ES2358251B1 - DRIVING DEVICE FOR A DISABLED HAND. - Google Patents

Abstract

Drive device for a disabled hand. # Includes an exoskeleton (1) formed by longitudinal series of segments (3, 5, 7, 9) articulated with each other by ends through respective intermediate parts (11a, 11b , 11c) articulated in turn to respective raised supports (S) fixed by their bases (20) to different predetermined points of each finger, the free end of a first (3) of said segments (3, 5, 7, 9) fixed to a mobile part (40) of the user, and part of the segments (5, 7, 9) comprising an outstanding thrust portion (E1, E2, E3) to push the respective finger through different points when said mobile part (40) moves by triggering the simultaneous movement of the segments (3, 5, 7, 9), so that the hand is directed towards a more closed position, with the fingers retracted in the direction of the thumb, or vice versa.

Description

Good of the cited cables.

Drive device for a disabled hand. Technical Sector

The present invention concerns, in general, a drive device for a hand with a disability, and in particular a drive device for a hand that is unable to be closed in particular in a gripping operation by the body of an individual possessing it.

It is characteristic of the proposed device, that the user of said device can, with the help of this device, close a diseased hand to take, grab or grab any object and then reopen it. State of the prior art

There are people who for some particular cause, whether pathological, accidental or other, have affected their muscles and / or flexor / extensor nerves of their fingers so that they are unable to close one of their hands, or both, which prevents them take, grab or grab any particular object. An example of this is in accidents suffered by some motorists who experience a neuronal condition that makes it impossible for them to execute such a pressing movement. To alleviate this handicap, some devices are known that help to activate the hand in the sense of impossibility.

Such devices include that of US Patent 4,167,044 which describes means for operating a member of an incapacitated or artificial arm whose control mechanism can be used either to control the operation of an artificial hand or a prosthesis attached to a device. disabled arm Such means or device comprise, in combination: a prosthesis adapted to be secured to one hand, said prosthesis comprising a rigid portion of support of the thumb and a flexible portion of support of the fingers, said portion of support of the fingers having a normal flexure whereby the fingers are supported by it and normally held in an open position with respect to the supported thumb; an elongated flexible cable element having an end operatively secured to said finger support portion to move said fingers towards a closed position, relative to the thumb, when said cable element is actuated in one direction, the other being adapted end of said cable element to be operatively secured to a mobile portion of the person's body; and a mechanical control operatively connected to said cable element to open said supported fingers, maintaining a fixed position of said fingers by closing them by making a simple impulse on the part of the person. Said mechanical control includes control means for locking said supported fingers in a fixed closed position when said cable is quickly and instantly loosened and for relaxing said supported fingers to allow them to move towards an open position when said cable is slowly and gradually loosened.

To achieve the described series of movements and positions, the device of the US document

4,167,044 in addition to the cited cable set is completed with a kind of box housed over the user's wrist, in which a series of mechanical elements such as a zipper are mounted,

The aforementioned US patent 4,167,044 thus entails a certain complexity of mechanical elements that complicate both its construction and its installation and, in de fi ning its cost price.

On the other hand, the aforementioned document does not clearly explain the mobile portion of the person's body or the type of impulse that the user must make to operate the device to be moved by the sick member. Brief Explanation of the Invention

In view of the above, it appears necessary to offer an alternative to the state of the art, which overcomes the drawbacks indicated above, and in particular to provide a device for a hand with a disability that is simple, practical to install and effective. at the same time.

For this, the present invention concerns a drive device for a disabled hand, of the type comprising means for moving, by means of an impulse from a mobile part of the user's body, one or more fingers of said disabled hand, from a first position in which the hand is partially open to a second position in which said or said fingers have been retracted in the direction of the thumb, for the purpose of grasping or gripping an object, said actuator device comprising an exoskeleton applicable to the dorsal face of said hand.

