Low power spinal motion and muscle activity monitor

In this study, a low-power spinal motion and muscle activity monitor is developed to monitor 3D kinematics and muscle activities. The low power wireless sensor module offers 8 differential EMG channels and a 9-axis motion processor to enable study full body kinematics and muscle activity. The sensor has a 23 mm circular form factor and can be used in healthy subjects such as athletes and military during relevant field exercises to establish baseline bio-metric data without limiting their mobility. The system offers a standard Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless interface to communicate with gateway devices and desktop systems. Seven sensors can be placed on a subject and paired with a gateway device such as a cellular phone with BLE interface. A component based open architecture software framework is developed to enable flexibility to use different products under a common platform. The system is validated by measuring lumbar spine posture and muscle activity.