KR102265265B1 - Flexible sensor apparatus and preparing method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a UN sensor device and a manufacturing method capable of determining the presence or absence of a gait disorder and its degree. The flexible sensor device according to the present invention comprises: a wearing part made of a flexible material to be worn on the body of a subject to be tested and stretched or bent so as to determine the presence and extent of a physical disability; And both ends of the wearable part are detachably installed by a detachable means, and a plurality of conductive fabrics and silicone are alternately stacked so as to be stretchable between both ends to which the detachable means are fixed and the both ends. It includes a flexible sensor unit.

Description

Flexible sensor apparatus and manufacturing method {Flexible sensor apparatus and preparing method for the same}

The present invention relates to a UN sensor device and a manufacturing method capable of determining the presence or absence of a gait disorder and its degree.

In general, causes of gait disorders include trauma due to an accident, nerve paralysis due to a stroke, and the like.

A typical example of a gait disorder is foot paws. This is a phenomenon in which the connection between the lower extremities and the central nervous system is lost and the foot cannot be lifted while walking. Causes of foot paws include stroke, hemiplegia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and central nerve damage due to physical shock. In the case of stroke, if you look at the current status of stroke patients in 2012, patients with various sequelae excluding the death after a stroke, that is, after a stroke, suffer from quadriplegia with a 66% probability.

For the above-described gait disorder, as a conventional representative gait analysis method in gait analysis and diagnosis, there are an IR (infrared) camera, an IMU sensor, and a goniometer.

In the case of an IR camera, a marker is attached to the body and the image is taken with an infrared camera. In this case, both three-dimensional movements can be measured and joint movements can be observed, but there is a big problem in place restrictions.

In the case of the IMU sensor, a small sensor capable of measuring acceleration is worn on the body and changes due to movement are observed. Although this has the advantage of being light and having no location restrictions, there is a problem that it is affected by external environments such as magnetic fields.

In the case of the goniometer, it is a method to observe the movement after attaching it to the body in a bendable form. In this case, it is light, there is no place constraint, and intuitive observation is possible, but there is a problem in that it feels uncomfortable when touching the body due to the hard material.

Meanwhile, in consideration of the limitations of the gait disorder measurement system that could only be measured in the laboratory, a wearable measuring device was devised for easy gait diagnosis and analysis in the daily life of the subject. The use of flexible sensors began to emerge.

Such a flexible sensor is a sensor based on materials such as silicone and fabric, rather than the conventionally used plastic or iron material. Such flexible sensors include a silicone-based sensor in which liquid metal is injected, a sensor in the form of a mixture of conductive cloth and silicone, and a sensor based on a mixture of thermoplastic and conductive nanoparticles.

Among them, in the silicon-based sensor injected with liquid metal, the sensor is attached to each joint of the lower extremity using Velcro, etc., and the sensor is attached to the three joints of the lower body to detect the movement of a person. This sensor has the advantage of being used simply by wearing it on clothes, but as a resistance change-based sensor, the accuracy is high but the linearity is somewhat low.

The sensor in the form of a mixture of conductive cloth and silicone is directly attached to the glove through silicone to detect the movement of the hand. There was a problem that it was not suitable for places with severe flexion such as ankles.

A sensor based on a mixture of thermoplastic plastic and conductive nanoparticles is used for analysis of the gait cycle by being combined with an ankle protector, and has the advantage of not being exposed to the outside and easy to wear. there was.

Registered Patent 10-1895694

An object of the present invention is to solve this problem, it is a capacitance-based that can ensure linearity, uses silicone to have a wide mechanical range, and is easy to manufacture using a conductive fabric, and the structure of the ankle and the It is to provide a flexible sensor device and a manufacturing method of a form that is easy to be coupled to and separated from clothes regardless.

As a specific means for achieving the above object, the present invention provides a wearing part made of a flexible material so that it can be worn on the body of a subject to be tested and stretched or bent so as to determine the presence and extent of a physical disability;

Both ends of the wearable part are detachably installed by a detachable means, and a plurality of conductive fabrics and silicone are alternately stacked so as to be stretchable between both ends to which the detachable means are fixed and the both ends. It may include a flexible sensor unit.

In this case, the both ends may be integrally formed by fixing the detachable means to the upper surface of the base, and hardening the first silicon on the lower part of the base.

