Implantable Muscle Interface for Reliable Wireless EMG Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The lack of a strong link between the human nervous system and machines has hindered advancements in prosthetic and exoskeleton assistive technology, as humans lack a seamless way to communicate with machines, making amputation a last resort for those with nerve damage.
Innovation Solution
An implantable muscle interface system with sensors and amplifiers that capture and amplify electromyographic signals, a wireless transceiver for signal transmission, and a receiver device for interaction with external systems, allowing for control of prosthetics and exoskeletons through decoded EMG signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If implantable sensors and amplifiers are integrated into a muscle interface system, then communication between the nervous system and machines is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional components (sensors, amplifiers, wireless transceiver, and substrate) into an integrated implantable muscle interface system. The sensors and amplifiers are electrically connected and mounted on a common substrate, creating a unified device that captures and processes EMG signals within the body, thereby improving communication reliability while managing complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable muscle interface system is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing EMG signals from muscle tissue, amplifying these signals, wirelessly transmitting data externally, and providing a platform for controlling various external devices. This multi-functional design allows a single device to address multiple needs in neural-machine communication.
2Measurement precision
If EMG signals are captured and amplified from muscle tissue, then control precision of prosthetic devices is improved, but measurement difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple sensors distributed across the substrate, each positioned to detect EMG signals from specific muscle regions. This distributed sensing approach allows the system to capture localized electrical activity with high precision while managing the complexity of signal detection through spatial distribution of measurement points.
Solution Approach 2:
The amplifiers are integrated directly with the sensors at the implant site, performing signal amplification immediately upon capture. This preliminary amplification action occurs before signals traverse the body to external receivers, ensuring that weak EMG signals are strengthened in advance, thereby improving detection precision while reducing the burden on external measurement equipment.
3Ease of operation
If wireless signal transmission is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless transceiver operates by periodically transmitting data packets rather than maintaining continuous transmission. This periodic operation allows the implantable device to maintain wireless communication capability for easy external control while reducing overall energy consumption by keeping the transceiver in low-power states between transmission intervals.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables seamless communication between the human nervous system and machines, facilitating advancements in prosthetic and exoskeleton technology by allowing users to control devices like prosthetic limbs and exoskeletons through muscle interface systems.
Implementation Method 1
a first plurality of sensors and a second plurality of amplifiers that capture and amplify, respectively, electromyographic (EMG) signals arising from motor units
Implementation Method 2
a first plurality of sensors and a second plurality of amplifiers that capture and amplify, respectively, electromyographic (EMG) signals
Implementation Method 3
a wireless transceiver device electrically connected to the first plurality of sensors that wirelessly transmits signals
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable human-machine interfacing system is disclosed that includes an implantable muscle interface device including a substrate including a first plurality of sensors and a second plurality of amplifiers that capture and amplify, respectively, electromyographic (EMG) signals arising from motor units under control of neural signals representative of volitional limb movements; and a transceiver device connected to the first plurality of sensors that wirelessly transmits signals to an external decoder that produces decoded signals that discriminate motor signals representative of movements of the motor units, wherein the substrate at least partially surrounds a muscle from which the EMG signals arise; and a receiver device that uses the decoded signals for interaction with an external system. The system includes a first plurality of electrodes and a second implantable power source that imparts electrical stimulation to the underlying tissues and sensory axons within for the purposes of sensory feedback and neuromodulation.