Wireless Surface Electromyography Recording of Facial Muscle Activity During Expressions

Abstract

Source:
Hila Man¹, Paul F. Funk², Ieva Vebraite-Adereth³, Christoph Anders⁴, Orlando Guntinas-Lichius², Yael Hanein<sup>1,3,5

1</sup>Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, ²Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, ³School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, ⁴Division Motor Research, Pathophysiology and Biomechanics, Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, ⁵X-trodes Ltd.

This video demonstrates the procedure for non-invasive recording of facial muscle activity using wireless surface electromyography (sEMG) during video-guided facial expressions performed by a participant.

Protocol

All procedures involving human participants have been performed in compliance with the institutional, national, and international guidelines for human welfare and have been reviewed by the local institutional review board.

1. Preparation of equipment and software

1. Charge data acquisition unit (DAU): Charge the wireless DAU fully before the experiment.
2. Prepare a secure digital (SD) card: Insert a formatted v30-type SD card inside the DAU and turn it ON.
3. Minimize disruptions: Place all cellular phones in quiet mode and turn off Bluetooth to avoid interference.
4. Tablet setup
   1. Install and open the e....

Results

Figure 1: Schematic experimental setup overview. (A) Positions of the electrodes on the face: 1-16 .......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Alcohol prep pad	MEDI PLUS	7290010993833	To clean the face area for electrode placement.
Android tablet	Samsung	Galaxy Tab S7	To run electrode application
DAU	X-trodes Ltd.	XTR-BT V1.3	Wireless data acquisition unit
Facial expression experiment file	N/A	N/A	https://github.com/NeuroEngLabTAU/facial_expressions_experiment
Long Type-C to Type-C cable	N/A	N/A	Connection of the Tablet to the PC
Micro-SD card	SanDisk	N/A	To place into DAU and store recorded data
NuPrep skin prep gel	Weaver and companyhttps://www.weaverandcompany.com/products/nuprep/		To clean the face area for electrode placement. It lowers the skin impedance with minimal skin irritation and patient discomfort.
PC monitor	Phillips, Dell		For viewing experiment instructions
Personal computer (PC)	Antec	N/A	Windows 10+; Processors: Intel i7 processor. BT receiver.
USB SD card reader	SIYOTEAM	SY-368	To transfer recorded EMG data from SD card to the PC
XTR EXG16	X-trodes Ltd.	XTELC0004005RM	Disposable 16-channel wearable dry electrode array patch for EMG, ECG monitoring
X-trodes application	X-trodes Ltd.	N/A	An application for recording data from X-trodes electrodes on Android tablet