FI90312C - Device for recording the movement of a joint - Google Patents

Description

! 90312

Device for recording the movement of a joint

The present invention relates to a device for recording the movement of a joint, the device being arranged to be attached separately to a defined body part and comprising a tilt sensor based on the gravity of the ground, the device being recordable about the movement of the joint by means of tilt sensor measurements.

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Joint rehabilitation after an injury or surgery is based on restoring the range of motion of the joint and at the same time maintaining muscle strength. In most cases, due to the extent of the injury or the procedure, it is appropriate at the initial stage to limit the mobility of the joint with plaster, spatula or the like and at the same time maintain muscle strength with isometric exercises. This regularly results in stiffening of the joint and a decrease in muscle strength. So-called hinge plasters and hinge pins tend to use mechanical stops to allow a certain trajectory to be maintained. This range of motion will increase as rehabilitation progresses.

25 For example, the corrective surgery of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee is currently based on the use of a tendon graft taken from the knee ligament. When the knee extends to a bend angle of less than 30 degrees and on the other hand bends to a bend angle of more than 60 degrees, the graft is subjected to a tensile stress 30 which causes the graft to stretch and lose joint stability prior to graft attachment. After surgery, the knee is usually stiffened to a 45-degree angle for one week, after which movement of 30 to 60 degrees 35 is allowed for the next two weeks. For the last three weeks, movement of 0-90 degrees is allowed. After removal of the hinge blade, an active rehabilitation phase lasting 6-12 weeks begins, with the aim of restoring 2 SO 312 to the end of the trajectory. The duration of the dough phase is highly dependent on the patient himself. A similar principle applies to the follow-up of other joint and bone injuries.

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The main disadvantage of the methods currently in use is the lack of ability to control the progress of rehabilitation, ie whether the patient is following the instructions given. Although the Lastas-10 has mechanical flow constraints, this still does not in any way guarantee that the range of motion is practiced along the entire permitted trajectory. On the other hand, numerous hospital conditions not only consume the resources of outpatient hospitals but also significantly other services in society and patient time. Rehabilitation programs have had to be based on the weekly programs mentioned above. However, rehabilitation is a continuum that progresses daily.

WO 87/05229 discloses an athlete's training device which, when detached to a defined part of the body, e.g. the attachment to the roof, registers the amount of movements made during a sports or fitness performance. Registration is performed by means of 25 tilt sensors based on the gravity of the ground. The position positions of the movements cannot be measured with this device.

The device according to the invention provides a decisive improvement in the above-mentioned drawbacks. To accomplish this, the device of the invention is characterized in that the detachable device, which can be attached to a desired body part, is a muscle and joint rehabilitation device arranged to record the angular measurement data of a joint sensor indicating the range of motion to monitor the progress of rehabilitation. With the help of the inclination measurements of the tilt sensor based on the ground's gravity, information about the rehabilitation event can be registered in the device.

3 9031 2

The invention achieves several advantages in rehabilitation. According to a preferred embodiment, an individual pre-defined variable rehabilitation program stored in the device enables individual, active and independent rehabilitation. It is possible to decompose the ceramic information about the rehabilitation event afterwards and thus control the implementation of the rehabilitation program. Thanks to the device, the need for outpatient visits is reduced, as all relevant information is stored in the device's memory.

The invention makes it possible to remove even earlier gypsum or spatula and to return more quickly to normal life. Thus, the treatment of an injury per se does not restrict the patient's 15 hobbies or work more than the injury itself. Thus, the rehabilitation event is not tied to time, place or the chosen method of treatment.

Due to its versatility, the invention is suitable for use in addition to the intended use described above, but also in other medical research, in measuring the range of motion of joints, in the training of athletes, etc.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the connection of a device to a rehabilitation event. Figure 2 shows a slope measuring device according to the invention. Figure 3 shows a device according to Figure 2 for angular measurements.

4,90312

According to Fig. 1, a rehabilitation program can be downloaded to the device 1 and the accumulated data in the charger 2 can be decoded. The charger is connected to a computer 3, 5 from which the data is read and entered. The charged device is given to patient 4. The patient executes the program according to the instructions provided by the device. The device records the patient's actions for later reading.

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Figure 2 shows the device 1 itself, the display unit 5 and the button 6. The device includes tilt sensors based on the gravity of the ground, which can be used to measure the bidirectional tilt and to compute 15 of these components. In addition to these, the device has a memory in which the rehabilitation program and the collected data are stored. The rehabilitation program includes a plan, which changes as a function of time if necessary. The device accepts and registers the execution according to the program and informs the patient.

In Fig. 3, the device of Fig. 2 is supplemented by an external sensor 7, which provides the device with a reference for angle measurement.

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The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the description and in the drawings, but many modifications are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the following claims.

Claims (3)

5,90312. Claims: A device for recording the movement of a joint, the device (1) being arranged to be attached separately to a defined body part and comprising a tilt sensor based on the gravity of the ground, the device being capable of recording information about the movement of the joint arranged to record the angle measurement data of the tilt sensor indicating the range of motion of the joint to monitor the progress of the rehabilitation. Rehabilitation device according to Claim 1, characterized in that an individual pre-defined rehabilitation program can be stored in the device and contains information on the implementation of the above-mentioned rehabilitation program. 20 Rehabilitation device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is supplemented by an external ground traction sensor (7) for measuring the angle between the device (1) and the sensor (7). 6 c η 7 i o