Apparatus for positioning and marking a location of an EMG electrode

• US 6,944,496 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Ki Ho, Lee, Ki Suk, Kim, Hong Kee, Myung, Hyun, Ghyme, Sang Won, Jeong, Hyuk, Choi, Jin Sung, Kim, Ki Hong, Kim, Yong Wan, Kim, Hyun Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mullen, Kristen
• Application Number:
  US10/095,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 600/546
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6842 by marking the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7415 Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation A61B5/741 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for positioning and marking a location of an electromyography (EMG) electrode includes a housing having a back surface, an EMG sensor for receiving the EMG signal, an amplifying circuit for amplifying the EMG signal to generate an amplified EMG signal and an audio output terminal for outputting the amplified EMG signal as the audio EMG signal. The examinee may directly position and mark the location of the EMG electrode and may easily detect the fatigue rate of the muscle or the abnormal condition of the muscle by using the sound of the audio equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for positioning and marking a location of an electromyography (EMG) electrode to convert an EMG signal to an audio EMG signal, comprising:

a housing having a back surface;

an EMG sensor, installed on the back surface of the housing, for receiving the EMG signal, wherein the EMG sensor has a sensing surface capable of being contacted with a human body;

an amplifying circuit for amplifying the EMG signal to generate an amplified EMG signal;

an audio output terminal, installed on a side of the housing, for outputting the amplified EMG signal as the audio EMG signal, wherein the audio output terminal has a structure capable of being connected with an audio input terminal of a audio device;

a marking lever installed to be capable of moving along a lever guide conduit installed through the housing; and

a marking tap, integratedly installed on an end of the marking lever, capable of being projected outside of the housing due to the movement of the marking lever.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gain control unit, installed on a side of the housing, for controlling a gain of the amplifying circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the EMG sensor has one or more EMG sub-sensors for receiving one or more EMG sub-signals, respectively, and the amplifying circuit includes:

one or more amplifying units for amplifying said one or more EMG sub-signals to generate one or more amplified EMG sub-signals, respectively;

a differential amplifying unit for receiving said one or more amplified EMG sub-signals to output a differential amplified EMG signal which is in proportion to a difference between said one or more amplified EMG sub-signals;

a variable amplifying unit for amplifying the differential amplified EMG signal based on a variable gain which corresponds to a variable resister of the gain control unit to generate a variable amplified EMG signal; and

a signal output unit for outputting the variable amplified EMG signal to the audio output terminal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an elastic material for allowing the marking lever to elastically move and wherein the housing has an elastic material housing space for receiving the elastic material.