Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
  • A43B7/141—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form having an anatomical or curved form
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
  • A43B17/003—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined characterised by the material
  • A43B17/006—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined characterised by the material multilayered
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
  • A43B3/34—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use with electrical or electronic arrangements
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
  • A43B7/1455—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form with special properties
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/103—Measuring devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes
  • A61B5/11—Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb
  • A61B5/1123—Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running

Definitions

• the invention relates, in general, to the field of stimulation to enhance the ability and quality of walking of a person.
• the objects of the invention are therefore, firstly, a shoe insole for the stimulation of a person, and secondly, a method of stimulating a person in which the person wears such a sole and a system comprising an integrated or associated stimulation unit.
• document US20090240171 describes a device for analyzing the asymmetry of gait between the left and right feet of a person by measuring and comparing the time or the phases of support during gait. A sensory response is provided to the person when a difference between these measured times or phases exceeds a predetermined threshold.
• such devices are difficult to personalize.
• the same stimulation is not necessarily suitable for all people, given the variability of morphologies or the response to stimulation between people.
• the implementation of these devices therefore requires the presence of medical personnel trained to determine and adapt the stimulation to the person, which further complicates their daily adoption and ease of use.
• the stimulation of such devices is often repetitive and may see its effect diminish over time, in particular due to a well-known phenomenon of habituation or habituation of the person to any external stimulation, so that ' it is necessary to calibrate these devices at regular intervals over time so that they operate satisfactorily over time.
• such devices can be difficult for the person to wear because they are uncomfortable to use over a long period of time.
• a stimulation device which is simple to use, intelligent, accessible to non-medically trained personnel, which is compact and comfortable so as to be able to be used in a context of daily life, which reinforces noticeably the walking ability and quality of a person, which is easily adaptable to the person so that it can be used without complex modification by a variety of people and in a wide variety of everyday situations (sloping ground , staircase, etc.), or of a type of step that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture to ensure its accessibility to the general public.
• the first object of the invention is an insole adapted to be placed in a shoe worn by a person, in particular during a period of the person's walking, the insole comprising:
• a force and / or pressure measurement unit suitable for acquiring at least one measurement representative of the force and / or pressure exerted on the insole by the person
• a movement measurement acquisition unit suitable for acquire at least one measurement representative of a movement of the person's foot
• a processing unit suitable for receiving the measurement of force and / or pressure and the measurement of movement, for calculating at least one walking parameter and for controlling the emission of a stimulation at a time of walking as a function of the value of the run parameter.
• the insole further comprises a stimulation unit adapted to be controlled by the treatment unit and to emit the stimulation to stimulate the person's foot,
• the processing unit is suitable for determining in real time the moment of walking and for controlling the emission of the stimulation in real time.
• the processing unit is adapted to receive a new measurement of force and / or pressure and a new measurement of movement acquired after the stimulation has been emitted, and to modify at least one parameter of the stimulation.
• the processing unit is adapted to receive a new measurement of force and / or pressure and a new measurement of movement acquired after the stimulation has been emitted, and to modify the moment of walking during which is emits a subsequent stimulation.
• the processing unit is suitable for analyzing a time series of walking parameters acquired and calculated previously over an hour, over a day, a few days or over an even longer period, and to modify at least one parameter. stimulation based.
• the processing unit is suitable for analyzing a time series of the walking parameters acquired and calculated previously over one hour, over a day, a few days or even longer, and for the moment of walking during which a subsequent stimulation is emitted.
• the stimulation unit is adapted to emit electrical stimulation. According to another embodiment, the stimulation unit is adapted to emit haptic stimulation.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit comprises capacitive sensors, each sensor comprising an upper electrode and a lower electrode, separated from each other by a dielectric layer.
• the processing unit is adapted to implement a learning operation in order to determine parameters of the stimulation to be emitted by the stimulation unit.
• the insole comprises a module for communication with an external server, controlled by the processing unit, and suitable for transferring the force and / or pressure measurement and the movement measurement stored to the external server, in particular after a period of walking the person.
• the insole is autonomous, the processing unit being suitable for controlling the emission of a stimulation without communicating with an external server, in particular without communicating with an external server over a period of several hours, preferably several hours. days, preferably at least seven days.
• the stimulation unit includes a plurality of stimulation elements distributed over an upper surface of the insole.
