JP2001299839A - Walk training device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a walk training device for enabling the walk training of a patient or an aged person under care or the like incapable of standing and walking by himself/herself or having difficulty to do so by utilizing the buoyancy of the solution of high specific gravity such as the salt water of a high salt density or seawater. SOLUTION: This walk training device is provided with a bathtub 1 storing the solution A of the high specific gravity such as the salt water of the high salt density or the seawater where the patient P can bathe in a standing posture, a walking exercise device 2 installed inside the bathtub 1 and a holder 4 for holding the lower leg of the patient P in a linked state to the walking exercise device 2. The patient P bathing in the bathtub 1 performs the walking training by the walking exercise device 2 while receiving large buoyancy by the solution A in the standing posture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a walking training device suitable for walking training of a physically handicapped person, a nursing elderly person, or a patient who has difficulty standing up or walking due to a disease.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Underwater walking in a pool or the like can reduce the influence of weight, increase muscle strength and improve physical function without directly applying a burden to the knees and lower back, and thus, exercise therapy for adult diseases or post-operative treatment. It is said to be effective for rehabilitation in

In order to enable such underwater walking in a small space, a walking device in which a foot exerciser, a cycle device, an automatic walking exerciser, and the like are installed in a bathtub for storing water or hot water is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-1998. No. 52514 and Utility Model Registration No. 3067141.

[0004]

However, the above-mentioned walking device can be used for a person who can stand up by himself / herself and perform walking training due to the promotion of health and muscular strength of a healthy person, or a slight disability. There is an inconvenience that it cannot be used for physically disabled persons or elderly nursing people who cannot stand or walk, or who have a disease in which joints and muscles are severely painful due to rheumatism or arthritis and walking training by themselves is difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and focuses on the fact that a solution having a high specific gravity, such as salt water or seawater having a high salt concentration, has a large buoyancy, and utilizes this buoyancy. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a walking training device that enables walking training for a patient or a nursing elderly who cannot stand or walk on his or her own.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a walking training device according to the present invention stores a solution having a high specific gravity such as salt water or sea water having a high salt concentration and takes a bath in a standing posture of a patient. A bathtub, a walking locomotion device installed in the bathtub, and a holder for holding the patient's lower limb in an interlocked state with the walking locomotion device, wherein the patient bathed in the bathtub is in a standing posture. It is characterized in that walking exercise can be performed by the walking exerciser while receiving large buoyancy by the solution.

The saturation of water-soluble salt (Nacl) is 30
It is about 26.5% by weight at 40C to 40C. On the other hand, the specific gravity of the human body is approximately 1.0. Therefore, when salt water or seawater having a specific gravity of 1.1 to 1.25 is used as the high specific gravity solution, the patient who enters the bathtub receives a greater buoyancy as the patient rises above the solution surface. Therefore, if the lower limb, for example, the foot of the patient is held in advance by the holding device in an interlocked state with the walking locomotion device, it becomes possible to apply a large buoyancy to the patient in the standing posture state, and the patient can take a knee or lower back. The walking training using the walking locomotion device can be performed without imposing a burden on the user. At this time, in order to apply as much buoyancy to the patient as possible, the liquid level of the solution stored in the bathtub is adjusted to a part below the neck where only the head of the patient who bathed in the bathtub in a standing posture protrudes above the liquid level. It is desirable to have reached. In addition, in order to keep the patient in a stable standing posture, it is desirable to provide a handle on the upper part of the bathtub for holding the patient. The patient can also stabilize his / her posture by holding on to the handrail provided along the upper edge of the front side wall or both side walls of the bathtub.

[0008] An air bubble generator is arranged at the bottom of the bathtub. It is preferable that the bubble generating device is divided into a plurality of sections and the amount of generated bubbles can be adjusted for each section. When a large amount of air bubbles ejected from the air bubble generation device are mixed into the solution, the specific gravity is locally reduced only in the region including the air bubbles, so that the local buoyancy can be adjusted by changing the site where the air bubbles are generated. It can be used to adjust the posture when the patient who takes a bath in the bathtub cannot take a correct standing posture due to muscle contraction or stiffness. There is also a massage effect due to the generated bubbles.

