Wearable electromyogram sensor system

• US 9,999,391 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Kim, Keehoon, Kim, Sin-Jung, Kim, Min Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Stout, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US14/088,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection

Abstract

A wearable electromyogram sensor system is provided. The wearable electromyogram sensor system includes: an elastic band having a plurality of electrodes; an electromyogram sensor including an electrode connected to an electrode of the band so as to receive a bio-signal related to contraction of a muscle, and configured to sense a change of motion information through the bio-signal or previously sense the change of the motion information before the motion information is changed; and a fixing unit fixing the electromyogram sensor to the band. The electrode of the electromyogram sensor is connected to an electrode at an arbitrary position of the band.

Claims

1. A wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus, comprising:

an elastic band comprising electrodes installed through a surface of the elastic band;

an electromyogram sensor comprising an electrode connected to another electrode of the band so as to receive a bio-signal related to a contraction of a muscle;

a controller in communication with the electrode and configured to determine a change of motion information of the bio-signal prior to a motion resulting from the contraction of the muscle by sensing a motion potential increase and decrease during a transient state of the bio-signal; and

a fixing device configured to fix the electromyogram sensor to the band,

wherein the electrode of the electromyogram sensor is connected to the another electrode at an arbitrary position on the band,

wherein the bio-signal comprises the transient state and a steady state, and the transient state occurs immediately prior to the motion and the steady state occurs during the motion,

wherein a motion potential increases and thereafter decreases during the transient state, and the controller is further configured to detect the motion potential increase and decrease during the transient state and prior to the motion, and

wherein the motion information comprises direction of force, magnitude of force, energy distribution through the bio-signal related to the motion, muscle fatigue, posture, and a comparison to stored motion data of resultant motions determined to be similar to the motion.

2. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the fixing device comprises a fastener comprising any one of a magnet, hook and loop, and a detachable tape, and

the fastener is attached to the band and the electromyogram sensor.

3. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the electromyogram sensor comprises an amplifier and filter configured to amplify and filter the bio-signal,

a movement measurement sensor configured to measure a movement and a posture of a part to be measured, in response to the electromyogram sensor being coupled to the band,

a muscle fatigue measurement sensor configured to mechanically or optically measure fatigue accumulated in the muscle, and

an electrode contact sensor configured to sense a contact state between the electrode of the band and the electrode of the electromyogram sensor.

4. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromyogram sensor comprises

an amplifier and filter configured to amplify and filter the bio signals;

a movement measurement sensor configured to measure a movement and posture of a part to be measured, and

a muscle fatigue measurement sensor configured to mechanically or optically measure fatigue accumulated in the muscle.

5. The wearable electromyogram sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to analyze a pattern of the bio-signal and to sense the change of the motion information, and a conversion device configured to convert the change of the motion information into any one or any combination of any two or more of motion, energy, force, sound, image, tactility, and data based on the analysis of the pattern.

6. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller comprises

a muscular contraction signal processing module configured to individually or integrally amplify or attenuate the bio-signals transmitted from the electromyogram sensor,

a training module configured to receive information on a user'"'"'s movement, posture, and muscle contraction which occur before the motion, which is of the user,

a pattern analysis module configured to analyze a pattern of the motion based on the bio-signals measured by the electromyogram sensor and information inputted from the training module, and

a signal input storage module configured to receive and store the bio-signals measured by the electromyogram sensor in real time.

7. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller further comprises a muscular contraction signal control module configured to control amplification and attenuation for the analyzing of the pattern of the motion.

8. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller further comprises a command block module configured to determine that a muscular contraction signal is abnormal, in response to muscle fatigue exceeding a critical value, and to block a command based on the user'"'"'s bio-signals from being transmitted to the conversion device.

9. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conversion device comprises a device configured to convert sign language into sound based on pattern analysis of the motion.

10. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conversion device comprises an actuator configured to convert the motion information sensed by the electromyogram sensor into a same motion as the motion information or a motion corresponding to the motion information.

11. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conversion device comprises a remote control device or an orthosis configured to convert the motion information sensed by the electromyogram sensor into a same motion as the motion information or a motion corresponding to the motion information, while being separated from the user.

12. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromyogram sensor comprises a display configured to display any one or any combination of any two or more of a sound signal, an image signal, and a tactile signal corresponding to the sensed motion information.

13. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromyogram sensor is configured to sense the change of motion information while the motion information is being changed.

14. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromyogram sensor is configured to sense the change of motion information while the motion information is being changed.

15. The wearable electromyogram sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion information consists of the direction of force, the magnitude of force, the energy distribution through the bio-signal related to the motion, the posture, the muscle fatigue, and the comparison to the stored motion data of the similar resultant motions.

16. The wearable electromyogram apparatus of claim 7, wherein

the electromyogram sensor further comprises a movement measurement sensor, and

the pattern analysis module is further configured to predict an intended motion of the user based on measured signals of the movement measurement sensor and the information of the training module, in response to determining that a motion intended by the user can be distinguished through signals measured by the movement measurement sensor.

17. The wearable electromyogram apparatus of claim 16, wherein

the electromyogram sensor further comprises an amplification and filtering module, and

the pattern analysis module is further configured to predict the intended motion of the user by comparing and analyzing the signal patterns of the amplification and filtering module, the movement measurement sensor, and information of the training module, in response to determining that the motion intended by the user cannot be distinguished through the measured signals of the movement measurement sensor.

18. The wearable electromyogram apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pattern analysis module is further configured to predict the intended motion of the user by comparing and analyzing signals of the amplification and filtering module and the information of the training module, in response to determining that the amplification and filtering module generates multiple types of signals for the measured signals of the movement measurement sensor.

19. The wearable electromyogram apparatus of claim 1, wherein

during the transient state, the muscle does not cause movement of a body part and the bio-signal peaks, and

during the steady state, the muscle causes movement of a body part and the bio-signal decays.