JPS63246154A - Muscle bundle unit - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention enables convenient formation of artificial muscles using shape memory alloys by connecting them in order to reconstruct muscle movement disorders caused by disorders and degeneration of living muscles. Regarding the muscle fascicle unit.

[Conventional technology]

Attempts are being made to reconstruct motor paralysis caused by stroke, spinal cord injury, and other causes, particularly to treat severe motor dysfunction that cannot be reconstructed with braces or surgery. Functional electrical stimulation (Funct) attempts to reconstruct function through electrical stimulation.
ional electrical stimulus
On (hereinafter referred to as FES) method is being used as a way to restore motor function of the limbs, respiratory muscles, trunk muscles, etc. This FES method is an excellent method that has therapeutic effects on muscle atrophy, muscle shortening, muscle and joint contracture, bone atrophy, muscle spasticity, etc. caused by paralysis, and we hope to further develop this method. , and should be made more general-purpose (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1983-
No. 160455 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-217174 have been proposed.

On the other hand, in recent years, so-called shape memory alloys have been increasingly used as actuators. Shape memory alloys are formed into a predetermined shape using an austenite phase, and when this is heated after being deformed in a low-temperature martensite phase, it deforms through martensite reverse transformation and recovers the set shape by memorizing it in the austenite phase. Among these alloys, a nitinol alloy consisting of about 50 at% Ni and the balance Ti is known to have excellent performance. The martensitic transformation temperature of this alloy can be adjusted by adjusting the Nf content or adding a trace amount of a third element. In addition,
Cu-Zn, Cu-Al, Cu-Zn-A1. ,,Cu
-Al-Ni, N1-Af gold alloys are known to have a shape memory effect.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-12905 describes the use of such properties of shape memory alloys to treat and rehabilitate diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson's disease.
No. 9 is proposed. Furthermore, as a method using a shape memory alloy for bending the joint-like portion, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1986-
102586, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-93282, etc. have been proposed.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, what is disclosed in JP-A-59-160455 is based on the premise that there are muscles that have movable muscle function or whose muscle function can be recovered relatively easily, and that the speech, shoulder movement, etc. JP-A No. 61-217174 also discloses a reconstruction device that uses FBS to electrically control the muscles using electrical and mechanical biosignals.
The proposal is to calculate these biological signals and then generate a stimulation pulse train to stimulate the muscles.

As described above, all of these f-plans assume the existence of muscles that can be contracted by electrical stimulation, and are intended to solve biological neurological disorders for operating such muscles. Therefore, although they have many excellent effects assuming the existence of such muscles, they are effective against peripheral nerve damage, muscle trauma, polio, etc., and muscle diseases such as ventral horn disorders or muscular dystrophy. If the function of the muscle itself is impaired due to disease or the like, even FES will not be able to function properly and will not be able to fully demonstrate its reconstructive effect.

In addition, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-129059 discloses a method of bending and stretching a hand by heating and cooling, using a shape memory alloy member knitted into a glove shape that memorizes the shape bent in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the joint. Accordingly, this patent discloses an automatic joint movement device for treating or rehabilitating diseases such as rheumatism, and therefore, even this device cannot be used to recover muscles whose muscle function itself is impaired. Moreover, the device in this publication does not allow the user to perform grasping operations such as grasping kelp, grasping keys, grasping playing cards, etc. by itself.

Also, JP-A-59-102586, JP-A-59-93
Publication No. 282 merely uses shape memory alloys to form artificial limbs, and is therefore not intended to restore the functions of human limbs themselves, such as restricting their movement. do not have.

In this way, none of the above-mentioned publications is intended to compensate for muscles that have lost their function and restore the body's motor function itself.

The present invention can be used in place of or in combination with muscles that have suffered functional impairment due to trauma, peripheral nerve disease, central nervous disease, muscle disease, etc., thereby rebuilding muscle motor function and maximizing its effectiveness. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a muscle bundle unit that can be connected to form an artificial muscle that is intended as a back shield and can be an effective means for patients with severe muscle disorders.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides connection bases at both ends of a stretchable element made of a shape memory alloy and recovers to a preset shape by heating, and a current-carrying terminal for supplying current to the stretchable element to heat the stretchability element. This is a muscle bundle unit for reconstructing a living body's movement function, which is provided with connection means that can sequentially connect connection bases.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 exemplifies a biological motor function reconstruction device A in which an artificial muscle member 1, which is an artificial muscle formed by connecting muscle bundle units 10 of the present invention, is used. It comprises an input device WB into which generated biological signals and external signals are input as input signals, and a calculation device C which generates muscle movement signals based on control signals from the input device B, and this calculation device C is connected to the artificial muscle member 1. are doing.

In this example, the artificial muscle member 1 is embedded in the forearm in place of the brachioradialis muscle a shown in FIG. 2, which has lost its muscle function. It is assumed that upper limb function is inhibited due to loss of function of brachioradialis muscle a. Furthermore, in this example, spinal cord injury (C6
It is assumed that due to quadriplegia), the transmission of nerve impulses to the intramanual muscles such as the palmar interosseous muscles shown in FIG. In addition, the brachialis, biceps brachii, long and
It is assumed that the extensor carpi flexi brevis and other muscles can contract voluntarily under the control of nerve impulses from the brain.

