We are excited to announce a new Matlab Application for the acquisition and analysis of HD-EMG signals: I-Spin SAGA Live. This application offers the capability to detect the discharge activity of individual motor units in real time. Additionally, it can utilize the learned motor unit filter in real-time, thereby allowing the possibility to supply subjects with visual feedback on the Motor Unit activity during experiments.

This tool can help guide researchers who aim to study movement control at the motor neuron level. The application has been designed and constructed by a dedicated research team (Rossato et al.), who utilized our Interface for Matlab as a foundational tool in its development process.

Application at a Glance

1-Acquisition Data Motor Unit Decomposition Photo-1
Figure 1. Display of discharge times obtained for multiple motor units. This is a result of Motor Unit Decomposition from the acquired HD-EMG signals.
2-Post Processing-1
Figure 2. Display of the interface to post-process discharge times. This interface can be used to clean the identified spike trains.
4-Force Feedback Control-1
Figure 3. Display of the Force Feedback Functionality, which enables users to regulate their muscle contraction level for a personalized and interactive experience.

Highlights of I-Spin SAGA Live

  • Acquisition of HD-EMG signals, followed by Motor Unit Decomposition, so that discharge activities are obtained for multiple single motor units (Figure 1).
  • Post-processing of discharge activities to intuitively clean unwanted artifacts from the decomposed signal (Figure 2).
  • Live application of motor unit filters enables real-time biofeedback, allowing users to understand muscle control strategies at the motor unit level.
  • Force feedback functionality allows users to control their muscle contraction level, providing a personalized and interactive experience (Figure 3).
  • Signal quality checks for noise levels and EMG amplitude for data reliability and high-quality results.
  • Integration with the Open Source MU Edit Library for easy access, compatibility, and seamless data management.
  • Comes with a helpful quick-start guide that offers clear, step-by-step instructions on how I-SpinSAGA works, facilitating a smooth learning process.

Download and Get Started

To access the I-Spin SAGA Live software, follow these steps:

  1. Download I-Spin SAGA Live here (free of charge).
  2. Download the SAGA Interface for MATLAB here (free of charge).
  3. Copy the "+TMSiSAGA" folder from the SAGA Interface for MATLAB download.
  4. Paste the "+TMSiSAGA" folder into the I-Spin folder.

More detailed information on the implementation and available procedures can be found on the GitHub page of I-SpinSAGA. There, you will also find a step-by-step protocol that describes the application in detail. If you would like to know more about the I-Spin SAGA Live, our SAGA amplifier, or our Textile HD-EMG Grids, contact us at info@tmsi.com.

Credit: I-SpinSAGA is an adaptation from I-Spin live which has been developed by J. Rossato et al. (Please cite https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.88670.1 when you use the library for your experiments).