JP2019198576A - Training device and finger brace - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a training device suitable for training of an object gripping operation.SOLUTION: A training device 2 includes a finger brace 20, a beam 7 and an actuator 40. The finger brace 20 is configured so as to restrict four fingers except for the thumb of the hand TH of a subject and to be bendable in the bending direction of the four fingers. The one end of the beam 7 is connected to a base 3 so as to be rotatable coaxially with a rotary shaft around the dorsal flexion/palmar flexion of the wrist of an arm placed on the training device 2. The other end of the beam 7 is connected to a base part of the finger brace 20. The actuator 40 bends the finger brace 20 and at the same time, rotates the beam 7 (finger brace 20) in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand. The training device 2 bends the four fingers except for the thumb and at the same time, makes the hand TH be subjected to dorsal flexion. The training device 2 interlocks the bending of the four fingers except for the thumb with the dorsal flexion of the hand, and thereby can simulate movement close to the operation of gripping an object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a training apparatus and a finger brace. In particular, the present invention relates to a training apparatus for grasping a hand and a finger brace suitable for such a training apparatus.

  Movement of hands may become inconvenient due to cerebrovascular disorders. For example, Patent Literatures 1-7 disclose a training device (rehabilitation device) for training hand movements. The training apparatus of patent documents 1-6 is an apparatus which trains the operation | movement which bends fingers other than a thumb, with fixing a wrist. The training device of Patent Literature 7 trains the operation of bending fingers other than the thumb and the operation of bending the wrist. However, the finger bending motion training and the wrist bending motion training are performed independently.

JP 2010-017349 A JP 2013-017718 A JP 2012-249664 A JP 2010-284451 A JP 2012-016497 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-096892 JP 2006-097295 A

  As a result of investigations by the inventors, it has been found that there are many requests not only to make the finger move smoothly but also to regain the function of grasping an object. In order to grasp an object, bending of the finger is essential, but generally, in the grasping operation, bending of the finger and rotation of the wrist are often linked. Therefore, there is room for improvement in a conventional training apparatus that trains only finger bending alone. The present specification provides a training apparatus suitable for training a person's grasping motion. This specification also provides a finger brace and training device suitable for finger flexion training.

  The training device disclosed in this specification includes a finger brace, a beam, and an actuator. The finger orthosis is configured to restrain four fingers other than the thumb of the subject's hand and bendable in the bending direction of the four fingers. One end of the beam is connected to the base so that it can rotate coaxially with the rotation axis around the dorsiflexion / palmporation of the wrist of the arm placed on the training device. The base is a member that supports many parts of the training apparatus. The other end of the beam is connected to the base of the finger brace. The actuator bends the finger brace and simultaneously rotates the beam in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand. This training apparatus can bend the hand at the same time that the four fingers other than the thumb are bent. The training device disclosed in this specification is effective in restoring the object gripping function by simulating a movement close to the action of gripping an object by linking the flexion of the four fingers excluding the thumb and the dorsiflexion of the hand. Training can be provided to the subject.

  One of the features of the training device disclosed in the present specification is that a rotational force is applied to the wrist by rotating the entire finger brace that restrains the four fingers in the dorsiflexion direction of the wrist. The wrist joint is moved by applying a force in the wrist dorsiflexion direction to a finger relatively far from the wrist. Generally, when a person moves, the position of the rotating joint itself moves. That is, the rotation center of the joint moves. In a mechanism that constrains the vicinity of the wrist and rotates the wrist, the subject feels uncomfortable when the drive shaft of the mechanism and the center of rotation of the wrist joint shift. By rotating the wrist by moving the entire finger brace that restrains the four fingers, the wrist has room to move relatively freely, and there is a sense of incongruity about the difference between the rotation center of the mechanism and the rotation center of the wrist joint. Can be reduced.

  One aspect of the finger brace includes a pair of multi-link mechanisms and a plurality of first elastic bands and second elastic bands. Each of the pair of multi-link mechanisms is located on both sides of the four fingers. The multi-link mechanism is configured to extend in the longitudinal direction of the four fingers and bendable in the bending direction of the four fingers. The first elastic band is suspended below the pair of multi-link mechanisms. The second elastic band is stretched over the pair of multi-link mechanisms. Four fingers are inserted and restrained between the lower first elastic band and the upper second elastic band.

  The training device disclosed in this specification may include a thumb joint bending mechanism that presses the thumb and bends the thumb CM joint when the hand is bent back. In the operation of grasping an object, not only the wrist but also the thumb is often linked. In particular, when grasping, the CM joint of the thumb is bent in the palm direction. The thumb joint bending mechanism uses the wrist dorsiflexion operation and flexes the thumb CM joint in accordance with the bending of four fingers other than the thumb without using a dedicated actuator. By providing the thumb joint bending mechanism, an operation closer to the actual gripping operation can be further simulated.

