EMG Analysis Software - Summary

[Michael B. Conuel]

I just want to thank everyone who replied to my original post on the
different types of software available for EMG analysis. Here is a
summary of replies.

Sincerely,

Michael Conuel, ATC
Biodynamics Group
Wenner-Gren Center fo Biomedical Engineering
University of Kentucky

************************************************** *******************************
From:
Bob Colborne
To:
"Michael B. Conuel"
CC:
colborne@duke.usask.ca


Hi:

In my lab, I use a software package called ASYST (v. 4.0) from Keithley
Metrabyte (440 Myles Standish Blvd., Taunton, MA, 02780-9840;
1-800-348-0033).
This is a programming package (Forth) that enables you to write code for
A/D
collection, analysis, statistical functions, printing/plotting, and just
about
everything else. It is not too hard to learn, and is extremely
flexible. They
also have their own A/D boards, but their package supports other common
boards.
They also have a Windows-type system called ViewDAC, where subroutines
for
collection etc. are simply called into a program, but this is more
expensive.

I use this in conjunction with some custom EMG hardware, but you can use
the
software with any kind of A/D signals.

Hope this helps.

Bob Colborne,
University of Saskatchewan, Canada

************************************************** ***********************************
From:
etnyre@ruf.rice.edu (Bruce Etnyre)
To:
mbc@bme1.image.uky.edu


Michael,

We use the Ariel Performance Analysis System Analog Module to collect
six
channels of EMG (it is capable of up to 16 channels). It can give mean
and
median FFT's for spectral analysis. It plots integration, but we have
not
found a way for it to give us the value of the integration. However,
the
analog file can be downloaded into a WKS file which can we take into a
spreadsheet (Excel) where we perform the full wave rectification
(absolute
value function) and integrate it. With the digitized analog file in a
spreadsheet we can also calculate an RMS quantification, if that method
is
preferred.

BE


Bruce Etnyre, Ph.D., P.T. _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/
_/ _/
Human Performance and _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/ _/
Health Sciences Dept. _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/ _/
Rice University _/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/
_/
6100 Main MS 545 _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/
Houston, Texas 77005 _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/
USA _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
etnyre@rice.edu _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/
_/
(713)527-4058
FAX: (713)285-5329

************************************************** *******************************
From:
dan945@ix.netcom.com (Daniel India)
To:
"Michael B. Conuel"


Why don't you ask Rebecca Stine regarding EMG software. SHe'll be back
in the country on Saturday and I know she has recently checked this out
for two other MAC users. Do you need her number? We are picking up an
EMG package from the West Coast, she'll know more.

Good seeing you last week.

Dan India

************************************************** ******************************
From:
Dr Rami Abboud
To:
mbc@bme1.image.uky.edu


I have always used MatLAb which is very powerful tool where you can
call upon a lot of existing modules and/or write your own.
Yours sincerely,

Dr Rami J Abboud, BEng, MSc, PhD
Lecturer in Orthopaedics & Trauma Surgery
Foot Project Coordinator
e-mail:r.j.abboud@dundee.ac.uk

************************************************** *******************************
From:
"DR. GREGORY S. RASH"
To:



Director, Gait & Biomechanics Lab
Phone: (502) 582-7657

If all you want is on times & off times, etc. Then the cheapest and
easiest
way is to buy Motion Control site preampped electrodes (about $250 each)
and
run them directly to your AD board & collect with any AD collection
software.
Then post process your data (1st with a 35-40Hz high pass filter if you
choose)
with a simple program which looks at the baseline from a resting EMG and
the
dynamic EMG from your collection & says anything > 1/8th the magnitude
from
the resting to the peak is considered on. You can then either define
cycles,
etc in that program or choose to write out a new time based file of 0's
& 1's
for off & on which you process. I find the EMG system to offer me
everything
I would ever need in an EMG system. The AD collection software that
came with
my AD board allows more post processing options than I would ever need.
It is
also easy to convert the electrodes to accept finewire electrodes. You
are
just an hour down I64, you should come down & see how this system works.

************************************************** ***************************
From:
georges@viconsys.com (Georges Roudanez)
To:
mbc@bme1.image.uky.edu


Hi Michael,

I handle the sales for Vicon Motion Systems. One of our proprietary
products is EMG Analyzer, which was developed at Rancho under Dr.
Jaqueline
Perry. It primarily is used for EMG analysis in conjunction with gait
analysis. If you want a brochure and demo program please contact me.

Best of luck with your endeavor.