Unlike conventional proposals, in the device proposed by the present invention said exoskeleton comprises at least a longitudinal series of segments articulated with one another at ends, at a first height with respect to the dorsal face of the finger, through some respective intermediate pieces articulated in turn, through two joints, at a second height with respect to the dorsal face of the finger, to respective raised supports fixed by their bases to different predetermined points of said finger, preferably coinciding with the knuckles the free end of a first of said segments being fixed to said mobile part, and some of the segments comprising a respective protruding portion of thrust in contact with said finger, to push it through different points when said mobile part is displaced by triggering the simultaneous movement of the segments transmitted by pivoting n of each of the intermediate pieces around its respective articulation, so that said finger is directed to said second position, or vice versa.

An application of the device proposed by the present invention is to help a person with a hand with a disability who, although he can partially close it to try to take, for example, a glass, cannot close it sufficiently, or keep it in said partial closed position with enough force, as to be able to raise the glass without it falling.

To this end, starting from said partially closed position in which said person has almost taken the vessel, the device proposed by the present invention makes it possible, by exercising a small movement, for example of wrist, this This is activated in such a way as to push the fingers to adopt said second position, in which the vessel is held sufficiently to be able to raise it.

Advantageously, the device proposed by the invention comprises a brake mechanism that locks the segments when they are in said second position, to prevent the finger or fingers from moving away from the thumb, that is, by reference to the application described in the previous paragraphs, to prevent the hand from opening by dropping the glass.

Brief description of the drawings

For a better understanding of the nature of the invention, sheets of drawings are attached, by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the brief exoskeleton, in a position corresponding to that of an open or extended hand.

Figure 2 illustrates a view of the present device applied to a disabled hand and all wrapped in a glove, two positions being represented: a first position with the fine line exoskeleton and corresponding to an open hand position

or extended, and another position of the complete device corresponding to the position of the device itself with said hand partially closed.

Figure 3a is a perspective view illustrating one of the articulation plates shown in Figures 1 and 2, mounted on an articulated abutment-shaped support, in a resting position.

And Figure 3b also illustrates, in perspective, the plate and the support of Figure 3a, in an operative position where one of the segments articulated to the plate has been rotated by thrust. Detailed Description of the Invention

According to the figures described, the device object of the invention mainly comprises an exoskeleton 1 consisting of a set consisting of a series of segments 3, 5, 7, 9 for each of the index, major, ring and pinky fingers, which The series cited for each finger consists of a first 3, a second 5, a third 7 and a fourth segment 9 corresponding respectively to the metacarpal bone, proximal phalanx, middle phalanx and distal phalanx of a corresponding finger.

According to a preferred embodiment, each mentioned segment 3, 5, 7, 9 of the same finger is articulated in an articulated manner, at its ends, at a first height with respect to the dorsal face of the finger, with the following segment by a intermediate piece or articulation plate 11a, 11b, 11c. Thus, the first segment 3 is linked to the second segment 5 by a first plate 11a, the second segment 5 is connected to the third segment 7 by a second plate 11b, and the third segment 7 is linked to the fourth segment 9 by a third plate 11c.

Each of said plates 11a to 11c is in turn articulated, through two joints 19, at a second height with respect to the dorsal face of the finger, to respective raised supports fixed by their bases 20 at different points default of each finger, in particular to the knuckles.

For the illustrated embodiment example the said second height is greater than said first height, although for another exemplary embodiment it may not be the other way around.

All the first segments 3 are connected to each other, at their free or proximal end, by a transverse axis 13, fixed to the mobile part 40 (in this case an area of the forearm adjacent to the wrist), while the distal end of the fourth segments 9 is applied on the corresponding distal phalanx.

Considering said exoskeleton 1 applied to the dorsal part of a hand 30, said segments 3, 5, 7, 9 run parallel over said bones and phalanges and the same segments mentioned consist essentially of rigid longitudinally elongated strips, with the particularity of that the second and third segments 5 and 7 have approximately a significant broadening or protrusion in their middle directed towards the dorsal surface of a corresponding finger, the protuberance of which has at least one hole 15.

Said protuberances constitute respective protruding portions of thrust E1, E2 which, together with the thrust portion E3, are in contact with the respective finger, to push it through different points (in areas that do not coincide with the knuckles) when the moving part 40 is displaced by triggering the simultaneous movement of segments 3, 5, 7, 9 transmitted by pivoting each of the intermediate pieces 11a, 11b, 11c around their respective articulation 19, so that said finger is directs to said second position.

The protruding thrust portions E1, E2, E3 are, for said second 5 and third 7 segments, intermediate portions E1, E2 thereof, and, for said fourth segment 9 a distal end portion E3 thereof.

It can be seen in Fig. 3a how the support S is shaped like a pillar (illustrated in part with a broken line), each of the joints 19 comprising configurations 19a at the free end of the support S, in the form of pins, and complementary configurations 19b, in the form of holes, arranged near one end of each of said intermediate pieces 11a, 11b, 11c.

According to the same embodiment, each of the plates mentioned 11a, 11b, 11c is elongated as a lug in the palmar-dorsal direction of the hand 30, in this case forming a hollow housing with two through holes 19b, one in each major face, although for another embodiment, not illustrated, the plates are solid and only have a major face with a through hole 19b to be inserted in a corresponding pin 19a of the S support.

From approximately the middle of a greater face of said plates, two articulation pivots 16, 17 extend transversely, which are articulated in corresponding holes at the ends of two consecutive segments, as illustrated in Figures 3a and 3b, with respect to to segments 3 and

5.

In Fig. 3a the plate 11a has been illustrated in rest position with respect to the support S, and in Fig. 3b it has been illustrated once it has turned, in a clockwise direction indicated by the arrow illustrated on the plate 11a, due to the thrust that segment 3 has exerted on it, which has caused the articulation pivot 16, and therefore the end of the segment 5 articulated thereto, to be raised, causing it to move according to the direction of the arrow illustrated in Fig. 3b associated therewith.

For an exemplary embodiment, the proposed device comprises a glove 22 that tightly wraps around the hand 30, the bases 20 of the raised supports being fixed at different predetermined points of a first wall 22i of said glove 22 arranged just above said different points finger defaults

For the illustrated embodiment, said bases 20 of the raised supports S comprise through holes 18, through which they are fixed to said predetermined points of a first wall 22i of said glove 22, each of which is it rests on a corresponding knuckle, by means of conventional fixing elements or systems, for example by sewing.

While with a glove 22 that only wraps around the hand 30 is sufficient to carry out the invention, the aesthetic effect of the exoskeleton being visible from the outside may not be considered desired. That is why, for the exemplary embodiment illustrated by Fig. 2, the glove 22 tightly wraps both the exoskeleton assembly 1 and the hand 30, presenting for this a dorsal face 22d and a palmar face 22p, and said first wall being 22i an intermediate internal wall 22i that divides it into two cavities: one for the exoskeleton itself 1 and a second cavity, formed by said inner wall 22i and the palmar face 22p of the glove 22, which envelops the hand 30 itself.

For another embodiment, not illustrated, the device proposed by the present invention does not comprise a glove, and is fixed to the fingers through another class of elements fixed thereto, such as rings inserted in the fingers and positioned coincident with said predetermined points of the fingers.

It can be seen in Fig. 2 how the protruding thrust portions E1, E2, E3 are fixed to the first wall 22i of the glove 22 by means of corresponding fixing elements or systems. Particularly in the intermediate portions E1 and E2 of the segments 5 and 7, holes 15 are defined which are fixed to corresponding points of the inner wall 22i of the glove 22, and the thrust portion E3 of the fourth segment 9, which is none other than that constituted by the free or distal end of the latter has a hole 15a that serves to fix a corresponding point on the inner wall 22i of the glove, a point that rests against the dorsal face of the distal phalanx of the corresponding finger, with all which exoskeleton 1 is fixed to said glove 22, for example by sewing.

According to the embodiment of Fig. 2, the hand 30 of the user in question is fitted between the inner wall 22i and the palmar face 22p of the same glove 22, all of which, exoskeleton 1 and hand 30, forming a compact assembly. Note that thumb 24 may, optionally, be wrapped in the same glove, although it could also be left out of it for which a hole (not shown) should be made in said glove 22 to exit said thumb.

As for the transverse axis 13 that joins and struts all the proximal ends of the first segments 3, it is fixed by appropriate means (not shown) on a mobile part 40 of the forearm adjacent to the wrist of the user, which will remain also wrapped by the glove 22.

In use, when the user makes a movement, around the articulation defined by the wrist, either from the hand 30 outwards, in the direction indicated by the arrow B indicated in Fig. 2, or the part 40 of the forearm adjacent to the wrist, in the direction of arrow A (case illustrated in Fig. 2, where the initial position of the movable part 40 is illustrated with more thin line), the movable part 40 pushes to the proximal end of the first segment 3 (in the direction indicated by the arrow illustrated in said segment 3), which, at its distal end, pushes the plate 11a which oscillates in the direction of the arrow "C", pushing the proximal end of the second segment 5 upwards (according to the position of the hand illustrated in Fig. 2), which causes the thrust portion E1 to move downward by pushing the finger through the portion thereof to which it is fixed. The distal end of the second segment 5 pivots the plate 11b by pushing the proximal end of the third segment 7 up, and therefore the thrust portion E2 down to push the corresponding finger part, and making the distal end of the third segment 7 pivot the plate 11c in the same manner, whereby the fourth segment 9 moves its proximal end up and its distal end towards the dorsal side of the finger, pressing the thrust portion E3 to the finger along its distal phalanx.

As a result of all these movements that cause the aforementioned finger thrusts at different points, a curvature of the hand 30 is obtained that closes it towards the thumb 24, by the way to grab or grab any object (not visible). Making a movement of the hand or forearm, around the wrist, in the opposite direction to that mentioned above, the opening of the hand 30 and the release of the object mentioned are achieved.

For an exemplified embodiment for which, unlike the one illustrated, each joint 19 is arranged below the pivot pivots 16, 17, it will be necessary to make movements of the mobile part 40 in a direction opposite to the described, to perform the same functions.

In contrast to the prior art and in view of what has been described, the simplicity of the present exoskeleton 1 becomes evident in comparison with those mechanical complications of said prior art set forth at the beginning, simplicity that makes it more convenient ¡Cil construction and more economical obtaining.

A person skilled in the art could introduce changes and modifications in the described embodiments, such as the system for fixing the exoskeleton 1 to the glove 22, but without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (17)

 run substantially parallel and above a

one.

Drive device for a disabled hand, of the type comprising means for moving, by an impulse from a mobile part of the user's body, at least one finger of said disabled hand, from a first position in which the hand is partially open to a second position in which at least said finger has been retracted in the direction of the thumb, or vice versa, said drive device comprising an exoskeleton applicable to the dorsal face of said hand and being characterized in that said exoskeleton (1) comprises at least one Longitudinal series of segments (3, 5, 7, 9) articulated with each other by ends, at a first height with respect to the dorsal face of the finger, through respective intermediate pieces (11a, 11b, 11c) articulated to in turn, through two joints (19), at a second height with respect to the dorsal face of the finger, to respective raised supports (S) fixed by their bases (20) differently it is predetermined points of said finger, the free end of a first (3) of said segments (3, 5, 7, 9) fixed to said mobile part (40), and comprising at least part of the segments (5, 7 , 9) an outstanding portion of thrust (E1, E2, E3) in contact with said finger, to push it through different points when said mobile part (40) moves triggering the simultaneous movement of the segments (3, 5 , 7, 9) transmitted by pivoting each of the intermediate pieces (11a, 11b, 11c) around their respective articulation (19), so that said finger is directed to said second position, or vice versa.

2.

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said second height is greater than said first height.

3.

Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said supports (S) have a pillar shape and that each of said joints (19) comprises con fi gurations (19a) at the free end of said support (S) and complementary con fi gurations (19b) arranged next to one end of each of said intermediate pieces (11a, 11b, 11c).

Four.

