Surface electromyography and mechanomyography recording: a new differential composite probe

Med Biol Eng Comput. 2003 Nov;41(6):665-9. doi: 10.1007/BF02349974.

Abstract

The objective of the study was to develop a new surface probe for differential mechanomyographic (MMG) and electromyographic (EMG) recording. Differential amplification is commonly used in electromyography to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. A new composite probe was developed with two electrodes (EMG) and two identical piezo-electric membranes (MMG) to be positioned on muscle. The probe had two built-in fixed-gain differential amplifiers: one to amplify the electric signal and the other to amplify the vibration signal. A similar non-differential MMG probe was used for comparisons. Burst muscular activity was recorded using the non-differential and differential probes and was used to test the performance of the two probes in suppressing artifacts of non-muscular origin. Power spectrum analysis of signals from the two probes showed that differential amplification significantly improved the signal-to-noise ratio in MMG recordings and significantly suppressed artifacts (power difference > 90%). The composite probe allowed simultaneous differential recording of MMG and EMG signals from the same muscular site. It recorded muscular activity more efficiently than the non-differential probe and could therefore be useful in studying fatigue and neuromuscular diseases.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Artifacts
  • Electromyography / instrumentation
  • Electronics, Medical
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Isometric Contraction / physiology
  • Myography / instrumentation*