[0009] More preferably, the handle and the walking exercising device are mounted so as to be able to be inverted from the bathtub to the rear lower side of the bathtub, while the rear wall of the bathtub is omitted so that the patient can enter and leave the bathtub. An opening is formed, and on the day, a door that can be opened and closed to close the opening in a sealed manner is provided, and in a state where the door is opened, the driver sits on a wheelchair moved to the rear side of the bathtub. The patient is holding on to the handle which has been inverted and moved downward and rearward of the bathtub, and the handle and the walking exerciser move into the bathtub with the walking exerciser holding the lower limb. Thereby, the patient can enter the bathtub from the wheelchair in an upright posture. With such a configuration, walking training can be easily performed even by a disabled person using a wheelchair or a patient who cannot walk.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of a walking training device according to the present invention. A patient P who stands in a walking training, stores a high specific gravity solution A such as salt water or sea water having a high salt concentration. The bathtub 1 includes a bathtub 1 that can take a bath in a posture, a walking exerciser 2 installed at a lower part in the bathtub 1, and a handle 5 provided at an upper front of the bathtub 1 for holding a patient P. The walking exerciser 2 is a cycle device having a bicycle-type pedal 3 in the illustrated example, and the pedal 3 is provided with a holding belt 4 for restraining the foot of the patient P and holding it in an interlocked state with the pedal 3. I have. The pedal 3 can be switched between a state in which the pedal 3 is forcibly driven to rotate and a state in which a rotational braking force is applied by a motor generator 20 (see FIG. 7) described later. In addition, the walking exerciser 2 is not limited to the illustrated cycle device, and various exercisers such as a stepping exerciser and an automatic walking exerciser can be adopted.

The salt water or seawater stored in the bathtub 1 is set to have a specific gravity of 1.1 to 1.25 by increasing the salt concentration.
In this solution A, as shown in FIG. 1, the patient P takes a bath with only the head protruding above the liquid surface, and performs walking training.
At this time, assuming that the specific gravity of the solution is 1.2 and the weight W of the patient P is 60 kg, the specific gravity of the human body is about 1.0. Therefore, it is assumed that the weight of the head protruding above the liquid surface is 5 kg. And (60
-5) × 1.2 = 66 kg of buoyancy F is received.

Normally, when the human body is subjected to such a large buoyancy F, the human body rises above the liquid level. However, since the patient P is held on the pedals 3 via the holding belts 4 as shown in FIG. The standing posture can be maintained while receiving the buoyancy F in the bathtub 1. At this time, since the buoyancy F is larger than the weight W, the buoyancy F acts on the patient P in the bathtub 1 as a traction force for lifting the body, and the patient P has weight W on his knees and hips.
Walking training can be performed without imposing a burden on the user. Therefore, it is easy for even a physically handicapped person who cannot stand or walk on their own or who has difficulty in walking, or a elderly person or a patient with rheumatism or arthritis who has severe pain in joints and muscles and is unable to walk on their own, and We can do walking training effectively.

Further, in the walking training device according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, a bubble generator 10 is disposed at the bottom in the bathtub 1. The bubble generator 10 is provided to locally adjust the buoyancy F, but also has a massage effect on the patient P. The bubble generation device 10 includes four front and rear, left and right bubble generation regions 11 to 14 in plan view.
, And the configuration is such that the amount of generated bubbles can be adjusted for each of the sections 11 to 14. FIG.
Bubble generating area 11, 1 arranged at the front or rear of bathtub 1
FIG. 5 shows a state in which bubbles are generated by activating bubbles 2, 13, and 14, and FIG. 5 shows a state in which bubbles are generated by activating bubble generation areas 11, 13 or 12, 14 disposed on the left or right side of bathtub 1. FIG.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 (a), when only the bubble generating areas 13 and 14 arranged at the rear are operated to generate bubbles and a large amount of bubbles are turbid in the solution A, Liquid area A1 containing a large amount (about 20%) of air bubbles
2 (see FIG. 2), the specific gravity locally decreases, and the solution behind the center line 0-0 passing through the rotation axis 6 of the pedal 3 becomes lighter than the solution before the patient P. As a result, the patient P moves as shown by the arrow 15 Attempts to sink backwards. In addition, a water flow is generated in the direction indicated by the arrow 16 by the air bubbles generated from the air bubble generation blocks 13 and 14 at the rear. However, since the water flow does not occur before the center line 0-0, the water flow is generated according to Bernoulli's law. The patient P standing upright on 0 is drawn backward as shown by the arrow 17.

