For patients who are recovering from spinal cord injuries or with mobility disorders related to spinal nerve compression; conditioning of Hoffmann reflex via non-surgical electro stimulation therapy is frequently used for treatment. To track the progress of the treatment, electromyography is used to record the amplitude of the twitch response of the patient’s muscle.
Meanwhile, accurate recording of electromyography requires precise positioning of electrodes. For this, the existing system would need to use too many electrodes to cover the target skin. Furthermore, the current systems are depend on rigid and bulky metal electrodes, skin-irritable conductive gels, and strong adhesives. Such constraints of the system increase error instances across sessions of experimentation, as well as require lengthy set-up times.
For a solution to these issues, research associates from a few research institutions in the U.S. created an array of nanomembrane electrode electromyography. The use of the array is for large epidermal areas that has the capability to greatly reduce these issues in major therapeutics for rehabilitation. The Bio-Interfaced Translational Nanoengineering Group, Wallace Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, and George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical engineering jointly carried out the study.
Large area of New System associated with higher patient Comfort
The study finds, the new epidermal electronic system with large area provides greater patient comfort. This is enabled through enhanced skin-compatibility provided via a stretchable and breathable composite. For therapists and researchers, the electromyography system could provide a dependable recording of electromyographic muscle activities of patients. These signals are comparable to the ones recorded using conventional electromyography systems.