In this case, the body portion is made of the plurality of conductive fabrics and the second silicon are alternately laminated, the hardness of the first silicon may be greater than the alarm of the second silicon.

At this time, the boundary surfaces of the both ends and the main body are formed integrally with a plurality of protrusions and grooves corresponding to each other on a plane so as to correspond to a tensile force, and may be formed in the form of toes biting each other.

In this case, the width of the both ends may be formed to be larger than the width of the main body.

In this case, the detachable means may include a ring-shaped female pin and a hook-shaped male pin inserted into the female pin, wherein the female pin may be fixed to the wearing unit, and the male pin may be fixed to the flexible sensor unit.

As another specific means for achieving the above object, the present invention comprises the steps of alternately stacking and hardening silicon and at least one conductive cloth on a first mold to form a main body; Completing the flexible sensor unit by pouring silicone on both ends of the second mold in a state in which the main body is provided in the center, and hardening by providing a base provided with a detachable means on the upper part; fixing a detachable means corresponding to the detachable means to a wearing part worn on the body of the test subject so as to determine the presence and degree of a physical disability; and attaching the flexible sensor unit to the wearing unit via the detachable means.

In this case, the hardness of the silicone of the both ends may be greater than the hardness of the silicone of the main body.

At this time, the boundary surface of the both ends and the main body portion is formed integrally with a plurality of protrusions and grooves corresponding to each other on a plane so as to correspond to the tensile force, may be formed in the form of toes biting each other.

As described above, according to the present invention, there are the following effects.

(1) The present invention is based on silicon, so that the range of motion of the sensor can be widened.

(2) Since the present invention is capacitance-based, higher linearity can be expected compared to resistance-based sensors.

(3) The present invention is easier to manufacture than using a liquid metal or nano material by using a conductive fabric.

(4) In the present invention, after wearing a medical stocking modified to enable sensor coupling, easy coupling and wearing are possible.

(5) In the present invention, it is possible to combine the sensor without being limited by the structure of the ankle.

1 is a front view of a flexible sensor device according to the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a flexible sensor according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first mold used in the flexible sensor device manufacturing method according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a body part manufactured by the first mold shown in FIG. 3 .
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another example in the same view as FIG. 4 .
6 is a perspective view of the second mold used in the method for manufacturing a flexible sensor device according to the present invention.
7 is a side view of the flexible sensor according to the present invention.
8 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a flexible sensor device according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. The present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

In the present specification, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It is to be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Further, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be “on” another part, this includes not only the case where the other part is “directly on” but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be "under" another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly under" another part, but also cases where another part is in between.

Hereinafter, a flexible sensor device and a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

A flexible sensor device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 , includes a wearing unit 100 and a flexible sensor unit 10 .

1 and 2 , the wearable part 100 may be made of a flexible and stretchable material that is worn on the body of a subject to be tested and stretched or bent so as to determine the presence and extent of a physical disability.

In this case, the wearing part 100 may apply so-called compression stockings and medical ankle protectors that are often used for medical purposes. These compression stockings can be worn on the knee or ankle position where the test subject's joints are located. Since the wearing part 100 has elasticity, it is easy to wear on the body and is free to move even in a worn state.

At this time, the wearing part 100 is provided with detachable means so that the flexible sensor unit 10 can be detachably attached, and the wearing unit 100 has a ring shape at both ends of the position where the flexible sensor unit 10 is to be attached. The male pin 101, which is a detachable means of the , is sewn. The male pin 101 is coupled with the female pin 21 which is a detachable means of the both ends 20 so that the flexible sensor unit 10 is detachably attached to the wearing unit 100 . Of course, in addition to the detachable means such as the male pin 101 and the female pin 21, a detachable means such as a Velcro tape may be applied.

The flexible sensor unit 10 may include both ends 20 and a main body 30 with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 .

Here, both ends of the both ends 20 are detachably installed on the wearable part 100 by a detachable means, and the detachable means are fixed.

At this time, the both ends 20, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 7, a female pin 21, which is a detachable means, is fixed to the upper surface of the base 21a, and a first silicon 22 is provided under the base 21a. It can be solidified and formed integrally.

At this time, since the female pin 21 is commercially sold while being fixed to the base 21a made of cloth or synthetic resin, it may be purchased and used.

In this case, the first silicon 22 may be used by purchasing a commercially available 'Sorta clear 40' product. Although described later, a product having a hardness greater than that of the second silicon 31 is applied for the first silicon 22 .