Therefore, in the example of FIG. 1, the arithmetic unit C uses the FES to control the palmar interosseous muscles and the like, which are inoperable due to damage to the pulp, as well as the artificial muscle member 1. It is also connected to electrodes embedded in the body so that the calculated muscle movement signals can be transmitted.

In addition to muscle a, the artificial muscle member 1 can also be used to replace various muscles that have lost their functions, and as shown in FIG. It can also be formed as an artificial muscle member 1 to be used.

As mentioned above, in this example, the artificial muscle member 1 is the brachioradialis muscle a.
It is implanted in the human body and is formed as a fusiform muscle, as shown in Figure 5, and begins at the middle of the lateral side of the humerus C and at the end of the radius d. make it stop.

As shown in FIG. 5, the muscle bundle unit 10 forms a muscle bundle member 9 by sequentially connecting them in the longitudinal direction. Part 4
By passing a frame between A and 4B, the artificial muscle member 1
It consists of Further, the waist members 4A, 4B are composed of connecting portions 6A, 6B for fixing to bones, and parent bodies 8A, 8B on which the connecting portions 6A, 6B are formed.
B is provided with fixing means 16A-116B-- for fixing the muscle bundle members 9-- forming the muscle primitive member 2.

As shown in FIG. 7, the muscle bundle unit 10 includes connection bases 14A, 14 at both ends of an elastic element 12 made of a shape memory alloy.
B is provided. Further, the connecting bases 14A, 14B are provided with a connecting means 2 capable of sequentially connecting the connecting bases 14A, 14B with a current-carrying terminal 18 for passing a current to heat the elastic element 12.
0A and 20B are formed.

The elastic element 12 uses a shape memory alloy, and is formed as a coil body in which a filament body 13 of the shape memory alloy is wound into a coil spring shape. Shape memory alloys are formed into a predetermined shape using an austenite phase, deformed using a low-temperature martensite phase, and then deformed by reverse martensite transformation when heated, and are memorized using the austenite phase to recover the set shape. As the shape memory alloy,
In addition to the nitinol type, which consists of about 50 at% Ni and the balance Ti, Cu-Zn, Cu-A7! , Cu-Zn-A
Various materials such as 1 alloy can be used.

Further, the stretchable element 12 is usually set in a predetermined shape in a contracted state, stretched in a martensitic phase region, and restored to its shape by reverse martensitic transformation due to heating.

Furthermore, in the case of this example in which the elastic element 12 forms the muscle bundle unit 10 of the artificial muscle member 1 to be embedded in the human body, the shape memory alloy has a martensitic reverse transformation starting temperature of 41 to 4
Set the temperature within the range of 5°C. This prevents heat damage to the human body.

Note that depending on the attachment site, structure, shape, etc. of the artificial muscle member 1, and further in the case of external attachment as shown in FIG. 4, the range of the transformation start temperature can be changed.

Nitinol-based shape memory alloys are superior in terms of transformation precision and strength, and in particular, Nippon Seisen Co., Ltd., one of the applicants of the present invention, has filed Japanese Patent Application No. 60-260844 and Patent Application No. 61- No. 138495, patent application No. 61-142108
The alloy manufactured by the method proposed by No. 1, et al., in which a Nitinol alloy is obtained by forming Ti or the like as a wire in advance and causing a diffusion reaction with Ni, is able to set the transformation temperature correctly, is homogeneous, and has a high generating force. Since it has excellent properties, it can be suitably used as the elastic element 12.

Also, these alloys include Cu, V, Mo, Cr, AI, Fe.
, Co, or more, the transformation temperature, strength, etc. can be adjusted.

Further, the elastic element 12 can be formed into a coil body wound into a cylindrical shape, or into an oval shape such as an ellipse, or a non-circular coil body such as a square shape or a triangle shape. Furthermore, it can also be wound into a flat plate.

Further, the wire material 13 forming the coil body may be shaped like a flat plate or have a non-circular cross section such as a square or triangle, in addition to an oval shape such as a circle or an ellipse. Further, as shown schematically in FIG. 9, the stretchable element 10 may be a folded wire material obtained by folding a wire material 13 made of a shape memory alloy into two pieces at a folding portion 13a. It becomes possible to align each end of 13.13 to the same position. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the elastic element 12 can be formed into a double tube shape using large and small diameter coil bodies 12A and 12B made of shape memory alloy, or as shown in FIG. It is possible to change the diameter of the coil in the longitudinal direction, such as a spindle shape with a bulge in the middle or even a drum shape, and as shown in Figure 13, it is possible to create a coil body that is bent into a wavy shape, as shown in Figure 14. In addition, instead of using a coil body (a curved rod-shaped wire 13 can also be used.Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15,
It can also be formed in the shape of a so-called bow spring, which is formed by winding a flat plate cutout of a shape memory alloy.

In such an elastic element 12, an insulating layer 13b is provided on the outer surface of the filament material 13. This absolute! As the i-layer 13b,
A special polymer compound or the like can be used in addition to a rubber material such as silicone rubber that does not hinder the deformation of the elastic element 12, and also prevents current leakage from the elastic element 12 by forming the insulation 1i13b. Expandable element 12 on the living body
The dangers that arise when there is direct contact are suppressed.

