Wearable EMG Measurement Device Using Polyurethane Foam for Motion Artifact Suppression.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Wearable electromyography (EMG) devices are crucial for monitoring muscle weakening in aging populations.
• Motion artifacts, caused by fluctuating electrode-skin contact pressure, hinder accurate daily EMG measurements.
• Existing methods struggle to maintain stable contact pressure during dynamic movements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for suppressing motion artifacts in EMG signals.
• To control and stabilize the contact pressure between EMG electrodes and skin during daily activities.
• To enhance the reliability of wearable EMG devices for long-term muscle health monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Designing and implementing a specialized polyurethane foam with a mechanical plateau region.
• Utilizing mechanical calculations and finite element method (FEM) simulations to analyze foam behavior.
• Optimizing polyurethane foam thickness to achieve target contact pressure (1.0–2.0 kPa).

Main Results:

• The polyurethane foam effectively created a stable contact pressure zone between the electrode and skin.
• FEM simulations confirmed the foam's significant influence on contact pressure regulation.
• Optimized foam design successfully controlled contact pressure within the desired range, suppressing motion artifacts.

Conclusions:

• Specially designed polyurethane foam is a viable solution for mitigating motion artifacts in wearable EMG.
• This approach significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of EMG measurements in real-world, dynamic environments.
• The findings pave the way for more robust and user-friendly EMG monitoring systems for aging populations.