor supported by a conformable housing that is conformably disposed about a human body part;

receiving electromyogram signals;

processing the electromyogram signals to determine a corresponding muscle condition indicia;

providing a display signal that corresponds to the muscle condition indicia.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein processing the electromyogram signals to determine a corresponding muscle condition indicia comprises processing the electromyogram signals to determine a corresponding muscle condition indicia regarding muscle fatigue.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving electromyogram signals comprises receiving electromyogram signals from at least one electromyogram sensor that is supported by the conformable housing.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving electromyogram signals further comprises also receiving electromyogram signals from at least one electromyogram sensor that is distal to the conformable housing.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein processing the electromyogram signals to determine a corresponding muscle condition indicia comprises processing the electromyogram signals to determine a composite indicia that corresponds to a condition of a plurality of muscles.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein processing the electromyogram signals to determine a corresponding muscle condition indicia comprises utilizing a calibration process to calibrate the processing with respect to at least a first calibration criterion.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein utilizing a calibration process to calibrate the processing with respect to at least a first calibration criterion comprises accessing previously stored calibration information.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein accessing previously stored calibration information comprises accessing at least one of:

locally stored calibration information; and

remotely stored calibration information.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein utilizing a calibration process to calibrate the processing with respect to at least a first calibration criterion includes providing at least one calibration instruction to a user.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein utilizing a calibration process to calibrate the processing with respect to at least a first calibration criterion further comprises receiving electromyogram information in response to providing the at least one calibration instruction to the user.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein receiving electromyogram information in response to providing the at least one calibration instruction to the user comprises receiving electromyogram information within a predetermined period of time of providing the at least one calibration instruction to the user.

30. The method of claim 19 wherein processing the electromyogram signals to determine a corresponding muscle condition indicia comprises using at least a first threshold value that likely corresponds to a user performance parameter.

31. The method of claim 30 and further comprising providing the first threshold value as a function, at least in part, of a calibration process.

32. The method of claim 30 and further comprising providing the first threshold value as a function, at least in part, of past performance by a user.

33. The method of claim 19 and further comprising comparing the corresponding muscle condition indicia with at least one of:

historical muscle condition data;

estimated muscle condition data.

34. A monitor and control method for muscle articulation comprising:

processing at least one electromyogram signal;

providing a substantially real time assessment of muscle function response and fatigue level as a function, at least in part, of the at least one electromyogram signal; and

providing a control signal to control muscle actuation of a local muscle as a function, at least in part, of the substantially real time assessment.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein processing at least one electromyogram signal comprises providing a substantially real time assessment of a muscle function response for a group of muscles.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein providing a control signal to control muscle actuation of a local muscle comprises providing a wireless control signal to a group of devices that control muscle actuation of a coordinated group of muscles.