  One embodiment of the thumb joint bending mechanism includes a thumb brace that can be attached to the thumb ball of the hand, a rod that is fixed to the base and extends in the longitudinal direction of the four fingers in a straightly extending state, A slider connected to the bar is provided. The slider is connected to the rod so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the rod and rotatable about the longitudinal axis. The slider is connected to the thumb orthosis. The slider connected to the thumb orthosis rotates while sliding with respect to the bar when the wrist joint is bent back. During the gripping operation, if the wrist joint is bent back, the position of the thumb ball also moves. The slider always follows the position of the thumb ball by sliding. Further, the slider rotates with respect to the stick while pressing the thumb, thereby pushing the thumb ball in the palm direction to promote bending of the CM joint. This thumb joint bending mechanism can move the thumb CM joint without the need for a dedicated actuator. Further, this thumb joint bending mechanism can simulate a more natural gripping operation by bending the thumb CM joint in conjunction with the bending of the four fingers and the dorsiflexion of the wrist. Since the slider and the thumb brace are connected, when the hand returns from the dorsiflexed state to the original state, the slider pulls the thumb outward and the thumb returns to the original state.

  The slider and thumb support may be detachably connected with a snap button. The thumb orthosis may be attached to the thumb ball portion of a glove to be worn on the hand. Further, the thumb joint bending mechanism is preferably attachable to the right side and the left side of the hand. This is because it can be applied to both the left and right hands.

  One aspect of the actuator of the training device disclosed in the present specification includes a pair of a first wire, a second wire, a first drum, a second drum, and a motor. Each first wire extends along the upper side (extension side) and the lower side (bending side) of the finger brace. When the lower first wire is pulled and the upper first wire is loosened, the finger brace is bent. When the upper first wire is pulled and the lower first wire is loosened, the multi-link mechanism extends. The second wire is coupled to the beam or finger brace so as to rotate the beam coupled to the finger brace. The first wire is wound around the first drum, and the second wire is wound around the second drum. The first drum and the second drum are arranged coaxially. The motor rotates the first drum and the second drum simultaneously. The diameter of the second drum is different from the diameter of the first drum. This actuator can simultaneously perform bending / extension of the finger brace and rotation of the beam with a single motor. Also, by changing the diameter of the drum, it is possible to make the bending speed of the finger brace different from the rotation speed of the beam. That is, the speed of bending four fingers and the speed of wrist dorsiflexion in training can be adjusted by the diameter of the drum.

  The training device disclosed in the present specification may further include an elastic body that is gripped by the hand when the four fingers of the hand are bent. When a finger is bent and touches the elastic body, the subject feels pressure from the elastic body (object to be grasped). According to the study by the inventors, it was found that by causing the finger to feel pressure when the finger is bent, the flexor muscle of the arm related to the bending of the finger is stimulated to excite myoelectricity. This means that the subject's motor learning is stimulated. That is, when a finger is bent, a feeling of an operation of gripping an object is fed back to the subject by applying pressure from the gripping object (elastic body) to the finger. More effective training (rehabilitation) can be performed by invoking sensory feedback when simulating a gripping action.

  According to the study by the inventors, the above-described finger brace (finger brace equipped with a multi-link mechanism and an elastic band) is well adapted to a bent finger. The multi-link mechanism of the finger brace may include more links than the number of human finger bones (ie, 3). That is, the multi-link mechanism may include four or more links (small pieces). Specifically, the multi-link mechanism has a structure in which four or more links are connected in a row, and adjacent links are connected so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis facing the finger bending axis direction. Good. Such a finger brace having a multi-link mechanism is less uncomfortable to the subject even when the finger rotation axis and the mechanical rotation axis are deviated when the finger is bent. On the other hand, the mechanical multi-link mechanism can firmly support the finger as compared with a glove-type finger orthosis made of cloth or flexible resin.

  Therefore, the finger flexion training apparatus using the above-described finger brace is also superior to the conventional training apparatus. The finger bending training device only needs to include the above-described finger brace, a base that supports the finger brace, and an actuator that bends the finger brace. Such a training device firmly supports the finger and has less uncomfortable feeling to the subject when the finger is bent.

  A finger brace that does not have an upper second elastic band and does not restrain four fingers can also achieve the following effects. In other words, if the finger brace is a multi-link mechanism composed of four or more links, there is little effect on the subject when the finger is bent even if the joint rotation axis of the finger and the mechanical rotation axis are shifted. Play. In addition, by providing an elastic body, a sense of an operation of gripping an object is fed back to the subject by applying pressure from the object to be grasped (elastic body) through the lower first elastic band.

  Details and further improvements of the technology disclosed in this specification will be described in the following “DETAILED DESCRIPTION”.

