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Muscle Contraction

Muscle Contraction

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An optoelectronic muscle contraction sensor for prosthetic hand application.

Neeraj Sharma¹, Alok Prakash², Shiru Sharma¹

¹School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|April 4, 2023

Summary

A novel optoelectronic muscle sensor offers a cost-effective alternative to surface electromyography (sEMG) for prosthetic control. This new sensor provides stable, high-quality muscle activity measurements, outperforming traditional EMG in signal-to-noise ratio.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Rehabilitation Technology
Sensor Technology

Background:

Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a standard for prosthetic control but faces challenges like noise, artifacts, and high costs.
These limitations necessitate the development of alternative muscle activity sensing technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and evaluate a new optoelectronic muscle (OM) sensor as a viable alternative to sEMG.
To assess the OM sensor's precision, stability, and performance in measuring muscle contractions for assistive device control.

Main Methods:

Developed an optoelectronic sensor integrating near-infrared light emitters and phototransistors to detect muscle surface displacement.
Implemented signal processing to generate an output proportional to muscle contraction.
Compared the OM sensor's performance against sEMG in forearm muscle activity detection.
Utilized the OM sensor for controlling a servomotor.

Main Results:

The OM sensor produced a 0-5V output proportional to muscle contraction.
Demonstrated comparable static and dynamic features to sEMG sensors.
Exhibited superior signal-to-noise ratio and signal stability compared to sEMG.
Successfully controlled servomotor rotation using the OM sensor data.

Conclusions:

The developed OM sensor is a promising, high-performance alternative to sEMG for measuring muscle activity.
This technology can effectively provide muscle contraction information for controlling assistive devices.
The OM sensor offers improved signal quality and stability, potentially reducing costs in rehabilitation technology.