AU2002253282B2

AU2002253282B2 - Dynamic balance board

Info

Publication number: AU2002253282B2
Application number: AU2002253282A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gillian Brydson; Daniel Rafferty
Original assignee: Glasgow Caledonian Univ; Glasgow Caledonian University
Current assignee: Glasgow Caledonian University
Priority date: 2001-04-04
Filing date: 2002-04-03
Publication date: 2007-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 2022-04-03
Also published as: US20040198573A1; CA2443033A1; DE60201130D1; GB0108421D0; DE60201130T2; ATE274978T1; WO2002081033A2; ES2230485T3; EP1377345B1; WO2002081033A3; EP1377345A2

Abstract

A dynamic balance board is described that incorporates a means for providing objective measurements on a user's dynamic balance. The balance board comprises a top board, a rocker base and a plurality of force sensitive transducers strategically positioned on the rocker base. When a user stands on the top board the rocker base permits the oscillation of the top board about an equilibrium position. The force sensitive switches then provide output information regarding the angle of the top board and the rotational movement of the balance board relative to the equilibrium position. By monitoring the output information the dynamic balance board provides an objective measurement of the user's ability to balance on the top board.

Description

WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 1 1 Dynamic Balance Board 2 3 The present invention relates to the field of balance 4 boards. In particular, it relates to a balance board for the automated measurement of dynamic balance.

6 7 Wobble or rocker style balance boards are commonly used 8 by physiotherapists in the rehabilitation of patients 9 with a variety of diagnoses and within a range of clinical specialisms. Such boards are purported to 11 improve dynamic balance, range of movement, co- 12 ordination, proprioception (joint position sense) and 13 confidence. They comprise a non-flexing piece of plywood 14 on a rocker base that provide approximately 10-20 degrees of tilt. If the range of motion over which this tilt is 16 exhibited is 180 degrees then the board is referred to in 17 the prior art as a rocker board. If such a range is 360 18 degrees then the board is refereed to as a wobble board, 19 and as such, wobble boards offer a greater challenge to a patient.

21 22 Wobble and rocker boards are routinely used for patients 23 with ankle and knee ligament injuries to improve a 24 patient's proprioceptive ability. They also help CONFIRMATION COPY WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 2 1 increase the available range of movement of the ankle and 2 foot so improving movement and a patient's perception of 3 stiffness. A third area where such devices are commonly 4 employed is in helping patients with balance problems arising as a result of neurological, orthopaedic problems 6 or normal ageing.

7 8 Such devices are suitable for use across the whole 9 spectrum of patients. For example they may be employed in the rehabilitation of children or athletes as well as 11 to improve independent mobility in the elderly.

12 13 Wobble and rocker boards are popular because they are 14 cheap, portable easy to use and are understood by both clinicians and patients alike. They are designed to be 16 used independently by patients and are easily graded so 17 as to progress difficulty. However, the devices are 18 limited when in comes to the provision of an objective 19 measurement on a patient's progress. There is an increasing movement for physiotherapists to formally 21 audit the outcome of their work with patients by showing 22 what progress has been made. Although there are some 23 balance monitor systems available on the market they do 24 not directly measure performance in a manner familiar to the patient. Also such devices tend not to be portable 26 and are considerably more expensive that traditional 27 wobble or rocker boards.

28 29 It is an object of an aspect of the present invention to provide a balance board that incorporates a means for 31 providing objective measurements on a user's dynamic 32 balance, thereby permitting an objective measurement of 33 progress to be made.

WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 3 1 2 A further object of an aspect of the present invention is 3 to provide a balance board capable of producing dynamic 4 balance measurements that is highly portable and cost effective to produce.

6 7 According to the present invention there is provided a 8 dynamic balance board comprising a top board, a rocking 9 means and one or more detection means, whereby the rocking means permits the oscillation of the top board 11 about an equilibrium position and the detection means 12 provides output information regarding the angle of the 13 top board relative to the equilibrium position.

