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  4. Wiener Filtering of Surface EMG with a priori SNR Estimation Toward Myoelectric Control for Neurological Injury Patients

Wiener Filtering of Surface EMG with a priori SNR Estimation Toward Myoelectric Control for Neurological Injury Patients

Med Eng Phys, 2014 · DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2014.09.008 · Published: December 1, 2014

Assistive TechnologyBiomedical

Simple Explanation

Voluntary surface electromyogram (EMG) signals from neurological injury patients are often corrupted by involuntary background interference or spikes, imposing difficulties for myoelectric control. This study presents a framework that applies a Wiener filter to restore voluntary surface EMG signals based on tracking a priori signal to noise ratio (SNR) by using the decision-directed method. The proposed framework is characterized by quick and simple implementation, making it more suitable for application in a myoelectric control system toward neurological injury rehabilitation.

Study Duration
Not specified
Participants
9 subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury
Evidence Level
Not specified

Key Findings

  • 1
    After the processing, the onset detection of voluntary muscle activity was significantly improved against involuntary background spikes.
  • 2
    The magnitude of voluntary surface EMG signals can also be reliably estimated for myoelectric control purpose.
  • 3
    The double threshold in the TKE domain after the denoising with the proposed framework exhibited the best performance at all the SNR levels.

Research Summary

This study presents a novel framework for suppressing the effects of the involuntary background spikes by combining a Wiener filter [4] and a priori SNR estimation via the decision-directed method (using the power spectrum of the noisy EMG signal) [5] [6]. The results indicate that the combination of a Wiener filter and tracking of a priori SNR can be used as an effective tool to suppress involuntary background spikes towards facilitating myoelectric control using surface EMG signals recorded from paretic muscles. The proposed framework has several advantages for myoelectric control compared with previous studies.

Practical Implications

Improved Myoelectric Control

The proposed Wiener filtering framework enhances the accuracy and reliability of myoelectric control systems by effectively suppressing involuntary background spikes in EMG signals, leading to better control for neurological injury patients.

Enhanced Muscle Activity Detection

The study demonstrates that the onset detection of voluntary muscle activity is significantly improved, which is crucial for triggering and controlling assistive devices or rehabilitation robots.

Real-Time Implementation

The quick and simple implementation of the framework makes it suitable for real-time applications, enabling timely and effective control in myoelectric systems.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    Generalizability to other neurological conditions
  • 2
    Dependence on the accuracy of SNR estimation
  • 3
    Potential for signal distortion during filtering

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