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Dr. Levi Hargrove, PhD, Scientific Chair of the Regenstein Foundation Center for Bionic Medicine, presented on Innovations in Prosthetic Control at a virtual SRAlab Roundtable Discussion on Thursday, October 22, 2020.
Dr. Hargrove's presentation highlighted the current difficulties encountered when measuring consistent and robust electromyographic (EMG) signals from the amputated limb.
EMG signals refer to the electrical activity that is produced when a person moves or contracts a muscle. These signals are key to telling the control system of robotic artificial limbs how to operate. Most commonly, EMG signals are measured via electrodes that are embedded into robotic prosthetic limbs. These electrodes detect the EMG signal, essentially telling the prosthetic limb how it should move. However, electrodes may change positions frequently, pull off, or be unable to measure the activity of deeper muscles. In Dr. Hargrove's presentation, he highlighted three possible solutions currently being evaluated in research to improve the control of robotic prostheses, including:
- New surface systems such as instrumented liners, where electrode domes and wiring are embedded into the liner of the prosthesis during the manufacturing process, and epidermal electronic systems designed to conform more easily to the skin.
- Implantable solutions, such as Implantable Myoelectric Sensors (IMES®), in which small electrodes are implanted into residual muscles to detect and receive EMG information.
The SRAlab Roundtable is a discussion-based forum that aims to bring together clinicians and research scientists to reflect on current clinical practice and research. The SRAlab leadership team envision that these discussions will help foster clinically relevant research questions and promote future collaborations.
Dr. Mark Huang, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer, also spoke at the roundtable with Dr. Hargrove.
