GB2539264A

GB2539264A - Mobility aid

Info

Publication number: GB2539264A
Application number: GB1510309.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shahid Chaudhry Neha
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-06-12
Filing date: 2015-06-12
Publication date: 2016-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2035-06-12
Also published as: GB2539264B; GB201510309D0

Abstract

A device 10 for assisting a person to overcome a bout of rigidity or freezing of movement common in people who suffer from Parkinsons disease comprises a housing 12 and a vibrating or oscillating means such as a high amplitude eccentric rotating mass motor 18 for transmitting a vibration to the housing 12. The device 10 preferably being a hand-held unit or being incorporated into, or attached to, a walking stick (30, Fig 2), grab rail, chair arm, bannister rail or the like, such that that it can be gripped by a person in the event of a freeze. In such instances the actuation of the vibrating means may be by a pressure-sensitive switch 20 provided in the housing 12 at a location where it would be gripped by the user. The vibration further preferably being a transmitted in a pulsed rhythm in which there are deliberate variations in the vibrations in terms of intensity, duration, pattern, etc.

Description

Mobility Aid This invention relates to a mobility aid. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobility aid for people who experience unexpected bouts of rigidity, known as freezing, which prevents or hinders movement.

The invention is particularly suited for use by people suffering from Parkinson's disease but can also be used by other people who experience freezing, muscle spasms, periods of stiffness and/or other periods of rigidity such as those recovering from trauma, spinal injuries, head injuries especially those leading to injuries to the brain, or from dopamine imbalances due to drug contra-indications or arising from neural damage. In the description which follows, the invention will be described with reference to its use in people suffering from Parkinson's disease but it is to be understood that the present invention finds equal utility in people suffering from a Parkinson-like rigidity from another cause.

Many devices are available to assist people with restrictions in movement in carrying out day-to-day activities and functions. These range from large expensive devices such as motorised wheelchairs to simple or inexpensive devices to assist with eating, washing and dressing.

With Parkinson's disease freezing may occur during a period of movement, or of speech, as well as from a period of rest. In order to overcome some of these problems it has been found that providing a visual aid can be helpful by giving a target to aim for. Such aids may be as simple as spaced apart tape on the floor of a regular route giving a visual indicator of the size and of step and direction of travel needed. A more portable version of this is a walking stick which projects a laser, or other light, to highlight a direction of travel, and possibly to give a step marker to assist with foot and leg placement during walking.

However, such devices only provide visual cues to the Parkinson's patient, and sometimes a visual cue alone is insufficient to assist with a bout of freezing, especially if the freezing occurs mid-conversation or in transitions from rest to walking.

In this respect, the present invention provides a device which provides a non-visual cue to assist with overcoming freezing. The device is usable in or with many conventional devices, such as grab rails, armrests, or walking sticks.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a device to assist a person experiencing a bout of rigidity of movement to overcome such rigidity, the device comprising a housing, and vibrating or oscillating means for transmitting a vibration to the housing.

It has been shown that Parkinson's patients who listen to pulses, a rhythm or to music or to spoken words such as "go" or "step" can recover from a bout of freezing more quickly than without such help. However, the device of the present invention uses a tactile rather than a visual or audible cue. However, in certain embodiments, audible or visual cues may be used in conjunction with the tactile cue of the invention.

In this respect, in the preferred embodiment, the vibrating or oscillating means vibrates or oscillates a pulsed rhythm which is transmitted to the housing. As used herein the term "pulsed rhythm" is intended to define a deliberate variation in the vibrations or oscillations in terms of intensity, duration, pattern, time between vibrations and overall time period from the onset to the finish of the vibration or oscillation and is intended to distinguish the vibrations of the device of the invention from the simpler constant or fixed vibration used, for example, on a mobile phone or other vibrating device. Without wishing to be bound by theory the present inventor believes that the pulsed rhythm helps the patient by increasing the signal:noise ratio within the natural oscillatory patterns of the striatal-cortical loops.

The activation of the vibrating or oscillating means may be by conventional actuator such as a switch, dial, a timer, or the activation may also be automatic, such as by using a tilt switch, a light-or heat-sensitive switch or a pressure sensor. Preferably, the activation is by a pressure-sensitive switch or touch pad. Where used, the pressure-sensitive switch may be provided in the housing of the device where it would be gripped by the user. Alternatively, the pressure-sensitive switch could be used in a load-bearing region of the device such that pressure applied anywhere on the device, that is not just in the grip area, would activate the switch. In other embodiments, the unit may be remotely controlled by the user or by a carer of the user. Such remote control may be in addition to a user operated actuator on the device.

