EMG Electrode Segmentation for Contact Quality Noise Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surface electromyography (EMG) systems for determining neural respiratory drive in patients with COPD face challenges in ensuring reliable measurements, particularly due to inconsistent electrode attachment and noise interference, which can be exacerbated by poor electrode-skin contact quality, making it difficult for untrained individuals to obtain accurate results.
Innovation Solution
The system separates the EMG measurement area into insulated sub-areas to perform noise measurements between these areas, allowing for the determination of individual electrode-skin contact quality without injecting signals into the body, thereby improving measurement reliability and accuracy, and facilitating home use by reducing regulatory burdens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional EMG measurement is performed without signal injection, then patient safety is improved and regulatory burden is reduced, but electrode-skin contact quality cannot be assessed
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is divided into two electrically insulated areas (first and second electrode areas) that are spatially separated but part of the same electrode structure. This segmentation allows independent noise measurement between the two areas to assess contact quality without requiring separate test electrodes or signal injection into the body.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses noise measurement between the two insulated electrode areas as an intermediary indicator to indirectly assess electrode-skin contact quality. Instead of directly measuring contact impedance or injecting test signals, the system measures the noise level between electrode areas, which serves as a mediator to evaluate contact quality and guide electrode repositioning.
2Measurement precision
If electrode-skin contact quality is not monitored, then system simplicity is maintained, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to poor contact
Solution Approach 1:
The same electrode structure serves dual purposes: the two insulated electrode areas are used both for the primary EMG measurement and for assessing contact quality through noise measurement between them. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate test electrodes or additional contact quality assessment devices, maintaining system simplicity while improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode structure itself provides the means for contact quality assessment through its own noise characteristics. The system uses the noise measurement between the electrode's own insulated areas to evaluate and guide its own proper application, making the electrode self-diagnosing regarding its contact quality without requiring external assessment equipment.
3Ease of operation
If noise measurement is performed between insulated electrode areas, then contact quality assessment is enabled, but electrode structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is divided into two electrically insulated areas (first and second electrode areas) that are spatially separated but part of the same electrode structure. This segmentation allows independent noise measurement between the two areas to assess contact quality without requiring separate test electrodes or signal injection into the body.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to determining a neural respiratory drive (NRD) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on surface electromyography measurements taken from the intercostal muscles on the chest of a subject (100). An electromyography system is presented that comprises a first electrode (2') and a second electrode (3') for contacting a skin of a subject (100), and a recorder (4') for recording an electromyogram between the first electrode (2') and the second electrode (3'); wherein the first electrode (2') comprises a first electrode area (2A) and a second electrode area (2B) for contacting the skin of the subject (100), wherein the first electrode area (2A) and the second electrode area (2B) are insulated from each other; and the recorder (4') is configured to form a noise measurement between the first electrode area (2A) and the second electrode area (2B) of the first electrode (2') for determining a contact quality of an electrode-skin contact of the first electrode (2'). According to further aspects, a corresponding electromyogram recorder (4') for an electromyography system, a method for electromyogram measurements and a corresponding computer program are presented.