The connection bases 14A, 14 provided at both ends of the elastic element 12
In this example, B uses an implant material made of metal, polymeric material, ceramic material, etc. to prevent danger when it comes into contact with biological muscles. As the metal material, Cu alloy, Tf gold alloy stainless steel, etc. can be used, and as the polymer material, polyethylene, silicon,
Dacron, Teflon, etc. can be used. Further, as the ceramic material, alumina, apatite, glass ceramics, carbon, etc. can be used.

As shown in FIG. 7, the connecting bases 14A and 14B, which are made of deformable materials such as metals and polymeric materials, are provided with a recessed groove 2 in which the elastic element 12 can be fitted.
1 is provided, and the elastic element 12 is fixed by deforming the outer ring 22 of the groove 21 toward the center shaft 23. Note that when the outer ring 22 is made of metal, it can be joined by pressing the outer ring 22 inward to deform it, or when it is made of a polymeric material, it can be joined by thermal deformation. Furthermore, when a moldable material such as a polymeric material is used, the elastic element 12 can be included and fixed by integral molding. Further, the expandable element 12 can be fixed by suitable fixing means such as screws, and
As shown in the figure, by forming a threaded center shaft 23A on the connection bases 14A and 14B that fits with the threaded portion formed by the coiled expansion and contraction element 12, it is also possible to fix the two by screwing them together. Note that when the connection bases 14A and 14B are made of metal, they can be welded by beam welding, brazing, etc., and when they are made of polymeric material,
It can also be fixed by high frequency welding or the like.

Prevents current leakage from the connection bases 14A and 14B. For this purpose, it is preferable to form the connection bases 14A and 14B using an insulating material, such as a polymeric material, a ceramic material, or the like. Further, when using a conductive material such as metal, it is preferable to provide an insulation N (not shown) on the entire outer peripheral surface of the connection bases 14A and 14B. Such insulation treatment is necessary when fixing the expandable element 12 using metal or the like, especially by welding. Furthermore, the wire material 13 having the insulation 1ii13b
As shown in FIG. 8, the center shaft 23A and the like may be further covered with an insulating cover 14a, just in case.

Further, the connection bases 14A and 14B are provided with connection means 20A and 20B, respectively, on opposite sides thereof.

In this example, the connecting means 20A is a screw hole, and the connecting means 20B uses a screw shaft that can be screwed into the screw hole. Therefore, by connecting the connecting means 20A and 20B, the muscle bundle unit 10 can be connected sequentially in the longitudinal direction, and by connecting them can form a muscle bundle member 9 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16, the connecting means 20A and 20B include a protrusion provided with a horizontal hole 20a, and a screw hole 20b into which a hole 20c that can be aligned with the horizontal hole 20a and passes through the horizontal hole 20a is screwed. It can also be formed by a protrusion having a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17, various configurations that can connect the two may be used, such as a connection using a spring piece 20d, and a so-called hose joint-like connection that can be attached and detached with a single touch.

Further, the connection bases 14A and 14B include the expansion and contraction elements 12.
A current-carrying terminal 18.1 is provided to supply a heating current to heat the. In this example, the elastic element 12 is
It is heated by Joule heat generated by directly applying electricity to the elastic element 12 (a heating coil may also be provided separately along the elastic element 12).
The ends of the connection bases 14A, 1 are connected to the groove 21 and connected to the connection bases 14A, 1.
Conductive material 24 inserted into the hole 25 opened on the side of 4B
through the opening. Moreover, at the open end of the guide hole 25,
An insertion hole 29 into which an insertion terminal 27 provided at one end of the energizing cord 26 extending from the arithmetic unit C can be inserted and which can be connected to the expandable element 12 is provided. In addition, connection base 1
When 4A and 14B are made of conductive material, the insertion terminal 27
Processing is carried out to prevent current leakage during insertion. Wire material 1
In the case of Fig. 9 where 3 is used by folding back the wire material 13.1
3 are aligned and drawn out from the connection base 14A, the drawn-out portions form current-carrying terminals 18.18.

Further, the current-carrying cord 26 is made of copper wire, carbon fiber, or stainless steel stranded wire, and in the case of this example in which it is used in a living body, it is insulated with Teflon coating or the like to prevent current leakage.

The muscle bundle unit 10 of the present invention is connected using the connecting means 20A, 20B as described above, and the connecting means 20A, 20B are prevented from loosening by using an adhesive such as bone cement. , a connecting base 14A to be connected,
The connection cord 30 is used to establish conduction between the current-carrying terminals 18 and 18 of 14B.

Moreover, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 11, each muscle fascicle unit 1
From the energizing terminals 18 at both ends of 0 to the energizing cords 26 - - -
・You can also take it out.

This makes it possible to energize each elastic element 12 at different times, and also to energize with different voltages and currents. Therefore, the amount and timing of contraction can be changed for each muscle bundle unit 10, and the muscle bundle member 9 can be partially deformed for each muscle bundle unit 10.

