A Wearable EMG-Driven Closed-Loop TENS Platform for Real-Time, Personalized Pain Modulation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Conventional neuromodulation systems often have limitations, being either invasive or open-loop.
• Existing systems like CLoSES and EMG-FES have specific applications, limiting broader use.
• There is a need for non-invasive, ambulatory solutions for pain management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a wearable, closed-loop transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) platform.
• To integrate low-latency surface electromyography (sEMG)-driven control with multi-channel stimulation.
• To create a non-invasive device for ambulatory pain modulation.

Main Methods:

• Developed a compact, battery-powered wearable platform integrating real-time sEMG acquisition and adaptive signal processing.
• Incorporated a programmable six-channel current stimulation engine with a high-voltage, boost-regulated power supply.
• Designed a human-subject protocol using the Cold Pressor Test (CPT), heart rate variability (HRV), and galvanic skin response (GSR) for efficacy evaluation.

Main Results:

• Bench-top evaluations confirmed rapid response to EMG events.
• Demonstrated stable biphasic output (±22 mA) across all six channels with high electrical isolation.
• The system architecture is compact and fully wearable.

Conclusions:

• The developed platform establishes a foundation for personalized, mobile neuromodulation therapies.
• The closed-loop, non-invasive design addresses limitations of current neuromodulation systems.
• Further human-subject studies are planned to evaluate analgesic efficacy.