• the processing unit is suitable for determining an activity of the person, and for controlling the emission of a stimulation only if the person performs said activity.
• the subject of the invention is also a system comprising an insole according to the invention and a stimulation unit separate from the insole.
• the subject of the invention is also a stimulation method in which an insole is placed in a shoe worn by a person, in particular during a period of walking by the person, the method implementing the following steps: a) acquire at least one measurement representative of the force and / or pressure exerted on the insole by the person, b) acquire at least one measurement of a movement of the person's foot, c) calculate a walking parameter and determining a time of walking based on the force and / or pressure measurement and the movement measurement, and d) providing stimulation to stimulate the person at the time of walking.
• the determination of the moment of walking and the emission of the stimulation are carried out in real time.
• the stimulation method further comprises the following steps: e) receiving a new measurement of force and / or pressure and a new measurement of movement acquired after the stimulation of step d) has been emitted, f) modification of at least one parameter of the stimulation, and g) reiteration of the steps of the stimulation process.
• Fig. 1 shows a front view of a pair of shoes, each shoe including an insole according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 2A shows a perspective view from above of an insole according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 2B shows a perspective view from below of an insole according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the insole of FIG. 2A.
• Fig. 4 shows a block diagram of an insole according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 5 shows a diagram of the stimulation process according to one embodiment of the invention.
• the first object of the invention is an insole 1 intended to be worn by a person.
• the insole 1 is adapted to be inserted into a shoe C of the person.
• the shoe insole 1 can also be permanently integrated into the shoe C, for example during the making of the shoe C, by forming part of the sole of the shoe C for example.
• the shoe C can take many forms, such as a city shoe, a sports shoe or even an orthopedic shoe, this list not being exhaustive.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a first insole 1a of a shoe, intended for example to be inserted into a right shoe CD, and a second insole 1b of a shoe, intended for example to be inserted into a left shoe CG.
• the first shoe insole 1a can also be permanently integrated into the right shoe CD
• the second shoe insole 1b can be permanently integrated into the left CG, for example when making said right shoe CD and left shoe CG, by forming part of the sole of the shoes for example.
• the first insole 1a and the second insole 1b are substantially similar, except for transverse symmetry, and a single insole 1 will therefore be described below, the characteristics of which are shared by the first insole 1a and the second insole. 1b. In certain embodiments, however, certain characteristics may be reversed between the first and second insoles 1a, 1b.
• the insole 1 is substantially planar and extends along a horizontal plane X, Y, perpendicular to a direction of thickness Z.
• substantially planar is meant that the insole 1 extends substantially along a plane. , having large dimensions along a longitudinal direction X and a direction of transverse Y (the direction of transverse Y being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X), and a relatively smaller dimension along a direction of thickness Z which is perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions.
• the insole 1 has a length or space in the longitudinal direction X, greater than a width or space in the transverse direction Y.
• the length of the insole 1 is for example at least twice its width.
• the insole 1 finally has a thickness or bulk according to the thickness direction Z, small in front of both its length and its width.
• the thickness of the insole 1 is for example at least ten times smaller than its length.
• the insole 1 can thus have, for example, a thickness of less than one centimeter, preferably less than 0.75 centimeters, for example of about 0.5 centimeters.
• the insole 1 can have structures, bumps and small curves and therefore depart from a perfect plane. However, the extension of these structures, bumps and curves is understood to be small compared to the extension of the insole 1 in the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y.
• the insole 1 extends between a upper surface 3, and a lower surface 4.
• the upper surface 3 is for example adapted to be in contact with a foot of a person accommodated in the shoe C.
• the upper surface is in contact with a foot of a person
• a suitable undergarment such as a sock
• the lower surface 4 of the insole 1 is moreover adapted to be in contact with a sole assembly of the boot C.
• the insole 1 comprises a front portion 11 arranged so as to come into contact with a front part of the foot, a middle portion 12 arranged to come into contact with a central part of the foot, for example an arch of the foot, and a portion rear 13 arranged to come into contact with a rear part of the foot.
• the front portion 11, the middle portion 12 and the rear portion 13 are connected together to form a single element which may be more or less flexible.
• the front portion 11 may in particular extend over a width greater than a width of the middle portion 12 in the transverse direction Y.
• the insole 1 is a multilayer element, for example laminated or comprising one or more layers embedded in a material chosen for example from polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a thermoplastic rubber or silicone material.
• a material chosen for example from polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a thermoplastic rubber or silicone material.
• the insole 1 comprises for example an upper layer 20 which forms in particular the upper surface 3, and a lower layer 21 which forms in particular the lower surface 4.
• the upper layer 20 and the lower layer 21 can be welded together, in particular on a circumference 22 of the insole 2.
• the insole 1 can comprise a greater or lesser number of layers.
• the insole 1 may include a housing 23. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the housing 23 forms the lower surface 4 with the lower layer 21.
• the insole 1 comprises a force and / or pressure measurement unit 30, a movement measurement unit 50 and a processing unit 60.
• the insole 1 can also advantageously include a stimulation unit 40.
• the stimulation mimic 40 can be separate from the insole 1, as discussed below.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 and the stimulation unit 40 are located in the front portion 11 and in the rear portion 13 of the insole 1.
• the movement measurement unit 50 and the processing unit 60 are located in the middle portion 12 of the insole 1.
• this embodiment is illustrative and non-limiting, the unit of measurement of force and / or pressure 30, the unit of stimulation 40, the movement measurement unit 50 and the processing unit 60 can be arranged differently in the insole 1.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 comprises a plurality of sensors 34.
• the sensors 34 are located in the front portion 11, the middle portion 12 and / or the rear portion 13.
• the sensors 34 are suitable for measuring pressure, tensile force, compressive force and / or shear force.
• the sensors 34 are advantageously capacitive, and include in particular an acquisition circuit (of the capacitance meter type; not illustrated) making it possible to acquire a capacitance value.
• the sensors 34 can also be resistive or piezoelectric, or the like.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 comprises a flexible upper layer 31 and a flexible lower layer 32.
• the upper layer 31 and the lower layer 32 s' both extend generally along the longitudinal and transverse directions X, Y.
• the upper layer 31 and the lower layer 32 therefore face each other in the thickness direction Z.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 further comprises a dielectric layer 33.
• the dielectric layer 33 is disposed between the upper layer 31 and the lower layer 32.
• the dielectric layer 33 is advantageously a flexible insulating layer such as 'it will be detailed below.
• each sensor 34 comprises an upper electrode 35a on the upper layer 31 and a lower electrode 35b on the lower layer 32.
• the upper electrode 35a and the lower electrode 35b extend perpendicular to the thickness direction Z and meet each other. respectively face in the direction of the thickness Z.
• the upper electrode 35a and the lower electrode 35b can be squares of about 5 mm square, or can be discs a few millimeters in diameter.
• the upper electrode 35a and the lower electrode 35b are separated from each other at least by the dielectric layer 33.
• Upper conductors 36a are also provided on the upper layer 31.
• the upper conductors 36a are electrically connected to the upper electrodes 35a of the sensors 34.
• lower conductors 36b are provided on the lower portion 32.
• the lower conductors 36a are electrically connected. to the lower electrodes 35b of the sensors 34.
• the upper conductors 36a and the lower conductors 36b can be arranged to connect the sensors 34 together.
• the sensors 34 are advantageously distributed over the surface of the insole 1 in a matrix fashion.
• in a matrix fashion is meant that the sensors 34 are interconnected so that they can be used with a small number of inputs / outputs.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 comprises nine sensors 34, three input signals and three output signals are sufficient to be able to use the nine sensors 34. This results in a unit of measurement. particularly easy to implement force and / or pressure measurement.
• the upper 36a and lower 36b conductors can be spatially multiplexed, that is to say arranged to connect each sensor 34 separately from each other.
• the value of the capacitance C of a sensor 34 can be determined as a function of the thickness L of the dielectric layer 33 at the location of the sensor 34, of the surface S of the upper electrode 35a and of the lower electrode 35b and of the dielectric constant ⁇ of the material between the upper and lower electrodes 35a, 35b, in particular the dielectric layer 33, by the following equation:
• the dielectric layer 33 is advantageously made of a dielectric material which is elastically deformable under tensile loads, compressive loads and lateral shear. Under the effect of a compressive or tensile load, the thickness L of the dielectric layer 33 at the location of the sensor 34 is modified and the capacitance C of the sensor 34 varies. Under the effect of lateral shearing, the overlap between the upper and lower electrodes varies and the capacitance C of the sensor 34 varies accordingly. Further, in order to increase the flexibility of the insole 1 while allowing proper operation of the force and / or pressure measuring unit 30, the top layer 31, the bottom layer 32, and / or the layer dielectric 33 may include openings 37.
• the openings 37 extend rectilinearly in the transverse direction Y.
• the openings 37 may have other shapes or orientations.
• the sensors 34 are suitable for carrying out a pre-processing of the force and / or pressure measurements, for example at least one of the following pre-processing:
• frequency filtering for example frequency filtering in a range of temporal frequencies of interest, - a unit of measurement conversion suitable, for example, to be converted into a base unit of the international system, and / or
• the processing unit 60 receives the measurements from the sensors 34, possibly preprocessed as detailed above.
• the processing unit 60 can in particular implement one and / or the other of the pretreatments detailed above. Stimulation unit
• the stimulation intimacy 40 is adapted to emit stimulation.
• the stimulation can be delivered to the person's leg or foot.
• the stimulation can in particular act at the level of the sole of the person's foot, more particularly at the level of the arch, the heel or the metatarsal heads of the foot.
• the stimulation can also be emitted at the level of another part of the body of the person, such as the anterior tibial nerve, the peroneal nerve, the median nerve of the arm, the spine, the abdomen. , the neck, the twin muscle, the hand, the ankle, the shoulder, the ischiojam, the quadriceps, the lower back, or the end of an amputated limb.
• the stimulation thus makes it possible to act on muscle contraction, on blood circulation or even on the person's cerebral functioning.
• the stimulation unit can be separate from the insole 1.
• the stimulation unit is then placed against, or close to, the part of the body to be stimulated.
• the stimulation unit 40 is more particularly suitable for emitting stimulation at the level of the sole of the person's foot.
• the insole 1 then advantageously comprises the stimulation unit.
• the stimulation unit 40 comprises a plurality of stimulation elements 41.
• the stimulation elements 41 are located in the front portion 11, the middle portion 12 and / or the portion. rear 13.
• the stimulation elements 41 can be distributed in a matrix fashion (this term to be understood as previously).
• the stimulation elements 41 are located on the upper surface 3 of the insole 1.
• the stimulation elements 41 are advantageously distributed over the surface of the insole 1.
• the stimulation elements 41 are adapted to emit an electrical stimulation.
• the stimulation elements 41 are adapted to emit a stimulation of the transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation type (“Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation” (TENS) in English).
• TENS Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
• the stimulation emitted can thus be emitted in the form of a signal, in particular an electrical signal, defined by one or more parameters of the stimulation. These parameters can for example be chosen from the shape of the transmitted signal (for example sinusoidal, rectangular, triangular, or others), the amplitude and the frequency (s) of the wave.
• the signal can for example be a pulse.
• a stimulation can also consist of a plurality of signals emitted successively one after the other, for example in the form of a signal train, in which case a parameter of the stimulation can also be the frequency of repetition of the signal during the same stimulation.
• the current emitted by the stimulation elements 41 can for example be of low amperage, for example of an intensity between 10 mA (milliamps) and 30 mA.
• the stimulation elements 41 can emit pulses with a frequency between 40 Hz (Hertz - pulsation per second) and 150 Hz.
• the stimulation elements 41 are adapted to emit haptic or vibratory stimulation.
• the stimulation elements 41 can then be electromechanical devices comprising an electromagnet and a vibrating element.
• the stimulation elements 41 are adapted to emit visual stimulation.
• the stimulation elements 41 can then be one or more light sources.
• the stimulation elements 41 are adapted to emit sound stimulation.
• the stimulation elements 41 can then be one or more loudspeakers.
• the movement measurement unit 50 is adapted to acquire at least one measurement of a movement of the person, or even a plurality of measurements of the movement.
• the measurement of movement is advantageously an angular, speed or acceleration measurement.
• An angular measurement can be used to adjust the intensity of stimulation. If the amplitude of rotation of the movement is insufficient, we can increase the intensity of the simulation.
• an acceleration measurement can be used to quantify the speed of impact during movement and to adjust the frequency of the stimulation wave trains or the unit period of the stimulations. If the measured impact speed increases, it is possible to increase the frequency of the stimulation wave trains or reduce the unit period of the stimulations.