14 Preferably the detection means provides output 16 information regarding the rotation of the dynamic balance 17 board relative to an equilibrium position 18 19 Most preferably the output information of the detection means is binary, whereby the output is off when the top 21 board is substantially horizontal and on when the top 22 board rotates through a predetermined angle.

23 24 Preferably the predetermined angle is determined by the location of the detection means on the rocking means.

26 27 Preferably the rocking means comprises a dome.

28 29 Preferably the dome is substantially hemispherical.

31 Preferably the detection means comprises one or more 32 force sensitive switches.

33 WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 4 1 Preferably the force sensitive switches comprise active 2 transducers mounted on the dome at predetermined 3 locations, whereby when a force, greater than a critical 4 magnitude, is applied to the transducer a resultant output voltage from the transducer is produced.

6 7 Preferably the transducers are mounted on the dome in a 8 substantially radial manner.

9 Most preferably transducers on different radii are 11 located on the dome at predetermined latitudes, defined 12 by the diameter of a horizontal chord of the done, 13 whereby when the top board tilts through the 14 predetermined angle a force applied to the transducer is greater than the critical magnitude.

16 17 Preferably the output signals from the transducers are 18 transmitted to a recording and processing means that 19 provides a time dependent profile of the angle of the top board. Optionally the recording and processing means 21 provides a time dependent profile of the rotational 22 movement of the dynamic balance board.

23 24 Preferably the dynamic balance board comprises a biofeedback device capable of relaying information 26 regarding the user to the recording and processing means.

27 28 Optionally the recording and processing means is a 29 microcomputer. Alternatively the recording and processing means is a computer.

31 WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 1 Embodiments of the present invention will now be 2 described, by way of example only, with reference to the 3 accompanying drawings, in which: 4 Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of a dynamic 6 balance board; 7 8 Figure 2 illustrates a bottom elevation of a rocker 9 base of the dynamic balance board of Figure 1; 11 Figure 3 illustrates a top elevation of a force 12 senstive switch of the dynamic balance board of 13 Figure 1; 14 Figure 4 illustrates a side elevation of the force 16 sensitive switch of the dynamic balance board of 17 Figure 1; and 18 19 Figure 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the rocker base of the dynamic balance board of 21 Figure 1.

22 23 Referring initially to Figure 1 a dynamic balance board 1 24 is generally depicted and can be seen to comprise a top board 2 and a rocker base 3 in the shape of a hemisphere.

26 27 Figure 2 presents a bottom view of the rocker base 3. As 28 can be observed the force sensitive switches 4 are 29 mounted on the rocker base 3. Figure 3 and Figure 4 show further detail of the force sensitive switches 4. Each 31 switch 4 can be seen to comprise an active transducer 32 and an electrical connector 6. The force sensitive 33 switches 4 operate in a binary mode. When no external WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 6 1 force is applied to the active transducer 5 the force 2 sensitive switch 4 remains in an off position. However, 3 the application of a force to the active transducer 4 greater than a critical magnitude, activates the force sensitive switch 4.

6 7 With the force sensitive switches 4 mounted on the rocker 8 base 3 they operate in conjunction with the angle of the 9 top board 2. When the top board 2 is substantially horizontal the force sensitive switches 4 are all off and 11 so provide no output. However, when the top board 2 12 tilts more than an angle as determined by the location of 13 the force active switches on the rocker base (for example 14 10 degrees relative to horizontal) a force of sufficient magnitude is applied to the active transducer 5 so 16 activating the switch 4.

17 18 The output from each force sensitive switch 4 is 19 connected to an electronic comoarator (not shown) that produce TTL (transistor-transistor logic) pulses that 21 form the digital input for an electronic display (not 22 shown). The period of time that any force sensitive 23 switch 4 is activated can then be calculated, hence the 24 period of time that a patient spends at 10 degrees or more from the horizontal equilibrium position can be 26 recorded. The time and direction of tilt can then be 27 expressed as a percentage of the overall test duration, 28 therefore producing a dynamic measurement of a patient's 29 ability to balance the board 1.