At this time, the both ends 20, referring to FIG. 4, insert and seat the already made body part 30 in the second mold 120, pour the first silicon 22 before hardening, and the upper surface After positioning the base (21a) on the solidified is manufactured. A toe-shaped protrusion 20a and a groove portion are formed at the boundary portion of the both ends 20 coupled to the body portion 30 to be coupled to each other. Referring to the perspective view of the first mold 130 of FIG. 3 , the protrusion 130c and the groove are continuously formed, and the width increases linearly from the inside to the outside of the protrusion 130c.

The main body 30 may be formed by alternately stacking a plurality of conductive fabrics 32 and second silicon 31 so as to stretch elastically between the both ends.

At this time, the body part 30 is made by alternately stacking the plurality of conductive fabrics 32 and the second silicon 31 , and the hardness of the first silicon 22 is that of the second silicon 31 . It is formed larger than the alarm. Therefore, when the flexible sensor unit 10 is stretched due to rotation of the joint portion in a state in which the flexible sensor unit 10 is worn on the wearing unit 100, the body unit 30 is stretched more elastically than the both ends 20. will be.

In this case, the second silicon 31 may be, for example, a commercially available 'EcoFlex 0030' product.

At this time, as described above, the interface between the both ends 20 and the main body 30 is formed integrally with a plurality of protrusions 20a and 30a and grooves corresponding to each other on a plane to correspond to the tensile force, It consists of toes that bite each other. Therefore, even if both ends 20 are pulled from both ends, the bonding force is increased by the coupling of the protrusions 20a and 30a and the grooves in addition to the adhesive force of the silicone of the body 30 of the both ends 20 .

At this time, referring to FIG. 2 , the width of the both ends 20 is formed to be larger than the width of the body part 30 , and accordingly, the body part 30 is stretched more elastically than the both ends 20 . .

At this time, as described above, the detachable means consists of a hook-type male pin 101 and a ring-shaped female pin 21 inserted into the male pin 101, and the male pin 101 is worn In the unit 100 , the female pin 21 is fixed to both ends 20 of the flexible sensor unit 10 . Therefore, when the female pin 21 is coupled to the male pin 101 , the attachment of the flexible sensor 10 to the wearing part 100 is completed. Of course, on the contrary, the pins 21 and 101 may be quickly separated.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a flexible sensor device according to the present invention. The flexible sensor unit 10 is attached to the wearing unit 100 by coupling the female pin 21 and the male pin 101 . At this time, when the test subject wears the wearable part 100 and then bends the joint part, that is, as the test subject bends the joint part, both the wearable part 100 and the flexible sensor part 10 attached thereto It is bent along this and the flexible sensor unit 10 detects it. The sensing information on the detected movement will be received, stored, and analyzed by the electric field unit to be worn by the test subject on the waist or the like.

Referring to Figure 2, the flexible sensor unit 10 is shown. The flexible sensor unit 10 is composed of both ends 20 and a body portion 30 that is an intermediate connection portion thereof, and male pins 21 are fixed to the upper surfaces of both ends 20 . Both ends 20 are made of the first silicon 22 except for the female pin 21 and the base 21a. The main body 30 is formed by alternately stacking a conductive cloth 32 and a silicon layer made of a second silicon 31 . The both ends 20 and the main body 30 are connected to each other by the toe-shaped protrusions 20a and 30a and the grooves, so that they can sufficiently withstand tensile force. Most of the body 20b other than the boundary portion coupled to both ends 20 of the main body 30 has a width smaller than that of both ends 20 .

On the other hand, in the manufacturing method of the flexible sensor device according to the present invention, referring to FIGS. 3 to 8 , the silicon 31 and at least one conductive cloth 32 are alternately laminated and hardened on the first mold 130 . Forming the main body 30, pouring silicone 22 on both ends of the second mold 120 in a state in which the main body 30 is provided in the center, and attaching and detaching means provided on the upper part The step of completing the flexible sensor unit 10 by providing and hardening the base 21a, and the arm pin 21 on the wearing unit 100 worn on the body of the subject to be examined so as to determine the presence and degree of physical disability. A step of fixing the male pin 101, which is a detachable means corresponding to the above, and the step of attaching the flexible sensor unit 10 to the wearing unit 100 via the female pin 21 and the male pin 101. may include.

