TMG-BMC Ltd., Splitska 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Sensors (Basel). 2011;11(10):9411-25. doi: 10.3390/s111009411. Epub 2011 Sep 30.
This paper presents a new muscle contraction (MC) sensor. This MC sensor is based on a novel principle whereby muscle tension is measured during muscle contractions. During the measurement, the sensor is fixed on the skin surface above the muscle, while the sensor tip applies pressure and causes an indentation of the skin and intermediate layer directly above the muscle and muscle itself. The force on the sensor tip is then measured. This force is roughly proportional to the tension of the muscle. The measurement is non-invasive and selective. Selectivity of MC measurement refers to the specific muscle or part of the muscle that is being measured and is limited by the size of the sensor tip. The sensor is relatively small and light so that the measurements can be performed while the measured subject performs different activities. Test measurements with this MC sensor on the biceps brachii muscle under isometric conditions (elbow angle 90°) showed a high individual linear correlation between the isometric force and MC signal amplitudes (0.97 ≤ r ≤ 1). The measurements also revealed a strong correlation between the MC and electromyogram (EMG) signals as well as good dynamic behaviour by the MC sensor. We believe that this MC sensor, when fully tested, will be a useful device for muscle mechanic diagnostics and that it will be complementary to existing methods.
本文提出了一种新的肌肉收缩（MC）传感器。这种 MC 传感器基于一种新的原理，即通过测量肌肉收缩期间的肌肉张力来进行测量。在测量过程中，传感器固定在肌肉上方的皮肤表面上，而传感器尖端施加压力，导致皮肤和中间层直接位于肌肉上方和肌肉本身的凹陷。然后测量传感器尖端上的力。该力与肌肉的张力大致成正比。测量是非侵入性和选择性的。MC 测量的选择性是指正在测量的特定肌肉或肌肉部分，并且受到传感器尖端大小的限制。传感器相对较小且轻便，因此可以在测量对象执行不同活动时进行测量。在等长条件（肘部角度 90°）下对肱二头肌进行的这种 MC 传感器的测试测量显示，等长力和 MC 信号幅度之间具有很高的个体线性相关性（0.97≤r≤1）。测量还显示了 MC 和肌电图（EMG）信号之间的强相关性以及 MC 传感器的良好动态行为。我们相信，这种 MC 传感器经过充分测试后，将成为肌肉力学诊断的有用设备，并将与现有方法互补。