31 In an alternative embodiment, shown in Figure 5, the 32 rocker base 3 is populated with force sensitive switches 33 4 located at two separate diameters on the rocker base 3.

WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 7 1 The mounting of the force sensitive switches 4 at a 2 second diameter provides means for taking secondary 3 angular measurements of the tilt angle of the top board, 4 as described previously. However, in this embodiment an additional signal is produced by the force sensitive 6 switches corresponding to what diameter the switch is 7 located. Therefore, employment of this second embodiment 8 provides greater information on the angle of tilt and the 9 time spent at these angles.

11 Additional force sensitive switches 4 can easily be 12 incorporated on the rocker base 3. These additional 13 switches 4 would increases the accuracy of the dynamic 14 balance profile obtained since the discrete directions in which the angle of tilt is measured would increase.

16 Therefore, the dynamic balance board 1 could readily be 17 employed to provide information regarding rotational 18 movement as well as that relating to angular tilt.

19 A yet further embodiment includes the incorporation of 21 biofeedback devices to the dynamic balance board in order 22 to allow patients to self-monitor their own progress.

23 Such direct feedback has been shown to improve patient 24 recovery as motivation levels to continue with exercise are increased.

26 27 An advantage of the present invention is that it provides 28 a balance board that incorporates a means for providing 29 objective measurements on a user's dynamic balance.

31 A second advantage of the present invention is that it is 32 small and portable, not requiring a separate computer to WO 02/081033 PCT/GB02/01325 1 record data, thereby making it easy for user's to deploy 2 and store.

3 4 Further modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the 6 invention as defined by the appended Claims.

Claims

02. A dynamic balance board according to claim 1 wherein the binary output cii of-the one or more detection means provides information regarding the rotttion of the top board about a substantially vertical axis.
3. A dynamic balance board according to claims I or 2 wherein the binary output ofthe one or more detection means is off, when the top board is in a substantially horizontal equilibrium position and on, when the top board rotates through a pedetermined angle about a substantially horizontal axis.
4. A dynamic balance board according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rocking means comprises a dome.
5. A dynamic balance board according to Claim 4 wherein, the dome is substantially hemispherical.
6. A dynamic balance board according to any of the preceding claims w rein each of the one or more detection means comprises force sensitive switches.
7. A dynamic balance board according to Claim 6 wherein, each of the forte sensitive switches comprises a transducer capable of producing a resultant output signal when a force, greater than a critical magnitude, is applied to the transducer. 9 COMS ID No: SBMI-06237734 Received by IP Australia: Time 17:17 Date 2007-02-13 13/02/2007 16:30 +61-2-95522894 WALSH AND ASSOCIATES PAGE 11/13 0 0 C, 8. :A dynamic balance board according to Claim 7 wherein, each of the tratisducers is mounted on the dome in a substantially radial mariner.
9. A dynamic balance board according to Claim 8 wherein, each of the trabsducers mounted on different radii are mounted on the dome, each at a C, prtdetermnined latitude. 00 t 101 A dynamic balance board according to Claims 7 to 9 wherein the S 10 output signals from the transducers are transmitted to a recording and Sp r6cessing means that provides a time dependent profile of the tilt and the C, pith of the top board relative to the equilibrium position. 1 I A dynamic balance board according to Claims 7 9 wherein the output signals from the transducers are transmitted to the recording and processing means that provides a time dependent profile of the rotation of thd top board about a substantially vertical axis. 121 A dynamic balance board according to any of the preceding claims fuither comprising a biofeedback device for a user capable of relaying inormation regarding the user to a recording and processing means. 13L A dynamic balance board according to Claims 10- 12 wherein, the redording and processing means is a microcomputer. 14i A dynamic balance board according to Claims 10 12 wherein, the recording and processing means is a computer. COMS ID No: SBMI-06237734 Received by IP Australia: Time 17:17 Date 2007-02-13