Electromyographic examination glove

• US 6,567,990 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard James Spitznagle
• Original Assignee: Richard James Spitznagle
• Inventors: Spitznagle, Richard James
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORAN, KATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US10/082,724
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 216/0, 216/16, 216/17, 216/3, 216/9, 2 2/1, 600/372, 600/373, 600/591
• US Class Current: 2/161.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 42/00 Surgical gloves; Finger-stalls specially adapted for surgery; Devices for handling or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 42/20 Finger-stalls specially adapted for surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0512 Anal electrodes

Abstract

The invention is an electrode glove used for internal muscle performance evaluation especially for the pelvic floor and rectal muscle groups. The intent is to combine a clinician'"'"'s sense of touch with his or her knowledge of muscle location to obtain more accurate and rich muscle performance information. Using this device a clinician will know whether contraction readings are from the muscle(s) desired and not surrounding muscles, which side is being read and at what muscle fiber depth. The device is an assembly consisting of (1) an examination glove and (2) surface electrodes attached to the index finger.

Claims

1. A wearable, fingertip, pelvic floor and rectal electromyographic (EMG) examination device for sensing electrical muscle activity levels, that allows for quantitative measurements when connected to an EMG system, which through incorporating the clinicians sense of touch at the active electrode allows device placement on the specific muscle to be read, knowledge of the muscle fiber depth of the activity and whether inadvertent contracting of neighboring muscles has occurred thereby degrading the reading, which is comprised of:

a.) An active electrical muscle activity sensing, EMG surface electrode designed to read low ionic activity in the electrical range of various muscle states at a fingertip location with connection means to an EMG system,

b.) An indifferent EMG surface electrode designed to read low ionic activity in the electrical range of various muscle states located in close proximity to the active electrode with connection means to an EMG system,

c.) An insulated, flexible glove onto which the sensing EMG electrodes are either formed, bonded or held in place with an added finger cover that contains cut outs for electrode surface exposure.