Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Jakob Van Der Laar

Adrianus Johannes Maria Denissen

Rene Martinus Maria Derkx

Sandrine Magali Laure Devot

The present invention relates to the field of medical technology and in particular to determining a respiratory activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on surface electromyography measurements taken from the intercostal muscles on the chest of a subject. A processing apparatus for processing an electromyography signal indicative of an activity of a target muscle in a human or animal body that relates to the measurement of respiratory effort amid an activity of at least one further muscle is presented. The processing apparatus comprises a first interface for receiving a first electromyography signal obtained from the target muscle and the further muscle at a first location on the body; a second interface for receiving a second electromyography signal obtained from the further muscle at a second location on the body; and an analysis unit for determining a similarity signal based on the first electromyography signal and the second electromyography signal, wherein the analysis unit is further configured to determine a respiratory phase as an inspiratory phase if the similarity signal obtained from the first and the second electromyography signal is below a first predetermined threshold and/or determine a respiratory phase as an expiratory phase if the similarity signal obtained from the first and the second electromyography signal exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

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Oosterhout, Netherlands

Jakob Van Der Laar