• an acceleration measurement could be used to adjust the moment of emission of stimulation.
• the movement measurement unit 50 comprises one or more accelerometers and / or one or more gyroscopes and / or one or more inclinometers (not shown) suitable for detecting linear, angular and tilting accelerations at the level of the body. person's foot. The combination of the different measuring tools makes it possible to improve the precision in the measurement of the rotational speed, in the measurement of the walking speed.
• These elements of the movement measurement unit 50 can be arranged inside the housing 23 of the insole 1.
• Processing Unit 60 of the insole 1 is now described in more detail.
• the processing unit 60 may for example include on-board electronics or a processor (not shown) arranged inside the housing 23 of the insole 1.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30, the stimulation unit 40, the movement measurement unit 50 and the processing unit 60 are functionally connected to each other, in particular electrically. More particularly, the processing unit 60 is electrically connected to the sensors 34 and to the stimulation elements 41.
• the processing unit 60 is suitable for controlling, and receiving information from, the force and / or pressure measuring unit 30 and the movement measuring unit 0, and is also suitable for controlling and control the emission of stimulation by the stimulation unit 40.
• the communication between the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30, the stimulation unit 40, the movement measurement unit 50 and the processing unit 60 is particularly fast and high throughput given that they are all arranged in the insole 1, and therefore all relatively close to each other.
• the pressure measurement and the movement measurement are made on the same printed circuit allowing a segmentation of the steps and a calculation of the spatio-temporal parameters of the walk in real time.
• the processing unit 60 is adapted, in real time, to receive one or more measurements from the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 and one or more measurements of the movement from the movement measurement unit 50, to calculate at least one, or even several, walking parameters (length / width of stride, speed of stride, time of contact with the ground, time of flight, time of single support, time of double support, displacement of the center of pressure) and in controlling the emission of a stimulation by the stimulation unit 40.
• walking parameters length / width of stride, speed of stride, time of contact with the ground, time of flight, time of single support, time of double support, displacement of the center of pressure
• the processing unit 60 is adapted to receive one or more measurements from the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 and one or more measurements of the movement of the movement measurement unit 50 and one or more measurements of the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 of the opposing sole and one or more measurements of the movement of the movement measurement unit 50 of the opposite flange to calculate combined parameters.
• the walking parameter makes it possible to characterize the movement of the person.
• the gait parameter can indicate whether it is necessary, and if so to what extent, to stimulate the person. For example, it will be possible to identify whether the person is in an active phase of walking and thus stop the stimulation. For example, if the person's walking speed increases, it will be possible to increase the frequency of the wave trains or decrease the period of them.
• Walking is a cyclical movement in which easily recognizable events are repeated.
• a step is thus defined each time a leg of the person is propelled forward.
• a gait cycle begins with the initial contact of one foot and ends with the next contact of the same foot, which in turn constitutes the initial contact of the next gait cycle.
• the gait cycle can thus be divided into a stance phase, in which one foot is in contact with the ground, and an oscillation phase, in which the same foot, in the air, rests. moves forward.
• the stance phase comprises phases of double support, in which the two feet of the person are in contact with the ground, and phases of single support in which only one foot is in contact with the ground.
• the support phase represents, on average, 60% of the cycle against 40% for the oscillation phase. These two phases are delimited by the appearance of the toe detachment (around 60%) and by the two contacts of one of the heels defining the start (0%) and the end of the walking cycle (100%).
• the walking parameters include spatio-temporal parameters and angular parameters making it possible to characterize the movement of the person.
• a spatial parameter can be chosen from stride length, stride length, stride angle, stride width (in distance or angle), stride width or stride height. It is also possible to determine the position of the center of gravity of the pressure for each foot of the person or its trajectory for example.
• a temporal parameter can be chosen from the cadence of the person (number of steps per minute), the walking speed, the time of double support, the time of single support (duration of the support phase in which a single foot is in contact with the ground), the asymmetry of the parameters (difference between the two limbs) of a limb likely to be stimulated or of the other limb.
• An angular parameter can be selected from relative joint movement between limbs of the person initiating the gait, such as the ankle. Joint movements can vary in particular in the sagittal, frontal or transverse plane of the person.
• the operating parameters indicated above are not limiting and other parameters are possible or include a combination of the spatio-temporal and angular parameters above.