It is an external view of the training apparatus of 1st Example (completion drawing). It is an external view of the training apparatus of 1st Example (exploded view). It is a perspective view of the front-end | tip part of a finger brace. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a multilink mechanism (1). It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a multilink mechanism (2). It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a multilink mechanism (3). It is a figure which shows the cooperation operation | movement of bending and rotation of a finger brace (finger brace extension state). It is a figure which shows the cooperation operation | movement of the bending | flexion and rotation of a finger orthosis (finger orthosis bending state). It is an enlarged view of a thumb joint bending mechanism part. It is the figure which showed the glove | glove to be mounted | worn with a test subject's hand, the thumb-fitting which is mounted | worn with the thumb ball part of a glove | globe, and the slider 33 of a thumb joint bending mechanism. It is a figure explaining the movement of a thumb joint bending mechanism (four finger extension state). FIG. 8A is a rear view, and FIG. 8B is a side view. It is a figure explaining the movement of a thumb joint bending mechanism (four-finger bending state). FIG. 9A is a rear view, and FIG. 9B is a side view. It is a side view which shows the mode of the grip training using an elastic body. It is a time series graph of myoelectric potential when elastic body is present / absent. FIG. 11A is a graph of myoelectric potential when an elastic body is gripped, and FIG. 11B is a graph of myoelectric potential without an elastic body. It is a side view of the training apparatus of 2nd Example (finger orthosis extended state). It is a side view of the training apparatus of 2nd Example (finger orthosis bending state).

  (First Embodiment) A training apparatus 2 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The training apparatus 2 is a device for performing training (rehabilitation) of a subject's object gripping motion. FIG. 1 shows an external view (completed view) of the training apparatus 2, and FIG. 2 shows an external view (disassembled perspective view) of the training apparatus 2. 1 and 2 also show the subject's forearm TA and hand TH.

  For convenience of explanation, when the subject's forearm TA and hand TH are set in the training apparatus 2 in a straight line, the extending direction of the finger is defined as “front”, and the direction in which the back of the hand TH faces is “up” The direction perpendicular to both the front axis and the upper axis is defined as “horizontal”.

  The training device 2 includes a base 3, a finger brace 20 attached to four fingers other than the thumb of the subject, a beam 7 that supports the finger brace 20, an actuator 40, and a thumb joint bending mechanism 30. Hereinafter, “four fingers” means fingers other than the thumb.

  The base 3 is a foundation that supports the entire parts of the training device 2. The base 3 may be rephrased as a base plate. A forearm support portion 4 that supports the subject's forearm TA is fixed to the base 3. The subject's forearm TA is merely placed on the forearm support 4 and is not restrained.

  The finger brace 20 is supported on the base 3 via a beam 7 described later. The beam 7 is rotatably connected to the base 3. That is, the finger brace 20 can also rotate with respect to the base 3. The finger brace 20 includes a pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b and a plurality of elastic bands 22a and 22b. The pair of multi-link mechanisms 21 a and 21 b are located on both sides of the four fingers of the arm placed on the base 3 and extend along the extending direction of the four fingers. The multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b have a structure in which a plurality of small pieces 23 are connected in a row. In FIGS. 1 and 2, only some of the small pieces are denoted by reference numeral 23, and the remaining small pieces are omitted. “Kokoma” corresponds to “link” of “link mechanism”. That is, “kokoma” can be rephrased as “link”.

  The multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b can be bent in the same direction as the bending direction of the subject's four fingers. The movable range of the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b is substantially the same as the movable range of the four-finger bend.

  From here, the finger brace 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4A to 4C together with FIGS. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the distal end portion of the finger orthosis 20. 4A to 4C are side views showing the operation of the multi-link mechanism 21a. 4A to 4C show a part of the multi-link mechanism 21a.

  A plurality of elastic bands 22a and 22b are spanned between the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b (see FIG. 3). The elastic bands 22a and 22b are made of, for example, hard rubber. The plurality of elastic bands 22a are attached to the lower side (bending side) of each piece 23 of the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b. The plurality of elastic bands 22b are attached to the upper side (extension side) of each piece 23 of the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b. Four fingers excluding the thumb of the subject are inserted between the upper elastic band 22b and the lower elastic band 22a. In other words, the plurality of elastic bands 22a and 22b restrain the subject's four fingers. Due to the restraint by the elastic bands 22a and 22b, the four fingers excluding the thumb can be guided by the operations of the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b to perform the bending operation and the dorsiflexion operation.

  As described above, the multi-link mechanism 21a has a structure in which a plurality of small pieces 23 are connected in a row. The adjacent small pieces 23 are connected so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 23a facing in the lateral direction (direction of the finger bending axis). The small pieces 23 other than the small piece 23 on the base side of the finger brace 20 can rotate about the rotation shaft 23a. A plurality of small pieces 23 are penetrated by a pair of first wires 24a and 24b. The first wires 24a and 24b are drawn only in FIGS. 4A to 4C, and are not shown in FIGS.

