BTS Freeemg 1000 User manual

Document Number: EREMB-01200-10
Published: February 2018
Copyright © 2015 BTS SpA. All Rights Reserved.

Table of contents
1
Table of contents
Table of contents .................................................................................................................................1
1Copyright notice ...........................................................................................................................4
2Intended use .................................................................................................................................5
3Introduction ..................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Symbols legend.................................................................................................................................. 6
3.2 General description ........................................................................................................................... 6
4System contents ...........................................................................................................................7
4.1 Standard components ....................................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Additional components ..................................................................................................................... 9
5Receiving unit .............................................................................................................................13
6EMG wireless probes ..................................................................................................................15
6.1 EMG probes components................................................................................................................ 15
6.2 Solid-state memory ......................................................................................................................... 16
6.3 EMG probes status LED ................................................................................................................... 17
6.4 EMG probes battery status.............................................................................................................. 18
6.5 How to turn on and off the EMG probes......................................................................................... 19
7Footswitch and electrogoniometer kits......................................................................................21
7.1 FSW and EGN wireless probes......................................................................................................... 21
7.1.1 FSW and EGN probes components......................................................................................................... 21
7.1.2 FSW and EGN probes status LED ............................................................................................................ 22
7.1.3 FSW and EGN probes battery status ...................................................................................................... 23
7.1.4 How to turn on and off the FSW and EGN probes.................................................................................. 23
7.2 FSW sensors..................................................................................................................................... 23
7.3 Electrogoniometers ......................................................................................................................... 24
7.3.1 EGN Calibration ...................................................................................................................................... 27
7.3.2 Troubleshooting - EGN calibration ......................................................................................................... 35
8Charger........................................................................................................................................37
8.1 How to recharge the probes............................................................................................................ 38

Table of contents
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8.2 How to disconnect the probes from the charger ............................................................................ 40
9Installation ..................................................................................................................................43
9.1 Minimum system requirements for the user workstation.............................................................. 43
9.2 Recommended system requirements for the user workstation ..................................................... 43
9.3 Device and Software installation..................................................................................................... 43
10 System use ..............................................................................................................................56
10.1 Graphical resolution settings........................................................................................................... 57
10.2 System configuration....................................................................................................................... 57
10.3 Acquisition protocol definition........................................................................................................ 60
10.3.1 Troubleshooting –probe(s) not connected............................................................................................ 63
10.4 Patient record and trial acquisition................................................................................................. 66
11 Patient preparation.................................................................................................................76
12 Troubleshooting......................................................................................................................80
13 Warnings .................................................................................................................................83
14 Appendix A –Technical specifications ....................................................................................85
14.1 EMG wireless probes....................................................................................................................... 85
14.2 FSW and EGN wireless probes......................................................................................................... 86
14.3 Receiving Unit.................................................................................................................................. 86
14.4 Expected Useful Lifetime................................................................................................................. 87
14.5 IP (Ingress Protection) Rating .......................................................................................................... 87
15 Appendix B –Conditions for operation, storage and transport .............................................88
15.1 Cleaning ........................................................................................................................................... 88
16 Appendix C –Battery ..............................................................................................................89
17 Appendix D –RF Channel........................................................................................................90
18 Appendix E –Technical Service and Repair ............................................................................92
18.1 Returning Equipment ...................................................................................................................... 92
18.2 Remote assistance........................................................................................................................... 93
19 Appendix F –Disposal (WEEE) ................................................................................................95
20 Appendix G –Symbols on the equipment .............................................................................96
21 Appendix H –Radio regulation ...............................................................................................97
22 Appendix I –Regulatory labels................................................................................................98
23 Appendix L –Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC).............................................................100

Table of contents
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24 Appendix K –BTS internal coding .........................................................................................104
25 Appendix M –Regulatory notice ..........................................................................................105

Copyright notice
4
1Copyright notice
This publication contains reserved information which is the property of BTS S.p.A.
No part of this manual may be copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, without prior written permission of BTS S.p.A.
Unless otherwise specified, any reference to companies, names, addresses and data used in the
reproduction of the screens and as examples is purely coincidental, and has the sole purpose of
illustrating the use of the BTS product. All trademarks are registered by the respective owners.
The licencing terms of the software provided with the BTS FREEEMG 1000 are described in the end-
user license agreement that must be accepted by the user to complete the software installation.
Remember that the use of the software is permitted on only one computer at a time. In order to
use the software on additional hardware platforms a user license must be requested for each
additional copy, under normal BTS terms and conditions. This user license excludes any use of the
software in network unless BTS has made available and offered a network version of the software
and you have accepted, in which case it may be used within the permitted limits.