Further, in this example, the muscle bundle unit 10 is formed to match the dimensions of, for example, the palmar interosseous muscle shown in FIG. 3, which is a relatively small muscle that constitutes the human body.

Therefore, the muscle bundle unit 10 has an outer diameter of about 3 to 10 mm, preferably about 3 to 6 nm, and a length of about 5 cm in the deformed state in the martensitic phase! It is set to be about 11.

In addition, as the elastic element 12 shrinks due to transformation accompanying heating, the muscle bundle unit 10 becomes approximately 2.5 to 3.51.

Further, the stretching element 12 is stretched again by contraction of the antagonist muscles or natural stretching due to gravity. Note that a bidirectional shape memory alloy can also be used.

Further, the force generated per unit area is set to be approximately 5 to 7 kg/aa, in accordance with the striated muscles of a normal person.

For this purpose, for example, a wire made of nitinol alloy with a wire diameter of 0.65 mφ and a number of turns of 38, a tight contact length of about 25 m, and a winding diameter of about 6 nφ, and an elongated length of 50 mm, has a transformation temperature of 41 mm. 5 martensite undergoes reverse transformation at around ℃, and at that time, the generated force is about 6.5 kg/crrl and can be recovered to about 25.
- Can be used as a telescopic element 12 by way of example.

By using such a muscle bundle unit 10, various fascia members 2 having different lengths and thicknesses can be combined together with the muscle bundle unit 10.
can be formed. Further, the muscle bundle member 9 can be formed by combining a plurality of types of muscle bundle units 10 having different sizes, transformation temperatures, etc.

Note that the fascia member 2 can be formed by one muscle bundle unit 10, and a relatively long muscle bundle member 9 can be constructed by connecting in the longitudinal direction as described above.

As mentioned above, the fascia member 2 is passed between the W members 4A and 4B, and in this example, the fascia member 2 is composed of a large number of fascia units IO connected to each other. While the bundle member 9- is used, in this example, a fascia member 32 that surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the fascia member 2 and is fixed to the base bodies 8A and 8B is provided.

In this example, the base body 8A18B of the key members 4A and 4B according to the present invention has a block shape in which a hemispherical curved surface 34 is provided on a small and medium cylindrical portion 33, and each muscle bundle member 9A is provided on the curved surface 34.
, 9B are provided at equal intervals on the reciprocal circle from the center of the spherical surface. The fixing means 16B is formed as a screw hole into which the connecting means 20B can be screwed. Further, the fixing means 16A includes a screw hole 16A1 and a screw shaft 16A2 that is screwed into the screw hole 16A1, and the connection base 14A can be screwed by the screw shaft 16A2. Further, the coupling portions 6A and 6B are attached to the opposite surface. Note that the connection means 14. When A and 14B have the structure shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 or are formed in the shape of a hose joint, fixing means having the same structure are used as the mating members.

Note that the base bodies 8A and 8B can be formed using the same implant material as the connection base bodies 14A and 14B, and preferably hydroxyapatite (HAP) is used. Note that the base bodies 8A and 8B can also be formed by coating such a HAP onto a member such as a metal having high strength by sputtering, plasma spraying, or the like.

The connecting portions 6A, 6B are made of a large number of string-like bodies that are fixed to the base bodies 8A, 8B by adhesion, embedding, etc., and these string-like bodies are made of a material that is harmless to living organisms (and made of strong materials, such as Carbon fiber, aramid fiber, etc. are used.One of the bonding portions 6A is bound to a single string-like body at a position apart from the base body 8A.The other bonding portion 6B is tied to the string-like body at a position apart from the base body 8A. A fixture 37 is provided at the lower end of the fixture 37.The fixture 37 is also made of an implant material, and has a through hole at its lower end through which a fastener 39 such as a screw passes. In the example, it is fixed to the radius d.

Note that the string-like body can be covered with a synovial sheath member (not shown) made of a material with good slipperiness. Also, the connecting part 6A
As mentioned above, the humerus C is properly fixed by tying with other strings or the like.

Note that the crotch members 4A and 4B at both ends can be formed to have the same coupling portion 6A or the same coupling portion 6B.

Further, the cylindrical portions 33 of the base bodies 8A, 8B are provided with grooves 41 on their circumferential surfaces, and the fascia members 32 are tied to the grooves 41 using strings or the like. Fascia member 3
2 is an elastic body made of a rubber material such as silicone rubber or a polymer compound that is compatible with the living body, and has extensibility to the extent that it does not hinder the expansion and contraction of the fascia member 2. The interior is sealed by fixing. Moreover, the inside thereof is filled with synovial fluid such as silicone oil. Further, when using such a fascia member 32, the energizing cord 26 is taken out to the outside through liquid-tightly penetrating the base bodies 8A, 8B.

Note that the base bodies 8A and 8B may be formed as deformable block-like bodies using a flexible material, or, for example, as shown in FIG. Block-shaped bodies can also be used as the base bodies 8A, 8B. In the case of FIG. 18, the strings forming the block-like body are assembled to form connecting portions 6A, 6B, and the strings,
The disk-shaped base 8a to which the muscle bundle members 9 are attached can also be formed using a flexible material as long as the muscle bundle members 9 can be joined.

19 and 20 show other examples of the key members 4A and 4B.

FIG. 19 shows a fixing means 16A similar to the above for fixing the muscle bundle member 9.9 to the facing surfaces of the flat base bodies 8A and 8B;
16B, the parent body 8A is provided with a connecting portion 6A consisting of a screw shaft 6a protruding from the parent body 8A, and the parent body 8B is provided with a connecting portion 6B consisting of a through hole 6b.
The base body 8B is fixed to the bone by the holes 6c passing through the through holes 6b. Note that both the base bodies 8A and 8B can be formed to have a screw shaft 6a or a through hole 6b, and also have a screw shaft 6a and a through hole 6.
In addition to being perpendicular to the muscle bundle member 9, b can be freely set such as in the same direction or diagonally. FIG. 20 also shows that the connecting parts 6A, 6B are provided with claw pieces 6d, and the shaft pieces 6e protrude from the base bodies 8A, 8B.
This shows the case where . The shaft piece 6e is made of a shape memory alloy, and after setting the shape with the claw piece 6d open at a temperature lower than body temperature, the shaft piece 6e is inserted into the bone hole with the claw piece 6d closed. The claw piece 6d is opened (and thereby fixed) due to the reverse transformation of martensite as the body temperature rises.The shaft piece 6e is attached to the base bodies 8A and 8B at right angles to the muscle bundle member 9, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. It can also be formed in the direction of.

21 to 25 show other examples of the artificial muscle member 1.

The one shown in FIG. 21 is used in place of the plate-shaped reinforcement, and the key members 4A and 4B form the reinforcement member 2 on the opposing end surfaces of the base bodies 8A and 8B, both of which are long plate-shaped flat bodies. Fixing means 16A, -116B, etc. similar to those described above are provided for connecting a plurality of muscle bundle members 9-, and the muscle bundle members 9 can be connected by the fixing means 16A, 16B. It is fixed in the same way using bone cement. Also, mother body 8A
, 8B has a connecting portion 6A.-1 made of a string-like body on the other surface.
6B...-, while the mother bodies 8A, 8 are planted on the side.
Connecting means 42A and 42B consisting of, for example, a threaded shaft and a threaded hole are provided for connecting the wires B horizontally.

Further, FIG. 22 shows a block-shaped matrix 8 made of ellipsoidal pieces.
The key member 4A is provided with a connecting portion 6A on the bottom surface of the key member 4A, and the fixing means 1 similar to the above is provided on the curved surface 34 of the key member 4A.
6A, a muscle element member 2...- is arranged between the base body 8A and a plurality of key members arranged at substantially fan-shaped positions at a distance from the base body 8A. . Note that the myogenic muscle member 2- is composed of a plurality of muscle bundle members 9- to which the muscle bundle units 10 are connected, as described above, and such an artificial muscle member 1 can be replaced with a pinnate muscle.

Moreover, FIG. 23 shows that by interposing the intermediate member 44,
An example of an artificial muscle member 1 formed to be replaceable with biceps,
Furthermore, FIG. 26 shows a muscular part 1a that can have different expansion and contraction timing on the left and right sides by connecting connecting parts 6A and 6A made of string-like bodies of the crotch members 4A and 4A to each other and forming a series.
Artificial muscle member 1 that can be used as 2 abdominal muscles having , 1a
It shows.

Further, FIG. 25 shows an artificial muscle member 1 which can be used in place of plate muscles by similarly using an intermediate member 44 to provide a crotch portion at an appropriate position between the myogenic muscles. The muscle fascicle member 2 is formed by arranging muscle fascicle members 9, . . . , each having a muscle fascicle unit 10 connected in parallel.

Next, the biomotor function reconstruction device A using the artificial muscle member 1 in which the muscle bundle unit 10 of the present invention is used will be explained.

As mentioned above, the device A includes an input device B and an arithmetic device C.

The input device B uses a voice input device and various detection means to input voice, sound, joint movement, and other body part movements.
Breathing, biopotential (electroencephalogram, myoelectricity, bioaction potential), posture,
and various mechanical signals obtained by other living organisms,
At least one input signal of at least one biological signal consisting of an electrical signal and an audio signal and an external signal generated by an external operation is input.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the audio signal, the myoelectric signal of the shoulder muscles,
An electrical signal from a signal generator held in the left hand can be extracted as a biological signal generated by a living body.

It is also shown as if an external signal is input from the external E. Furthermore, in this example, two biological signals, an audio signal and a myoelectric signal, are used as the input signals.

Input device B filters and filters an input signal, in this example a biological signal.
It performs processing such as rectification, integration, and frequency-voltage conversion to generate control signals.

Further, the arithmetic unit C stores stimulation data for each movement in a storage unit, recognizes the control signal, selects stimulation data stored in the storage unit, and generates a stimulation pulse train based on the stimulation data as a muscle movement signal. It can be outputted to the electrodes D and the current-carrying terminal 18- of the artificial muscle member 1 as follows.

The biological signals are used not only as selection signals and execution signals that command the selection and execution of movements, but also as proportional signals that give the amount and speed of movements. For example, voice input is used as a selection signal, and also as an execution signal for starting, holding, resuming, interrupting, or changing an operation. Further, the shoulder displacement signal that changes based on the magnitude of shoulder elevation can be used as a proportional signal, and the input device B generates a control signal according to the biological signal.