  One first wire 24 a passes through the upper side of the small piece 23, and the other first wire 24 b passes through the lower side of the small piece 23. One end of the pair of first wires 24a and 24b is fixed to the small piece 23 at the tip of the multi-link mechanism 21a. The other ends of the pair of first wires 24a and 24b are wound around a first drum 41 described later. When the first drum 41 rotates forward, the upper first wire 24a is loosened and the lower first wire 24b is pulled. As a result, the two small pieces 23 on the right side in the drawing rotate right (see FIGS. 4B and 4C), and the entire multi-link mechanism 21a is bent. When the first drum 41 rotates in the reverse direction, the upper first wire 24a is pulled, and the lower first wire 24b is loosened. As a result, the two small pieces 23 on the right side in FIG. 4C and the small piece 23 on the right end in FIG. 4B rotate counterclockwise, and the entire multi-link mechanism 21a extends to return to the original linear state. Thus, the multi-link mechanism 21a can be bent / extended by the pair of first wires 24a and 24b. The multi-link mechanism 21b operates similarly.

  Returning to the description of the finger brace 20 shown in FIGS. The finger brace 20 is rotatably supported by the base 3 via a pair of beams 7. Each beam 7 corresponds to each of the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b and is located on both sides of the subject's palm. One end of the pair of beams 7 is connected to the base 3 so as to be rotatable coaxially with the rotation axis of the dorsiflexion / palmflexion of the wrist of the subject placed on the base 3. For convenience of explanation, the rotation axis of the beam 7 is referred to as a wrist shaft 11. The “wrist axis 11” is illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B referred to later. The wrist axis 11 is a rotation axis provided on the base 3 so as to be coaxial with the rotation axis of the subject's wrist dorsiflexion / palmflexion. The wrist shaft 11 extends in the horizontal axis direction of the coordinate system in the drawing.

  The other end of the beam 7 is connected to a base portion 20a of the finger brace 20 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). When the beam 7 rotates, the entire finger orthosis 20 rotates in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand TH. In other words, the entirety of the finger brace 20 is flipped up by the beam 7 about the subject's wrist as a rotation axis upward (in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand). Since the finger orthosis 20 restrains four fingers excluding the thumb, when the finger orthosis 20 is flipped upward, the entire hand TH of the subject is dorsiflexed. In addition, the movable range of the beam 7 is restricted so that the finger brace 20 stops at a horizontal position.

  The actuator 40 can rotate the entire finger brace 20 simultaneously with bending the finger brace 20 (multi-link mechanisms 21a, 21b). The power unit of the actuator 40 is a single motor 44. A first drum 41 and a second drum 42 are coaxially connected to the output shaft 43 of the motor 44. The diameter of the first drum 41 is different from the diameter of the second drum 42. Two first drums 41 are provided and are located on both sides of the wrist of the subject so as to correspond to each of the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b. Two second drums 42 are also provided, each positioned next to the first drum 41.

  As described above, the first drum 41 is wound with the first wires 24a and 24b for bending / extending the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b. A second wire 8 that rotates the beam 7 is wound around the second drum 42. The second wire 8 extends from above toward the base 20a of the finger brace 20 via the pulley 9a of the guide 9 and the pulleys 10a and 10b of the guide 10 fixed to the base 3. The second wire 8 is connected to the base 20 a of the finger brace 20. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the second wire 8 is not shown. The second wire 8 is illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B described later. When the second drum 42 rotates, the second wire 8 is pulled upward, the beam 7 rotates, and the entire finger orthosis 20 rotates around the wrist shaft 11.

  When the motor 44 rotates, the first drum 41 and the second drum 42 rotate simultaneously. Therefore, at the same time as the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b are bent, the entire finger brace 20 rotates around the wrist shaft 11 (rotates in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand TH). With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the cooperative operation of bending and rotating the finger brace 20 by the actuator 40 will be described.

  FIG. 5A shows a state in which the finger orthosis 20 (multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b) is straight. When the motor 44 (not shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B) rotates forward from the state of FIG. 5A, the first drum 41 and the second drum 42 rotate. An arrow A shown in FIG. 5B indicates the forward rotation direction. When the first drum 41 rotates forward, the upper first wire 24a wound around the first drum 41 is loosened, and the lower first wire 24b is pulled. An arrow B in FIG. 5B indicates the moving direction of the first wires 24a and 24b. As a result, the finger orthosis 20 (multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b) bends (arrow C in FIG. 5B). At the same time, since the second drum 42 rotates forward, the second wire 8 wound around the second drum 42 is pulled, and the beam 7 is flipped up. An arrow D in FIG. 5B indicates the moving direction of the second wire 8. As a result, the entire finger brace 20 rotates in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand TH. An arrow E in FIG. 5B indicates the entire rotation of the finger brace 20.

