Fabric structure and weaving method for myoelectric stimulation and myoelectric sensing electrodes

Abstract

A fabric structure and weaving method for myoelectric stimulation and myoelectric sensing electrodes, including a fabric body formed with a myoelectric conductive part, a first joint part, a second joint part and a surrounding yarn part, wherein , the myoelectric conductive part includes a myoelectric sensing area and a myoelectric stimulation area located on opposite sides, the first joint part and the second joint part are respectively connected to the opposite sides of the myoelectric conductive part. The surrounding yarn, the first conductive yarn, the second conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn are all woven in the fabric body, and the first conductive yarn extends from the first joint part through the myoelectric sensing area to the second joint part; the second conductive yarn extends from the first joint part through the myoelectric stimulation area to the second joint part, and the surrounding yarn extends from the first joint part through the myoelectric stimulation area to the second joint part.

Description

Fabric structure and weaving method for electrodes used in electromyography (EMG) stimulation and EMG sensing This invention relates to an electrode structure for electromyography (EMG) stimulation and EMG sensing, and particularly to a fabric structure and weaving method for an EMG stimulation and EMG sensing electrode in textiles. In the field of sports rehabilitation therapy, functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a very common treatment method that uses current to be introduced under the skin to stimulate the nervous system and induce muscle contraction to promote limb function. In addition, some electronic interactive gaming devices require players to wear electromyography (EMG) electrodes to sense human movements, thereby transmitting and receiving sensing signals back and forth between the sensors and electronic devices. Traditional electromyography (EMG) stimulation electrodes and EMG sensing electrodes are mostly disposable gel patches that cannot be reused after use, causing environmental pollution. In particular, traditional EMG stimulation electrodes and EMG sensing electrodes must be manufactured separately because of their different voltages, which further increases the amount of electrodes that need to be discarded after use. To address the aforementioned issues, reusable fabric electrodes have been developed. For example, Taiwan Patent Publication No. 202408618 discloses an electrode structure for electromyography (EMG) stimulation, comprising a conductive fabric layer, a water-retaining fabric layer, and an insulating protective layer. The conductive fabric layer has opposing first and second surfaces, and the water-retaining fabric layer is connected to the first surface of the conductive fabric layer, wherein the EMG stimulation point of the electrode structure consists only of the water-retaining fabric layer. The insulating protective layer is disposed on the first surface of the conductive fabric layer and surrounds the outer edge of the water-retaining fabric layer. However, the structure of this fabric electrode is relatively complex and can only provide the single function of an "EMG stimulation electrode," not an "EMG sensing electrode." If the function of an EMG sensing electrode is required, it must be purchased separately. The purpose of this invention is to provide an innovative fabric structure and weaving method that can replace traditional gel patch electrodes and traditional fabric electrodes, and simultaneously provide the functions of electromyography stimulation electrodes and electromyography sensing electrodes in a single fabric. The present invention provides a fabric structure for electromyography (EMG) stimulation and EMG sensing electrodes, comprising: a fabric body; an EMG conductive portion, part of the fabric body, including an EMG sensing area and an EMG stimulation area located on opposite sides; a first joint and a second joint, part of the fabric body, respectively connected to opposite sides of the EMG conductive portion; a surrounding yarn portion, part of the fabric body, connected to other sides of the fabric body besides the EMG conductive portion; a first conductive yarn woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint, through the EMG sensing area, to the second joint; a second conductive yarn woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint, through the EMG stimulation area, to the second joint; and surrounding yarn woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint, through the EMG stimulation area, to the second joint. With this fabric structure, EMG stimulation electrodes and EMG sensing electrodes are formed on opposite sides of the fabric, allowing users to choose which side to contact the body as needed. Furthermore, the fabric structure is simpler and has lower production costs compared to conventional fabric electrodes. Preferably, in the electromyography sensing area, the second conductive yarn can be connected to the first conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn. Preferably, the second conductive yarn can be sequentially connected to the first conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn to form a plurality of first connection points in the electromyography sensing area and a plurality of second connection points in the electromyography stimulation area, wherein the first connection points and the second connection points are arranged alternately. Preferably, in the first joint and the second joint, the first conductive yarn, the second conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn are not connected to each other. Preferably, the first conductive yarn is a blended conductive yarn comprising 40% by weight of stainless steel and 60% by weight of polyester. Preferably, the second conductive yarn is a conductive yarn containing 100% by weight stainless steel. Preferably, the surrounding yarn is a blended yarn containing polyester fibers. The present invention also provides a weaving method for electromyography (EMG) stimulation and EMG sensing electrodes, comprising: providing a fabric body, forming an EMG conductive portion, a first joint portion, a second joint portion, and a surrounding yarn portion on the fabric body, wherein the EMG conductive portion includes an EMG sensing area and an EMG stimulation area located on opposite sides, the first joint portion and the second joint portion are respectively connected to opposite sides of the EMG conductive portion, and the surrounding yarn portion is connected to other sides of the fabric body other than the EMG conductive portion; weaving the first conductive yarn into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the EMG sensing area to the second joint portion; weaving the second conductive yarn into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the EMG stimulation area to the second joint portion; and weaving the surrounding yarn into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the EMG stimulation area to the second joint portion. 