Back to results
US 12,213,778 B2Granted
Muscle activity observation apparatus and muscle activity observation method
AssigneeMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
InventorsAtsushi Naito, Naoki Kawara, Yutaka Takamaru
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A muscle activity observation apparatus that includes a sensor module and a detection module. The sensor module includes a piezoelectric sensor. Moreover, the piezoelectric sensor has an output that changes in accordance with a tremor of a tendon or a muscle, and an output that changes in accordance with contraction and relaxation of the tendon or the muscle. A detector of the detection module detects an activity state of the tendon or the muscle using a tremor signal and a contraction-relaxation signal output from the piezoelectric sensor.
Claims30
A muscle activity detection apparatus comprising:
- a first sensor configured to generate an output signal that changes based on a tremor of a tendon or a muscle;
- a second sensor configured to generate an output signal that changes based on contraction and relaxation of the tendon or the muscle;
- a state analyzing unit configured to determine:
- (1) whether an average level of an amplitude of the output signal of the first sensor is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and (2) whether an average change amount of the output signal of the second sensor is less than a second threshold value;
- and
- a detector configured to detect whether the tendon or the muscle is a state where isotonic contraction is occurring or a state where isometric contraction is occurring based on the respective output signals of the first sensor and the second sensor,
- wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor comprises a flat-film shaped piezoelectric sensor that is arranged side by side with a thin signal processing circuit module, and
- wherein a connection terminal is disposed on a side of the thin signal processing circuit module that is opposite to the flat-film shaped piezoelectric sensor and is coupled to the detector.
5 more elements
A muscle activity detection method comprising:
- detecting, by at least one sensor, a tremor of a tendon or a muscle and generating a tremor signal in response to the detecting of the tremor;
- detecting, by the at least one sensor, contraction and relaxation of the tendon or the muscle and generating a contraction-relaxation signal in response to the detecting of the contraction and relaxation;
- determining whether an average level of an amplitude of the tremor signal generated by the at least one sensor is greater than or equal to a first threshold;
- determining whether an average change amount of the contraction-relaxation signal generated by the at least one sensor is less than a second threshold value;
- and
- detecting whether the tendon or the muscle is a state where isotonic contraction is occurring or a state where isometric contraction is occurring based on the tremor signal and the contraction-relaxation signal,
- wherein the at least one sensor comprises a flat-film shaped piezoelectric sensor that is arranged side by side with a thin signal processing circuit module, and a connection terminal is disposed on a side of the thin signal processing circuit module that is opposite to the flat-film shaped piezoelectric sensor and is coupled to the detector.
4 more elements
A muscle activity detection apparatus comprising:
- a sensor module comprising a flat-film shaped piezoelectric sensor that is configured to generate an output signal that changes based on a tremor of a tendon or a muscle, and further configured to generate an output signal that changes based on contraction and relaxation of the tendon or the muscle;
- a thin signal processing circuit module that is arranged side by side the sensor module and is configured to extract a tremor signal from the output signal generated by the sensor module, extract a contraction-relaxation signal from the output signal generated by the sensor module, amplify the tremor signal and the contraction-relaxation signal, and output the amplified signals to the detector;
- a state analyzing unit configured to determine:
- (1) whether an average level of an amplitude of the amplified tremor signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and (2) whether an average change amount of the amplified contraction-relaxation signal is less than a second threshold value;
- a detector configured to detect that the tendon or the muscle is the state that isometric contraction is occurring and isotonic contraction is not occurring when the average level of the amplitude of the amplified tremor signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold and the average change amount of the amplified contraction-relaxation signal is less than the second threshold value;
- and
- a connection terminal that is disposed on a side of the thin signal processing circuit module that is opposite to the flat-film shaped piezoelectric sensor and couples the thin signal processing circuit module to the detector.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.