Wireless Skin Surface Potential Sensing System and Method
First Claim
1. A sensing apparatus for allowing a patient to control an object by asserting a motor unit action potential, comprising:
- a. an electromyogram sensor configured to be placed at a selected location on the patient and to sense a motor unit action potential from the patient, the electromyogram sensor also configured to generate an EMG signal representative of the motor unit action potential;
b. a personal area network transmitting device, responsive to the EMG signal, that is configured to generate a wireless signal that corresponds to the EMG signal;
c. a personal area network receiving device that is configured to receive the wireless signal and to convert the wireless signal into an electrical signal; and
d. a processor that is configured to receive the electrical signal and to generate at least one control signal that has a value corresponding to a state of the electrical signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensing apparatus and method allows a patient to control an object by asserting a motor unit action potential. An electromyogram sensor is configured to be placed at a selected location on the patient and to sense a motor unit action potential from the patient. The electromyogram sensor is also configured to generate an EMG signal representative of the motor unit action potential. A personal area network transmitting device that is responsive to the EMG signal is configured to generate a wireless signal that corresponds to the EMG signal. A personal area network receiving device is configured to receive the wireless signal and to convert the wireless signal into an electrical signal. A processor is configured to receive the electrical signal and to generate at least one control signal that has a value corresponding to a state of the electrical signal.
19 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A sensing apparatus for allowing a patient to control an object by asserting a motor unit action potential, comprising:
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a. an electromyogram sensor configured to be placed at a selected location on the patient and to sense a motor unit action potential from the patient, the electromyogram sensor also configured to generate an EMG signal representative of the motor unit action potential; b. a personal area network transmitting device, responsive to the EMG signal, that is configured to generate a wireless signal that corresponds to the EMG signal; c. a personal area network receiving device that is configured to receive the wireless signal and to convert the wireless signal into an electrical signal; and d. a processor that is configured to receive the electrical signal and to generate at least one control signal that has a value corresponding to a state of the electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A sensing apparatus for allowing a patient to generate a signal by asserting a motor unit action potential, comprising:
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a. an electromyogram sensor configured to be placed at a selected location on the patient and to sense a motor unit action potential from the patient, the electromyogram sensor also configured to generate an EMG signal representative of the motor unit action potential; and b. a personal area network transmitting device, responsive to the EMG signal, that is configured to generate a wireless signal that corresponds to the EMG signal.
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9. A system for transmitting a skin surface potential signals via a wireless voice channel, comprising:
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a. a skin surface potential sensor that generates a first signal representative of a skin surface potential; b. a signal conditioning circuit, responsive to the first signal, that generates a modulated signal representative of the first signal, wherein the modulated signal has a carrier frequency within a bandwidth of the voice channel; c. a wireless personal area network transmitter, responsive to the modulated signal, that transmits a wireless signal that includes a signal component corresponding to the modulated signal; d. a wireless personal area network receiver that receives the wireless signal and that generates an electronic signal representative thereof; e. a demodulation circuit that generates a demodulated signal representative of the electronic signal; and f. a sound card configured to reconstruct the skin surface potential based on the demodulated signal.
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10. A method of transmitting control inputs to a device, comprising the actions of:
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a. sensing an electromyogram action potential with an electromyogram sensor, thereby generating an EMG signal; b. transmitting the EMG signal to a wireless receiver with a wireless personal area network transmitting device; c. receiving the EMG signal with a personal area network receiving device; d. processing the EMG signal so as to generate a control signal; and e. controlling a device based on a state of the control signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification