A Wireless-Sensor System for Reliable Recordings during Vigorous Muscle Activitie

描述（由申请人提供）：本第I阶段SBIR提交资料将为开发可靠的体戴式数据采集系统的总体目标提供原理证明，该系统适用于评估剧烈和其他高要求体力活动期间的肌肉性能和运动学。该系统将由无线传感器组成，该传感器结合了联合收割机表面肌电图（sEMG）和加速度计（ACC）信号检测，以及用于获取这些数据的髋关节模块。尽管无线传感器技术最近取得了进步，但这些技术在要求苛刻的应用中保留了有限的功能，例如在不受控制的运动障碍、体育活动或工作场所活动期间进行记录。需要在设计上取得突破，以产生一种不仅能提供便携性，而且能满足强有力应用要求的技术。阶段I通过以下方式解决了这一需求：通过将传感器-皮肤界面部件与提供机电稳定性的接触几何形状结合，以及通过引入覆盖附接带，该覆盖附接带在衣服下使用时固定传感器并使传感器免受机械和静电干扰，从而大幅降低传感器的高度并使其能够符合身体表面。这些特征中的每一个都代表了在可比的商业可用系统中没有发现的创新。它们将共同提供一个系统，实现使用当前技术无法实现的性能指标。这项创新将扩大研究人员和临床医生在这些更有力和潜在不稳定的应用下研究人类运动和肌肉功能的能力。该研究战略将开发符合剧烈活动所需性能标准的传感器原型，并在三种测试场景下对其进行评估，这些测试场景复制了临床，运动和人体工程学用例。这些标准是基于我们在开发商用传感器系统方面的经验。它们包括用于评估信号保真度的电气测试和用于评估传感器在皮肤上的稳定性的机械测试。第一阶段将提供sEMG/ACC无线传感器的设计规范，满足或超过可靠和有用产品的性能标准。这一阶段将确定以下方面的技术优点和可行性： 传感器技术，并提供设计规范，以确保第二阶段成功的可能性很高。第二阶段将利用传感器技术开发一个预商用的身体穿戴便携式数据采集系统，该系统将在强有力的用例场景中进行测试。 公共卫生相关性：开发一种新的非侵入式传感器系统，用于在剧烈肌肉活动期间进行表面肌电图和加速度计测量，将使研究人员和临床医生能够在更大范围的条件下研究人体肌肉功能和运动。所提出的技术打开了临床，运动和人体工程学应用的大门，其中肢体的快速运动和暴露于机电干扰排除使用肌电图或加速度计测量;这些学科中最常用的两种工具。该项目将提高a）临床医生研究运动障碍的能力，B）运动科学家对运动员进行实地研究的能力，以及c）人体工程学家研究工作场所伤害的能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase I SBIR submission will provide proof-of-principle for the overall goal of developing a reliable body-worn data-acquisition system for applications that assess muscle performance and kinematics during vigorous and otherwise demanding physical activities. The system will consist of wireless sensors which combine surface electromyographic (sEMG) and accelerometer (ACC) signal detection, and a hip module for acquiring these data. Despite recent advancements in wireless sensor technology, these retain limited functionality during demanding applications, such as recording during uncontrolled movement disorders, sports activities, or activities in the work place. A design breakthrough is needed to produce a technology that does more than just provide portability, but also meets the requirements for vigorous applications. Phase I addresses this need by substantially reducing the height of the sensor and enabling it to conform to the body surface, by incorporating sensor-skin interface components with a contact geometry that provides electromechanical stability, and by introducing an overlay attachment band that secures and shields the sensor from mechanical and electrostatic disturbances when used under clothing. Each of these features represents innovations not found in comparable commercially available systems. Together they will provide a system that achieves performance metrics unattainable using current technology. The innovation will expand the ability of researchers and clinicians to investigate human movement and muscle function under these more vigorous and potentially unstable applications. The research strategy will develop sensor prototypes which meet performance criteria required for vigorous activities and evaluate them under three test scenarios which replicate clinical, sports and ergonomic use cases. These criteria are based on our experience in developing commercial sensor systems. They include electrical tests for assessing signal fidelity and mechanical tests to assess stability of the sensor on the skin. Phase I will deliver design specifications for a sEMG/ACC wireless sensor that meet or exceed performance criteria for a reliable and useful product. This phase will establish the technical merit and feasibility of the sensor technology and provide design specifications to assure a high likelihood of success for Phase II. Phase II will utilize the sensor technology to develop a pre-commercial body-worn portable data acquisition system that will be tested during vigorous use-case scenarios. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The development of a new non-invasive sensor system for surface electromyography and accelerometer measurement during vigorous muscle activities will enable researchers and clinicians to investigate human muscle function and movement under a substantially greater range of conditions. The proposed technology opens the doors to clinical, sports, and ergonomic applications where rapid movement of limbs and exposure to electro-mechanical disturbances preclude the use of electromyographic or accelerometer measurements; two of the most commonly relied-upon tools in these disciplines. This project will improve the ability of a) clinicians to study movement disorders, b) sports scientists to do field studies of athletes, and c) ergonomists to study work place injuries.