DEVICE FOR MEASUING ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC SIGNALS WITH HIGH RESOLUTION AND HIGH NUMBER CHANNELS

• US 20150045689A1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bitron SPA (Bitron Industrie SPA)
• Original Assignee: Bitron SPA (Bitron Industrie SPA)
• Inventors: Barone, Umberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,579,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface

Abstract

A device for measuring electromyographic signals 2 is adapted to receive, through multiple channels “C”, electromyographic signals “EMG” sensed by a plurality of electrodes 3 arranged on a patient “P”. The device 2 includes: a conditioning circuit 21; a conversion circuit 22; a transmission circuit 23 to transmit the digitalized signals to a central control unit 1; an external casing 20 to enclose the circuits (21, 22, 23). The conditioning circuit 21 can be assembled modularly by establishing a cascade connection of one or more conditioning circuits 21. The conversion circuit 22 can be assembled modularly by connecting in parallel one or more conversion circuits 22 to vary the number of channels “C” through which electromyographic signals “EMG” are received. The conditioning circuits 21 and the conversion circuits 22 overlap at least partially to limit the dimensions of the external casing 20, ensuring wearability on the patient “P”.

Claims

1. Device for measuring electromyographic signals, for receiving, through a plurality of channels, a plurality of electromyographic signals sensed by a plurality of electrodes arranged on a portion of the body of a patient;

said device comprises;

a conditioning circuit, for conditioning analog electromyographic signals;

a conversion circuit, for converting into digital form the signals conditioned by said conditioning circuit;

a transmission circuit, for transmitting the signals digitalized by the conversion circuit to a central control unit for processing the obtained data;

an external casing, for enclosing a plurality of electronic boards on which said circuits have been engraved;

wherein

said aid conditioning circuit is configured for modular assembly, establishing a parallel connection of one or more independent conditioning circuits to vary the number of channels through which electromyographic signals are received;

said conversion circuit is configured for modular assembly, by connecting in parallel one or more independent conversion circuits, depending on the number of conditioning circuits to vary the number of channels through which electromyographic signals are received;

said one or more conditioning circuits and said one or more conversion circuits overlap at least partially to limit dimensions of said external casing;

said device is configured for being worn by the patient, by at least one fastening element;

said transmission circuit transmits the signals digitalized to said control unit through means for communicating immune from conducted or radiated electromagnetic noise;

the data from said one or more conversion circuits are sent to the transmission circuit through at least one full-duplex serial bus.

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising at least one battery, which is enclosed in the external casing and is adapted to supply power to the electric circuits included in the device.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein each conditioning circuit, which comprises, for each channel, at least one amplifier and at least one filter is configured to condition the electromyographic signals coming from at least thirty-two channels connected to as many electrodes.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the number of conversion circuits equals the number of conditioning circuits.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein each conversion circuit, which comprises a plurality of sampling circuits and at least one conversion device, is configured to carry out a direct conversion of the electromyographic signals, at a resolution of at least 24 bits on a dynamics of 5V at most.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of sampling devices are adapted to carry out, in a simultaneous manner, an oversampling operation on the conditioned signals.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein each conditioning circuit is adapted to automatically change a measuring configuration among monopolar, single differential and other configurations for measuring electromyographic signals, through at least one switch.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein said transmission circuit comprises a buffering circuit for temporarily storing the input data;

a transmission protocol implementation circuit capable of preparing the data so that the data can be transferred to the central control unit through said means for communicating immune from conducted or radiated electromagnetic noise.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said means for communicating is a plastic optical fibre.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein said means for communicating is a wireless connection.

11. The device according to claim 2, wherein the conditioning circuit and the conversion circuit are comprised in a single electronic board.

12. The device according to claim 2, wherein the electrodes are arranged on a patient in a high-density configuration.

13. The device according to claim 2, comprising a power supply for generating a plurality of stable voltages from said at least one battery, the voltage values being suitable for supplying the correct voltage level to the circuits.

14. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device comprises a management unit for:

communicating with the central control unit to transfer and receive information about the device;

monitoring the circuits and signal malfunctions of said circuits to the central control unit.