Optical Electromyography Probe

A team of academics and clinicians from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and lead by the University of Sheffield have funding from the Medical Research Council DPFS to develop a device to perform an "optical EMG" to advance the diagnosis of nerve and muscle disorders.

Nerve and muscle diseases ('neuromuscular diseases') comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders that can be difficult to diagnose, often requiring multiple tests and several years to arrive at a diagnosis. While many of these conditions are, at present, incurable, there are therapeutics undergoing clinical trials. As a result, biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of neuromuscular diseases are more important than ever.

In this project we propose an 'optical EMG', a combination of electromyography, a standard clinical test that records the electrical activity arising from muscle, and optical spectroscopy, a light-based technique that provides additional information on a sample using a laser.

We are seeking to award a contract to a single supplier to produce these medical devices.