KR20210037379A - Joint Assisting Apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a joint assisting device comprising a joint support device. The joint support device according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of support members disposed in a horizontal direction, and including a core part made of a hard material and a cushion member made of a soft material which surrounds the core part; a first wire connecting one-side ends of the support members at predetermined intervals; a second wire connecting the other ends of the support members at predetermined intervals; a first rotor connected to one end of the first wire to wind or unwind the first wire; a second rotor connected to the other end of the first wire to wind or unwind the first wire; a third rotor connected to one end of the second wire to wind or unwind the second wire; and a fourth rotor connected to the other end of the second wire to wind or unwind the second wire. According to the joint assisting device of the present invention, while supporting a joint according to the joint movement, free joint movement can be allowed when necessary.

Description

Joint Assisting Apparatus}

The present invention relates to a joint assist device.

Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO), which supports the ankle joint while walking, is being used for patients in which muscle movement around the ankle joint is not performed normally.

During the gait cycle, the ankle alternates between plantar and dorsiflexion. In addition, a slight inversion occurs during the lateral flexion, and a slight eversion occurs during the dorsiflexion. In addition, toe-in and toe-out occur in which an ankle is deviated from the left and right on a horizontal plane.

However, the conventional ankle joint orthosis has been developed with a plastic material that fixes the ankle in a state that is bent at almost 90°. ), toe-in, toe-out, etc., in some cases, the brace is removed during gait training by interfering with the exercise. For this reason, there was a problem that threatened walking stability due to walking training without a brace.

Korean Patent Registration No. 1,531,203 (Registration Announcement: 2015.06.24)

Accordingly, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a joint assisting device capable of supporting joints according to joint movements and allowing free joint movements when necessary.

The joint support device according to the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes a core part made of a hard material and a cushion member made of a soft material surrounding the core part, a plurality of support members disposed in a horizontal direction, and the plurality of A first wire connecting one end of the support member at a predetermined interval, a second wire connecting the other ends of the plurality of support members at a predetermined interval, and winding or unwinding the first wire by being connected to one end of the first wire. A first rotor, a second rotor connected to the other end of the first wire to wind or unwind the first wire, a third rotor connected to one end of the second wire to wind or unwind the second wire, and the second And a fourth rotor connected to the other end of the wire to wind or unwind the second wire.

The joint support device may further include a shell surrounding the plurality of support members.

The outer shell may be formed of elastic polypropylene.

The first and third rotors may be fixedly attached to a first case attached to one end of the outer shell, and the second and fourth rotors may be fixedly attached to a second case attached to the other end of the outer shell. have.

The core portion may have a bar shape.

The width of one end of the core portion may be wider than that of the other end.

The plurality of support members may be connected to neighboring support members by a plurality of elastic members.

In the plurality of elastic members, the length of the elastic member located near the patient's joint portion may be shorter than that of other elastic members.

The joint assistance device according to the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes the joint support device, the joint support device is attached, a wearing part for positioning the joint support device on the patient joint, and the motion of the patient joint. A sensor unit that senses, and a control unit that controls the first to fourth rotors according to the motion of the patient's joint to adjust the winding direction and amount of the first wire and the second wire. do.

In the joint support device, a plurality of layers including the first to fourth rotors, the plurality of support members, the first wire, and the second wire may be disposed in a vertical direction.

When the joint support device is worn on the back of the patient's ankle, when valgus or toe-out occurs in the patient's ankle, the first wire close to the back of the patient's ankle is pulled in the patient's ankle rotation direction. , The second wire may be pulled in a direction opposite to the patient's ankle rotation.

When inversion or toe-in occurs in the patient's ankle, the first wire may be pulled in a direction opposite to the patient's ankle rotation, and the second wire may be pulled in the patient's ankle rotation direction.

The amount of winding of the first wire and the second wire may be differently controlled for each of the plurality of layers based on an valgus angle, a varus angle, a toy-in angle, a toy-out angle, and an ankle attachment position.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a joint assisting device capable of supporting a joint according to joint movement and allowing free joint movement when necessary.

1 is a block diagram of a joint assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a joint support device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 illustrates the configuration of a support member according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing that the joint assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on the back of the ankle.
5 is a cross-sectional view from above of a first state in which the joint support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on an ankle.
6 is a cross-sectional view from above of a second state in which the joint support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on an ankle.
7 is a cross-sectional view from above of a third state in which the joint support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on an ankle.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art may easily implement the present invention.

1 is a block diagram of a joint assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a joint assist device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a sensor unit 100, a control unit 200, and a joint support device 300.

The sensor unit 100 is for detecting a motion of a joint portion of a patient wearing a joint assist device, and may include one or more EMG sensors (not shown). Of course, it is possible to use other types of sensors other than the EMG sensor.

The controller 200 controls the overall motion of the joint assisting device, and supports the joint by moving a plurality of support members (not shown) included in the joint support device 300 according to the movement of the patient's joint portion, while supporting the joint freely when necessary. Make it possible to allow movement. This will be described in detail below.

2 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a plurality of joint support devices according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is an illustration of the configuration of the support member according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the joint support device 300 includes a first rotor 310a, a second rotor 310b, a third rotor 310c, a fourth rotor 310d, a plurality of support members 320, and an outer shell. 330, a first wire 340a, a second wire 340b, a first case 350a, and a second case 350b.

The plurality of support members 320 may include a core portion 321 made of a hard material and a cushion member 322 made of a soft material having elasticity surrounding the core portion 321. In addition, the plurality of support members 320 may be disposed side by side in a horizontal direction.

The core part 321 may be formed of a material having a rigid material such as polycarbonate, metal, and reinforced polypropylene, melamine resin, etc., and may implement the core part 321, and the patient's joint As long as the shape is not deformed according to the movement and can provide support to the joint area, it is possible to implement it with other materials.

The core part 321 may have a bar shape as illustrated in FIG. 3(a), and may have a shape in which the width of one end is wider than the width of the other end as illustrated in FIG. 3(b). . Of course, it is also possible to implement in other shapes.

The cushion member 322 may be implemented with a material such as a sponge.

The first rotor 310a, the second rotor 310b, the third rotor 310c, and the fourth rotor 310d have a spool (not shown) and a spool on which the wires 340a and 340b can be wound. Each may include a motor (not shown) capable of rotating in a forward or reverse direction. The first rotor 310a, the second rotor 310b, the third rotor 310c, and the fourth rotor 310d rotate the spool to wind or unwind the wires 340a and 340b wound around the spool.

The first wire 340a may connect one end of the plurality of support members 320 at predetermined intervals.

The second wire 340b may connect the other ends of the plurality of support members 320 at predetermined intervals.

The connection interval between the support member 320 in the first wire 340a is set to be shorter than the connection interval in the second wire 340b.

The first wire 340a and the second wire 340b may also be implemented with a material having a certain degree of elasticity in the longitudinal direction. Of course, when the wires 340a, 340b are wound by the rotors 310a, 310b, 310c, 310d, the support member 320 connected to the wires 340a, 340b moves in the direction in which the wires 340a, 340b are wound. Since it must be able to be made, the elasticity must be less than a certain standard.

The plurality of support members 320 may be connected to neighboring support members by a plurality of elastic members 360a and 360b. When the joint support device 300 is worn on the patient's joint, the circumference of the side close to the patient's joint is short, so that the elastic members 360a and 360b have a length of the elastic member 360a located on the side close to the patient's joint. It may be shorter than the length of the other elastic member 360b.

The elastic members 360a and 360b may be implemented with a spring or the like.

In the support member 320, portions in contact with the first wire 340a and the second wire 340b are fixed to the first wire 340a and the second wire 340b, so that the first wire 340a and the second wire 340b are fixed. In accordance with the movement of the wire (340b) may be connected to move integrally. For example, the first wire 340a and the second wire 340b may be connected in a state where the circumference of the support member 320 is wound at least once. In this case, a groove may be formed in the circumferential direction in the support member 320 on which the first wire 340a and the second wire 340b are wound. Meanwhile, the first wire 340a and the second wire 340b may tightly penetrate holes (not shown) formed at both ends of the support member 320.

One end of the first wire 340a may be wound around a spool of the first rotor 310a, and the other end may be wound around a spool of the third rotor 310c.

One end of the second wire 340b may be wound around the spool of the second rotor 310b, and the other end may be wound around the spool of the fourth rotor 310d.

The outer shell 330 may be accommodated inside by surrounding the plurality of support members 320. The outer shell 330 may be formed of a material such as polypropylene having elasticity such that both ends of the support member 320 are always in contact with the front and rear surfaces thereof.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 2, the joint support device 300 includes a first rotor 310a, a second rotor 310b, a third rotor 310c, a fourth rotor 310d, a plurality of support members 320, and a first wire. Although it has been exemplified that two layers consisting of the 340a and the second wire 340b are arranged vertically, the number of layers may be larger than that. Of course, when the support member 320 has a plate shape rather than a bar shape, it is also possible to include only one layer.

The first rotor 310a and the third rotor 310c may be accommodated while being attached to the inside of the first case 350a. The second rotor 310b and the fourth rotor 310d may be accommodated attached to the inside of the second case 350b.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing that the joint assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on the back of the ankle.

Referring to Figure 4, the joint assist device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to the joint support device 300, and further includes wearing parts (1, 2) for positioning the joint support device 300 to the patient's joint area. Can include.

In FIG. 4, the joint support device 300 is illustrated as the wearing parts 1 and 2 that can be positioned to surround the back of the patient's ankle.

Wearing parts (1, 2) may be made of a body (1) and fixing means (2). The body (1) is provided under the ankle cover (10) provided to cover the front of the ankle and the ankle cover (10) to cover the foot between the toe and the heel, so that the foot can be inserted from the rear side to the inside. It may include a top portion 20 and a pair of leg cover portions 30 extended to both upper sides of the ankle cover portion 10 and provided to cover the inner side and the outer side of the ankle upper leg. An extension part 21 extending to support the sole of the foot may be formed at the rear of the bottom of the foot fixing part 20. The fixing means (2) is provided with a fixing ring 40 fixed to the rear of the leg cover part 30, and fastening parts 51 and 52 provided to be mutually fastened at both ends and provided to be fitted to both fixing rings 40. It may include a fixing band (50).

The joint support device 300 may be attached to the fixing band 50 and worn to be positioned at the back and side portions of the patient's ankle. It can also be placed at a height that wraps around the heel.

4 shows an example of the wearing parts 1 and 2, and may have various other forms, and it is sufficient to allow the joint support device 300 to be worn in a state located at the back of the ankle.

Meanwhile, when the joint support device 300 is applied to other joints of the patient other than the back of the ankle, the shape or configuration of the wearing part may be differently implemented.

5 is a cross-sectional view from above of a first state in which the joint support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on an ankle.

Referring to FIG. 5, when support is required for the ankle while the joint support device 300 is worn along the patient's ankle area (A), the first rotor 310a and the first rotor 310a and the first rotor 310a are wound in the direction of winding the first wire 340a. 3 The rotor 310c can be rotated. In addition, the second rotor 310b and the fourth rotor 310d may be rotated in a direction in which the second wire 340b is wound. Accordingly, while the support member 320 is disposed in a substantially normal direction to the patient's ankle portion (A), it is possible to provide support to the patient's ankle portion (A) as a whole.

6 is a cross-sectional view from above of a second state in which the joint support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on an ankle.

Referring to FIG. 6, when a slight eversion occurs in the ankle when there is dorsiflexion in the gait cycle, the first wire 340a close to the back of the patient's ankle is pulled in the patient's ankle in the inner direction, and 2 wire (340b) can be pulled in the patient's ankle lateral direction. To this end, the first rotor 310a may rotate in the direction of winding the first wire 340a, and the third rotor 310c may rotate in the direction of unwinding the first wire 340a. The second rotor 310b may rotate in a direction in which the second wire 340b is unwound, and the fourth rotor 310d may be rotated in a direction in which the second wire 340b is wound.

Then, as illustrated in FIG. 5, while the support member 320 moves to the left at one end and to the right at the other end, the inner side of the ankle increases in contact with the core portion 321, and the cushion member 322 is relatively outside the ankle. There are more parts that come into contact with. Therefore, the movement of the ankle toward the valgus (rotation in the direction D1) is free and the movement toward the varus is prevented.

7 is a cross-sectional view from above of a third state in which the joint support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on an ankle.

Referring to FIG. 7, when there is a slight varus (inversion) in the ankle when there is (plantar flexion) in the gait cycle, the first wire 340a close to the back of the patient's ankle is pulled toward the outside of the patient's ankle, and The wire 340b may be pulled in a direction inside the patient's ankle. To this end, the first rotor 310a may rotate in a direction to unwind the first wire 340a, and the third rotor 310c may rotate in a direction to wind the first wire 340a. The second rotor 310b may rotate in the direction of winding the second wire 340b, and the fourth rotor 310d may rotate in the direction of unwinding the second wire 340b.

