FR3070274B1 - TOOL FOR AQUATIC STIMULATION OF MECHANISTS OF THE PALMAR FACE OF THE HAND - Google Patents

Abstract

The tool for stimulating the mechanoreceptors of the palmar face and the fingers of a user's hand in the aquatic environment comprises a base 12 intended to receive the palmar face and the fingers of the hand, attachment means 16 for holding of the base on the hand, and a plurality of pins 14 supported by the base and projecting from said base. The base 12 is deformable under the effect of the pressure of the water exerted during the movement of the tool and the pins 14 are rigid to obtain a cutaneous deformation of the palmar face and the fingers of the hand during deformation of the the base under the effect of said pressure of water.

Description

Aquatic mechanoreceptor pacing tool for the palmar face of the hand

The present invention relates to an aqueous stimulation tool mechanoreceptors of the palmar face and fingers of the hand of a user.

A particularly interesting use of the stimulation tool is the rehabilitation of the hand.

In the field of aquatic activities, it is particularly known swimming pads that are designed to improve the thrust in the water of the swimmer.

Such pads generally have a surface greater than that of the hand of the swimmer and are fixed by means of elastic links. For more details, it will be possible for example to refer to the documents US 5, 651, 710 and EP 0 993 846.

In this field, it is also known to use devices for water gymnastics that are attached to the hand and designed on the one hand to increase the resistance during a push or a pull exerted with the arm and to promote the physical or muscular work of the user, and secondly to facilitate the return to position of the arm. Such an apparatus for aquatic gymnastics is described in particular in patent EP 2 234 679.

The main purpose of the tools and devices that are currently being developed for use in the aquatic environment is to achieve muscle building.

However, it is also possible to use these tools and devices for aquatic rehabilitation, particularly to specifically remuster the upper limbs of the body.

However, in case of an accident of the hand causing nerve damage and impacting the tactile sensitivity, there are currently no tools to ensure effective rehabilitation to restore this sensitivity.

The present invention aims to meet this need. The subject of the invention is a tool for stimulating in the aquatic environment mechanoreceptors of the palmar face and fingers of a user's hand, which comprises a base intended to receive the palmar face and the fingers of the hand, means for fastener for holding the base on the hand, and a plurality of studs supported by the base and projecting from said base.

According to a general characteristic, the base is deformable under the effect of the pressure of the water exerted during the movement of the tool, and the pins are rigid to obtain a cutaneous deformation of the palmar face and the fingers of the hand when deformation of the base under the effect of said pressure of water.

During movements in the water of the user equipped with the tool, the pins provide a dynamic stimulation of sensory mechanoreceptors of the palm of the hand and fingers.

Indeed, during movements in the water, the deformable nature of the base makes it possible, under the effect of the pressure of the water, to force the pins against the palm of the hand and the fingers, which they are rigid enough to obtain the cutaneous deformation creating this dynamic stimulation. The rigid nature of the pins depends on their shape, their size and the material in which they are made.

Dynamic stimulation of sensory mechanoreceptors acts on the cortical area associated with the brain, which promotes adequate and effective rehabilitation. Sensory mechanoreceptors stimulated by the action of pimples may be the corpuscles of Meissner, Pacini and Ruffini, as well as Merkel's discs.

In order to promote cutaneous deformation, it is advantageous to provide spikes having a conical shape. For this purpose, it is also preferable to provide a spacing between two immediately adjacent pins greater than or equal to 2 mm (millimeters) and less than or equal to 6 mm. For this purpose, it is also preferable to provide a height of between 1 mm and 10 mm for the pins. Advantageously, the material or materials of the pins have a hardness of between 45 shore A and 90 shore A.

In a particular embodiment, the base of the tool comprises a main part on which the pins are arranged, and a secondary part without pins, of thickness less than the thickness of the main part and extending beyond beyond said main part.

The reduced thickness of the abutment promotes the deformation of the base under the effect of the movements in the water of the user and thus improves the skin deformation created by the support of the pins against the palmar face and the fingers.

Preferably, the main portion is shaped to delineate the contour of the fingers and the palm of the user, the secondary portion extending between the contour of the fingers delimited by the main portion and beyond said fingers.

In another embodiment, the base of the tool may comprise only the main part on which the pins are arranged.

Furthermore, for simplicity of manufacture, at least the base and the pins can be made in one piece. Thus, the same material or materials are used to form the base and the pins. The deformable character of the base and the rigid nature of the pins are then obtained by their shape and their respective dimensioning.

Alternatively, the base and the pins can be made of different materials. In this case, it is interesting to use a more rigid material for the pins than that of the base. The pins can be fixed to the base by any suitable means, gluing, overmolding, etc.

In a particular embodiment, the attachment means comprise a strap for fixing around the wrist of the hand, and a plurality of links for holding each of the fingers. Alternatively, it is possible to provide other types of attachment means, for example a neoprene layer covering the back of the hand of the user in the manner of a glove.

The present invention will be better understood from the study of the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawing showing a stimulation tool in an aquatic environment according to an exemplary embodiment.

In the single figure is shown a tool, designated by the general reference numeral 10, which is intended for the stimulation in the aquatic environment of the palmar surface and fingers of the hand of the user. The tool 10 comprises a base 12 provided to receive the palm of the hand and the fingers of the user, a plurality of pins 14 projecting from the base 12, and attachment means 16 to ensure maintaining the base 12 on the hand.

As will be described in more detail later, the pins 14 are able to provide dynamic stimulation of the sensory mechanoreceptors of the palm of the hand and fingers when using the tool 10 in the aquatic environment.

The base 12 here has a flat geometry. Alternatively, the base 12 could have a geometry complementary to the hand of the user to optimize the ergonomics. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the base 12 has dimensions greater than those of the hand of the user. The thickness of the base 12 is delimited by a lower face 12a and by an opposite upper face 12b from which the pins 14 extend.

The pins 14 extend transversely relative to the base 12. The pins 14 are identical to each other. The pins 14 extend projecting from the same face of the base 12, in this case the upper face 12b. The free ends of the pins 14 are intended to bear against the palmar face and fingers of the hand of the user. The free ends of the pins 14 here have a rounded shape. The pins 14 have a conical shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the pins 14 are arranged on the base 12 in substantially parallel rows. Alternatively, it may be possible to provide other arrangements, for example in the form of concentric circles. Moreover, the pins 14 are arranged here so as to be able to mechanically stimulate the entire palm of the hand and the fingers of the user. Alternatively, it is possible to provide a different distribution of the pins 14 so that they solicit only parts of the palm of the hand and fingers.

In order to promote the dynamic stimulation of the sensory mechanoreceptors of the palm of the hand and the fingers, the spacing between two immediately adjacent pins 14 is between 2 mm and 6 mm, and preferably equal to 5 mm. The pins 14 have a height of between 1 mm and 10 mm. The material of the pins 14 has a hardness between 45 and 90 shore A. The section of the pins 14 at the base 12 may for example be between 2 mm and 5 mm, and preferably equal to 3 mm.

The base 12 comprises a main portion 18 on which are arranged all the pins 14 and a secondary portion 20 of reduced thickness and free of pins. The thickness of the base 12 is variable along it. The thickness of the abutment 20 may for example be less than half the thickness of the main portion 18. As an indication, the thickness of the main portion 18 of the base may be 1 mm.

The main portion 18 of the base is shaped specifically to the shape of the palm of the hand and fingers of the user. The abutment 20 extends transversely between the fingers delimited by the main portion 18 and extends beyond these fingers. The abutment 20 here has a rounded end edge. Alternatively, this end edge may have other shapes, for example rectangular, trapezoidal, etc.

The attachment means 16 of the tool comprise a strap 22 extending from a lateral edge of the main portion 18 of the base and provided to encircle adjustably the wrist of the user. For this purpose, two through slots 24 are formed in an outgrowth of the main portion 18 of the base to allow the passage and the locking of the strap 22. The attachment means 16 also comprise a plurality of elastic links (not shown) which are intended to encircle each one of the fingers of the user's hand. Each free end of each link is designed to fit and hang in a through hole 26 formed near one of the fingers delimited by the main portion 18 of the base.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the tool 10 is made in one piece by molding a synthetic material, for example rubber, silicone, polyurethane, etc. As an indication, the Young's modulus of the synthetic material can be between 0.5 MPa and 20 MPa.

When the user realizes movements of the hand in the water, the pressure exerted by the water on the lower face 12a of the base causes the deformation of said base and a depression of the rigid pins 14 against the palmar face and the fingers from the user's hand. The pins 14 and ensure by mechanical action dynamic stimulation sensory mechanoreceptors of the palm of the hand and fingers. The Applicants have determined that with a force developed by the user at least equal to 6 N, the cutaneous deformation performed by the pins 14 is high enough to allow the stimulation of the mechanoreceptors located in the epidermis.

Thanks to the invention, there is a wafer or tool for obtaining in the aquatic environment a rehabilitation of the tactile sensitivity of the hand.

Claims (10)

1. Tool for stimulating mechanoreceptors of the palmar surface and the fingers of a user's hand in the aquatic environment, characterized in that it comprises: a base (12) intended to receive the palmar face and the fingers of the the user's hand, - fastening means (16) for holding the base on the hand, and - a plurality of pins (14) supported by the base and projecting from said base, - The base (12) being deformable under the effect of the pressure of the water exerted during the movement of the tool and the pins (14) being rigid to obtain a skin deformation of the palmar face and the fingers of the hand during the deformation of the base (12) under the effect of said pressure of water. 2. Tool according to claim 1, wherein the pins (14) have a conical shape. 3. Tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spacing between two immediately adjacent pins (14) is between 2 mm and 6 mm. 4. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein all the pins (14) have an identical height, preferably between 1 mm and 10 mm. 5. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the material or materials of the pins (14) have a hardness of between 45 and 90 shore A. 6. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (12) comprises a main portion (18) on which are arranged the pins (14), and a secondary portion (20) without pins, thick. less than the thickness of the main part and extending beyond said main part. 7. Tool according to claim 6, wherein the main portion (18) is shaped to delimit the contour of the fingers and the palm of the user, the secondary portion (20) extending between the contour of the fingers delimited by the main portion (18) and beyond said fingers. 8. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the base (12) and the pins (14) are made in one piece. 9. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the base (12) and the pins (14) are made of rubber. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment means (16) comprises a strap (22) for attachment around the wrist of the hand, and a plurality of links for holding each of the fingers .