  As described above, the actuator 40 can bend the finger brace 20 by one motor 44 (not shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B) and simultaneously rotate the finger brace 20 in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand TH. . When the motor 44 is rotated in the reverse direction, the bent finger brace 20 extends and at the same time, the dorsal finger brace 20 rotates in the horizontal direction.

  As described above, each of the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b of the finger brace 20 has a structure in which a plurality of small pieces 23 are connected in a row. The adjacent small pieces 23 are coupled so as to be rotatable in the finger bending direction about a rotation shaft 23a extending in the lateral direction. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the multi-link mechanism 21a is composed of eight small pieces 23 (excluding the small pieces 23 fixed to the base 20a). Similarly, the other multi-link mechanism 21a is composed of eight small pieces 23 (excluding the small pieces 23 fixed to the base portion 20a). That is, the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b are 8-link mechanisms. On the other hand, a human finger is a three-link mechanism composed of three bones (base phalanx, middle phalanx, and distal phalanx) and three joints (MP joint, PIP joint, and DIP joint). The finger brace 20 provided with links (small pieces) larger than the number of finger bones is well adapted to the finger to bend. This is due to the following reason.

  That is, if the same number of link mechanisms as the number of finger bones are employed, the mechanical joints have a one-to-one correspondence with the respective joints of the fingers. Then, when the finger is bent, even if the finger joint rotation axis is slightly displaced from the mechanical joint rotation axis, an unnatural force acts on the finger from the finger brace. This unnatural power makes the subject feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, since the number of links is greater than the number of finger bones, the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b bend more smoothly than fingers, so that even when the joint rotation axis of the finger deviates from the mechanical joint rotation axis, it follows the flexing finger well. To do. Therefore, an unnatural force is not generated from the multi-link mechanism to the finger, and the subject does not feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b can support four fingers far more firmly than a glove made of cloth or flexible resin. The multi-link mechanism only needs to include more links (small pieces) than the number of finger bones (that is, three). That is, if the multi-link mechanism is provided with four or more links (small pieces), there is little discomfort given to the subject when the finger is bent.

  Returning to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 of the training apparatus 2 will be described. The thumb joint bending mechanism 30 is disposed beside the thumb of the subject's hand TH placed on the base 3. The thumb joint bending mechanism 30 presses the thumb from the outside when the subject's hand TH is bent back, and bends the thumb CM joint in the palm direction. An enlarged view of the vicinity of the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG.

  The thumb joint bending mechanism 30 includes a vertical column 31 extending upward from the forearm support portion 4 (base 3), a horizontal bar 32 extending forward (longitudinal direction of four fingers in a straight state) from the vertical column 31, and horizontal A slider 33 connected to the bar 32 is provided. In addition, the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 includes a thumb orthosis 51 described later. The upright column 31 is located near the wrist of the subject. The horizontal bar 32 extends forward from near the wrist of the subject. The horizontal bar 32 is fixed to the forearm support 4 of the base 3. The slider 33 is slidable relative to the horizontal bar 32 and is rotatable about the longitudinal direction of the horizontal bar 32. As shown in FIG. 6, the slider 33 contacts the outside of the subject's thumb ball TB. Although not shown in FIG. 6, more specifically, a thumb brace 51 (described later) is attached to the subject's thumb ball, and the slider 33 is connected to the thumb brace 51.

  FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the glove 50 and the slider 33 to be worn on the subject's hand. A thumb device 51 is attached to the thumb ball portion of the globe 50. In FIG. 7, the slider 33 and the horizontal bar 32 removed from the thumb device 51 are drawn by solid lines, and the slider 33 connected to the thumb device 51 is drawn by virtual lines. The slider 33 and the thumb device 51 are detachably connected by snap buttons 34a and 34b. The thumb brace 51 may be attached to the subject's thumb ball via the globe 50 or may be directly attached to the subject's thumb ball without the globe 50. When the glove 50 is used, the thumb brace 51 can be easily attached to and detached from the subject. In addition, the glove 50 also helps protect the hand TH of the subject being trained.

  The function of the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 show only the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 (the horizontal bar 32 and the slider 33) and the subject's hand TH, and other parts of the training apparatus 2 are not shown. FIG. 8 shows a state where a finger orthosis 20 (not shown) is extended and four fingers restrained by the finger orthosis 20 are extended. FIG. 9 shows a state where the finger brace 20 (not shown) is bent and the four fingers restrained by the finger brace 20 are also bent. FIG. 9 also shows a state in which the entire finger orthosis 20 is rotated and the hand TH is bent back. 8 (A) and 9 (A) are rear views, and FIG. 8 (B) and FIG. 9 (B) are side views.

