Electromyographic Clothing

• US 20150366504A1
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medibotics, LLC
• Inventors: Connor, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US14/795,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20150366504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes

Abstract

This invention is an article of clothing with electromyographic (EMG) sensors which measures body motion and/or muscle activity. This clothing can be a short-sleeve shirt or a pair of shorts, wherein the electromyographic (EMG) sensors are on the cuffs. The electromyographic (EMG) sensors can be modular; they can be removably attached to different locations in order to create a customized article of electromyographic clothing which optimally measures the muscle activity of a particular person or muscle activity during a particular sport. This clothing can also include bending-based motion sensors.

Claims

1. An article of electromyographic clothing comprising:

one or more articles of clothing;

a plurality of bending-based motion sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into the one or more articles of clothing, wherein these bending-based motion sensors are configured to collect motion data concerning changes in the configurations of a set of body joints;

a plurality of electromyographic sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into the one or more articles of clothing, wherein these electromyographic sensors are configured to collect electromagnetic energy data concerning the neuromuscular activity of a set of muscles, and wherein muscles in the set of muscles move joints in the set of body joints; and

a data processing unit which analyzes both data from the bending-based motion sensors and data from the electromyographic sensors in order to measure and/or model body motion and/or muscle activity.

2. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein a bending-based motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

conductive fiber motion sensor;

electrogoniometer;

optical bend sensor;

piezoelectric fiber;

piezoelectric sensor;

piezoresistive fiber;

piezoresistive sensor;

strain gauge; and

ultrasonic-based motion sensor.

3. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein a bending-based motion sensor is configured to longitudinally span a person'"'"'s elbow and/or shoulder.

4. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein a bending-based motion sensor is configured to longitudinally span a person'"'"'s knee and/or hip.

5. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein combined, joint, and/or multivariate analysis of both motion data from the bending-based motion sensors and electromagnetic energy data from the electromyographic sensors enables more accurate measurement and/or modeling of body motion than analysis of data from either type of sensor alone.

6. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein this article further comprises a plurality of inertial motion sensors.

7. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 6 wherein combined, joint, and/or multivariate analysis of motion data from bending-based motion sensors, motion data from inertial motion sensors, and electromagnetic energy data from the electromyographic sensors enables more accurate measurement and/or modeling of body motion than analysis of data from any type of sensor alone.

8. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromyographic sensors are modular.

9. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 1 wherein the electromyographic sensors are removably-attachable to the article of clothing.

10. An article of electromyographic clothing comprising:

an article of clothing worn by a person, wherein this article of clothing has a first set of clothing sections which are configured to have a first average distance from the surface of the person'"'"'s body and a second set of clothing sections which are configured to have a second average distance from the surface of the person'"'"'s body, and wherein the second average distance is less than the first average distance; and

one or more electromyographic sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into one or more of the clothing sections in the second set.

11. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein the second average distance can be manually adjusted by the person wearing the article.

12. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein the article further comprises an actuator which automatically adjusts the second average distance.

13. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein a clothing section in the second set spans a portion of the person'"'"'s body in a circumferential manner.

14. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein a clothing section in the second set encircles a person'"'"'s shoulder, elbow, arm, torso, hip, knee, or leg.

15. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein a clothing section in the second set is shaped like a ring, band, and/or conic section.

16. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein there is a gap, pouch, or compartment between an interior surface or layer of the clothing and an external surface or layer of the clothing.

17. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 10 wherein there is a gap, pouch, or compartment between an interior surface or layer of the clothing and an external surface or layer of the clothing over the second sections.

18. An article of electromyographic clothing comprising:

a short-sleeve shirt or pair of shorts worn by a person, wherein this short-sleeve shirt or pair of shorts has a first set of clothing sections which is configured to have a first average distance from the surface of the person'"'"'s body and a second set of clothing sections which is configured to have a second average distance from the surface of the person'"'"'s body, and wherein the second average distance is less than the first average distance; and

one or more electromyographic sensors which are attached to and/or integrated into one or more of the clothing sections in the second set.

19. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 18 wherein clothing sections in the second set are positioned at the ends of the sleeves of the short-sleeve shirt or at the ends of the pant legs of the shorts.

20. The article of electromyographic clothing in claim 18 wherein clothing sections in the second set are cuffs.