Design considerations for improved noise rejection in surface EMG systems

Abstract

Bioelectric signals are distorted by unwanted electric noise interference. This paper focuses on techniques that can be applied to surface electromyographic systems design to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Three case studies are presented in this manuscript: Effects of the front-end instrumentation amplifier gain, use of dc-dc converters for single-supply operation, and dedicated hardware for 60 Hz power line noise rejection. Results show that the quality of the signal is highly improved when the suggested techniques are applied.