FIG. 4B shows a state in which only the bubble generating areas 11 and 12 arranged at the front are operated to generate bubbles and the buoyancy is locally adjusted. FIG. 6 (a)
Is a bubble generation area 11, 1 on the left side when viewed from the front of the bathtub 1.
3 shows a state in which only 3 is operated to generate bubbles and locally adjust the buoyancy. Further, FIG. 6 (b) shows the bathtub 1
3 shows a state in which only the right bubble generation areas 12 and 14 are operated to generate bubbles and the buoyancy is locally adjusted.

If the buoyancy and the water flow of the solution are locally adjusted by the generation of such bubbles, the patient P may not be able to take a correct standing posture in the bathtub 1 due to atrophy or stiffness of muscles. It is effective for adjusting the posture.
In addition, a massage effect by bubbles can be expected.

Further, in the walking training apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, the rotating shaft 6 supporting the pedal 3 of the walking exerciser 2 is installed outside the bathtub 1 via the transmission belt mechanism 7. A state in which the pedals 3 are forcibly driven to rotate by the motor generator 20 in an interlocking relationship with the motor generator 20;
It is configured to be able to switch to a state in which a rotational braking force is applied to the pedal 3. The motor generator 20 can be switched between an electric motor and a generator by a switch 21. Reference numeral 22 denotes a variable power supply when used as an electric motor, and reference numeral 23 denotes a variable resistor that adjusts a load when used as a generator.

The patient P having entered the bathtub 1 is a solution A having a high specific gravity.
When the walking exerciser 2 performs walking training while receiving a larger buoyancy F, if the patient P is unable to walk or has difficulty walking, the motor generator 20 is first switched to an electric motor,
The walking exerciser 2 is forcibly operated by the rotational driving force, and the lower leg of the patient P held by the pedal 3 is passively moved. At this time, since the weight is hardly applied to the knees and waist of the patient P due to the buoyancy F due to the solution A, even a nursing elderly person or a physically handicapped person whose leg joints are stiff can easily perform walking training. It is also effective as an exercise therapy for affected areas such as arthritis and rheumatism, such as knees, ankles, and hips, which are severely painful due to pressurization.

When the physical function is improved by such passive walking training, the variable power source 22 is adjusted to gradually reduce the rotational driving force as the electric motor, thereby enhancing the walking function by itself. To do. Then, when the walking function of the patient P is further improved, the motor generator 20 is switched to the generator, and a braking state is set in which the patient P does not operate unless the pedal 3 rotates by itself. In the final stage, the variable resistor 23 is adjusted to gradually increase the rotational braking force (load) for rotating the generator, and the walking function is performed so that the patient P can obtain a leg force capable of walking on its own. Walk training to enhance and restore leg strength and sensation that does not hinder general life.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an embodiment in which the gait training apparatus of the present invention is configured to be easily used by a patient P sitting on a wheelchair 40. FIG.

The bathtub 1 has an opening 8 through which the patient P, the pedal 3 of the walking exerciser 2 and the handle 5 can enter and leave by removing the rear side wall.
And a door 9 for closing the opening 8 in a sealed manner.
Are provided to be freely opened and closed. On the other hand, a tank 25 for storing the high specific gravity solution A stored in the bathtub 1 and a processing unit 26 for filtering, sterilizing and heating the solution A are installed outside the bathtub 1. It is connected to the processing unit 26 and the tank 25 via the pipe 27 for use, and to the tank 25 via the pump 28.

A support shaft 31 is fixed to a bracket 30 fixedly projecting from the upper end of the transmission belt mechanism 7 of the walking exercise device 2 so as to protrude in the lateral direction. The support shaft 31 is supported by bearings 32 (see FIG. 10) provided at the upper ends of both side walls of the bathtub 1.
An operating arm 33 fixed to the protruding end is linked to a hydraulic cylinder 35 via a link 34. The hydraulic cylinder 35 is attached to an outer wall of the bathtub 1. On the other hand, support arms 36 continuously provided on both sides of the handle 5 extend along the outer surfaces of both side walls of the bathtub 1, and laterally extending pivot shafts 37 projecting from the ends thereof are fixed to the outer wall of the bathtub 1. An operating arm 39 supported by the bearing plate 38 and fixed to the pivot shaft 37 is interlocked with the hydraulic cylinder 35.