Further, when control signals based on the selection signal, the operation signal, and the proportional signal are inputted, the arithmetic unit C selects the stimulation pattern corresponding to each command, and outputs stimulation data of the stimulation intensity corresponding to the proportional signal according to the execution command. read out, generate and output the muscle movement signal consisting of a train of stimulation pulses.

For example, the stimulation data of the action of grasping the tip among the grasping actions of the hand stored in the storage unit is as shown in FIG. ) to (e) are stored as stimulation patterns for five channels. Note that the channels (a) to (e) mean the nerve stimulation output line of the muscle to be contracted and the heating line of the artificial muscle member 1. This stimulation pattern was created by measuring the nerve and muscle thresholds for electrical stimulation, the maximum stimulation intensity, and the properties of the shape memory alloy, and by examining the movements of individual muscles and the coordinated movements of the hand due to combined stimulation. 0~! Addresses of bytes (272 bytes in the illustrated example) are sequentially designated by a control signal (A/D input value) based on a proportional signal. As a result, the stimulation intensity of each channel corresponding to that address is sequentially recalled, and the
By applying the voltage to the artificial muscle member 1, the desired motion is performed. At that time, in this example, command signals from the brain are directly applied to the muscles of the upper limbs where conductivity of the innervating nerves through the spinal cord is ensured.

For example, in FIG. 27, the address by the proportional signal is At
In the case of , the stimulation intensity of 5 channels ■@, Ib, Ic
,0,O is read out, and when the proportional signal changes and its address becomes A, the stimulation intensity O11,,I',,Ia
, 0 are read.

In this way, a muscle movement signal is generated and each electrode D,
The voltage is applied to the artificial muscle member 1. In this case, stimulation intensity refers to the amplitude, pulse width, or frequency of the stimulation pulse (current or voltage).

In addition, a normal muscle usually starts working 5 msec after the pulse is applied, and reaches its maximum strength 50 msec after the pulse is applied. Therefore, the muscle movement signal causes the artificial muscle member 1 to
It is adjusted to have contractile characteristics similar to the normal muscle.

FIG. 28 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the arithmetic unit C, and FIG. 29 illustrates its functional block configuration.

51 is a keyboard, 52-1 to 52-m and 63 are A/
D (analog/digital) converter, 53 is a storage unit, 54 is a central processing unit, 55-1 to 55-n and 75 are D/A (digital/analog) converters, 56-
1 to 56-n and 76 are isolators, 61 is system initialization, 62 is a control program, and 64 is an input channel.
Flag control, 65 and 74 are flags, 66 is input data conversion processing, 67 is data file selection/set, 6
8 is a data file, 69 is a data readout, 71 is an FES/artificial muscle control program, 72 is an output data conversion process, and 73 is an output channel/flag control.

In FIG. 28, the storage unit 53 includes an area 53-1 for storing various programs, a work area 5 for data manipulation, etc.
3-2, it has areas 53-3 and 53-4 for storing stimulation data for each movement as shown in FIG. The central processing unit 54 includes a keyboard 51 and an A/D converter 52-1.
A microcomputer that is connected to an input unit such as ~52-m and executes a program stored in the storage unit 53, and recognizes a control signal sent from the input device B and stores it in the storage unit 53. Select and set stimulus data,
The stimulation data is read out based on the proportional signal and a muscle movement signal consisting of a stimulation pulse train is output. This stimulation pulse train is applied to the electrode D and the artificial muscle member 1 through the D/A converters 55-1 to 55-n and the isolators 56-1 to 56-n. The isolators 56-1 to 56-n are composed of capacitors or transformers, and leak current from the power supply! It prevents the stimulation from being applied to the living body through the electrodes, removes the direct current component from the stimulation current or voltage, and minimizes electrochemical changes at the interface between the living tissue and the electrode.

Furthermore, the central processing unit 54 has a function of communicating with other computers via the built-in parallel I10, thereby making it easy to depack the system.

Further, in FIG. 29, the arithmetic unit C includes a control program 62 that controls the entire system, and an FES/artificial muscle control program 7 that generates stimulation pulses based on control signals.
1. Among these, the control program 62 includes system initialization 61, keyboard, voice input device, A/D
Recognizes and distributes control signals read from the input data conversion process 66 via a converter etc., input channels and
Flag control 64, data file selection/set 67
, controls the output channel/flag control 73, and also performs mutual control with the FES/artificial muscle control program 71, recognizes the control signal, and selects stimulation data from the data file 68 based on a selection command. is selected and set, and also controls the opening and closing of flags 65 and 74.

On the other hand, the FES/artificial muscle control program 71 is
Controls data readout 69 and output data conversion processing 72, performs readout processing based on the proportional signal of the selected/set stimulation data, and processing that generates a stimulation pulse train based on the read stimulation data and outputs it to the D/A converter. It is something to do. The flags 65 and 74 respectively control the input and output of proportional signals and muscle movement signals by opening and closing them, and the input channel flag control 64 and the output channel flag control 73 control the control program based on selection commands and execution commands. flag 65.7 under the control of 62
This controls the opening and closing of 4. The input data conversion process 66 converts the control signal input through the A/D converter 63 into a signal that can be read by the program, and the output data conversion process 72 converts the data read from the stimulation data into a D/D converter. This is converted into a stimulation pulse train that is applied to the electrode D and the artificial muscle member 1 through the A converter 75 and the isolator 76.