Intended use
5
2Intended use
BTS FREEEMG 1000 is an instrument for the electromyographic surface analysis and it is classified
as medical equipment in accordance with European Directive 93/42/EEC (and its amendments).
BTS FREEEMG 1000 must be used at all times for this purpose only, by qualified personnel, in an
environment suitable for the execution of EMG analyses and respecting the laws in force in the
nation it is in use.

Introduction
6
3Introduction
3.1 Symbols legend
Caution: important information follows.
Reference to a related chapter, section or document follows.
3.2 General description
These instructions contain important information for safe use of the product. Read the entire
operator’s manual, including Warnings, before using this product.
Based entirely on wireless technologies, BTS FREEEMG 1000 uses up to 20 probes for the acquisition
and transmission of EMG signals and for the assessment of angles, angular velocities, angular
accelerations and foot-floor contact areas.
BTS FREEEMG 1000 allows for a functional evaluation and a real-time visualization of the acquired
signals for biofeedback and monitoring applications.
The complete absence of wires not only reduces the subject distress during the preparation but also
grants him full range of motion during task execution without any restriction.
For these reasons BTS FREEEMG 1000 is a valuable instrument in the fields of sport medicine,
research, rehabilitation, neurology, gnathology and orthopaedics.
BTS FREEEMG 1000 is supplied with BTS EMG-Analyzer, an advanced and complete software
solution for the analysis of electromyographic signals.
BTS EMG-Analyzer software includes predefined templates for evaluations in the clinical, sport
medicine, and research fields. It also integrates a graphic interface to build customized analysis
protocols and reports.
BTS EMG-Analyzer allows the integration of data acquired by the BTS FREEEMG 1000 and the inertial
sensor BTS G-SENSOR 2, which provides spatial-temporal parameters that complete the functional
movement evaluation of the subject.
BTS FREEEMG 1000 seamlessly integrates with BTS motion analysis systems, through the SMART
dedicated software.
Through the BTS SDK or by means of the analog output receiver, BTS FREEEMG 1000 can also work
with isokinetic machines (e.g. Biodex and Con-Trex), rehabilitative robots (BTS ANYMOV) and virtual
reality therapeutic systems (BTS NIRVANA) for the evaluation of real muscle activity during
rehabilitation or sport training activities.

System contents
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4System contents
4.1 Standard components
•Receiving unit
•Wireless electromyographic (EMG) probes
•Probes charger (AC adapter included)

System contents
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•USB extension cable
•Set of disposable electrodes
•USB flash drive (including: receiver unit drivers, BTS EMG-Analyzer software, BTS
FREEEMG1000 user manual and BTS EMG-Analyzer user manual)

System contents
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•Shoulder strap, briefcase keys and cleaning cloth
4.2 Additional components
•Additional receiving unit
•USB Hub

System contents
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•Additional charger(s) plus bridge cable for the connection with the main charger
•Footswitch (FSW) kit
▪FSW wireless probes
▪Connecting cables

System contents
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▪Sensors
▪Charging cables
•Electrogoniometer (EGN) kit
▪EGN wireless probes
▪Connecting cables

System contents
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▪Electrogoniometers
▪Charging cables
•Isokinetic kit (compatible with different isokinetic machines e.g. Con-Trex, Biodex,…). It
includes: isokinetic wireless probes, charging cables, adapter kit (isokinetic box) and
isokinetic box connecting cables.
•BTS VIXTA video cameras
•BTS TRIGGER BOX (for the synchronized start of FREEEMG1000 with other external devices
supporting TTL inputs/outputs)
•BTS I-PORT EXPANDER (for the synchronized acquisition in EMGAnalyzer of FREEEMG1000
and analog external devices)
•BTS INTEGRA (for the synchronized recording in third party devices of EMG signals acquired
with FREEEEMG1000)
For further information on the Isokinetic kit, BTS VIXTA, BTS TRIGGER BOX, BTS I-PORT
EXPANDER and BTS INTEGRA, see the relative User Manual

Receiving unit
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5Receiving unit
The receiving unit, connected to the workstation via USB, allows the wireless reception of the signals
acquired by the wireless probes (Figure 5.1).
Figure 5.1
A single receiving unit is able to handle simultaneously 10 different wireless probes selectable
among EMG, FSW (covering up to 4 contact areas each) and EGN probes (Figure 5.2).
Figure 5.2

Receiving unit
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If the system includes more than 10 wireless probes, two receiving units will be enclosed in the
suitcase.
Both units should be connected to the workstation at all times through the USB hub (Figure
5.3) even if only 10 (or less) probes need to be acquired.
Figure 5.3