  The slider 33 of the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 is in contact with the outside of the thumb ball TB of the subject's hand TH (as described above, the thumb device 51 is omitted in FIGS. 8 and 9). ). As the hand TH bends, the position of the thumb ball TB rises. As the thumb ball TB rises, the slider 33 in contact with the thumb ball TB (the slider 33 connected via the thumb device 51) rotates with respect to the horizontal bar 32. When the slider 33 rotates, the contact surface of the slider 33 with the thumb ball TB moves to the thumb side and pushes the thumb ball TB to the palm side. As a result, the thumb CM joint is bent toward the palm (see the arrow in FIG. 9A). That is, the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 uses the dorsiflexion movement of the hand TH to bend the thumb CM joint to the palm side. As the hand TH bends, the thumb ball TB moves backward. As the thumb ball TB moves, the slider 33 also moves backward with respect to the horizontal bar 32 (see the arrow in FIG. 9B). Therefore, while the hand TH rotates in the dorsiflexion direction, the slider 33 can contact the same position of the thumb ball TB. As the slider 33 rotates and slides with respect to the horizontal bar 32, the slider 33 follows the movement of the thumb ball TB and pushes the thumb ball TB inward. As a result, the thumb CM joint naturally bends inward.

  Advantages of the training device 2 according to the embodiment will be described. The training device 2 bends the hands at the same time as bending the four fingers (four fingers excluding the thumb) of the subject's hand. This movement of the hand and four fingers is close to the natural movement when grasping an object. The training device 2 according to the embodiment can simulate a natural gripping motion and is suitable for training of the gripping motion.

  Moreover, the training apparatus 2 bends the subject's hand TH by flipping up the finger brace 20 restraining the four fingers upward. The hand TH is bent back by applying an upward force to a location relatively far from the wrist joint. Even if the wrist joint is displaced during dorsiflexion, the subject feels uncomfortable.

  The training device 2 includes a thumb joint bending mechanism 30. The thumb joint bending mechanism 30 bends the thumb CM joint to the palm side when the hand TH is dorsiflexed. In general, in the gripping operation, the thumb CM joint is bent inward at the same time as the four fingers are bent. Since the training device 2 includes the thumb joint bending mechanism 30, it is possible to simulate a more natural gripping operation.

  When the hand TH is dorsiflexed, the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 rotates the slider 33 in contact with the outside of the thumb ball so as to press the thumb against the palm side and bend the thumb CM joint. The thumb joint bending mechanism 30 can bend the thumb CM joint without power using the dorsiflexion action of the hand TH. The slider 33 can rotate about the longitudinal axis of the horizontal bar 32 and can slide in the longitudinal direction. When the hand TH is bent back, the thumb ball moves backward. Since the slider 33 can move backward as the thumb ball moves, it can always properly touch the outside of the thumb ball during the dorsiflexion operation.

  The slider 33 is connected to the thumb device 51. Therefore, the state of FIG. 9 can be shifted to the state of FIG. That is, when the dorsiflexed hand TH returns to the original state, the slider 33 rotates and pulls the thumb ball outward to extend the bent thumb CM joint. The training device 2 provided with the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 can perform both a gripping operation for bending the five fingers while bending the hand TH and a movement for opening the five fingers while returning the dorsiflexion. If the forward rotation and reverse rotation of the motor 44 are repeated, it is possible to repeatedly perform training of gripping operation for bending the five fingers while bending the hand TH, and training for opening the five fingers while returning the dorsiflexion.

  The training device 2 may include an elastic body that allows a subject to grip during a gripping exercise training. FIG. 10 shows a state of training in which the elastic body 60 is held. In FIG. 10, the subject's hand TH is drawn with a virtual line. In FIG. 10, the four fingers of the hand TH interfere with the finger brace 20, but actually, the elastic bands 22a and 22b are curved and sandwich the four fingers.

  When the elastic body 60 is gripped, the hand TH of the subject receives resistance from the elastic body 60 when the finger brace 20 is bent. In other words, the hand TH of the subject receives pressure from the elastic body 60. The pressure increases as the finger brace 20 (four fingers) is bent. The pressure received by the hand TH stimulates the flexor that flexes the finger as sensory feedback. With this sensory feedback, the subject's reflex system works more flexibly to grasp the object reliably.

  FIG. 11 shows a time-series graph of the myoelectric potential of the forearm portion related to finger flexion. FIG. 11A shows a waveform when training using the elastic body 60, and FIG. 11B shows a waveform when the elastic body 60 is not used. The vertical axis represents myoelectric potential (voltage), and the horizontal axis represents time. The gray graph is raw EMG data. The thick line is a waveform that has passed through a low-pass filter having a cutoff frequency of 0.1 [Hz]. In FIG. 11A, peaks are observed at 9, 17, 25, 35, and 42 seconds. These times correspond to the timing when the finger brace 20 is bent most. On the other hand, no significant peak is observed in FIG. Thus, it is understood that when the elastic body 60 is held, the flexor muscle is stimulated by sensory reflex due to the pressure received by the finger. In the training apparatus 2 with the elastic body 60, sensory feedback is aroused in training of the grasping motion, and the flexor of the finger is stimulated. As a result, it is expected that the motor learning of the subject is effectively promoted.

