FR3132207A1 - Rehabilitation equipment, suitable for rehabilitation and measurement of the range of motion of a joint in the lower limb of a patient - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to rehabilitation equipment, suitable for the rehabilitation of a patient's lower limb and for measuring the range of motion of a joint of said lower limb, preferably the ankle or the knee. The rehabilitation equipment (1) comprises a board (2) comprising: - an upper face (21), intended to receive the patient's foot, - wheels (3), conferring a degree of freedom in translation (T) on said board (2) by rolling on the ground, and - measuring means (4), designed to obtain an estimated value of articular amplitude (A) of said joint taking into account a value of distance in translation (D) of said board (2) along said degree of freedom in translation (T). Figure for abstract: 2

Description

Rehabilitation equipment, suitable for rehabilitation and measuring the range of motion of a joint of the lower limb of a patient Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to the technical field of rehabilitation equipment.

It concerns in particular rehabilitation equipment which is suitable for rehabilitation and for measuring the range of motion of a joint of the lower limb of a patient.

State of the art

The rehabilitation of a joint must make it possible to recover functional passive and active amplitudes.

Skateboards, or “skateboards”, can then be used for this purpose.

This rehabilitation equipment allows assisted passive or active mobilization, which is generally well tolerated by patients and easy to achieve. In addition, the rolling surface of a skateboard facilitates movement and allows working from maximum extension to maximum flexion achievable by the patient.

However, in general, current rehabilitation equipment unfortunately does not offer the practitioner, nor the patient, a simple and effective solution for observing the progression of joint range of motion during rehabilitation.

However, particularly for the patient, this information can be useful to maintain motivation towards objectives to be achieved and to visualize their progress.

Presentation of the invention

In order to remedy the aforementioned drawback of the state of the art, the present invention proposes rehabilitation equipment, adapted to the rehabilitation of the lower limb of a patient and to the measurement of the joint range of motion of a joint of said lower limb, preferably the ankle or knee.

The rehabilitation equipment includes a board comprising:

- an upper face, intended to receive the patient's foot,

- wheels, conferring a degree of freedom in translation to said board by rolling on the ground, and

- measuring means, designed to obtain an estimated value of joint amplitude of said joint taking into account a value of distance in translation of said board along said degree of freedom in translation.

The present invention thus advantageously offers rehabilitation equipment which allows the practitioner and/or the patient to observe the progression of joint range of motion during rehabilitation. This information can be useful for the patient, in order to maintain motivation towards objectives to be achieved and to visualize their progress.

Preferably, the measuring means cooperate with the wheels, so that the rolling of the wheels allows said translation distance value to be collected and the estimated joint amplitude value to be obtained.

According to a first embodiment, the measuring means comprise a ribbon which cooperates with the wheels and which is movable in translation in a direction parallel to said degree of freedom in translation.

The ribbon has one side provided with a graduated scale of estimated joint range of motion.

Other non-limiting and advantageous characteristics of this first embodiment in accordance with the invention, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations, are as follows:

- the board has two shafts, each carrying a pair of wheels; the ends of the ribbon are assembled with said shafts so that said ribbon is maneuvered in synchronous winding/unwinding movements relative to said shafts;

- the board has a window facing which the side of the ribbon which is fitted with the graduation runs;

- the ribbon has a length ranging from 70 to 90 cm, and the graduation has values from 0 to 130°, incremented by 10° every 4 to 7 cm;

- said board comprises return means, to tend to return the wheels to an initial position, for example a spring member.

According to a second embodiment, the measuring means include:

- rotary sensor means, cooperating with the wheels and adapted to determine the distance value in translation, and

- processing means, for converting said distance value in translation of said board along said degree of freedom in translation into an estimated value of joint amplitude of said joint.

Generally speaking, the board is advantageously equipped with a traction member, for example a strap, to allow the patient to pull backwards on the board for active assisted work.

Of course, the different characteristics, variants and embodiments of the invention can be associated with each other in various combinations as long as they are not incompatible or exclusive of each other.

Detailed description of the invention

In addition, various other characteristics of the invention emerge from the appended description made with reference to the drawings which illustrate non-limiting forms of embodiment of the invention and where:

is a general view, and in perspective, of a patient undergoing rehabilitation using the rehabilitation equipment according to the invention;

is a general view, in perspective and exploded, of rehabilitation equipment according to a first embodiment with graduated tape;

is a top view of the rehabilitation equipment according to the ;

is an isolated view of the graduated tape equipping the rehabilitation equipment according to the ;

is a general view, in perspective, of rehabilitation equipment according to a second embodiment with rotary sensor means and processing means.

It should be noted that, in these figures, the structural and/or functional elements common to the different variants may have the same references.

As shown in the figures, the present invention thus consists of rehabilitation equipment 1 which is adapted to the rehabilitation of the lower limb of a patient and to the measurement of the joint range of motion of a joint of this lower limb.

By “lower limb”, we still mean the patient’s leg.

The rehabilitation equipment 1 according to the invention is advantageously adapted to the rehabilitation of a joint of this lower limb which is advantageously chosen from the knee and the ankle.

By “joint range”, we mean in particular the range of flexion and/or extension of the joint during rehabilitation.

For example, the range of motion is chosen from:

- for the knee, a range of flexion,

- for the ankle, a plantar flexion amplitude and a dorsiflexion amplitude.

Joint range of motion is advantageously measured in degrees (°).

For example, normal values for joint range of motion are:

- for the knee, from 0 to 130° in flexion and from 120 to 0° in extension, and

- for the ankle, from 0 to 50° in plantar flexion and from 0 to 20° in dorsiflexion.

The rehabilitation equipment 1 according to the invention is thus particularly suitable for the rehabilitation of the patient's knee. It can also be adapted for the rehabilitation of this patient's ankle.

For this, the rehabilitation equipment 1 according to the invention advantageously takes the general form of a skateboard or “skateboard”.

This rehabilitation equipment 1 includes a board 2 which includes:

- wheels 3, conferring a degree of freedom in translation T to the board 2 by rolling on the ground ( ), And

- measuring means 4, designed to obtain an estimated value of joint amplitude A of the joint of interest taking into account a value of distance in translation D of the board 2 along the degree of freedom in translation T.

Plank

Board 2 has two sides:

- an upper face 21, intended to receive the patient's foot ( ), And

- a lower face 22, opposite, intended to be oriented towards the ground.

This board 2 also has two opposite ends: a front end 23 and a rear end 24.

This board 2 can be made of any suitable material, for example wood or plastic material.

This board 2 advantageously has the following dimensions:

- a length ranging from 400 to 500 mm, and

- a width ranging from 100 to 200 mm.

As illustrated on the , the board 2 can be equipped with a traction member 27 to allow the patient to exert backward traction on the board 2 for active assisted work.

This traction member 27 consists for example of a strap.

The traction member 27 is for example attached at one end of the board 2, for example its front end 23.

Wheels

The wheels 3 are advantageously four in number, which are advantageously arranged in pairs:

- a pair of front wheels 3, on the side of the front end 23 of the board 2, and

- a pair of rear wheels 3, on the side of the rear end 24 of board 2.

The wheels 3 are advantageously free to rotate along axes of rotation which extend perpendicular to the degree of freedom in translation T.

The wheels 3 are advantageously attached to the lower face 22 of the board 2, via shafts 5.

Generally speaking, each pair of wheels 3 is advantageously carried by a shaft 5 which advantageously extends perpendicular to the degree of freedom in translation T.

In other words, the board 2 advantageously comprises two shafts 5 each carrying a pair of wheels 3:

- a first shaft 51, front, on the side of the front end 23 of the board 2 and carrying a pair of front wheels 3, and

- a second shaft 52, rear, on the side of the rear end 24 of the board 2 and carrying a pair of rear wheels 3.

Means of measurement

In general, the measuring means 4 are designed to convert a value of distance in translation D of the board 2 along the degree of freedom in translation T into an estimated value of joint amplitude A, expressed in degrees of angle ( °).

Generally speaking, such a conversion is advantageously obtained on the basis of a coefficient of proportionality linking the translation distance value D of board 2 (expressed in units of length, for example in cm) and the estimated amplitude value joint A (expressed in degrees of angle).

Those skilled in the art can determine the appropriate proportionality coefficient, in particular depending on the joint of interest.

In general, by “translational distance value D”, we advantageously mean the moving distance applied to the rehabilitation equipment 1, by rolling on the ground, from an initial position to a final position.

By “estimated value of joint amplitude A”, we advantageously include:

- an estimated value of flexion angle A, for the knee, and

- an estimated value of plantar flexion or dorsiflexion angle A, for the ankle.

