Aether Biomedical built Aether MyoSense to read a patient's muscle signals and turn them into the electrical control signal that drives an upper-limb prosthesis, typically a Zeus hand.
It is a dual-channel EMG system: it amplifies the signal picked up from the patient's skeletal muscles and delivers a proportional control signal to the connected device.
The Aether Digital Platform is a separate piece of this picture. Clinicians use it to configure Aether MyoSense, monitor EMG signals in real time, and check skin-contact quality, but it is not part of the moment-to-moment signal path during patient use.
Most support calls trace back to two things: how the device was handled between fittings, and whether a clinic ran the basic checks before assuming something is broken.
This guide covers both, sourced from the Aether MyoSense Instructions for Use, so your team can rule out common issues before calling Aether Biomedical support.
Handle the device with care. Avoid excessive bending, pulling, or twisting of wires and connectors, and avoid exposing it to sudden physical shocks or mechanical impacts, including drops.
Never cut, compress, or otherwise damage the wires: broken insulation can cause a short circuit and stop the device from working properly. Do not attempt any physical modification of the device.
Aether MyoSense is intended for a single patient. Sharing a unit between multiple users risks inaccurate readings and contamination, so each device should stay assigned to the person it was configured for.
That configuration happens through the Aether Digital Platform during fitting. The unit itself ships as one standard variation; it is not built to order.
|
Condition |
Documented range |
|
Operating temperature |
-5°C to +45°C |
|
Storage and transport temperature |
-25°C to +70°C |
|
Humidity |
5% to 93% |
|
Atmospheric pressure |
700 hPa to 1060 hPa |
Also keep the device away from open fire or excessive heat, and limit prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, including direct sunlight. These limits matter most when a unit is sitting between fittings, moving between clinic sites, or waiting in a bag or vehicle longer than usual.
Cable and connector damage is one of the most common avoidable faults, and it is almost always accidental rather than a result of misuse.
Never connect or disconnect any of the device's wires while the system is powered. Switch off the power supply first: handling connections under an active power source can damage Aether MyoSense or other connected devices. Both three-pin connectors have to be connected for Aether MyoSense to power up at all.
There is no single cleaning routine documented for the Aether MyoSense main unit. What applies depends on the dome electrodes attached to it: follow the electrode manufacturer's own cleaning instructions rather than a generic Aether routine, since none is documented for the main unit itself.
A few exposure risks are worth building into routine handling and storage. Keep the device away from strong solvents, acids, alkalis, and industrial oils. Keep it away from strong magnetic fields and from devices emitting high voltage or electromagnetic interference.
Enclosing the device and electrode leads in a closed prosthetic socket is also preferred: it is not likely that electrostatic discharge would damage the unit, but discharge reaching the electrode leads directly can be misread as muscle activity and trigger unintended control signal activation.
A short troubleshooting pass before contacting Aether Biomedical support can save time for everyone. What to check depends on the symptom.
Weak, saturated, or random signal. Check skin-contact quality using the Aether Digital Platform and confirm the electrodes are properly affixed to the prosthetic socket. Check the gain adjustments in the platform and increase them if needed. Review electrode placement: differential pairs should sit over strongly activated muscle groups, correctly oriented and aligned along the muscle fibers.
Verify the placement and connection of the reference electrode, and confirm that all cables, connectors, and dome electrodes are securely attached.
No signal at all. Check skin-contact quality the same way, then check all wires and connections. Both three-pin connectors have to be connected for the device to be powered.
Unable to connect to the Aether Digital Platform. Confirm the battery is on and charged, then power-cycle the system to wake up Bluetooth. Check connections and wires as well, since both three-pin connectors need to be connected for the device to power up.
Firmware update failure. Confirm the system is powered up with a charged battery, and that the device running the update (a personal computer, for example) has stable internet access and can reach the Aether Digital Platform. Verify the Bluetooth connection between that device and Aether MyoSense is properly established, and do not disturb the power source while an update is in progress.
If none of this resolves the issue, stop troubleshooting and refer the case to Aether Biomedical support rather than continuing to test the device on your own.
Aether MyoSense contains electrical components that need proper recycling. Do not dispose of it in household waste. Return the device to Aether Biomedical instead.
Handling issues, mainly bent or twisted wires, loose connectors, and drops or impacts. Careful daily handling and the checks above catch most of these before they become support cases.
There is no general cleaning routine documented for the main unit. For dome electrodes, follow the electrode manufacturer's own instructions, and keep the device away from strong solvents, acids, alkalis, and industrial oils.
Skin-contact quality and electrode placement in the Aether Digital Platform, the gain settings, the reference electrode's connection, and whether all cables and connectors are seated properly.
The platform is used for configuration and monitoring, not live control, so a dropped connection does not affect the prosthesis itself. Power-cycling the device and confirming the battery is charged resolves most connection issues.
The operating range is -5°C to +45°C. Storage and transport range is -25°C to +70°C, with humidity between 5% and 93%.
Back to Aether Biomedical, for proper recycling of its electrical components. It should never go into household waste.
Aether MyoSense, the EMG sensor system behind Aether's bionic prosthetics, holds up well in daily clinic use when wires and connectors are handled carefully, storage stays within the documented environmental and chemical exposure limits, and the relevant checks run before a support call.
Most weak-signal, no-signal, and connection issues trace back to skin contact, electrode placement, gain settings, or a loose connector, all of which a clinic can check directly.
If a specific unit is giving your team trouble right now, contact Aether Biomedical support with what you have already checked.