Muscle Fatigue Determination via Frequency-Dependent Electrostimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining muscle fatigue are inefficient, unsafe, and unreliable, as they require maximum voluntary contraction, which can lead to injury and are not suitable for repeated measurements, especially after intense physical activity.
Innovation Solution
A method involving electrostimulation of muscles at different frequencies to determine muscle fatigue by measuring the forces developed in response, allowing for non-invasive and safe assessment without inducing further fatigue, using a system with a generator and electrodes to apply electric pulses and a device for force measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If maximum voluntary contraction test is used to assess muscle fatigue, then muscle fatigue can be identified by monitoring force, but the subject is put at risk of injury and the test cannot be repeated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical voluntary contraction system with an electrical stimulation system. Instead of relying on the subject's voluntary muscle contraction, electrical stimuli are applied to the nerve or muscle to elicit involuntary contractions, thereby eliminating the injury risk associated with maximum voluntary contraction while maintaining the ability to assess muscle fatigue through force measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electrical stimulation as an intermediary between the assessment system and the muscle. The electrical stimulus acts as a mediator that triggers muscle contraction without requiring subject participation, allowing fatigue assessment to be performed safely at any time without putting the subject at risk of injury
2Measurement precision
If maximum voluntary contraction test is used, then muscle fatigue can be determined, but the test induces itself muscle fatigue affecting reproducibility
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing voluntary mechanical contraction with electrically-induced involuntary contraction, the assessment method no longer consumes muscle energy reserves. The electrical stimulation can be applied with limited pulses that do not induce fatigue, allowing the same muscle to be assessed repeatedly over time without affecting reproducibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a limited number of electrical stimulation pulses rather than sustained maximum contraction. This partial action approach provides sufficient data for fatigue assessment while avoiding the excessive muscle activation that would induce fatigue and prevent repeated testing
3Measurement precision
If maximum voluntary contraction is required, then muscle fatigue can be assessed, but the subject's motivation affects the evaluation results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the subject's voluntary mechanical contraction system with an electrical stimulation system that directly activates the muscle or nerve. This substitution eliminates the need for subject motivation and willpower, as the electrical stimulus compels the muscle to contract involuntarily, ensuring consistent and objective fatigue assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical stimulation system serves itself by directly triggering the muscle contraction without requiring external voluntary control from the subject. The muscle responds automatically to the electrical stimulus, making the assessment independent of subject motivation and eliminating variability introduced by human will
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
This method provides a safe, efficient, and flexible means to determine muscle fatigue independently of the subject's will, without risk of injury, and can be applied before, during, or after training, offering precise assessment of both peripheral and central muscle fatigue.
Implementation Method 1
electrostimulating the muscle at different frequencies; determining forces developed by the muscle in response to the electrostimulations
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining a muscle fatigue of a muscle includes a first step of electrostimulating the muscle at different frequencies. A second step of the method includes determining forces developed by the muscle in response to the electrostimulations of the first step. A third step includes determining a muscle fatigue on basis of the forces determined in the second step.