Method and system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal from an electrode array
First Claim
1. A method of producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
- sensing through an array of electrodes a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
applying a weighting function to the detected EMG signals and thereby producing weighted signals, the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle comprising a center and the weighting function containing correction features for the relative locations of the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
combining the weighted signals and thereby producing the higher quality electromyographic signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for producing higher quality electromyogram (EMG) signals utilizes an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals in an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle. A weighting function is applied to the EMG signals to produce weighted signals. This weighting function contains correction features for the relative locations of the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes. The quality of the weighted EMG signals is evaluated, and the weighted signals or sum or mean of the weighted signals whose evaluated quality is insufficient are replaced. A sum or mean of a feature of the weighted signals is calculated to produce a higher quality electromyocardiographic signal. The method and system can also be used to determine signal strength or frequency contents of a signal falling outside the array of electrodes.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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sensing through an array of electrodes a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
applying a weighting function to the detected EMG signals and thereby producing weighted signals, the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle comprising a center and the weighting function containing correction features for the relative locations of the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
combining the weighted signals and thereby producing the higher quality electromyographic signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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sensing through an array of electrodes a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
applying a weighting function to the detected EMG signals and thereby producing weighted signals; and
combining the weighted signals and thereby producing the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein; the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle comprises a center;
the electrodes are separated from the center of the electrically active region by respective distances;
the electrodes are separated from each other by an inter-electrode distance; and
the weighting function comprises correction features for;
the relative location of the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes;
the distance separating the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes;
the size of the electrically active region; and
the inter-electrode distance.
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5. A method of producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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sensing through an array of electrodes a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
applying a weighting function to the detected EMG signals and thereby producing weighted signals, the weighting function containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
combining the weighted signals and thereby producing the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle comprises a center, the array of electrodes comprises a series of electrodes with an inter-electrode distance, each EMG signal is detected through at least two electrodes of the array, and wherein applying the weighting function comprises;
detecting the position of the center of the electrically active region about the array of electrodes;
relating the weighting function to the position of the center of the electrically active region with respect to the electrodes of said series;
weighting each EMG signal by means of the weighting function related to the position of the center of the electrically active region with respect to the electrodes of said series. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method of producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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sensing through an array of electrodes a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
applying a weighting function to the detected EMG signals and thereby producing weighted signals, the weighting function containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
combining the weighted signals and thereby producing the higher quality electromyographic signal, wherein combining the weighted signals comprises calculating a mean of a feature of the weighted signals.
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8. A method of producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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sensing through an array of electrodes a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
applying a weighting function to the detected EMG signals and thereby producing weighted signals, the weighting function containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
combining the weighted signals and thereby producing the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein said method of producing a higher quality electromyographic signal further comprises, prior to combining the weighted signals, evaluating electromyographic quality of the weighted signals. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
a weighting filter applied to the detected EMG signals to produce weighted signals, the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle comprising a center and the weighting filter containing correction features for the relative locations of the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
a combiner of the weighted signals, the combined weighted signals constituting the higher quality electromyographic signal. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
a weighting filter applied to the detected EMG signals to produce weighted signals, the weighting filter containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
a combiner of the weighted signals, the combined weighted signals constituting the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein;
the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle comprises a center;
the electrodes are separated from the center of the electrically active region by respective distances;
the electrodes are separated from each other by an inter-electrode distance; and
the weighting filter comprises correction features for;
the relative location of the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes;
the distance separating the center of the electrically active region and the electrodes;
the size of the electrically active region; and
the inter-electrode distance.
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18. A system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
a weighting filter applied to the detected EMG signals to produce weighted signals, the weighting filter containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
a combiner of the weighted signals, the combined weighted signals constituting the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein;
the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle comprises a center;
the array of electrodes comprises a series of electrodes with an inter-electrode distance;
each EMG signal is detected through at least two electrodes of the array; and
the weighting filter comprises a weighting function related to the position of the center of the electrically active region with respect to the electrodes of said series.
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19. A system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
a weighting filter applied to the detected EMG signals to produce weighted signals, the weighting filter containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
a combiner of the weighted signals, the combined weighted signals constituting the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein the series of electrodes has a center, wherein the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle has a center, and wherein, when the center of the electrically active region is offset with respect to the center of the series of electrodes;
a larger number of EMG signals are detected by the electrodes on one side of the center of the electrically active region than on the other side of said center of the electrically active region so that EMG signals are missing on said other side; and
the system comprises means for replacing the missing EMG signals on said other side by corresponding EMG signals from said one side, and means for subsequently weighting said replacement EMG signals.
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20. A system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
a weighting filter applied to the detected EMG signals to produce weighted signals, the weighting filter containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
a combiner of the weighted signals, the combined weighted signals constituting the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein the combiner comprises;
an adder of a feature of the weighted signals.
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21. A system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
a weighting filter applied to the detected EMG signals to produce weighted signals, the weighting filter containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
a combiner of the weighted signals, the combined weighted signals constituting the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein the combiner comprises;
a calculator of a mean of a feature of the weighted signals.
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22. A system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal describing myoelectrical activity of an electrically active region of a subject'"'"'s muscle, comprising:
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an array of electrodes for sensing a plurality of EMG signals representative of the myoelectrical activity of the electrically active region of the subject'"'"'s muscle;
a weighting filter applied to the detected EMG signals to produce weighted signals, the weighting filter containing correction features for the relative locations of the electrically active region and the electrodes; and
a combiner of the weighted signals, the combined weighted signals constituting the higher quality electromyographic signal;
wherein said system for producing a higher quality electromyographic signal further comprises, prior to combining the weighted signals, an evaluator of an electromyographic quality of the weighted signals. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification