RU207390U1 - Muscle Strength Glove - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of medicine, in particular to diagnostic devices used in neurology, traumatology and orthopedics, restorative medicine, sports medicine, and is a device for assessing the strength of skeletal muscles. a hardware and software unit with an analog-to-digital converter, a motherboard, a rechargeable battery with a mini-USB charging board and an indication and data display module, characterized in that the glove consists of a glovelet-type wrist part made of leather or woven material and a rubberized wrist part , connected to each other with Velcro fasteners; a high-precision thin-film tensoresistive sensor with pressure induction from 20 g to 10 kg is sewn into the wrist part in the area of the hypotenar from the side of the palmar surface; the back surface of the wrist part of the device is glued to the housing of the hardware and software unit, which includes an analog-to-digital converter connected to the strain-resistive sensor with a flexible two-core cable using a plug and a TRRS 3.5 mini-jack; Arduino Pro mini system board, connected using three-core cables with an analog-to-digital converter, Bluetooth module, display and data display module, the screen of which is located in the corresponding hole in the housing of the software and hardware unit; a rechargeable battery connected by two-wire cables to the Arduino Pro mini motherboard and the charging board, and between the battery and the Arduino Pro mini motherboard there is a switch corresponding to a button on the surface of the hardware and software unit, which enables the device to turn on and off.

Description

The utility model relates to the field of medicine, in particular to diagnostic devices used in neurology, traumatology and orthopedics, restorative medicine, sports medicine, and is a device for assessing the strength of skeletal muscles.

It is known to use a sensor that is inserted into the Achilles tendon and directly measures the strength of the triceps calf muscle. The disadvantage of the invention is its complexity, invasiveness during implantation [1].

Known device [2] for diagnosing the functional state of the triceps muscle of the leg. The device has sensors for measuring the signal on the distal part of the foot and the lower third of the lower leg, a tire for fixing the limb in an average physiological position, while the first of the sensors is made of dynamometric, and the second is in the form of a vibration receiver-accelerometer attached to the Achilles tendon next to the vibrator drive ... The disadvantage of the device is its limited use only for assessing the functional state of the triceps muscle of the leg.

It is known to use a myograph for indirect determination of muscle strength [3]. Needle and stimulation electromyography allows assessment of peripheral nerve conduction disorders and neuromuscular transmission, but cannot be used to directly determine muscle strength.

Known devices for dynamometry - an indirect method for determining muscle strength: mechanical wrist dynamometer DK-50 and mechanical back dynamometer DS-200, which determine the strength of the muscles of the hand and back, respectively [4].

The use of a scalable tactile glove and deep neural networks is known. Sensors, evenly spaced across the glove, can be used to identify individual objects, estimate their weight, and study typical tactile patterns when gripping. An array of 548 sensors is assembled on a knitted glove and consists of a piezoresistive film connected by a network of electrodes with a conductive filament, which are passively probed. A large-scale tactile dataset of 135,000 frames is being recorded.

The disadvantage of the model is the lack of the ability to determine muscle strength; it is aimed at identifying the shape of objects, which is important for robotics [5].

A team of researchers from the University of California have developed a glove that measures muscle stiffness. The device has over 300 pressure sensors and an accelerometer on the back. The glove is connected to a computer via a USB cable. When the doctor flexes and extends the patient's arm, the sensors take measurements. The accelerometer measures how fast a limb is moving. A computer program processes data to assess muscle stiffness [6]. The disadvantage is the technical complexity of the product, the need to train the doctor-researcher to work with the software; limited use of a glove - mainly muscle stiffness is assessed, which is important for the diagnosis of cerebral palsy, strokes and multiple sclerosis. We have taken this device as a prototype.

The technical result is the creation of a device - gloves for non-invasive assessment of muscle strength.

The technical result is achieved in that the glove consists of a wrist part of the glovette type made of leather or woven material and a wrist part of a rubberized fabric, which are connected to each other by Velcro-type fasteners; a high-precision thin-film tensoresistive sensor with pressure induction from 20 g to 10 kg is sewn into the wrist in the area of the hypotenar from the side of the palmar surface; the back surface of the wrist part of the device is glued to the housing of the hardware and software unit, which includes: an analog-to-digital converter connected to the strain-resistive sensor with a flexible two-wire cable using a plug and socket of the TRRS 3.5 mini-jack standard; Arduino Pro mini system board, connected using three-core cables with an analog-to-digital converter, Bluetooth module, display and data display module, the screen of which is located in the corresponding hole in the housing of the software and hardware unit; a rechargeable battery connected by two-wire cables to the Arduino Pro mini motherboard and the charging board, and between the battery and the Arduino Pro mini motherboard there is a switch corresponding to a button on the surface of the hardware and software unit, which enables the device to turn on and off.

High-precision thin-film strain-gauge sensor, has well-known physical characteristics: analog output signal; pressure induction range - 20-10000 g (trigger 20 g); default resistance <200 kΩ; activation time and response time <0.01 s; dimensions: thickness / length / width, mm - 0.45 / 50/40 (dimensions of the working surface: length / width, mm - 36/36); weight 2 g.

The Arduino Pro mini board has well-known characteristics: ATmega1684 microcontroller; operating voltage - 3.3 V; input voltage - 3.35-12 V; digital inputs / outputs - 14 (6 of which can be used as pulse width modulation outputs); analog inputs - 6; constant current through the input / output - 40 mA; flash memory - 16 KB (2 KB used for bootloader); SRAM - 1 KB; EEPROM - 512 bytes; clock frequency - 8 MHz.

The 120 mA rechargeable battery has a charging board (mini-USB charger, TP4056 type A 4.2 V).

The OLed 0.91 '' 128 * 32 SSD1306 for Arduino Pro mini indication and data display module allows you to display on the screen a digital expression of the pressure force exerted on the sensor in the form of a non-system unit of measurement - gram-force (gf).

The device is portable and reusable. The examining physician quickly puts on the wrist and wrist parts of the glove, fixing them together with Velcro fasteners, and, if necessary, quickly removes the glove.

The properties of the sensor make it possible to measure the force of pressure exerted on it in the range from 20 to 10000 gf, the result is instantly displayed on the screen of the indication and data display module. The strain gauge is resistant to deformation in the form of compression and tension and is designed for 100,000 measurements.

The glove for assessing muscle strength consists of a glovelette wrist part made of leather or woven material and a rubberized wrist part, which are connected to each other with Velcro fasteners. A high-precision thin-film tensoresistive transducer with pressure induction from 20 g to 10 kg is sewn into the wrist part in the area of the hypotenar from the side of the palmar surface. The back surface of the wrist part of the device is glued to the housing of the hardware and software unit, which includes an analog-to-digital converter connected to the strain-gauge sensor with a flexible two-wire cable using a plug and socket of the TRRS 3.5 mini-jack standard; Arduino Pro mini system board, connected using three-core cables with an analog-to-digital converter, Bluetooth module, display and data display module, the screen of which is located in the corresponding hole in the housing of the software and hardware unit; a rechargeable battery connected by two-wire cables to the Arduino Pro mini motherboard and charging board. Moreover, between the battery and the Arduino Pro mini motherboard there is a switch corresponding to the button on the surface of the hardware and software unit, which enables the device to be turned on and off.

The utility model is illustrated by graphic material. Figure 1 shows a diagram of a glove, which consists of a wrist part 1 of the glovette type and a wrist part 2, which are connected to each other by Velcro fasteners 3. A high-precision thin-film tensoresistive sensor 4 is sewn into the wrist part 1 in the hypotenar region from the palmar surface 4. To the back surface of the wrist part 2 is glued the housing 5 of the software and hardware unit, which includes an analog-to-digital converter 6 connected to the tensoresistive sensor 4 by a flexible two-core cable using TRRS 3.5 mini-jack plugs and sockets; system board 7 Arduino Pro mini, connected using three-core cables with analog-to-digital converter 6, Bluetooth module 8, display and data display module 9, the screen of which is located in the corresponding hole in the housing 5 of the hardware and software unit; battery 10, connected by two-wire cables to the motherboard 7 Arduino Pro mini and the charging board 11, and between the battery 10 and the motherboard 7 Arduino Pro mini there is a switch 12, which enables the device to be turned on and off.

The proposed device works as follows. The examining physician puts a glove on his right or left hand, depending on the individual (right-handed / left-handed). First, he puts on the wrist of the glove, then the wrist and fixes them together with Velcro fasteners. The researcher puts on the wrist part of the glove so that in the area of the hypotenar from the side of the palmar surface there is a sewn-in high-precision thin-film tensoresistive sensor.

Using a flexible two-core cable, the wrist sensor is connected to the analog-to-digital converter of the hardware-software unit of the wrist part of the device using a plug and a TRRS 3.5 mini-jack. Turn on the device by pressing the button on the case.

The examining physician, holding the corresponding segment of the limb, asks the subject to perform the required movements (flexion / extension, abduction / adduction, supination / pronation, etc.). When resisting the movements of the subject, the examining physician, using a strain gauge transducer of the wrist of the glove, evaluates the pressure exerted by the subject. The signal from the sensor, entering the analog-to-digital converter and transforming into digital values in gram-force, is fed to the display and display module screen and is recorded by the researcher or his assistant. After performing the necessary measurements, the investigator turns off the device by pressing the button of the case, disconnects the two-core cable from the hardware and software unit of the case, opens the Velcro fasteners and removes the wrist and wrist parts of the glove.

The use of the utility model is illustrated by clinical examples.