Then, as illustrated in FIG. 6, while the support member 320 moves to the right at one end and to the left at the other end, there are many portions in contact with the cushion member 322 inside the ankle, and the core portion 321 is relatively outside the ankle. There are more parts that come into contact with. Therefore, the movement of the ankle toward the varus (rotation in the direction D2) is free and the movement toward the valgus is prevented.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the control unit 200 includes a sensor unit so that the support member 320 supports the patient's joint portion and freely moves in a direction suitable for the patient's intention, while preventing the movement in the opposite direction. By controlling the rotors 310a, 310b, 310c, and 310d according to the movement of the patient detected by 100), the winding direction and the amount of winding of the wires 340a and 340b can be adjusted.

In addition, the control unit 200 may preset the winding direction and amount of the wires 340a and 340b according to the patient's physical condition or physical function state, and may perform a customized operation within a set range. For example, the amount of winding of the wires 340a and 340b may be differently controlled for each of a plurality of layers in consideration of an valgus angle, a varus angle, a toy-in angle, a toy-out angle, and an ankle attachment position.

In addition, according to an embodiment, a training mode may be provided, and the support member 320 may be moved according to a predetermined order to assist the patient's training. In this case, the sensor unit 100 for detecting the movement of the patient may not be provided.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims are also present. It belongs to the scope of rights of

Claims (13)

A plurality of support members 320 disposed in a horizontal direction, including a core portion 321 made of a hard material and a cushion member 322 made of a soft material having elasticity surrounding the core portion,
A first wire 340a connecting one end of the plurality of support members at predetermined intervals,
A second wire 340b connecting the other ends of the plurality of support members at predetermined intervals,
A first rotor 310a connected to one end of the first wire to wind or unwind the first wire,
A second rotor 310b connected to the other end of the first wire to wind or unwind the first wire,
A third rotor 310c connected to one end of the second wire to wind or unwind the second wire, and
A fourth rotor 310d connected to the other end of the second wire to wind or unwind the second wire
Joint support device comprising a. In claim 1,
The outer shell 330 surrounding the plurality of support members 320
Joint support device further comprising a. In claim 2,
The outer shell 330 is a joint support device formed of polypropylene having elasticity. In claim 3,
The first rotor and the third rotor are fixedly attached in a first case attached to one end of the shell,
The second rotor and the fourth rotor are fixedly attached in a second case attached to the other end of the outer shell. In claim 1,
Joint support device having a bar shape of the core part. In claim 5,
The core part is a joint support device in which the width of one end is wider than the width of the other end. In claim 1,
The plurality of support members are joint support devices connected to adjacent support members and a plurality of elastic members. In claim 7,
The plurality of elastic members is a joint support device in which the length of the elastic member located near the patient's joint portion is shorter than that of other elastic members. The joint support device 300 according to claims 1 to 8,
Wearing parts (1, 2) to which the joint support device is attached and to position the joint support device on a patient's joint area,
A sensor unit 100 for detecting the motion of the patient's joint region, and
A controller 200 that controls the first to fourth rotors according to the movement of the patient's joint to adjust the winding direction and amount of the first wire and the second wire.
Joint assist device comprising a. In section 9
When the joint support device is worn on the back of the patient's ankle, when valgus or toe-out occurs in the patient's ankle, the first wire close to the back of the patient's ankle is pulled in the patient's ankle rotation direction , The second wire is a joint assist device that is pulled in a direction opposite to the patient's ankle rotation. In claim 10,
When an inversion or toe-in occurs in the patient's ankle, the first wire is pulled in a direction opposite to the patient's ankle rotation, and the second wire is pulled in the patient's ankle rotation direction. In claim 11,
The joint support device is a joint assistance device in which a plurality of layers consisting of the first to fourth rotors, the plurality of support members, the first wire and the second wire are arranged in a vertical direction. In claim 12,
A joint assisting device for controlling the amount of winding of the first wire and the second wire differently for each of the plurality of layers based on a valgus angle, a varus angle, a toy in angle, a toy out angle, and an ankle attachment position.

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