Proportional response electrical muscle stimulation
First Claim
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1. A bioelectrically controlled method of generating electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals, comprising the steps of applying to muscles to be stimulated an EMS signal having a particular magnitude;
- then after a time delay having a duration sufficient to enable EMG artifacts to decay, measuring volitionally produced electromyographic (EMG) signals developed by the muscles to be stimulated;
processing the measured signals to obtain processed volitionally produced EMG signals and applying to the muscles an EMS signal having a magnitude that is related to said processed volitionally produced EMG signals.
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Abstract
Excitation of the skeletal musculature of a subject is measured by an electromyogram (EMG), processed and applied to control application to the musculature of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals proportional to the electrical nerve impulses. The invention is useful for re-education and/or amplification of muscular control where motor control has suffered impairment.
95 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A bioelectrically controlled method of generating electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals, comprising the steps of applying to muscles to be stimulated an EMS signal having a particular magnitude;
- then after a time delay having a duration sufficient to enable EMG artifacts to decay, measuring volitionally produced electromyographic (EMG) signals developed by the muscles to be stimulated;
processing the measured signals to obtain processed volitionally produced EMG signals and applying to the muscles an EMS signal having a magnitude that is related to said processed volitionally produced EMG signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- then after a time delay having a duration sufficient to enable EMG artifacts to decay, measuring volitionally produced electromyographic (EMG) signals developed by the muscles to be stimulated;
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7. An apparatus for generating bioelectrically controlled electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals, comprising:
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first electrodes to be applied to the skin of a patient near muscles to be stimulated; second electrodes to be applied to the skin of the patient for making electromyographic (EMG) measurements; means coupled to said second electrodes for developing EMG measurement signals including means synchronized to said EMS signals for sampling for said EMG measurement signals following decay of EMG artifacts; means for processing said sampled EMG measurement signals to produce processed EMG signals; and means coupled to said second electrodes electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signal having a variable amplitude that is functionally related to said processed EMG signals. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for bioelectrically controlled neuromuscular re-education by electrical stimulation, comprising:
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first electrodes to be applied to the skin of a patient near muscles to be stimulated; first means coupled to said first electrodes for generating electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals; second electrodes to be applied to the skin of the patient for making electromyographic (EMG) measurements; second means coupled to said second electrodes for producing EMG measurement signals; and processor means synchronized to said EMS signals for sampling said EMG measurement signals following decay of EMG artifacts and in response controlling said first means to generate pulsed EMS signals having a variable amplitude that is functionally related to said EMG measurement signals. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A bioelectrically controlled method of generating electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) signals, comprising the steps of applying to a first muscle group of a patient an EMS signal having a particular magnitude;
- then after a time delay having a duration sufficient to enable EMG artifacts to decay measuring volitionally produced electromyographic (EMG) signals developed by a second muscle group of a patient;
processing the measured volitionally produced EMG signals to obtain processed EMG signals and applying to the first muscle group of the patient an EMS signal having a magnitude that is functionally related to said processed EMG signals. - View Dependent Claims (16)
- then after a time delay having a duration sufficient to enable EMG artifacts to decay measuring volitionally produced electromyographic (EMG) signals developed by a second muscle group of a patient;
Specification