For example, in the case of rehabilitation equipment 1 according to the invention for the knee, the measuring means 4 are advantageously designed to convert a translation distance value D of the board 2 into an estimated joint range of motion value. A in flexion going from an initial position at 0° (full extension) up to 130° of flexion.

For example, in this case, a value of translation distance D ranging from 4 to 7 cm advantageously corresponds to 10° for the estimated value of joint amplitude A at the knee.

In the case of rehabilitation equipment 1 according to the invention for the ankle, the measuring means 4 are advantageously designed to convert a value of distance in translation D of the board 2 into an estimated value of joint amplitude A on both sides. and on the other from an initial position in which the ankle is at a right angle (plantar flexion or dorsiflexion).

For this, in general, the measuring means 4 cooperate advantageously with the wheels 3, so that the rolling of the wheels 3 on the ground allows collection of the translation distance value D and obtaining the estimated value d joint range A.

According to a first embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, also called "mechanical embodiment", the measuring means 4 advantageously comprise a ribbon 6 which cooperates with the wheels 3 and which can be maneuvered in translation in a direction parallel to the degree of freedom in translation T mentioned above.

The ribbon 6 advantageously includes a face 61 provided with a graduation 611 which is expressed as an estimated value of joint amplitude A.

The graduation 611 advantageously includes numbers which are distributed over the length of the face 61 of the ribbon 6.

Numbers can be evenly spaced by a constant distance E. These numbers can still be separated by a distance E which varies over the length of face 61 of ribbon 6.

Generally speaking, the 611 graduation is advantageously adapted depending on the joint to be rehabilitated.

For example, the distance E between two numbers is advantageously 4 to 7 cm. Ribbon 6 has a length ranging from 70 to 90 cm.

The numbers have increasing values along the length of face 61 of ribbon 6 ( ). In this regard, the numbers advantageously have values ranging from 0 to 130.

In other words, the values increase from one end of face 61 of ribbon 6 towards another end of face 61 of ribbon 6.

The numbers are advantageously representative of the estimated value of joint amplitude A. These numbers then advantageously correspond to degrees of angle.

The values of these numbers can also be chosen from a decimal multiple ranging from 0 to 130; for example, the values of successive numbers are incremented by 10 at intervals of 4 to 7 cm.

In other words, the scale of graduation 611 is advantageously adjusted so that 4 to 7 cm on graduation 611 corresponds to 10° for the estimated value of joint amplitude A.

Preferably, the board 2 here includes a window 25 facing which the face 61 of the ribbon 6 which is provided with the graduation 611 runs.

This window 25 advantageously consists of a through orifice, which opens at the level of the upper face 21 and the lower face 22 of the board 2.

To generate the translational movement of this ribbon 6, each pair of wheels 3 is advantageously locked in rotation with its shaft 5 which is itself assembled with the board 2 via a bearing 7 (for example a bearing bearing or a smooth bearing).

And the two ends 62 of the ribbon 6 are advantageously assembled, respectively, with the two shafts 5.

The ribbon 6 is then advantageously maneuvered according to synchronous winding/unwinding movements relative to these two shafts 5 (which form reels).

In other words, during the rotation of the wheels 3, the winding movement of the ribbon 6 on a first shaft 5 is accompanied by a reciprocal unwinding movement of the ribbon 6 on a second shaft 5, and vice versa (depending on of the direction of movement of the rehabilitation equipment 1 along the degree of freedom in translation T).

In practice, in the initial position, the ribbon 6 is advantageously wound on the first shaft 51, before. And a backward rolling of the rehabilitation equipment 1 then simultaneously causes an unwinding movement of the ribbon 6 from the first shaft 51 and a reciprocal winding movement of the ribbon 6 on the second shaft 52.

The board 2 also advantageously comprises return means (not shown), to tend to return the wheels 3 to an initial position (advantageously corresponding to an estimated value of joint amplitude A corresponding to 0°).

The return means consist for example of a spring member, which cooperates for example with the first shaft 51.

According to a second embodiment illustrated in Figures 5, also called "electronic embodiment", the measuring means 4 comprise:

- rotary sensor means 45, cooperating with the wheels 3 and adapted to determine the translation distance value D, and

- processing means 46, for converting the translation distance value D of the board 2 along the translation degree of freedom T into an estimated value of joint amplitude A of the joint.

