Stretchable Electrode Sleeve Circuit for EMG Isolation and Stable Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrode sleeves for neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and electromyography (EMG) face challenges such as difficulty in donning, alignment, maintenance, achieving a good fit, and ensuring robust electrical contact, which can lead to noisy signals, pain, and damage due to intermittent contact and movement.
Innovation Solution
A stretchable fabric sleeve with integrated electrodes and assistive features like thumb loops, zippers, and optional secondary tensioners ensures consistent electrical contact and alignment, allowing self-donation and easy maintenance, while using conductive materials for improved conductivity and integrated electronics for signal processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surface electrodes are used for NMES/FES/EMG, then non-invasive operation is achieved, but intermittent contact and movement cause noisy signals and pain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible fabric sleeve as the base structure that conforms to the arm's surface, providing continuous mechanical contact. The fabric acts as a flexible shell that moves with the skin, eliminating intermittent contact and associated signal noise and pain while maintaining non-invasive operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple electrodes into an integrated sleeve assembly that covers the entire arm. This merging of discrete electrodes into a unified flexible structure ensures continuous contact across multiple measurement points simultaneously, improving reliability while reducing the harmful effects of movement and intermittent contact.
2Ease of operation
If thumb loops and zippers are added to assist donning, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thumb loops and zippers enable the user to independently don the sleeve without assistance. The self-service principle is embodied through these mechanical aids that allow the user to perform the donning action themselves, improving ease of operation despite the added structural components.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve is segmented into functional components including the fabric body, thumb loops, and zipper elements. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function while collectively enabling easy self-donation, balancing the trade-off between complexity and operability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If stretchable fabric is used for the sleeve, then adaptability to different arm sizes improves, but manufacturing precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the elastic properties of stretchable fabric to accommodate variations in arm size. By changing the physical parameter of fabric elasticity, the sleeve can adapt to different dimensions without requiring precise manufacturing for each size, thus improving adaptability while managing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve employs composite material construction combining stretchable fabric with conductive elements. This composite approach allows the base fabric to provide size adaptability through stretching while the integrated electrode structures maintain functional precision, resolving the conflict between adaptability and manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for functional electrical stimulation (FES), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and/or in receiving electromyography (EMG) signals includes a sleeve and electrodes. The sleeve is sized and shaped to be worn on a human arm, and comprises a stretchable fabric The electrodes are secured with the sleeve and positioned to contact skin of the human arm when the sleeve is worn on the human arm. An electronic circuit is configured to operate the electrodes. The electronic circuit includes relays connecting the electrodes with a stimulator for performing FES or NMES, and EMG readout circuitry connecting the electrodes with an EMG amplifier. The relays are closed during FES or NMES to connect the stimulator with the electrodes. The relays are open during EMG readout to isolate the stimulator from the EMG amplifier.