• the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30 measures a strong pressure exerted at the heel of the person's foot, and the movement measurement unit 50 measures a sudden deceleration, it can be considered that the person goes from an oscillation phase to a stance phase by putting your foot on the ground and whether you are at the start or end of the walking cycle. It can then be finally measured the stride length of the person for example.
• the emission of the stimulation by the stimulation unit 40 can thus be synchronized with a moment of walking.
• a moment of walking can, for example, be the moment when a person's foot comes into contact with the ground, or the moment when the foot is in the oscillation phase or the moment of the double support phase.
• stimulation of the anterior tibialis can be triggered when the toes are detached ("toe-off") or even stop the stimulation at the time of the heel strike ("heel strike”). More finely, we can gradually increase the intensity of the stimulation in anticipation of the toe peeling.
• the stimulation is thus possible to emit the stimulation at a time when it is likely to be most effective and have a satisfactory effect on the person. For example, delivering the stimulation at the exact moment of the heel strike or just before the toes come off will improve the fluidity of walking. For example, the emission of the stimulation at the time of the double support phase will indicate the foot to be lifted as a priority.
• real time is meant an implementation of the stimulation operation such that the processing unit 60 can determine a moment of walking and control the emission of a stimulation synchronized with this moment of walking and depending on the stimulation parameters.
• the parameters of the stimulation by the stimulation unit 40 can also be modified. It is thus possible to emit an appropriate and sufficient stimulation, likely to be the most effective and to have a satisfactory effect on the person.
• Mobility disorders can in particular be muscle fatigue, spasticity, freezing (“freezing of gait”), foot drop, loss of balance, asymmetry of gait. walking (between the two lower limbs), venous insufficiency, overactive bladder, pain related to the phantom limb ("phantom limb pain" in English).
• Mobility disorders are often associated with certain pathologies or problems related to the person more general, such as Parkinson's disease, the occurrence of a stroke, multiple sclerosis, the subject's age, obesity , etc.
• the processing unit 60 and the stimulation unit 40 are then adapted to implement an operation for stimulating the person, an operation which will now be described in more detail.
• the implementation of the stimulation operation according to the invention may not be imitated by walking the person but may also be performed during other trips on foot, for people with prostheses on one of the lower limbs. for example during a run for example, or even during other types of activities which require a pressure effort at the level of the arch of the person (by bicycle for example).
• the processing unit 60 can, from the acquisition of the force and / or pressure measurements, the movement measurements, and the calculation of the walking parameter, determine the moment a walk.
• the gait parameter may indicate that the person's foot comes into contact with the ground by exerting a higher pressure force on one side of the foot at the expense of the other side of the foot.
• the walking parameter may also indicate an unbalanced tilt of the foot.
• the walk parameter may indicate that the person's step is abnormally small.
• the processing unit 60 is then adapted to control the stimulation unit 40 so that a stimulation is emitted synchronously with the moment of walking.
• stimulation can be emitted when the person's foot comes into contact with the ground, in order to restore the person's balance and ensure that the latter exerts an equal pressure force on both sides of the foot.
• a stimulation can be emitted in order to force the person to take a step of greater length.
• the stimulation can be emitted by only certain stimulation elements 41 in order to stimulate certain regions of the foot only, for example the front portion 11, the middle portion 12 and / or the rear portion 13, or else an inner side and / or the outside of the foot or a series of these zones depending on the progress of the step.
• the processing unit 60 is also suitable for controlling the stimulation unit 40 so that stimulation is delivered with satisfactory simulation parameters.
• the processing unit 60 is adapted to acquire again the force and / or pressure measurements and the movement measurement (s).
• the stimulation operation thus operates in a closed loop, as illustrated in FIG. 5. It can thus be assessed whether the stimulation has had an effect on the person from the force and / or pressure measurements and the movement measurements newly acquired by the systems of one or both lower limbs. More particularly, it can be assessed whether the person's ability to move has been satisfactorily modified by the emission of the stimulation.
• the processing unit 60 may be adapted to change the timing of gait or to adapt the stimulation parameters.
• the stimulation may be decided to increase the intensity of the stimulation in order to improve the effectiveness of the next stimulations. that will be issued.
• the stimulation may be decided to bring forward the moment when the stimulation must be emitted, in particular during the next one. cycle, in order to improve its efficiency.