10: Fabric body 101: Electromyographic Conductive Part 1011: Electromyographic Sensing Area 1012: Electromyographic stimulation area 102A: First joint 102B: Second joint 103A, 103B: Surrounding yarn section 20: First conductive yarn 201: Gauze ring 30: Second conductive yarn 301: Gauze ring 40: Surrounding yarn 401: Yarn ring 50: Knitting needles P1: First contact point P2: Second contact point Figure 1 is a front plan view showing the fabric structure of the present invention; Figure 2 is a back plan view showing the fabric structure of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the direction III-III of Figure 1. To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The drawings show only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. The present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without any inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the fabric structure for electromyography (EMG) stimulation and EMG sensing electrodes provided by the present invention is formed by textile technology to form a fabric body 10, and an EMG conductive portion 101, a first joint portion 102A, a second joint portion 102B, and surrounding yarn portions 103A and 103B are formed in the fabric body 10; wherein the EMG conductive portion 101, the first joint portion 102A, the second joint portion 102B, and the surrounding yarn portions 103A and 103B are all part of the fabric body 10. More specifically, taking a fabric body 10 with a rectangular outline as an example, the present invention has an electromyographic conductive portion 101 located in the center of the fabric body 10 and includes an electromyographic sensing area 1011 and an electromyographic stimulation area 1012 located on opposite sides of the fabric body 10; a first joint portion 102A and a second joint portion 102B are respectively connected to opposite sides of the electromyographic conductive portion 101 as portions for connecting to an external power source; surrounding yarn portions 103A and 103B are connected to other sides of the fabric body 10 besides the electromyographic conductive portion 101, that is, connected to the other opposite sides of the electromyographic conductive portion 101. The surrounding yarn portions 103A and 103B are the starting and finishing portions during the weaving of the fabric body 10, and in the embodiments of the present invention, they are formed as a double-sided knitted fabric. In the textile manufacturing process of the present invention, a plurality of first conductive yarns 20, second conductive yarns 30 and surrounding yarns 40 are directly woven into the fabric body 10. The first conductive yarns 20 extend from the first joint 102A through the electromyography sensing area 1011 to the second joint 102B, the second conductive yarns 30 extend from the first joint 102A through the electromyography stimulation area 1012 to the second joint 102B, and the surrounding yarns 40 extend from the first joint 102A through the electromyography stimulation area 1012 to the second joint 102B. In the electromyography (EMG) sensing area 1011, the second conductive yarn 30 is connected to the first conductive yarn 20 and the surrounding yarn 40. Specifically, the second conductive yarn 30 is sequentially connected to the first conductive yarn 20 and the surrounding yarn 40, thereby forming a plurality of first connection points P1 in the EMG sensing area 1011 and a plurality of second connection points P2 in the EMG stimulation area 1012. The first connection points P1 and the second connection points P2 are arranged alternately. In the first joint 102A and the second joint 102B, the first conductive yarn 20, the second conductive yarn 30, and the surrounding yarn 40 are not connected to each other. More specifically, in the electromyography sensing area 1011, the textile machine forms a series of continuous loops 201 and 401 for both the first conductive yarn 20 and the surrounding yarn 40 (that is, the first conductive yarn 20 and the surrounding yarn 40 are both formed as pocket knit in the electromyography sensing area 1011), and the second conductive yarn 30 is hooked and threaded in opposite directions by a series of knitting needles arranged on opposite sides, connecting the loops formed in the first conductive yarn 20 and the loops formed in the surrounding yarn 40 to form the first connection point P1 and the second connection point P2 respectively (that is, the second conductive yarn 30 is formed as a semi-woven structure in both the electromyography sensing area 1011 and the electromyography stimulation area 1012). In the first joint 102A and the second joint 102B, the knitting needles 50 arranged on opposite sides of the textile machine interweave the first conductive yarn 20 and the surrounding yarn 40 to form a series of interlaced loops of yarn with the knitting needles 50. The second conductive yarn 30 is hooked in opposite directions and formed into a loop 301 by the series of knitting needles arranged on opposite sides. Thus, the second conductive yarn 30 is formed into a rib structure in the first joint 102A and the second joint 102B, while the first conductive yarn 20 and the surrounding yarn 40 are formed into a pocket knit structure. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive yarn 20 is a blended conductive yarn comprising 40% by weight of stainless steel and 60% by weight of polyester; the second conductive yarn 30 is a conductive yarn comprising 100% by weight of stainless steel; and the surrounding yarn 40 is a blended yarn comprising polyester fibers. The aforementioned electromyography (EMG) sensing area 1011 and EMG stimulation area 1012 are both electrode areas for contact with the human body. Users can choose to place either the EMG sensing area 1011 or the EMG stimulation area 1012 onto the human body surface depending on the intended use. When current is passed through the first conductive yarn 20 and the second conductive yarn 30, an EMG sensing effect is generated in the EMG sensing area 1011, while an EMG stimulation effect is generated in the EMG stimulation area 1012. Of course, the present invention can also form EMG sensing areas or EMG stimulation areas on both opposite sides of the fabric body, depending on actual needs. According to the aforementioned fabric structure for electromyography (EMG) stimulation and EMG sensing electrodes of the present invention, a weaving method includes: providing a fabric body, forming an EMG conductive portion, a first joint portion, a second joint portion, and a surrounding yarn portion on the fabric body, wherein the EMG conductive portion includes an EMG sensing area and an EMG stimulation area located on opposite sides, the first joint portion and the second joint portion are respectively connected to opposite sides of the EMG conductive portion, and the surrounding yarn portion is connected to other sides of the fabric body other than the EMG conductive portion; weaving the first conductive yarn into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the EMG sensing area to the second joint portion; weaving the second conductive yarn into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the EMG stimulation area to the second joint portion; and weaving the surrounding yarn into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the EMG stimulation area to the second joint portion. The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. 10: Fabric body 101: Electromyographic Conductive Part 1011: Electromyographic Sensing Area 1012: Electromyographic stimulation area 102A: First joint 102B: Second joint 20: First conductive yarn 201: Gauze ring 30: Second conductive yarn 301: Gauze ring 40: Surrounding yarn 401: Yarn ring 50: Knitting needles P1: First contact point P2: Second contact point

