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Processing Emg: David Delion Unlv Biomechanics Lab

This document discusses various methods for processing electromyography (EMG) signals including filtering, rectification, averaging, integration, and frequency analysis. It explains that raw EMG signals are not quantitatively comparable, so processing is needed to remove noise and allow comparisons over time and between subjects. Common processing methods like root mean square and normalization are also covered.

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Shivi Varshney
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50 views

Processing Emg: David Delion Unlv Biomechanics Lab

This document discusses various methods for processing electromyography (EMG) signals including filtering, rectification, averaging, integration, and frequency analysis. It explains that raw EMG signals are not quantitatively comparable, so processing is needed to remove noise and allow comparisons over time and between subjects. Common processing methods like root mean square and normalization are also covered.

Uploaded by

Shivi Varshney
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Processing EMG

David DeLion
UNLV Biomechanics Lab
Why do we process EMG?
• Raw EMG offers us valuable
information in a practically useless form
• Raw EMG signals cannot be
quantitatively compared between
subjects
• If electrodes are moved raw EMG
signals cannot be quantitatively
compared for the same subject
Types of Signal
Processing
• Raw • Root-mean Square
• Half-wave rectified • Frequency spectrum
• Full-wave rectified • Fatigue analysis
• Filtering • Number of Zero-
crossings
• Averaging • Amplitude
• Smoothing Probability
• Integration Distribution Function
• Wavelet
Removing Bias

• Low amplitude voltage offset present in


hardware
• Can be AC or DC
• Calculate the mean of all the data
• Subtract mean from each data point
Raw EMG
• Unprocessed signal
-Amplitude of 0-6 mV
-Frequency of 10-500 Hz
• Peak-to-Peak
-Measured in mV
-Represents the amount of muscle
energy measured
• Onset times can be determined
• Analysis is mostly qualitative
Rectification

• Only positive values are analyzed


-Mean would be zero
• Half-wave rectification - all negative
data is discarded, positive data is kept.
• Full-wave rectification- the absolute
value of each data point is used
• Full-wave is preferred
Filtering
• Notch filter
-Band reject filter; usually very
narrow
-For EMG normally set from 59-61
Hz
-Used to remove 60 Hz electrical
noise
-Also removes real data!
-Too much noise will overwhelm the
filter
Filtering

• Band Pass filter


-allows specified frequencies to
pass
-low end cutoff removes electrical
noise associated with wire sway and
biological artifacts
-high end cutoff eliminates tissue
noise at the electrode site
-often set between 20-300 Hz
Filtering

• There are no perfect filters!


• Face muscles can emit frequencies up
to 500 Hz
• Heart rate artifact can be eliminated
with low end cutoffs of 100 Hz
• Filters which include 60 Hz include the
noise from equipment
Averaging
• Average EMG can be used to quantify
muscle activity over time
• Measured in mV
• Values are averaged over a specified time
window
• Window can be moved or static
• Moving windows are a digital smoothing
technique
• For moving windows the smaller the time
window the less smooth the data will be
Averaging
• For EMG window is typically between 100-
200 ms
• Window is moved over the length of the
sample
• Moving averages introduce a phase shift
• Moving averages create biased values
-values are calculated from data
which are common to the data used to
calculate the previous value
• Very commonly used technique
Integration
• Calculation of area under the rectified signal
• Measured in Vs
• Values are summed over the specified time
then divided by the total number of values
• Values will increase continuously over time
• The integrated average will represent 0.637
of one-half of the peak to peak value
• Quantifies muscle activity
• Can be reset over a specified time or voltage
Root Mean Square

• Recommended quantification method


by Basmajian and DeLuca
• Calculated by squaring each data point,
summing the squares, dividing the sum
by the number of observations, and
taking the square root
• Represents 0.707 of one half of the
peak-to-peak value
Number of Zero Crossings
• Counting the number of times the
amplitude of the signal crosses the zero
line
• Based on the idea that a more active
muscle will generate more action
potentials, which will cause more zero
crossings in the signal
• Primarily used before the FFT algorithm
was widely available
Frequency Analysis

• Fast Fourrie Transformation is used to


break the EMG signal into its frequency
components.
• Frequency components are graphed as
function of the probability of their
occurrence
• Useful in determining cutoff frequencies
and muscle fatigue
Fatigue Analysis

• Isometric contraction
• The two most important parameters for
fatigue analysis are the median and
mean frequency.
• Median frequency decreases with the
onset of fatigue
• If fatigue is being measured it is
important to have a large band pass
filter
Amplitude Probability
Distribution Function
• Illustrate variance in the signal
• X-axis shows range of amplitudes
• Y-axis shows the percentage of time
spent at any given amplitude
• Distribution during work should be
bimodal -peak associated with effort
-peak associated with rest
Wavelet analysis
• Used for the processing of signals that are
non-stationary and time varying
• Wavelets are parts of functions or any
function consists of an infinite number of
wavelets
• The goal is to express the signal as a linear
combination of a set of functions
• Obtained by running a wavelet of a given
frequency through the original signal
Wavelet Analysis
• This process creates wavelet coefficients
• When an adequate number of coefficients
have been calculated the signal can be
accurately reconstructed
• The signal is reconstructed as a linear
combination of the basis functions which are
weighted by the wavelet coefficients
Wavelet Analysis
• Time-frequency localization
• Most of the energy of the wavelet is restricted
to a finite time interval
• Fourier transform is band limited
• Produces good frequency localization at low
frequencies, and good time localization at
high frequencies
• Segments, or tiles the time-frequency plane
Wavelet Analysis
• Wavelets remove noise from the signal
• Signal energy becomes concentrated into
fewer coefficients while noise energy does
not
Normalizing
• There is no absolute scale so direct
comparisons between subjects or
conditions cannot be made
• Maximum voluntary contraction levels
are often used to compare EMG
readings between subjects (i.e..50%
MVC)
• Relies on subject to give max effort
Normalizing

• Record contractions over a dynamic


movement cycle
• At least 4 repetitions are required
• Peak values are averaged which
creates an anchor point
• Subsequent values are represented as
a percentage of the anchor point
Conclusion

• EMG offers a great deal of useful


information
• The information is only useful if it can
be quantified
• Quantifying EMG data can be a
qualitative process
Thank You

Any Questions?
Bibliography
• Kleissen, R.F.M, Buurke, J.H., Harlaar, J., Zilvold, G. (1998)
Electromyography in the Biomechanical analysis of human
movement and its clinical application. Gait and Posture. Vol.
8,143-158
• Aminoff, M.J. (1978) Electromyography in Clinical Practice.
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Menlo Park, CA
• Dainty, D.A., Norman, R.W. (1987) Standardized Biomechanical
Testing in Sport. Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign, IL
• Cram, J.R., Kasman, G.S. (1998) Introduction to Surface
Electromyography. Aspen Publishers, Gaithersburg, MD
• Medved, V. (2001) Measurement of Human Locomotion. CRC
Press, New York, NY
Bibliography
• Loeb, G.E., Gans, C. (1986) Electromyography for
Experimentalists. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL
• Basmajian, J.V., DeLuca, C.J. (1985) Muscles Alive. Williams
& Wilkins, Baltimore, MD
• Moshou, D., Hostens, I., Ramon, H. (2000) Wavelets and Self-
Organizing Maps in Electromyogram Analysis. Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven
• DeLuca, C.J. (1993) The Use of Surface Electromyography in
Biomechanics. NeuroMuscular Research Center, Boston
University
• DeLuca, C.J. (2002) Surface Electromyography: Detection and
Recording. Delsys Incorporated.

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