A self-powered and portable device to monitor and assess targeted muscle rehabilitation

Injury to a muscle or neuromuscular connections, resulting from events such as a minor stroke or car accident, can be detrimental to the quality of life of the victim or his or her families due to an increased load of expenses and time. The key to recovery and rehabilitation for such injuries is physical therapy, which can be expensive and time consuming, especially for low income families who may not have insurance. In order to significantly reduce the number of visits to a physical therapist, we developed a method of monitoring muscle use with the help of a portable, comfortable, and self-powered elastic sleeve. This paper presents preliminary data showing that the progress of muscle fatigue can be identified by analyzing the frequency spectrum and amplitude of a live electromyogram (EMG). This technique can be used to guide a subject with rehabilitation exercises, remotely, from a physical therapist. The worn device is self-powered by the strains caused by exercise on embedded piezoelectric material and communicates with a smart phone via Bluetooth technology to guide the user and concatenate data for a clinician.