EMG wireless probes
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6EMG wireless probes
The EMG wireless probes have been designed to be light weight and compact in size in order to
grant the patient full range of motion during the task execution without any restriction.
The probes can be directly attached to pre-gelled disposable snap electrodes and do not require any
additional fastening such as adhesive tape (Figure 6.1). This, together with the total absence of
cables, enables a much faster patient preparation, drastically reducing the time of each session.
Figure 6.1
6.1 EMG probes components
Each probe consists of a mother electrode and a satellite electrode, each equipped with a snap
connector. The two active electrodes, connected via a flexible cable, may be positioned at variable
distance as needed by the user (probes with variable geometry)
1. Satellite electrode
2. Probe ID label
3. Status LED
4. Mother electrode
5. Snap connector of the mother
electrode
6. Snap connector of the satellite
electrode
7. Serial number
8. Flexible cable
Figure 6.2

EMG wireless probes
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All probes are equipped with a Status LED, a solid-state memory and an on-board battery.
For more details on the probes’ battery see the Appendix C –Battery.
Each probe has a univocal serial number and an identification label characterized by a colour (red
or blue) and a code (number from 1 to 20) (Figure 6.2).
6.2 Solid-state memory
All probes are equipped with a solid-state memory. The solid-state memory allows data storage up
to 1 hour and 40 minutes for systems with less than 6 EMG probes, and up to 2 hours for systems
with more than 6 EMG probes.
Two acquisition modes are allowed by the BTS EMG-Analyzer software: the real time acquisition and
the acquisition with data storage.
In the real time acquisition mode, data acquired by the EMG probes are sent to the workstation and
are visualized in nearly real-time. If the connection with the receiver is lost and not reinstated within
4 seconds, all data acquired after the connection loss cannot be transmitted. At capture stop only
data acquired before the connection loss will be available on the workstation for saving. For this
reason this acquisition mode is mainly used for biofeedback applications or if real-time elaborations
are needed.
In the acquisition with data storage mode, which is the default acquisition mode, the probes solid-
state memory is used to secure data safety in case of wireless signal loss. Using this acquisition
mode, when the connection with the receiver is stable, acquired data are sent and visualized on the
workstation in nearly real-time. When the connection is lost (even if it is lost multiple times during
the acquisition) signals are stored on-board by each probe and are neither sent nor visualized on
the workstation. When the connection is reinstated, data are again sent and visualized on the
workstation. At capture stop, data are downloaded from the probes’ solid-state memory and then
integrated with the ones previously transmitted. Thus, data from the entire acquisition will be
available on the workstation for saving. This acquisition mode can be very useful if the user is
interested in acquiring EMG signals on subjects moving in wide spaces (e.g. athlete running in an
athletic field). Please note that the acquisition cannot be started or stopped if the probes are not
connected with the receiver. For this reason, at the start and stop of capturing the probes need to
be nearby the receiver.
For a detailed description on how to check the probes connection, see the Status LED and
the Acquisition protocol definition sections within the System use chapter.

EMG wireless probes
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6.3 EMG probes status LED
The Status LED indicates when the probe is powered on and displays other special status modes
with different blinking codes.
The possible probe states are:
•Charging: steady blue LED.
When the probes are connected to the charger and the charger power is on, the probes are
charging and present a steady blue LED. When the probes are fully charged, the LED light
turns off.
•Scanning: white LED blinks every 200 milliseconds for a few seconds.
The probe is scanning the radio channels in the attempt of establishing a connection with
USB receiver. The blinking cycle is repeated every 60 seconds. In this state the probe is
disconnected from the receiving unit. To enter the Scanning mode the probe must be
turned on.
•Connected (waiting): white LED blinks regularly about every second.
The probe is connected to the receiving unit and is in an idle state. If the connection with
the receiver is lost, the probe enters the Scanning mode.
•Capturing: white LED blinks regularly about every half a second.
The probe is acquiring an electromyographic signal. When the acquisition is stopped, the
probe returns into the Connected state. If the connection is lost while the probe is in the
Capturing mode, the acquisition outcome will depend upon the acquisition modality:
oAcquisition in real time: if the connection is reinstated within 4 seconds, data
continues to be correctly acquired and saved (the resulting signal may present
holes, i.e. zeros, indicating that some data were not correctly sent to the receiver).
If the probe stays disconnected for a longer period of time, the acquisition process
continues, but the acquired data are not sent to the receiver. If the probe
reconnects to the receiver before the acquisition is stopped by the user, all data
received after the reconnection are marked as invalid by the application and are
replaced with zeros.
oAcquisition with memory storage: data are stored in the solid-state memory and
downloaded by the receiver at capture stop. If the available storage fills up, new
data are discarded to prevent old data from being overwritten.
Please note that the SMART software package uses, by default, only the acquisition with
data storage mode.