Surface electromyography system, recorder and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018184938-A1
Application number	US-201615580709-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

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 ( 2 A) and a second electrode area ( 2 B) for contacting the skin of the subject ( 100 ), wherein the first electrode area ( 2 A) and the second electrode area ( 2 B) are insulated from each other; and the recorder ( 4 ′) is configured to form a noise measurement between the first electrode area ( 2 A) and the second electrode area ( 2 B) 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.

First claim

1 . Electromyography system comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode for contacting a skin of a subject, and a recorder for recording an electromyogram between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein the first electrode comprises a first electrode area and a second electrode area for contacting the skin of the subject wherein the first electrode area and the second electrode area are insulated from each other; and the recorder is configured to perform a noise measurement between the first electrode area and the second electrode area of the first electrode for determining a contact quality of an electrode-skin contact of the first electrode.

2 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second electrode comprises a third electrode area and a fourth electrode area for contacting the skin of the subject wherein the third electrode area and the fourth electrode area are insulated from each other; and the recorder is further configured to also perform a noise measurement between the third electrode area and the fourth electrode area of the second electrode for determining a contact quality of an electrode-skin contact of the second electrode.

3 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , further comprising a switching unit for selectively connecting
the first electrode area and the second electrode area to a measurement unit of the recorder for performing the noise measurement; or the first electrode and the second electrode to the measurement unit of the recorder for recording the electromyogram.

4 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , further comprising a combiner unit for combining signals from the first electrode area and the second electrode area to obtain a combined signal of the first electrode.

5 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , wherein the recorder is configured to determine a noise contribution of the first electrode based on the noise measurement between the first electrode area and the second electrode area of the first electrode.

6 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is comprised in an electrode patch comprising the first electrode area and the second electrode area.

7 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises
a first connection point electrically coupled to the first electrode area; and a second connection point electrically coupled to the second electrode area.

8 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is a wet gel electrode and/or at least one of the electrode areas is a wet gel electrode area.

9 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode area and the second electrode area are separated by a distance of 3 to 4 millimeters.

10 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , further comprising a reference electrode.

11 . Electromyography system according to claim 1 , further comprising output unit for indicating an electrode-skin contact quality.

12 . Electromyogram recorder for an electromyography system according to claim 1 for recording an electromyography signal between a first electrode and a second electrode, the recorder comprising:
a first interface for obtaining a first signal from a first electrode area of the first electrode for contacting a skin of a subject;
a second interface for obtaining a second signal from a second electrode area of the first electrode, wherein the first electrode area and the second electrode area are insulated from each other;
wherein the recorder is configured to perform a noise measurement between the first electrode area and the second electrode area of the first electrode for determining a contact quality of an electrode-skin contact of the first electrode.

13 . Method for electromyogram measurements comprising the steps of:
obtaining a first signal from a first electrode area of a first electrode for contacting a skin of a subject; obtaining a second signal from a second electrode area of the first electrode, wherein the first electrode area and the second electrode area are insulated from each other; performing a noise measurement between the first electrode area and the second electrode area of the first electrode for determining a contact quality of an electrode-skin contact of the first electrode; and recording an electromyography signal between the first electrode and a second electrode.

14 . Computer program comprising program code means for causing a computer to carry out the steps of the method as claimed in claim 13 when said computer program is carried out on a computer.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Davie Alan James
• Devot Sandrine Magali Laure
• Derkx Rene Martinus Maria
• Van De Laar Jakob

Classifications

• A61B5/6823 Primary

  Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip · CPC title

• A61B5/7221 Primary

  Determining signal validity, reliability or quality (preventing, reducing or removing noise induced by motion artefacts A61B5/7207; noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus A61B5/7217) · CPC title

• A61B5/08

  Measuring devices for evaluating the respiratory organs · CPC title

• A61B5/0492 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61B5/296 Primary

  for electromyography [EMG] · CPC title