• the stimulation is then advantageously repeated several times when walking, in particular during a period of walking the person.
• a stimulation operation is then emitted periodically, or almost periodically, during a period of movement of the person.
• stimulation can be emitted with each step or each walking cycle of a person during a given period.
• the parameters of the stimulation and / or the choice of the moment of walking are likely to change as the stimulations emitted, it is thus possible to implement a learning operation by reinforcement to refine the parameters of the stimulation, for example the amplitude, the shape of the stimulation signal, or the like.
• the frequency of the wave trains or the intensity of simulation by reduction or increase the unit period of the stimulations, or the number of stimulation in the wave train, or the duration between two stimulations in a wave train, or the period between two wave trains; or by shifting the delay for the implementation of post-stimulation stimulation.
• the processing unit 60 can be adapted to control a stimulation as a function of the values of walking parameters, and / or of the values of measurements of force and / or of pressure and of movement previously acquired, thus taking into account the all of the history of measurements and values acquired during previous stimulations concerning the person's movement.
• the processing unit 60 can implement an artificial intelligence algorithm, for example a neural network.
• Such a reinforcement learning operation is particularly indicated insofar as the force and / or pressure measurements, or the movement measurements, are highly variable from one person to another.
• this makes it possible to take into account the phenomenon of habituation to stimulation in the same person over time, in order to ensure that the stimulation operation continues to be effective over time and in different environments.
• the parameters of the stimulation can thus be adjusted at the corners of the implementation of the stimulation operation, for example to adjust said parameters to the person.
• the autonomous sole 1 can comprise a memory 70.
• the memory 70 is adapted to be mounted on the autonomous sole 1, for example in the housing 23.
• the memory 70 can be permanently mounted or can be a removable module, for example.
• a memory card such as an SD card (acronym for the term "Secure Digital").
• the memory 70 is in particular functionally linked to the processing unit 60.
• the memory 70 can be controlled by the processing unit 60 so as to store the force and / or pressure measurements, the movement measurements, the parameters. stimulation and / or the moment of walking, over a period of several days, for example at least seven days so as to cover one week of a person for use in autonomy.
• the autonomous sole 1 can further comprise a module for communication 80 with an external server 100, illustrated in FIG. 1.
• the communication module 80 can be mounted on the stand-alone sole 1 and controlled by the processing unit 60.
• the processing unit 60 can in particular be adapted to control the communication module 80 to transfer the force and / or pressure measurements, the movement measurements, the stimulation parameters and / or the moment of walking stored in the device. memory 70, to the outside server 100 or to the sole of the opposite limb. This transfer operation can in particular be implemented after a period of walking the person.
• the communication module 80 can advantageously be a wireless communication module, for example a module implementing a protocol such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, SIGFOX or LoRa technology.
• a wireless communication module for example a module implementing a protocol such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, SIGFOX or LoRa technology.
• the insole 1 can comprise at least one battery 90.
• the battery 90 can advantageously be flexible.
• the battery 90 can in particular be recharged by wireless induction.
• the battery 90 stores electrical energy and can in particular be adapted to supply the force and / or pressure measurement unit 30, the stimulation unit 40 and the treatment unit 60, as well as, where appropriate , the memory 70 and the communication module 80.
• the battery 90 is preferably adapted to supply energy over a period of several days without recharging.
• the insole 1 can function autonomously during a period of movement of the person on foot.
• the insole 1 is autonomous and suitable for implementing one or more stimulation operations without communicating with the external server 100, in particular without communicating with the external server 100 over a period of several days, preferably at least seven days with par example a detection of phases of inactivity.
• autonomous is thus meant that the insole 1 can operate for an extended period, preferably several days, in particular at least seven times, without needing to be recharged with electrical energy, to communicate with external elements.
• external elements such as the external server 100 or else to be structurally linked to an external device.
• the insole 1 is adapted to be used in the daily life of the person without imposing particular constraints.
• the insole includes all the elements necessary to perform the stimulation operation as described above, and can therefore be easily implemented.

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• 2020
  • 2020-05-20 US US17/925,398 patent/US20230180893A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2020-05-20 WO PCT/FR2020/050847 patent/WO2021234228A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2020-05-20 CN CN202080102662.3A patent/CN115867163A/zh active Pending
  • 2020-05-20 EP EP20740060.7A patent/EP4152993A1/de active Pending

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