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said predetermined points of said finger correspond to the knuckles thereof

or some immediate areas to them.

5.

Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said exoskeleton comprises several of said longitudinal series of segments (3, 5, 7, 9), each of them associated with a respective finger.

6.

Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each longitudinal series of articulated segments consists of four successive segments: said first segment (3) that runs substantially parallel and above a respective metacarpal bone and links said mobile part (40) of the user's body with a second segment (5); said second segment that runs substantially parallel and above a respective proximal phalanx and links to a third segment (7); said third segment that runs substantially parallel and above a middle phalanx and links to a fourth segment (9) that dispenses

distal phalanx.

7.

Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said protruding thrust portions (E1, E2, E3) are, for said second (5) and third (7) segments, intermediate portions (E1, E2) thereof, and, for said fourth segment (9) a distal end portion (E3) thereof.

8.

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said intermediate parts (11a, 11b, 11c) are respective elongated articulation plates (11a, 11b, 11c), according to a palmar-dorsal direction, extending transversely from a major face of each one of them two articulation pivots (16, 17): one to connect the distal end of the immediately preceding segment and the other to connect the proximal end of the next immediate segment, through respective holes defined at said ends.

9.

Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a glove (22) that wraps tightly at least to the hand (30), the bases (20) of the raised supports (S) being fixed at different predetermined points of a first wall (22i) of said glove (22) arranged just above said different predetermined points of the finger.

10.

Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said glove (22) tightly envelops both the whole of the exoskeleton (1) and the hand (30), presenting for this a dorsal face (22d) and a palmar face (22p), and said first wall (22i) being an intermediate internal wall (22i) that divides it into two cavities: one for the exoskeleton itself (1) and another for the hand properly disabled (30).

eleven.

Device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said bases (20) of the raised supports (S) comprise through holes (18), through which they are fixed to said predetermined points of a first wall (22i) of said glove (22) by means of fixing elements or systems.

12.

Device according to claim 9 or 10 when dependent on 7, characterized in that said protruding thrust portions (E1, E2, E3) are fixed to said first wall (22i) of the glove (22) by means of corresponding fixing elements or systems .

13.

Device according to claim 5, characterized in that all the first segments (3) of said longitudinal series of segments meet in a transverse axis of rotation (13) fixedly fixed to the mobile part of the user's body (40).

14.

Device according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that said mobile part of the user's body (40) is an area adjacent to the wrist of the disabled hand.

fifteen.

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said segments (3, 5, 7, 9) are constituted by strips of a rigid material.

16.

Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a brake mechanism that blocks said segments (3, 5, 7, 9) when they are in said second position, to prevent the finger or fingers from moving away from the thumb.

SPANISH PATENTS AND BRANDS OFFICE Application No.: 200902086 SPAIN Date of submission of the application: 26.10.2009 Priority Date: REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE 51 Int. Cl.: A61F2 / 54 (2006.01) A61F5 / 01 (2006.01) RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

Category

Documents cited Claims Affected

TO

US 4167044 A (IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.) 11.09.1979, 1.16

columns 1-3; figures.

TO

US 2553277 A (ROBINSON et al.) 15.05.1951, columns 1-3; figures. 1.14

TO

JP 2007313093 A (UNIV OF SCIENCE TOKYO) 06.12.2007, summary; figures. one

TO

JP 2002345861 A (HARADA ELECTRONICS IND) 03.12.2002, summary; figures. one

TO

WO 2004021936 A1 (NORTH SIDNEY AREA HEALTH SERV et al.) 18.03.2004, page 18, one

line 17 - page 21, line 13; page 24, lines 9-33; page 40, line 23 - page 41, line 28;

Figures 26-29.41.

TO

WO 9921478 A1 (VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGIES INC) 06.05.1999, page 5, line 1 - page 7, one

line 5; page 10, lines 1-12; Figures 1A-2,12A, 13.

Category of the documents cited X: of particular relevance Y: of particular relevance combined with other / s of the same category A: reflects the state of the technique O: referred to unwritten disclosure P: published between the priority date and the submission of the application E: previous document, but published after the date of submission of the application

This report has been prepared • for all claims • for claims no:

Date of realization of the report 29.03.2011

Examiner J. Square Prados Page 1/4

REPORT OF THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE Application number: 200902086 Minimum documentation sought (classification system followed by classification symbols) A61F, B25J, A61H. Electronic databases consulted during the search (name of the database and, if possible, terms of search used) INVENES, EPODOC, WPI, PAJ, ECLA, UCLA. State of the Art Report Page 2/4  WRITTEN OPINION Application number: 200902086 Date of Written Opinion: 29.03.2011 Statement

Novelty (Art. 6.1 LP 11/1986)

Claims Claims 1-16 IF NOT

Inventive activity (Art. 8.1 LP11 / 1986)

Claims Claims 1-16 IF NOT

The application is considered to comply with the industrial application requirement. This requirement was evaluated during the formal and technical examination phase of the application (Article 31.2 Law 11/1986).  Opinion Base. This opinion has been made on the basis of the patent application as published. State of the Art Report Page 3/4  WRITTEN OPINION Application number: 200902086 1. Documents considered.- Below are the documents pertaining to the state of the art taken into consideration for the realization of this opinion.

Document

Publication or Identification Number Publication Date

D01

US 4167044 A 11.09.1979

D02

US 2553277 A 05.15.1951

D03

JP 2007313093 A 06.12.2007

D04

JP 2002345861 A 03.12.2002

D05

WO 2004021936 A1 03/18/2004

D06

WO 9921478 A1 06.05.1999

2. Statement motivated according to articles 29.6 and 29.7 of the Regulation of execution of Law 11/1986, of March 20, on Patents on novelty and inventive activity; quotes and explanations in support of this statement The request refers to a drive device for a hand unable to be closed, in particular in a grabbing operation, so that the user of said device can, with the help of this device, close a sick hand to take, grab or grab any object and then reopen it. For this, the application presents a drive device for a disabled hand, of the type comprising means for moving, by means of an impulse from a mobile part of the user's body, one or more fingers of said disabled hand, from a first position wherein the hand is partially open to a second position in which said or said fingers have been retracted in the direction of the thumb, for the purpose of grasping or gripping an object, said actuator device comprising an exoskeleton applicable to the face dorsal of said hand. In the state of the art there are a wide variety of devices for actuation either for a prosthesis (artificial hand, for example) or for orthoses or external devices that coupled on a user's disabled hand allow or facilitate movement or functionality Of the same. There are also devices of the Continuous Passive Motion-CPM type, which are preferably used for rehabilitative purposes, or even exoskeletons coupled on a hand that, sometimes for other purposes, are similar to the device presented in the request. Documents D01 to D06 cited in the Report only show the general state of the technique and are not considered of particular relevance. Documents D01 to D04 are of the type provided for operating a disabled hand and ensuring its functionality. Of these, documents D01 and D02 are driven by a pulse from a mobile part of the user's body, as in the case of the request device. Document D05 foresees a possible application for rehabilitative therapy by means of CPM, and also foresees its possible use to provide functionality to the hand of a patient with an impaired function thereof (page 18, lines 16-22). Finally, document D06 is a representative of a type of exoskeleton used with a different function (measurement of the position of the fingertips and determination of the angles of your joints) that may have application in such areas such as virtual reality, tele-robotics, graphic animation or in the medical evaluation of hand operation. Any of these documents presents some devices that anticipate solutions that can be considered similar to those of the actuation device of a disabled hand that occupies us, or show a structure that has some similarity to it, but none of them anticipates all the characteristics which limit the object of protection the first main claim. Thus, the documents cited only show the general state of the art, and are not considered of particular relevance. It would not be obvious for a person skilled in the art to apply the features included in the cited documents and arrive at the invention as disclosed in the first claim. Therefore, the object of this main claim meets the requirements of novelty and inventive activity. Dependent claims 2 to 16 delimit additional optional features and as the first general also meet the requirements with respect to novelty and inventive activity. State of the Art Report Page 4/4