The rotary sensor means 45 advantageously consist of electronic components chosen from rotary encoders or rotary sensors (sensor making it possible to provide angle information, by measuring the rotation made around an axis).

The processing means 46 are advantageously chosen from microcontrollers in combination with a computer program designed to convert the value of distance in translation D of the board 2 along the degree of freedom in translation T into the estimated value of joint amplitude Has articulation, when said computer program is executed by a microcontroller.

The computer program advantageously includes an algorithm integrating a coefficient of proportionality adapted to determine the estimated value of joint amplitude A from the value of translation distance D of board 2.

In this case, board 2 is advantageously equipped with a screen on which the estimated value of joint range of motion A is displayed.

Implementation

In practice, the patient positions the rehabilitation equipment 1 in its initial position. The estimated value of bending angle A is preferably initialized to the value “0”.

The patient can then place his foot on the upper face 21 of the board 2, then apply a translation movement to the rehabilitation equipment 1 according to the degree of freedom in translation T, in a suitable direction.

This translation movement then generates an evolution of the estimated value of flexion angle A for a joint of interest.

For example, during knee rehabilitation, the patient begins his movement from an initial position, leg in full extension, corresponding to an estimated value of joint range of motion A of 0°.

The patient then applies a flexion movement to his knee which causes the rehabilitation equipment 1 to roll backwards.

This movement makes it possible to collect a translation distance value D of the board 2 (from the initial position to the final position) which is converted into an estimated value of joint amplitude A in flexion by the measuring means 4.

In ankle rehabilitation, the patient begins his movement from an initial position, ankle at right angle, corresponding to an estimated joint range of motion A of 0°.

The patient then applies a flexion or extension movement to his ankle, which causes the rehabilitation equipment 1 to move backwards or forwards.

Here again, this movement makes it possible to collect a value of translation distance D of board 2 (from the initial position to the final position) which is converted into an estimated value of joint amplitude A (in plantar flexion or dorsiflexion ) by the measuring means 4.

Of course, various other modifications can be made to the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (9)

Rehabilitation equipment, suitable for the rehabilitation of the lower limb of a patient and for measuring the range of motion of a joint of said lower limb, preferably the ankle or the knee,
which rehabilitation equipment (1) comprises a board (2) comprising:
- an upper face (21), intended to receive the patient's foot,
- wheels (3), conferring a degree of freedom in translation (T) to said board (2) by rolling on the ground, and
- measuring means (4), designed to obtain an estimated value of joint amplitude (A) of said joint taking into account a value of translation distance (D) of said board (2) along said degree of freedom in translation (T). Rehabilitation equipment, according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring means (4) cooperate with the wheels (3), so that the rolling of the wheels (3) allows the collection of said distance value in translation (D ) and obtaining the estimated value of joint range of motion (A). Rehabilitation equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that the measuring means (4) comprise a ribbon (6) which cooperates with the wheels (3) and which is movable in translation in a direction parallel to said degree of freedom in translation (T),
which ribbon (6) has a face (61) provided with a graduation (611) graduated in estimated value of joint range of motion (A). Rehabilitation equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that the board (2) comprises two shafts (5) each carrying a pair of wheels (3),
and in that the ends (62) of the ribbon (6) are assembled with said shafts (5) so that said ribbon (6) is maneuvered according to synchronous winding/unwinding movements relative to said shafts (5). Rehabilitation equipment, according to any one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the board (2) comprises a window (25) opposite which runs the face of the ribbon (6) which is provided with the graduation (611 ). Rehabilitation equipment, according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the ribbon (6) has a length ranging from 70 to 90 cm, and the graduation includes values from 0 to 130°, incremented by 10° every 4 to 7 cm. Rehabilitation equipment, according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that said board (2) comprises return means, to tend to return the wheels (3) to an initial position. Rehabilitation equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that the measuring means (4) comprise:
- rotary sensor means (45), cooperating with the wheels (3) and adapted to determine the translation distance value (D), and
- processing means (46), for converting said value of distance in translation (D) of said board (2) along said degree of freedom in translation (T) into an estimated value of joint amplitude (A) of said joint. Rehabilitation equipment, according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the board (2) is equipped with a traction member (27), to allow the patient to exert backward traction on the board (2) for active assisted work.