Georges Roudanez
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
(310)903-1219 voice
(310)903-1221 fax
E-mail georges@viconsys.com

************************************************** *****************************
From:
Gideon Ariel
To:
"Michael B. Conuel"


The best system and the most cost effective is available from Ariel
Dynamics.
You can find information at: http://www.arielnet.com

************************************************** *******************************

From:
j.eggers@cl-hh.comlink.de (Joerg Eggers)
Organization:
Joerg Eggers
To:
mbc@bme1.image.uky.edu


-- Datum: 25.10.96, Fr
-- Empfdnger: mbc@bme1.image.uky.edu
-- Zeit: 11:01
================================================== =======================
Hello,

we currently use a SortwarePackage called AcqKnowledge from
BioPac-Systems,
to analyse EMG data. The software is also cabable to collect data and
runs on Windows and Mac computers.

Best regards

Joerg Eggers,
Quslisys AB
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D-22844 Norderstedt S-433 63 Sdvedalen
Tel./Fax.: 040 526 36 44 +46-31-36 94 00 (Tel.)
+46-31-36 94 20 (Fax.)
+46-70-721 13 47
e-mail:jorg.eggers@qualisys.se

Qualisys AB
Bahnhofstra_e 112
D-22844 Norderstedt
Tel: +49 40 526 828 44 ISDN
+46 70 70 721 13 47 (Mobil)
Fax: +49 40 526 828 45
e-mail:
j.eggers@cl-hh.comlink.de
------------------------------------------------------------------------
************************************************** *******************************

From:
l.abraham@mail.utexas.edu (Larry Abraham)
To:
"Michael B. Conuel"


We write all our own software for EMG analysis using either Labview,
Visual
Basic, or C. This seems to give us the greatest possible flexibility to
achieve all of our objectives.


Larry Abraham, EdD
Kinesiology & Health Education
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712 USA
(512)471-1273 FAX (512)471-8914
l.abraham@mail.utexas.edu
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/coe/depts/kin/

************************************************** *********************************
From:
"Patria A Hume"
Organization:
University of Auckland (Tamaki)
To:
mbc@bme1.image.uky.edu


Hi Michael

We use a LabView programme which I wrote. LabView is a virtual
instrument programming language. It is easy to programme and lets
you complete analysis as you collect the data. We use both visual
inspection and start and end times based on a) a percentage of
maximum deviation from the baseline level, and b) +/- 2SD of the
baseline. We choose the deviation method depending on whether the task
is
a continuous movement with hardly any "off" time (no flat baseline).
I validated the deviation criterion methods using visual inspection
on several hundred EMG samples for three lower limb muscles during
stepping movements.

If you want further information on LabView let me know.

Patria.





Patria Anne Hume
ACC Research Fellow
Dept. Sport and Exercise Science
University of Auckland
Tamaki Campus
Private Bag 92019
Auckland
New Zealand
Phone (649) 373 7599 ext 6859
Fax (649) 373 7043
************************************************** ***********************
From:
Rick Neptune
To:
"Michael B. Conuel"


Hi Michael,

I have used DATAPAC II (RUN Technologies; Phone/Fax (714)
348-1234) to analyze EMG data in cycling. I was interested primarily
in the burst onset and offset timing which was perfectly suited for the
program. The selection criteria you specify can be used to select the
burst onset/offset values in an automated fashion and then the program
can be used interactively to verify the results. The program has many
other features I didn't use and they are just coming out with a Windows
version. All the information you need along with a demo version can be
found at their web page:

http://www.anaserve.com/~runtech/


I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions.


-- Rick

************************************************** *****************************

From:
Terry Horn
To:
mbc@bme1.image.uky.edu


Michael,

I direct a clinical gait analysis laboratory. I have access to the
MA-100
package by Motion Lab Systems, as it had already been purchased in our
facility before I began working here. However, because the temporal
events
defining a gait cycle (i.e., heel strike/toe-off) must either be
determined
using foot switches or by analyzing video or force plate signals, I find
that it is no more flexible than the Asyst routines I wrote while a
student
in the UK Biodynamics laboratory from 1988-'92. In fact, it is LESS
flexible; just more user-friendly. Thus I am currently using a version
of
the old "VL6" program (which can probably still be found on an old
machine
somewhere in your lab), which has been modified to read the format of
the
output files that our motion analysis system generates.

Although I am completely happy with the powerful array manipulation and
signal processing features which Asyst offers, its graphics/printer
driver
support is from the dark ages. I would be very interested in the choice
that your laboratory makes.

Go 'Cats!

T.S. Horn, Ph.D
Research Assistant Professor
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery
UAB School of Medicine
e-mail: medt030@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu
phone: (205) 939-6054
fax: 205-939-6057
mailing address:
TCHA Gait Analysis Center
1600 7th Ave. South
ACC Suite 418
Birmingham, AL 35233