The data file 68 is a file that stores stimulation data for each motion as shown in FIG. Desired stimulation data is selected and set in the work area. Data readout 69 is for reading stimulation data set in the work area based on a proportional signal or a hold command (a command to hold the state in the middle of an operation) according to a predetermined address.

Next, we will explain the action of this embodiment using a typical gripping motion (
cylindrical grasp motion), motion of holding an object between the pad of the thumb and the pad of the index finger (key grip motion), and motion of holding a playing card (parallel ex
A case will be explained taking as an example a case where a tension grip operation is performed.

As the biological signals, we use the above-mentioned audio signals and shoulder displacement signals.The former gives commands to select and execute stimulation data files, and the latter performs proportional control of the opening and closing of the hand. (cylindrical gr
asp), r key grip, ``Trump J'' (parallel extension)
A sound signal such as "grip" was registered in advance as an operation selection command, and a sound signal such as "start", "yoshi", "yame", or "henkora" was registered in advance as an execution command. As these input devices, well-known commercially available voice input devices and displacement sensors may be used. These input devices B are connected to other control signal input terminals and A/D converter 52- in FIG.
1 to 52-m, and in FIG. 29, it is connected to the input side of the A/D converter 63.

And areas 53-3 to 53 of the storage section 53 shown in FIG.
-4 (data file 68 in Figure 29) contains the above 3
Stimulus data for each type of grasping motion is stored.

The stimulation intensity data is converted to the amplitude of the stimulation pulse voltage, and Q during the stimulation pulse pulse is set to 2m5ec, and the stimulation pulse frequency is set to 20Hz. Further, each audio signal is registered in advance according to a predetermined audio volume.

■ First of all, in order to select the action of grasping the tip,
When you input "kotup" by voice, the audio signal is sent to the A/D.
Converter 63, flag 65, input data conversion processing 6
6 into the control program 62. When the control program 62 recognizes that the control signal is the pre-registered motion selection command "Konbu", it controls the data file selection/set 67 and extracts the stimulation data corresponding to "Kotsupu" from the data file 68. Select it and set it in the work area. At this time, the control program 62 turns off the flag 74 via the output channel flag control 73 to prevent unnecessary output from occurring. Then, it waits for the next execution command signal to be input.

■ Next, when "start" is inputted by voice, the control signal based on the voice signal is also sent to the A/D converter 63,
The data is read into the control program 62 through a flag 65 and an input data conversion process 66. The control program 62 executes a "start" execution command in which a control signal is registered in advance.
When it recognizes that it is, it operates the FES/artificial muscle control program 71, controls the input channel/flag control 64 to turn on the flag of the proportional signal channel, and controls the output channel/flag control 73 to select the selected signal. Flag 7 of the channel corresponding to the operation
Turn on 4.

- The FES/artificial muscle control program 71 reads the proportional signal when the proportional signal channel flag is turned on.

■ The FES/artificial muscle control program 71 includes readout using proportional signals, output data conversion processing 72, and flag 7.
4. Output a stimulation pulse train through the D/A converter 75 and isolator 76. For example, if the address of the stimulation data is specified by a proportional signal from a shoulder displacement sensor, the proportional signal will change as the shoulder lifts. By decreasing the address value based on the signal, the hand is opened and the tip is held in the hand, and when the shoulder is gradually tightened, the tip is grasped by gradually increasing the address value based on the proportional signal. What is necessary is to read out the data of the stimulation intensity.

■ When a suitable gripping force is obtained, if you input "Yoshi" by voice, the control signal from that voice input signal will also change to A.
The data is read into the control program 62 through the /D converter 63, the flag 65, and the input data conversion process 66.

When the control program 62 recognizes that the control signal is an execution command registered in advance, the address specified by the proportional signal remains specified. This holding function makes it possible to maintain the grip on the cup regardless of the position of the shoulder, making it easier to perform the next drinking operation.

■ To cancel the holding state, input "start" again by voice, and on condition that the proportional signal matches the value immediately before being held, the operation returns to the steps from (1) onwards. Therefore, the strength of the gripping force can be adjusted by changing the shoulder displacement.

In this way, the control program 62 always reads control signals through the input data conversion process 66 and performs recognition processing. Therefore, in addition to the above, when "Yame" is input by voice, the control program 62 controls the input channel flag control 64 to turn off the flag of the proportional signal channel, and selects the output channel flag system? 1173
is controlled to turn off the flag 74 of the channel corresponding to the selected operation to stop the stimulation state. Furthermore, when "Henkora" is inputted by voice, the control program 62 enters a mode for changing the motion (changing the stimulation data) according to the motion selection command, in which the previous motion is held and the next motion selection command is waited for.

