The invention introduces a method and apparatus for decomposing compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) in elicited muscle contractions, recorded by multichannel surface electromyograms (EMG). The technical problem that the invention solves is how to estimate the firing pattern of motor units and, thus, the time moments in which motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) appear in CMAP, when motor unit responses to external excitation are highly synchronous, causing the MUAPs in the EMG signals to overlap. The problem is solved by a procedure for decomposing EMG signals to the contributions of individual motor units, which comprises the steps of: 1.) receiving multichannel electromyograms, acquired in voluntary muscle contractions as input signals, 2.) identifying the motor units firing patterns from the EMG input signals, 3.) calculating the filters of individual motor units or a multi-motor unit filter, 4.) capturing multi-channel EMG signals during evoked muscle contractions as input signals, and 5.) applying calculated single-motor unit filters or a multi-motor unit filter to the input EMG signals, captured during excitatory muscle contractions.
F.33 Slovenian patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 23076886The software enables computer-assisted identification, review and editing of firing patterns of motor units from multichannel surface electromyograms recorded during isometric evoked muscle contractions, either through electrical, magnetic or mechanical stimulation of a skeletal muscle. The software runs on a personal computer and in a Matlab development environment.
F.11 Development of a new service
COBISS.SI-ID: 14141699We presented the research achievements of the project at the international MOS2019 business and fair event in Celje, Slovenia. For this purpose, we prepared a presentation "When muscles speak", in which we presented and demonstrated to the general public the procedures for acquisition and advanced analysis of multichannel surface electromyograms. We also presented procedures for the decomposition of surface electromyograms to the contributions of individual motor units, both in voluntary and evoked muscle contractions, and thus the possibility of noninvasive assessment of neural codes from skeletal muscles.
F.18 Transfer of new know-how to direct users (seminars, fora, conferences)
COBISS.SI-ID: 13869827