Athletic glove providing feedback regarding grip to a wearer

• US 9,192,335 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Linderman
• Original Assignee: Michael Linderman
• Inventors: Linderman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Devin
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCrosky, David J
• Application Number:
  US13/861,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600/382, 600/384, 600/386, 600/388, 600/393, 600/546, 600/587, 600/595, 128/905, 601/40, 482/44, 482/47, 482/49, 434/155, 738/654, 215/9, 216/0, 21611-1618
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/225 of the fingers, e.g. by monitoring hand-grip force
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A glove for recording and displaying the critical set of electromyography (EMG) signals representing consecutive hand movements. The glove is for measuring EMG signals in a hand, and includes a glove body, and/or a plurality of EMG electrodes disposed at predetermined locations on an inner surface of the glove body, configured to sense a magnitude of a plurality of EMG signals over a period of time, a data acquisition circuit coupled to the plurality of EMG electrodes, configured to receive at least one of the plurality of EMG signals and to generate an output proportional to the magnitude of the at least one of the plurality of EMG signals sensed by at least one of the plurality of EMG electrodes, and a user feedback module located on an external surface of the glove body for providing a representation of the output of the data acquisition circuit.

Claims

1. A glove for measuring electromyography (EMG) signals in a hand comprising:

a glove body;

a plurality of EMG electrodes disposed at predetermined locations on an inner surface of said glove body and configured to sense a magnitude of a plurality of EMG signals over a period of time, wherein said EMG electrodes are disposed at locations targeted to specific muscle locations on a hand of a user when said glove body is worn;

a data acquisition circuit coupled to said plurality of EMG electrodes and configured to receive at least one of said plurality of EMG signals and to generate an output proportional to said magnitude of said at least one of said plurality of EMG signals sensed by at least one of said plurality of EMG electrodes; and

a user feedback module located on an external surface of said glove body and configured to provide a representation of said output of said data acquisition circuit, wherein said plurality of EMG electrodes comprises at least two pairs of EMG electrodes, each pair coupled to two inputs of a single differential amplifier, such that a first EMG electrode of one of said pairs of EMG electrodes is electrically coupled to said single differential amplifier and comprises an active electrode and senses EMG signals from a muscle of the hand, and a second EMG electrode of said pair of EMG electrodes is coupled to said single differential amplifier and comprises a reference electrode which senses EMG signals from an area of a bone of the hand.

2. The glove of claim 1, wherein, when said glove body is worn by a user, said first EMG electrode senses EMG signals from the Opponens pollicis muscle and the Abductor pollicis brevis muscle and said second EMG electrode senses EMG signals from an area of the radius bone.

3. The glove of claim 1, wherein when said glove body is worn by a user, said first EMG electrode senses EMG signals from the First dorsal interosseus muscle and the second EMG electrode senses EMG signals from a Dorsum section of the hand.

4. The glove of claim 1, wherein when said glove body is worn by a user, said first EMG electrode senses EMG signals from the Second dorsal interosseus muscle and the second EMG electrode senses EMG signals from a Dorsum section of the hand.

5. The glove of claim 1, wherein when said glove body is worn by a user, said first EMG electrode senses EMG signals from the Abductor digiti minimi brevis muscle and the second EMG electrode senses EMG signals from an area of the Ulnar bone.

6. A method for measuring electromyography (EMG) signals in the hand comprising:

placing a plurality of EMG electrodes on a hand of a user, such that said EMG electrodes are disposed at specific muscle locations on said hand and each of said EMG electrodes senses a magnitude of an EMG signal over time, said plurality of EMG electrodes including at least two pairs of EMG electrodes such that a first EMG electrode of one of said two pairs of EMG electrodes is placed such that EMG signals are received from a muscle of the hand and a second EMG electrode of said one of said two pairs is placed above a bone of the hand to sense EMG signals from an area of the bone of the hand, wherein said first electrode functions as an active electrode and said second electrode functions as a reference electrode;

coupling each said pair of EMG electrodes to two inputs of a single differential amplifier;

receiving at least one EMG signal from at least one of said plurality of EMG electrodes;

generating an output proportional to a magnitude of said received at least one EMG signal; and

providing a representation of said output to said user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said placing a plurality of EMG electrodes comprises placing said first EMG electrode above the Opponens pollicis muscle and the Abductor pollicis brevis muscle and placing said second EMG electrode above the radius bone.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said placing a plurality of EMG electrodes comprises placing the first EMG electrode above the First dorsal interosseus muscle and placing the second EMG electrode above a Dorsum area of the hand.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said placing a plurality of EMG electrodes comprises placing said first EMG electrode above the Second dorsal interosseus muscle and placing the second EMG electrode above a Dorsum area of the hand.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said placing a plurality of EMG electrodes comprises placing said first EMG electrode above the Abductor digiti minimi brevis muscle and placing the second EMG electrode above the Ulnar bone.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said receiving further comprises receiving EMG signals from at least one of said plurality of EMG electrodes at at least two time points during a golf swing, and wherein said providing a representation comprises providing to said user a representation of the pressure applied to a golf club held by said hand at said at least two time points during said golf swing, said at least two time points during said golf swing including time points during at least two of the following actions:

raising of the golf club;

lowering the golf club towards the ball;

hitting the ball; and

swinging said golf club after hitting said ball.

12. An electromyography (EMG) signal measuring system, comprising:

a plurality of EMG electrodes disposed at predetermined locations on a glove, said EMG electrodes configured to sense a magnitude of a plurality of EMG signals over a period of time, wherein said EMG electrodes are disposed at locations targeted to specific muscle locations on a hand of a user when said glove is worn by said user;

a data acquisition circuit coupled to said plurality of EMG electrodes, configured to receive at least one of said plurality of EMG signals and to generate an output proportional to said magnitude of said at least one of said plurality of EMG signals sensed by at least one of said plurality of EMG electrodes; and

a user feedback electrically coupled to said data acquisition circuit;

wherein said predetermined locations on said hand comprise at least two of the following pairs;

a) above the Opponens pollicis muscle and the Abductor pollicis brevis muscle; and

above the radius bone;

b) above the First dorsal interosseus muscle; and

above a Dorsum area of said hand;

c) above the Second dorsal interosseus muscle; and

above the Dorsum area of said hand;

d) above the Abductor digiti minimi brevis muscle; and

above the Ulnar bone;

wherein at least two pairs of said EMG electrodes is coupled to two inputs of a single differential amplifier, such that a first EMG electrode of one of said pairs of EMG electrodes is electrically coupled to said single differential amplifier and comprises an active electrode and senses EMG signals from a muscle of the hand, and a second EMG electrode of said pair of EMG electrodes is coupled to said single differential amplifier and comprises a reference electrode which senses EMG signals from an area of a bone of the hand.