Method of and apparatus for monitoring of muscle activity

摘要

Apparatus for monitoring muscle activity, said apparatus comprising means for providing signals indicative of muscle activity, for example EMG-signals, means for processing of said signals in order to detect a particular activity and means for providing a feedback signal, wherein said device is designed in order to be individually adaptable in a set-up mode. The apparatus can be used for detecting and prevention of undesired activities such as bruxism, movements that are damaging or unwanted etc. The detection can be performed with great certainty since the individual parameters of the user are utilized for laying down reference values, threshold values, criteria for triggering of feedback signals, etc., which may take place at a set-up procedure.

主权项

1. An apparatus for detecting bruxism and providing feedback to a user, said apparatus comprising:
a sensor system operable to measure the muscular activity of a user's jaw associated with a level of biting force and generate a signal corresponding thereto; a signal processor which is in communication with said sensor system and is operable to receive said signal as a function of time, wherein said signal processor is configured such that the signal received from the sensor system as a function of time is divided into windows of a predefined time interval and configured such that a calculation of the area under the curve of the muscular activity vs. time is provided for each time window to yield the total biting power for each time window and calculate a level of muscular activity and integrate said level vs. time, so as to provide a processed signal, and a feedback signal generator which is in communication with said signal processor, said feedback signal generator being operable to receive said processed signal from said sensor system and generate a feedback signal, and direct said feedback signal to said user if the level of muscular activity measured by said sensor system exceeds a predefined threshold level of muscular activity for a predefined period of time.