Characterization of capacitive electromyography biomedical sensor insulated with porous medical bandages

Abstract

A capacitive electromyography (cEMG) biomedical sensor measures the EMG signal from human body through capacitive coupling methodology. It has the flexibility to be insulated by different types of materials. Each type of insulator will yield a unique skin–electrode capacitance which determine the performance of a cEMG biomedical sensor. Most of the insulator being explored are solid and non-breathable which cause perspiration in a long-term EMG measurement process. This research aims to explore the porous medical bandages such as micropore, gauze, and crepe bandage to be used as an insulator of a cEMG biomedical sensor. These materials are breathable and hypoallergenic. Their unique properties and characteristics have been reviewed respectively. A 50 Hz digital notch filter was developed and implemented in the EMG measurement system design to further enhance the performance of these porous medical bandage insulated cEMG biomedical sensors. A series of experimental verifications such as noise floor characterization, EMG signals measurement, and performance correlation were done on all these sensors. The micropore insulated cEMG biomedical sensor yielded the lowest noise floor amplitude of 2.44 mV and achieved the highest correlation coefficient result in comparison with the EMG signals captured by the conventional wet contact electrode.

Wearable sensors for monitoring vital signals in sports and health: progress and perspective

“…Nevertheless, there are a number of challenges that need to be tackled throughout the process of EMG monitoring, including motion artifacts, perspiration interference and high impedance. An instance of this phenomenon is the presence of epidermal surface lipids on the electrode, which leads to suboptimal contact between the electrode and the skin (Kim et al, 2020a(Kim et al, , 2020b(Kim et al, , 2020cNg et al, 2020). As a consequence, this creates a potential barrier and diminishes the SNR.…”

A Review of Recent Advances in Vital Signals Monitoring of Sports and Health via Flexible Wearable Sensors

“…However, several obstacles must be addressed in the EMG monitoring process, such as motion artifacts, sweat, and high impedance [ 55 , 56 ]. For example, epidermal surface lipids contaminate the electrode, resulting in poor contact between the electrode and the skin, a potential barrier, and a lower SNR.…”

The Possible Role of Electrical Stimulation in Osteoporosis: A Narrative Review

“…CC is a non-invasive technology that applies an electric field, and two skin electrodes are aimed at the treatment site. Therefore, electrical energy is induced from one electrode to the other electrode through frequency changes to stimulate the treatment site and achieve the purpose of treatment [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Studies have reported that a PEMF, DC, and CC have therapeutic effects on osteoporosis.…”