3 to 5 , a perspective view of the first mold 130 is shown. As shown, the second silicon 31 and the conductive cloth 32 are alternately laminated and hardened. When completely hardened, the completed main body 30 is separated from the first mold 130 . 4 and 5 , an embodiment in which the number of layers of the laminated conductive fabric 32 is different is shown. Referring to FIG. 4 , the sensor is manufactured in a three-layer structure, the purpose of which is to see a larger signal width, and the conductive cloth 32b for a signal is positioned between the conductive cloths 32a for grounding. Referring to Figure 5, for the purpose of manufacturing the body portion 30' relatively simply, the conductive cloth 32a' for grounding on the upper part and the conductive cloth 32b' for signals on the lower part are silicon ( 31') in a stacked state.

Referring to FIG. 6 , a perspective view of the second mold frame 120 is shown. The finished main body is seated on the central portion 120a of the second mold 130 , and the first silicon 22 is poured into both ends 120b of the second mold 120 . Then, a base 21a having a female pin 21 on its upper surface is placed thereon, and the first silicon 22 is hardened. After that, the flexible sensor unit 10 manufactured from the second mold 120 is separated from the mold, and it is worn on the mounting part of the medical ankle protector using a male pin and a female pin.

When the test subject moves while wearing the wearing part 100 on a body such as an ankle, the motion information is sensed by the flexible sensor 10 . Based on this, diagnosis and analysis of the disorder proceeds. At this time, it is necessary to give a pre-tension of about 30% so that the sensor does not collapse due to the flexion of the plantar side during walking.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented herein, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention can add components within the scope of the same spirit. , changes, deletions, additions, etc. may easily suggest other embodiments, but this will also fall within the scope of the present invention.

10: flexible sensor unit
20: both ends 21: female pin
21a: base 22: first silicon
30: body part 100: wearing part
101: male pin 120: second mold
130: first mold

Claims (9)

A wearing part made of a flexible material so that it can be worn on the body of the test subject and stretched or bent so as to determine the presence and degree of physical disability;
Both ends of the wearable part are detachably installed by means of attachment and detachment means, and a plurality of conductive fabrics and silicones are alternately stacked so as to be stretchable between both ends to which the attachment and detachment means are fixed, and a body part comprising a body part flexible sensor unit;
including,
The both ends are fixed to the detachable means on the upper surface of the base, the lower portion of the base is formed integrally with the first silicone hardened, a flexible sensor device. delete According to claim 1,
The body portion is made of the plurality of conductive cloth and the second silicon is alternately laminated, the hardness of the first silicon is greater than the hardness of the second silicon flexible sensor device. A wearing part made of a flexible material so that it can be worn on the body of the test subject and stretched or bent so as to determine the presence and degree of physical disability;
Both ends of the wearable part are detachably installed by means of attachment and detachment means, and a plurality of conductive fabrics and silicones are alternately stacked so as to be stretchable between both ends to which the attachment and detachment means are fixed, and a body part comprising a body part flexible sensor unit;
including,
A plurality of protrusions and grooves corresponding to each other on a plane are formed so that the interface between the both ends and the main body can correspond to a tensile force is integrally formed, and the flexible sensor device is formed in the form of toes biting each other. 5. The method of claim 1 or 4,
A flexible sensor device in which the width of the both ends is greater than the width of the main body. 5. The method of claim 1 or 4,
The detachable means is made of a ring-shaped female pin and a hook-shaped male pin inserted into the female pin, the female pin is a flexible sensor device fixed to the flexible sensor unit, and the male pin is fixed to the wearing unit. forming a body part by alternately stacking and hardening silicon and at least one conductive cloth on the first mold;
Completing the flexible sensor unit by pouring silicone on both ends of the second mold in a state in which the main body is provided in the center, and hardening by providing a base provided with a detachable means on the upper part;
fixing a detachable means corresponding to the detachable means to a wearable part worn on the body of the test subject so as to determine the presence and degree of a physical disability;
attaching the flexible sensor part to the wearing part via the detachable means;
including,
A method of manufacturing a flexible sensor device in which the hardness of the silicone at both ends is greater than the hardness of the silicone in the body. delete 8. The method of claim 7,
The boundary surface of the both ends and the body portion is formed integrally with a plurality of protrusions and grooves corresponding to each other on a plane so as to correspond to a tensile force, a method of manufacturing a flexible sensor device in the form of a toe biting each other.

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