A healthy male, M., 20 years old, performed the determination of the strength of the muscle group of the flexors of the foot, flexors of the forearm and muscles that abduct the upper limb. When determining the strength of the muscles of the posterior surface of the leg, flexing the foot, the subject's position is horizontal on the couch on his stomach. The subject was asked to perform plantar flexion of the foot, the researcher with a gloved hand (wrist part made of woven material) resisted. The following figures were obtained on the monitor of the device: the strength of the flexor muscles of the foot on the right is 5747 gf, on the left - 5377 gf. When determining the strength of the flexor muscles of the forearm, the subject is sitting on a chair, the shoulder is on the couch, the arm is bent at the elbow joint at an angle of 90 °. The subject was asked to exercise the flexion of the forearm at the elbow joint, and the investigator provided sporulation. The measurement results were as follows: the strength of the flexor muscles of the forearm on the right - 5586 gf, on the left - 4278 gf. When determining the strength of the deltoid muscle, the subject was sitting on a chair with the upper limb retracted to the side parallel to the floor. The subject makes an attempt to maximally abduct the upper limb from the body. And the researcher resists, trying to bring the limb to the body. The following indicators of the strength of the muscles abducting the upper limb were obtained: on the right - 6060 gf, on the left - 5735 gf.

Male D., 50 years old after suffering stroke and having left-sided hemiparesis, underwent a study of the strength of the flexor muscles of the foot, flexors of the forearm and muscles that abduct the upper limb. When determining the strength of the muscles flexing the foot, the subject's position is horizontal on the couch on his stomach. The subject was asked to perform plantar flexion of the foot, and the investigator resisted, trying to straighten it. On the monitor of the device, the following figures were obtained that characterize the strength of the flexor muscles of the foot: on the right - 4635 gf, on the left - 1457 gf. When determining the strength of the flexor muscles of the forearm, the subject is sitting on a chair, the shoulder is on the couch, the arm is bent at the elbow joint at an angle of 90 °. The subject was asked to flex the forearm at the elbow joint, and the investigator resisted, trying to straighten the subject's upper limb. The results of measuring the force of the flexors of the forearm were as follows: on the right - 3692 gf, on the left - 1342 gf. When determining the strength of the deltoid muscle, the subject was sitting on a chair with the upper limb retracted to the side parallel to the floor. The subject makes an attempt to maximize abduction of the upper limb. And the researcher resists, trying to bring the limb to the body. The following indicators of the strength of the muscles abducting the upper limb were obtained: on the right - 3983 gf, on the left - 1538 gf.

Thus, a decrease in muscle strength was revealed in the three muscle groups under study in a patient with hemiparesis who developed after an ischemic stroke. A healthy young man showed normal symmetric strength in the muscle groups under study.

The glove for assessing muscle strength can and should be used in the conditions of neurological and trauma-orthopedic inpatient departments to assess muscle strength in patients with lesions of the peripheral and central nervous system, musculoskeletal system; in the conditions of the departments of restorative medicine to assess the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation measures; in sports institutions to assess the effectiveness of training and analyze the build-up of muscle strength, as well as in the outpatient practice of osteopaths, kinesiologists, sports doctors, rehabilitation therapists to assess the state of the muscular system, prepare athletes, and monitor the effectiveness of sports training.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

1. Komi P.V. Stretch-shortening cycle: a powerful model to study normal and fatigued muscle. Journal of Biomechanics. 2000; 33: 1197-1206.

2. Lvov C.E., Shapin V.I., Shchavelev V.L., Nozdrin M.A., Russkikh S.V., Kolodina I.G. A device for diagnosing the functional state of the triceps muscle of the lower leg. RF patent No. 2123803 dated December 27, 1998.

3. Runner P.I., Samsonova A.V. Biomechanics of the human musculoskeletal system: Monograph. Saint Petersburg: Kinetics, 2020.179 p.

4. Methodical instructions and tasks for the laboratory work "Research and quantitative assessment of the functional state of skeletal muscles by dynamometry" in the discipline "Physics, mathematics" for students of medical and pharmaceutical specialties. Simferopol, 2016.11 p.

5. Sundaram S., Kellnhofer P., Li Y. et al. Learning the signatures of the human grasp using a scalable tactile glove. Nature. 2009; 569: 698-702. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1234-z

6. University of California San Diego. (2017, April 20). Sensor-filled glove could help doctors take guesswork out of physical exams. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 23, 2021 from www.sciencedailv.com/releases/2017/04/l70420114024.htm.

Claims (2)

1. A glove for assessing muscle strength, which has a strain gauge sensor, connecting cables, a hardware and software unit with an analog-to-digital converter, a system board, a rechargeable battery with a mini-USB charging board and an indication and display module, characterized in that the glove consists of glovette type wrist and rubberized wrist, connected to each other with Velcro fasteners; a high-precision thin-film tensoresistive sensor with pressure induction from 20 g to 10 kg is sewn into the wrist in the area of the hypotenar from the side of the palmar surface; the back surface of the wrist part of the device is glued to the housing of the hardware and software unit, which includes: an analog-to-digital converter connected to the strain-resistive sensor with a flexible two-wire cable using a plug and socket of the TRRS 3.5 mini-jack standard; Arduino Pro mini system board, connected using three-core cables with an analog-to-digital converter, Bluetooth module, display and data display module, the screen of which is located in the corresponding hole in the housing of the software and hardware unit; A battery connected to the Arduino Pro mini motherboard and charging board with two-wire cables, with a switch between the battery and the Arduino Pro mini board to turn the device on and off. 2. A glove according to claim 1, characterized in that the wrist portion is made of leather or woven material.

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