Claims

1. A fabric structure for electromyography (EMG) stimulation and EMG sensing electrodes, comprising: Fabric body; The fabric includes an electromyographic conductive portion, which is part of the fabric body and includes an electromyographic sensing area and an electromyographic stimulation area located on opposite sides; a first joint and a second joint, which are part of the fabric body and are respectively connected to opposite sides of the electromyographic conductive portion; a surrounding yarn portion, which is part of the fabric body and is connected to other sides of the fabric body other than the electromyographic conductive portion; a first conductive yarn, woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint, through the electromyographic sensing area, to the second joint; a second conductive yarn, woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint, through the electromyographic stimulation area, to the second joint; and a surrounding yarn, woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint, through the electromyographic stimulation area, to the second joint. The fabric structure as described in claim 1, wherein, In the electromyography sensing area, the second conductive yarn is connected to the first conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn. The fabric structure as described in claim 2, wherein, The second conductive yarn is sequentially connected to the first conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn, thereby forming a plurality of first connection points in the electromyography sensing area and a plurality of second connection points in the electromyography stimulation area, the first connection points and the second connection points being arranged alternately. The fabric structure as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, In the first joint and the second joint, the first conductive yarn, the second conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn are not connected to each other. The fabric structure as described in claim 1, wherein, The first conductive yarn is a blended conductive yarn containing 40% stainless steel and 60% polyester by weight. The fabric structure as described in claim 5, wherein, The second conductive yarn is a conductive yarn containing 100% by weight stainless steel. The fabric structure as described in claim 6, wherein, The surrounding yarn is a blended yarn containing polyester fibers. A method for weaving electrodes for electromyography stimulation and electromyography sensing, comprising: A fabric body is provided, on which an electromyographic conductive portion, a first joint portion, a second joint portion, and a surrounding yarn portion are formed. The electromyographic conductive portion includes an electromyographic sensing area and an electromyographic stimulation area located on opposite sides. The first joint portion and the second joint portion are respectively connected to opposite sides of the electromyographic conductive portion. The surrounding yarn portion is connected to other sides of the fabric body other than the electromyographic conductive portion. A first conductive yarn is woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the electromyographic sensing area to the second joint portion. A second conductive yarn is woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the electromyographic stimulation area to the second joint portion. A surrounding yarn is woven into the fabric body, extending from the first joint portion through the electromyographic stimulation area to the second joint portion. The weaving method as described in claim 8, wherein, In the electromyography sensing area, the second conductive yarn is connected to the first conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn. The weaving method as described in claim 8, wherein, The second conductive yarn is sequentially connected to the first conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn, thereby forming a plurality of first connection points in the electromyography sensing area and a plurality of second connection points in the electromyography stimulation area, the first connection points and the second connection points being arranged alternately. The weaving method as described in claim 8 or 9, wherein, In the first joint and the second joint, the first conductive yarn, the second conductive yarn and the surrounding yarn are not connected to each other. The weaving method as described in claim 8, wherein, The first conductive yarn is a blended conductive yarn comprising 40% by weight of stainless steel and 60% by weight of polyester. The weaving method as described in claim 12, wherein, The second conductive yarn is a conductive yarn containing 100% by weight stainless steel. The weaving method as described in claim 13, wherein, The surrounding yarn is a blended yarn containing polyester fibers.

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