Preferably, the vibration or oscillation is provided by vibrating motor, such as one with an off-balanced drive shaft, or preferably an eccentric rotating mass vibrating motor, within the housing. Other means of conferring a mechanical vibration to the housing may also be used. For example, a brushless vibration motor, a pancake vibration motor, a linear resonant actuator or printed circuit board (PCB)-mounted vibration motor. In user, the user grips the housing of the device and the vibration is detected in the user's grip. Hence, a high amplitude vibrating motor such as an eccentric rotating mass vibrating motor is preferred.

The vibrating motor is preferably controlled such that the vibration is pulsed or rhythmic since the use of a rhythm has been found to be beneficial to people with Parkinson's disease.

The control unit which controls the actuation of the vibrating motor to provide a definite pulse or rhythm may be analogue or digital, but is preferably an electronic controller such as an electronic microcontroller. In the currently preferred embodiment, the microcontroller is an ArdruinoTM microcontroller such as the Ardruino Nano or the Ardruino Tiny 85, although other commercially available microcontrollers may be used with equal utility. The pulse may be controlled and/or generated by software. The pulse may correspond to the beat of a short piece of music, to a heartbeat, or another repeated rhythm. In some embodiments, the pulsed rhythm may be variable, cycling or may be changed to suit the application. Where a pulsed rhythm uses the beat of a short piece of music, the music may be familiar to, or even be chosen, by the user. Alternatively, the controller may use micro-switches to turn the vibrating actuator on-and-off according to a predetermined sequence.

The pace of the pulsed rhythm may also be varied according to movement of the user, for example it may speed up and slow down with the user's movements. This pace changing may be controlled by a potentiometer, an accelerometer or by a combination of the two. Either or both of the potentiometer and the accelerometer may be analogue.

In one preferred embodiment the vibrating motor is controlled by a potentiometer to change the delay between each oscillation of the motor causing the rhythm to go slower or faster. The change in delay is coded and the potentiometer uses an analogue pin in the microcontroller. In another embodiment, the same analogue function may be controlled/activated by an acceleration sensor or any movement sensor that differentiates between a normal pause and a freezing pause.

The device may be powered by an internal or external power source, such as a battery, a dynamo, a kinetic mechanism, such as that used in automatic watches, or mains powered depending on the intended application of the device. Where a battery is used it is preferred that it is rechargeable. The charging port may need to be waterproof according to the application of the device. For example, on a walking stick it may be sufficient that the charging port is located high on the device to prevent ingress of rainwater in use, or it may be provided with a cover, whereas on a grab rail in a bathroom the charging port should be fully waterproof.

The device may be a simple hand-held unit or it may be built into or integral with another device such as a walking stick, grab rail, chair arm, bannister rail or such like that can be gripped by a person with Parkinson's disease in the event of a freeze, or placed in their hand by a carer during such a freeze. A hand-held device may be carried at all times by a user, for example in a pocket, and held when needed. The device may also be wearable, preferably about the wrist or ankle, such as in a bracelet, watch or watchstrap, an anklet or in a sock. Such a device may usefully comprise an alarm or other audible signal, for example to alert the user that they have stopped moving as may happen when a person with Parkinson's disease freezes when changing direction or when in transition between stairs and a flat surface. While it is preferred that the device of the invention is an integral part of another device it is possible that the vibration device may be made as an "add-on" to be applied to a walking, stick, bannister rail or such like.

In the preferred embodiment, the device is a walking stick and the device is an integral part of the walking stick.

Hence in a further aspect, the present invention provides a walking stick to assist a person experiencing a bout of rigidity of movement to overcome such rigidity, the device comprising a housing, and vibrating or oscillating means for transmitting a vibration to the housing which, in use, is transmitted to and detected by the hand of the user.

The walking stick of the invention may be a conventional wooden or metal walking stick with the device provided in a recessed or otherwise adapted compartment of the handle. However, it is preferred that the housing of the device is configured so as to form a handle into which the shaft of a walking stick can be inserted. In this respect, the housing may be made from a plastics or a composite material which can be shaped or formed, for example by moulding, cutting or 3-D printing, to the required handle shape. Currently, it is preferred that the handle is injected moulded form a plastics material.

The present inventor has found that various handle shapes may be used to improve both the transmission of the vibration or oscillation to the user and the overall tactile appeal and appearance of the walking stick. This is seen as being important to the person suffering from Parkinson's disease who may not want to look as though they experience difficulty in walking, are elderly or are disabled. Thus the device of the invention provides a discreet therapeutic aid.

In this respect the resent invention further provides a handle for a walking stick, the handle comprising a vibrating or oscillating means for transmitting a vibration to the handle which, in use, is transmitted to and detected through the handle by the hand of the user. Preferably, the vibrating or oscillating means vibrates or oscillates a pulsed rhythm which is transmitted to the handle. Other features of the handle are as described above in relation to the device of the present invention.

Additionally, where transition of movement, such as from sitting to standing, is being considered the inventor has found it useful to provide a walking stick which can be held at more than one height level, for example at a lower height when sitting and at a higher height when walking. This also provides a resting place for the user's hands when sitting.

In this respect, the handle portion may define a central aperture in the handle. The aperture may be shaped to be comfortable to the user's hands when gripped or held and so may be approximately D-shaped, substantially triangular of may simply be provided as a ring-like form with a central hole. In a further embodiment, the handle may be helical, spiral or otherwise sculptural and essentially coil or wrap around the user's wrist, and possibly at least a portion of the forearm, to prevent the walking stick form being dropped.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to and as illustrated by the appended drawings of which Figure 1 is a sectional view through a device of the invention for use with a walking stick; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the component parts of a walking stick using a device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a device 10 according to the invention for use as a walking stick handle. The device 10 comprises a housing 12 in which the vibrating motor 18 is an ERM and is located adjacent an external wall of the housing 12 that would be uppermost in use. The ERM 18 is connected to a microcontroller 16, driven by a printed circuit board 14 and a battery unit 22.

The battery is preferably rechargeable and a charging port (not shown) is provided in the housing. The device 10 is actuated by depressing a pressure switch 20 in the upper wall (in use) of the device 10. Activation of the pressure switch 20 or sensor activates the motor at a steady pace, with the potentiometer manually adjusting the pace.

In another embodiment, with an automatic/movement sensor situation the movement sensor (not shown) senses a pause, it then activates the motor 18 at a steady pace, an acceleration sensor senses the walking speed of the patient and controls the pace of motor 18 accordingly.

The device of figure 1 can be used with a walking stick shaft 30 and a ferrule 40. The shaft 30 can be sized according to the height of the patient in conventional manner. Alternatively, (not shown) the shaft may be replaced with a telescopic shaft or a folding or otherwise collapsible shaft.

The handle of the walking stick may also be of a different shape to that shown. For example it may be of the conventional hook shape, or similar to a crutch.

Alternatively, the device can be supplied as an "aftermarket" device for attaching to a conventional walking stick.

The device may also be used as a chair arm or a grab handle by changing the shape of the housing 12 of the device 10 to that more commonly associated with a grab handle or a chair arm.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device to assist a person experiencing a bout of rigidity of movement to overcome such rigidity, the device comprising a housing, and vibrating or oscillating means for transmitting a vibration to the housing.
2. A device according to claim 1, in which the vibrating or oscillating means vibrates or oscillates a pulsed rhythm which is transmitted to the housing.
A device according to claim 2, in which the pulse or rhythm is controlled by a control unit such as an electronic circuit, sensors and stimulators.
4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the activation of the vibrating or oscillating means is by a switch, dial, a timer or by remote control.
A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which activation of the vibrating or oscillating means is a pressure sensitive switch.
A device according to claim 5, in which the pressure sensitive switch is provided in the housing of the device.
7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the unit is remotely controlled.
A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the vibration or oscillation is provided by vibrating motor, such as one with an off-balanced drive shaft, an eccentric rotating mass vibrating motor, a brushless vibration motor, a pancake vibration motor, a linear resonant actuator or printed circuit board (PCB)-mounted vibration motor mounted within the housing.
9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the vibrating means is a high amplitude vibrating motor.
10. A device according to claim 9, in which the high amplitude vibrating motor is an eccentric rotating mass vibrating motor.
11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit, is an electronic controller which controls the actuation of the vibrating motor to provide a definite pulse or rhythm.
12. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the device is powered by an internal or external power source, such as a battery, a dynamo, or mains powered depending on the intended application of the device.
13. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, which is incorporated into or attachable to a walking stick, grab rail, chair arm, or a bannister rail.