Before use, the solution A is previously stored in the tank 25.
The opening 9 is opened by opening the door 9 of the empty bathtub 1. Next, the hydraulic cylinder 35 is operated,
As shown by a virtual line, the pedal 3 and the handle 5 of the walking exercise device 2 are reversed from the opening 8 to the rear lower side. In this state,
The patient P sitting on the wheelchair 40 is moved to the vicinity of the opening 8, the foot of the patient P is put on the pedal 3 and the holding belt 4
Fix with. Then, the handle P is firmly grasped by the patient P. Subsequently, while raising the backrest 41 of the wheelchair 40 to the upright position, the hydraulic cylinder 35 is operated to move the walking exercising device 2 into the bathtub 1 and, at the same time, the handle 5 is inverted and moved to the upper front of the bathtub 1. Then, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 9, the patient P enters the bathtub 1 in an upright posture. Then, after the door 9 is closed and the opening 8 is closed in a sealed manner, the solution A in the tank 25 is supplied to the bathtub 1 by the pump 28 until the solution reaches the lower part of the neck of the patient P. In this state, the patient P receives a larger buoyancy F due to the solution A as described above.
Walk training while receiving training. To transfer the patient P to the wheelchair 40 after the walking training is completed, the operation in the reverse order of the bathing operation described above may be performed.

It is also possible to monitor the physical condition of the patient during training by connecting measuring devices such as a sphygmomanometer and an electrocardiogram to the above-described walking training device according to the present invention.

In the above embodiment, salt water or seawater having a high salt concentration was used as the high specific gravity solution A. However, any solution having a specific gravity of 1.1 or more and having no adverse effect on the human body can be used. is there.

[0027]

As described above, the walking training device of the present invention utilizes the large buoyancy of a solution having a high specific gravity, such as salt water or sea water having a high salt concentration, to reduce the burden on the knees and waist due to the weight. It has made it possible to perform walking training for patients and elderly people who cannot stand or walk on their own or who have difficulty walking.

Further, if the walking training device of the present invention is used,
Walking training can be easily performed even by a disabled person using a wheelchair or a patient who cannot walk.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a basic configuration of a walking training device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the walking training device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a bubble generation state of the walking training device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a bubble generation area of the bubble generation device.

FIG. 5 is another schematic perspective view showing a bubble generation state of the walking training device.

FIG. 6 is another schematic plan view showing a bubble generation area of the bubble generation device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a forced drive and forced braking mechanism of the walking training device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the walking training apparatus of the present invention is configured to be used by a patient sitting on a wheelchair.

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional side view showing the operating state.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a support structure of a transmission belt mechanism of the walking exercise device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bathtub 2 Walking exerciser 3 Pedal 4 Holding belt 5 Handle 6 Rotation axis of pedal 3 7 Transmission belt mechanism 8 Opening 9 Door 10 Bubble generator 11-14 Bubble generation area 20 Motor generator 21 Switch 22 Variable power supply 23 Variable Resistor

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A bathtub that stores a solution having a high specific gravity such as salt water or seawater having a high salt concentration and allows a patient to take a bath in an upright posture, a walking exerciser installed in the bathtub, and the walking exercise. A container for holding the lower limb of the patient in an interlocked state, wherein the patient who has taken a bath in the bath tub can receive a large buoyancy by the solution in an upright posture while being trained to walk with the walking locomotion device. A walking training device characterized by being performed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high specific gravity solution is 1.1 to 1.25.
The walking training device according to claim 1, having a specific gravity of: 3. The walking training device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid level of the solution stored in the bathtub reaches a part below the neck of the patient who bathed in the bathtub in an upright posture. 4. The walking training device according to claim 1, wherein the walking exerciser is configured to be able to be forcibly driven and forcibly braked by a driving device provided outside the bathtub. 5. The walking training device according to claim 1, wherein a handle for holding the patient is provided above the bathtub. 6. The handle and the walking locomotion device are mounted so as to be able to be inverted from the bathtub to the rear lower side of the bathtub, while the rear wall of the bathtub is omitted so that the patient can enter and leave the bathtub. Is formed, and an openable / closable door for closing the opening portion in a sealed manner is provided, and in a state where the door is opened, the user is seated on a wheelchair moved to the rear side of the bathtub. The patient is grasped by the handle which has been inverted and moved downward and rearward of the bathtub, and the handle and the walking exerciser are moved into the bathtub with the walking exerciser holding the lower limb. The walking training device according to claim 5, wherein the walking training device is configured to allow the patient to enter the bathtub in a standing posture from a wheelchair. 7. The walking training device according to claim 1, wherein an air bubble generator is arranged at a bottom of the bathtub. 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bubble generator is divided into a plurality of sections in the bathtub, and the amount of generated bubbles is adjustable for each section. 7. The walking training device according to 7.