Research Project
6015742
The objective is to establish a new telemeter for reliable ElectroMyoGram (EMG) transcription that will provide higher quality prosthesis control signals. EMGs are electrical potential recordings that proportionally reflect the contractile force of a muscle. EMGs from residual muscles in an amputee's stump are used to control electrically powered prosthetic systems. For amputees, EMGs are currently sensed using skin surface electrodes. These skin surface electrodes have practical limitations that significantly affect control performance. The proposed EMG telemeters will consist of bipolar electrodes that contact the surface of the target muscle and custom integrated circuits to amplify, encode and transmit the EMG signal. They will exhibit: 1) freedom from electromagnetic interference; 2) immunity from crosstalk with adjacent muscles; 3) freedom from skin motion and conductivity interference; 4) improved signal to noise amplitudes; and 5) improved long-term signal reproducibility. Assemblies will be encapsulated, tested in saline solution and implanted on the surface of muscles in animals. Performance will be evaluated using simultaneous recordings from skin electrodes, the telemeters, and from wired connections to the electrodes on the surface of the muscle. Recording fidelity will be compared over time. Tissue surrounding the implanted devices will be histologically evaluated for biocompatibility and device fixation. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: EMG telemeters could be retrofitted to all existing myoelectric control systems and thus would have an immediate market of about 100,000 US citizens. Other applications include telemetry of data on demand for all implantable biosensor systems. A small market for physiology applications may also exist.