On the other hand, the FES/artificial muscle control program 71 reads the proportional signal through the input data conversion process 66, reads stimulation data using an address based on the value of the signal, and performs control to generate a muscle movement signal consisting of a stimulation pulse train. In this case, the channel controlled by each proportional signal can be designated in advance by the input processing operation of the FES/artificial muscle control program 71, so that multiple independent operations can be performed. It is also possible to do so. That is, depending on the contents of the stimulation data stored in the storage section, it is possible to control all motor paralyzed parts such as upper limbs, lower limbs, and trunk, individually or cooperatively together with the artificial muscle member 1.

In this case, if the number of parts to be controlled increases, the number of A/D converters and D/A converters may be increased to increase the storage capacity. Furthermore, the functions can be further expanded by connecting it as a terminal of a control computer. Furthermore, the storage section that stores the stimulation data can be changed according to the purpose by using a ROM that is easy to remove. Alternatively, the information may be stored on a magnetic card. At this time, data may be written to the magnetic card by another computer. Note that an external signal other than a biological signal from the patient to whom the artificial muscle member is attached, which is generated by a doctor, physical therapist, etc., operating a joystick, switch, etc. externally can also be used as the input signal. Such external signals can be used to set joint range of motion, adjust movement speed, force, and perform rehabilitation training.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In this way, the muscle bundle unit of the present invention is provided with a connecting base provided at both ends of the elastic element made of a shape memory alloy with connection means for sequentially connecting the elastic element and a current-carrying terminal for heating the elastic element. Flexible length by connecting bundle units.
It becomes possible to form artificial muscles with a certain thickness. In addition, since a shape memory alloy is used as the elastic element, the structure is simple, excellent in durability, and accurate control is possible. In addition, each muscle bundle unit is equipped with an energizing terminal,
Therefore, in an artificial muscle in which multiple muscle fascicle units are connected, it is possible to cause the individual units to contract at different times or to contract in different ways by applying current of different values to the individual units, thereby controlling muscle movement. Improve control accuracy.

Furthermore, by connecting muscle bundle units with different characteristics, it is possible to create an artificial muscle whose contraction characteristics are relatively similar to those of a biological muscle.

Furthermore, an input device for manually controlling the artificial muscle using such a muscle bundle unit by using biological signals such as mechanical, electrical, audio, etc. generated by a living body or external signals as an input signal and generating a control signal, and an input device for generating a control signal; When connected to the arithmetic unit of the biological motor function reconstruction device comprising Using biological signals or external signals, it is possible to reconstruct paralyzed motor functions, improving the living environment of people with disabilities, and making it possible for them to return to society.

The muscle bundle unit of the present invention can be used not only for living organisms but also for artificial limbs,
It can also be used as a linear actuator for industrial robots, etc.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a line diagram showing one state of use of an artificial muscle member in which the key member of the present invention is used, Fig. 2 is an anatomical diagram illustrating the attachment location of the artificial muscle member, and Fig. 3 is an anatomical diagram showing the deep layers of the hand. 4 is a front view illustrating the case where an artificial muscle member is attached to the outside, FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating an artificial muscle member using an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view thereof. Fig. 7 is a partially cutaway front view illustrating a muscle bundle unit, Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing another example of attachment of the elastic element and the connection base, and Figs. 9 and 10 are views of other muscle bundles. FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway front view illustrating the unit; FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating the muscle bundle member;
2 to 15 are front views illustrating other muscle fascicle units, the first
6 is a perspective view illustrating another connecting means, FIG. 17 is a front view illustrating another connecting means, FIGS. 18-20 are perspective views illustrating other embodiments, and FIGS. 21-23 are other connecting means. 24 and 25 are front views illustrating another artificial muscle member, FIG. 26 is a line diagram illustrating an example of a biological movement function reconstruction device, and FIG. 27 is a muscle movement signal Figures 28 and 29 are diagrams illustrating an arithmetic unit. l--Artificial muscle member, 2-- Muscle original member, 4A, 4
B.-Leg member, 6A, 6B--Connection part, 8
A, 8B...Main body, 9A, 9B-Muscle bundle member, 10-Muscle bundle unit, 12-Stretchable element, 13...Wire material, 14A, 14B--Connection base, 16A , 16 B-fixing means, 18-- energizing terminal 2OA, 20B...- connecting means, 26- energizing cord, A- biomotor function reconstruction device, B
-Human power device, C-・Arithmetic device, D-・・Electrode. Patent Applicant Half 1) Kang Yansei Gung
Mochi Nippon Seisen Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Tadashi Naemura Figure 3, M8, Figure 17, Figure 15, Figure 16, S18, Figure 19 @ 20, Figure 21! Figure $22 Figure 23 Figure 24 Figure 25 Figure $27

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A connecting base is provided at both ends of a stretchable element made of a shape memory alloy and recovers to a predetermined shape by heating, and a current-carrying terminal for supplying current to heat the stretchable element is connected to the connecting base. A muscle bundle unit for reconstructing biological movement function, which is provided with connection means for sequentially connecting base bodies. (2) The muscle bundle unit according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element has a coil spring shape. (3) The muscle bundle unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection means is a screw hole provided in the connection base. (4) The muscle bundle unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting means is a threaded shaft provided on the connecting base.