  The elastic body 60 is an optional part of the training device 2. When the glove 50 (see FIG. 7) is fitted to the hand TH, the elastic body 60 is fixed to the glove so as not to fall during training.

  Points to be noted regarding the technique described in the first embodiment will be described. In FIG. 1, the upright column 31 of the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 is attached to the forearm support portion 4 on the right side of the hand TH. The upright column 31 can be attached to the forearm support portion 4 on the opposite side (left side) of the hand TH. Then, the training device 2 can be used for training the left hand of the subject. That is, the training device 2 can train with either the left or right hand.

  The thumb brace 51 and the slider 33 can be easily attached and detached with a snap button. This reduces the labor of the user of the training device 2. The glove 50 is useful for protecting the subject's hand. On the other hand, it is also possible to use the training device 2 without using a glove.

  The training apparatus 2 according to the embodiment can bend the four fingers with one motor 44 and simultaneously bend the hand. Although it is preferable that both operations can be performed simultaneously by a single motor 44, bending of the four fingers and dorsiflexion of the hand may be performed by separate motors.

  The thumb joint bending mechanism 30 is an optional part of the training apparatus 2. Even if the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 is not provided, the training apparatus 2 can perform good gripping exercise training. When the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 is employed, a more effective gripping exercise training can be performed. The globe 50 and the elastic body 60 are also optional parts of the training device 2. Even without the glove 50 and the elastic body 60, the training apparatus 2 can perform good gripping exercise training. When the globe 50 and / or the elastic body 60 are employed, a more effective gripping exercise training can be performed.

  (Second Embodiment) Next, a training apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. The training device 2a of the second embodiment is a finger bending training device. The side view of the training apparatus 2a of 2nd Example is shown to FIG. 12A and 12B. The training apparatus 2a is obtained by removing the mechanism for bending the hand and the thumb joint bending mechanism 30 from the training apparatus 2 of the first embodiment. In FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as the component of the training apparatus 2 of 1st Example.

  The training apparatus 2 a of the second embodiment includes a base 3, a finger brace 20, and an actuator 140. The finger brace 20 has the same structure as the finger brace of the training device 2 of the first embodiment. That is, the finger brace 20 is stretched over the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a (21b) located on both sides of the four fingers of the subject's hand TH, and the upper and lower sides of the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a (21b). It comprises elastic bands 22a and 22b. The elastic band 22a is stretched below the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a (21b). The elastic band 22b is stretched over the pair of multi-link mechanisms 21a (21b). In FIGS. 12A and 12B, one multi-link mechanism 21b is hidden behind the multi-link mechanism 21a and cannot be seen. The multi-link mechanism 21a (21b) has a structure in which eight pieces (links) 23 are connected in a row. Four fingers of the hand TH are inserted between the upper elastic band 22b and the lower elastic band 22a.

  A forearm support portion 4 is fixed to the base 3, and a support beam 107 is fixed to the forearm support portion 4. The base 20 a of the finger brace 20 is supported at the tip of the support beam 107. The base 20a of the finger brace 20 is fixed to the base 3 and does not move. The subject's forearm TA is placed on the forearm support 4. Four fingers of the hand TH of the placed forearm TA are inserted into the finger brace 20.

  The first wires 24 a and 24 b penetrate the upper and lower sides of the small pieces 23 that are connected to one row of the finger brace 20. The first wires 24 a and 24 b are wound around the first drum 41 of the actuator 140. The first drum 41 is rotated by a motor 44. FIG. 12A shows a state in which the finger orthosis 20 is extended straight. When the motor 44 rotates forward from the state of FIG. 12A, the first drum 41 rotates. An arrow A shown in FIG. 12B indicates the forward rotation direction. When the first drum 41 rotates forward, the upper first wire 24a wound around the first drum 41 is loosened, and the lower first wire 24b is pulled. An arrow B in FIG. 12B indicates the moving direction of the first wires 24a and 24b. As a result, the finger orthosis 20 (multi-link mechanisms 21a, 21b) bends (arrow C in FIG. 12B). When the motor 44 (first drum 41) rotates in the reverse direction, the lower first wire 24b is loosened, the upper first wire 24a is pulled, and the finger brace 20 extends.

  The training device 2a according to the second embodiment trains finger bending. As described above, the finger brace 20 including the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b in which four or more links (small pieces 23) are continuous has little uncomfortable feeling to the subject when bent.

  The training device 2 a includes an elastic body 60 that is gripped by the hand TH when the subject's four fingers are bent by the finger brace 20. The elastic body 60 makes the subject's finger feel pressure when the finger is bent. By applying pressure to the finger along with the bending, the flexor of the arm related to the bending of the finger is stimulated to excite myoelectricity. By this stimulation, the sense of movement of gripping an object is fed back to the subject. The training device 2a can also perform more effective training (rehabilitation) by invoking sensory feedback when simulating the gripping motion.

