Emg Lecture
Emg Lecture
Dimitar Stefanov
Recapping
Three types electrodes are used for sensing of EMG signals:
1.
2.
3.
Fatigue
(1) If we assume that the EMG is stimulation rate remains constant then the muscle
tension deceases in case of fatigue.
(2) The shape of the m.a.p. is altered in case of fatigue.
(3) tremor occurs.
EMG signal:
contains certain level of noises
has specific spectral density function.
Important parameters of the EMG amplifiers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
AgCl film
Ag metal
insulated lead wire
Low noise electrodes
EMG amplifiers
Amplitudes of the EMG signal :
Surface EMG electrodes - maximum amplitude of 5 mV peak-to-peak
Indwelling electrodes amplitude of up to 10 mV
Single m.a.p. electrodes amplitude of 100 mV
Noise level of the amplifier is the amplitude of the higher frequency random
signal on the output of the amplifier when the electrodes are shorten together.
Noise level of the amplifier should not exceed 50 mV,
(preferably 20mV).
Amplifier gain the ratio of the output voltage to the input voltage
Frequency bandwidth
All frequencies present
in the EMG should be
amplified at one and the
same level.
Bandwidth the difference between upper cutoff frequency f2 and the lower cutoff
frequency f1.
The gain of the amplifier at f1 and f2 is 0.707 from the gain of the gain in the midfrequency region (half-power).
Amplifier gain:
Example: linear gain 1000, or 60 dB; gain at the cutoff frequencies 57 dB (3dB less than that at
the mid-frequencies).
The EMG amplifier should amplify equally all EMG frequency components.
Interferences:
Hum from power line (60 Hz in the USA and 50 Hz in Europe)in the middle of the EMG spectrum
Movement artifacts their frequency lies in the 0 to 10 Hz range
dont cause big problems
Noise from low quality cabling systems interfere with the
baseline of the EMG signal; can be eliminated by good low
frequency filtering (by setting of f1 to about 20 Hz).
Single-ended amplifier
Differential amplifier
A perfect subtraction
never occurs.
In good quality EMG amplifiers CMRR should be 10,000 (80 dB) or higher.
Processing of EMG
Example:
1. Half of full-wave rectification (absolute value)
2. Linear envelope (low-pass filtering of the rectified signal)
main decision here is the choice of the low pass filter!
3. Integration of the signal from (2) over the period of the muscle
contraction area under the curve
4. Integration of the signal from (2) for a fixed time, reset to zero,
and repeating the integration cycle such scheme represents the
trend of the EMG amplitude with time
5. Integration of the signal from (2) to a present level, reset to zero,
and repeating the integration cycle represents the level of the
muscle activity (high or low muscle activity).
Diagram of several common EMG processing systems and the processing results
Biopotential amplifiers
Basic amplifier requirements:
1. The physiological process to be monitored should not be influenced in any way
by the amplifier
2. The measured signal should be not distorted
3. The amplifier should provide the best possible separation of signal and
interferences
4. The amplifier should offer protection of the patient from any hazard and electric
shock
5. The amplifier should be protected against damages due to high input voltages.
FET transistors
Galvanic
decoupling of
the patient
Motion artifacts the contact between the electrode and the tissue changes
during the relative motions between the electrodes and the tissue.
Measures for decreasing the motion artifacts:
High input resistance of the amplifier
Usage of non-polarized electrodes (Ag/AgCl)
Reduction of the source impedance by usage of electrode gel.
Artifacts due to electric and magnetic fields Example.
DC instrumentation amplifiers
AC instrumentation amplifiers
AC amplifiers eliminate the electrode offset potential, permit high gain and
permits higher CMRR.
The capacitors between the electrodes and the input stage of the amplifier cause
charging effects from the input bias current.
Isolation amplifier
Diodes
Zener diodes
Gas-discharge tubes
Input guarding
Technique for increase both the input impedance of the amplifier of biopotentials and
the CMRR
Instrumentation
amplifier providing
input guarding
Driven-right-leg circuit
reducing common-mode
interference.