  The finger brace 20 that does not include the upper elastic band 22b and does not restrain the four fingers can also achieve the following effects. That is, with a multi-link mechanism finger brace composed of four or more small pieces (links), there is little discomfort given to the subject even when the finger's joint rotation axis and mechanical rotation axis deviate when the finger is bent. There is an effect. In addition, by providing an elastic body, a sense of an operation of gripping an object is fed back to the subject by applying pressure from the object to be grasped (elastic body) through the lower first elastic band.

  The elastic band 22a spanned below the multi-link mechanisms 21a, 21b corresponds to one aspect of the first elastic band. The elastic band 22b spanning the upper side of the multi-link mechanisms 21a and 21b corresponds to one aspect of the second elastic band.

  Specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology exemplified in this specification or the drawings can achieve a plurality of objects at the same time, and has technical usefulness by achieving one of the objects.

2, 2a: Training device 3: Base 4: Forearm support part 7: Beam 8: Second wire 9, 10: Guide 9a, 10a, 10b: Pulley 11: Wrist shaft 20: Finger orthosis 21a, 21b: Multi-link mechanism 22a 22b: Elastic band 23: Kokoma (link)
23a: rotating shafts 24a, 24b: first wire 30: thumb joint bending mechanism 31: standing pole 32: horizontal bar 33: slider 34a, 34b: snap button 40: actuator 41: first drum 42: second drum 43: output Axis 44: Motor 50: Glove 51: Thumb device 60: Elastic body 107: Support beam 140: Actuator TA: Forearm TB: Thumb ball TH: Hand

Claims (15)

A finger brace extending along the four fingers other than the thumb of the subject's hand, and capable of bending in the bending direction of the four fingers;
A beam having one end connected to the base so as to be rotatable coaxially with a rotation axis around the wrist dorsiflexion / palmflexion, and the other end connected to the base of the finger orthosis;
An actuator for bending the finger brace and simultaneously rotating the beam in the dorsiflexion direction of the hand;
Equipped with a training device. The finger orthosis is located on both sides of the four fingers, extends in the longitudinal direction of the four fingers, and a pair of multi-link mechanisms that can be bent in the bending direction of the four fingers;
The training apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first elastic band that is stretched under the pair of the multi-link mechanisms so as to face the four fingers.   The training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finger orthosis restrains four fingers other than a subject's thumb. The finger orthosis is located on both sides of the four fingers, extends in the longitudinal direction of the four fingers, and a pair of multi-link mechanisms that can be bent in the bending direction of the four fingers;
A first elastic band that is spanned below the pair of multi-link mechanisms and an upper side of the pair of multi-link mechanisms, and the four fingers are inserted between the first elastic bands A possible second elastic band;
The training device according to claim 3, comprising:   The training apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a thumb joint bending mechanism that presses the thumb to bend the thumb CM joint when the hand is bent back. The thumb joint bending mechanism is:
A thumb orthosis that can be attached to the thumb ball of the hand;
A rod fixed to the base and extending in the longitudinal direction of the four fingers in a state of extending straight;
A slider coupled to the rod so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the rod and rotatable about a longitudinal axis; and a slider coupled to the thumb orthosis;
The training apparatus according to claim 5, comprising:   The training apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the slider and the thumb orthosis are detachably connected by a snap button.   The training device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the thumb orthosis is attached to a thumb ball portion of a glove to be worn on the hand. The actuator is
A pair of first wires extending along the finger brace for bending / extending the finger brace;
A second wire for rotating the beam;
A first drum around which the first wire is wound;
A second drum disposed coaxially with the first drum and having a diameter different from that of the first drum and around which the second wire is wound;
A motor for rotating the first drum and the second drum;
The training device according to claim 1, comprising:   The training apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic body that is gripped by the hand when the four fingers are bent by the finger orthosis. A pair of multi-link mechanisms located on both sides of the four fingers, extending in the longitudinal direction of the four fingers, and bendable in the bending direction of the four fingers;
A first elastic band stretched below the pair of multi-link mechanisms;
Equipped with a finger brace.   The finger brace according to claim 11, further comprising a second elastic band that is spanned above a pair of the multi-link mechanisms and into which the four fingers can be inserted between the first elastic band.   The finger brace according to claim 11 or 12, wherein each of the pair of multi-link mechanisms has four or more links connected in a line. The finger orthosis according to any one of claims 11 to 13,
A foundation for supporting the finger brace;
An actuator for bending the finger brace;
Equipped with a training device. The actuator is
A pair of first wires extending along the finger brace for bending / extending the finger brace;
A first drum around which the first wire is wound;
A motor for rotating the first drum;
The training device according to claim 14, comprising: