WO2019013490A1

WO2019013490A1 - Cuff and rehabilitation training device including same

Info

Publication number: WO2019013490A1
Application number: PCT/KR2018/007614
Authority: WO
Inventors: 문영진; 최재순
Original assignee: 재단법인 아산사회복지재단; 울산대학교 산학협력단
Priority date: 2017-07-14
Filing date: 2018-07-05
Publication date: 2019-01-17
Also published as: KR101991667B1; KR20190008028A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cuff and a rehabilitation training device including the same. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cuff comprises: a plurality of curved guides arranged while being stacked on one another; and a guide adjusting part for adjusting the curvature of at least a part of the plurality of curved guides, wherein each of the plurality of curved guides is disposed to form an individual pressing point on a body part.

Description

Cuff and rehabilitation equipment including it

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cuff and a rehabilitation training apparatus including the same, and more particularly, to a cuff for providing rehabilitation training by assisting a rehabilitation patient in normal movement and an apparatus including the same.

In general, patients who have undergone surgery due to damage to the knee joints should be treated with a casting fixture until the lesion is recovered. However, at the moment of removal of the cast, it takes a long time to perform the rehabilitation treatment because the joints that have been fixed for a long time harden, and it is necessary for the patients to rehabilitate themselves to strengthen their muscles and restore their original condition.

On the other hand, the joint orthosis is a device for supporting or correcting the operated part due to the rupture of the cruciate ligament. It minimizes the movement of the injured ligament and supports the joint.

A variety of techniques related to articulation aids are under research and development. Prior art documents related thereto disclose a rehabilitation exercise machine for ankle assistant in Korean Patent Publication No. 2010-0018599 (published on Feb. 17, 2010).

In addition, there are more and more cases of using the underarm rehabilitation robot to treat physical paralysis (hemiplegia) caused by diseases such as stroke by physical training.

In this case, the rehabilitation robot generates an operation of joints (hip, knee joint, ankle joint) by a driver (for example, a motor) to create a normal gait pattern of the user (i.e., patient). At this time, the limb is restrained by the cuff so that the motion of the driver (for example, a motor) is well followed by the body part of the patient.

The cuff usually uses a soft tissue such as a sponge or an air cell. In this case, the cuff is not adjusted in accordance with the movement of the body part (for example, the movement of the lower limb during walking), so that the body is not excessively squeezed or properly restrained. When using a cuff that restrains the body firmly at many points, there is a problem that the motion of the patient is similar to the motion of the robot to increase the effect of the training, but it gives the patient a strong pain. Therefore, there is a need for an invention that provides a high rehabilitation effect by restraining a body part in accordance with body movements over a wide range.

The present invention relates to a cuff and a cuff which provide a high rehabilitation training effect and a body assist effect by real time adjusting the shape in real time according to the shape of the body part and the body movement according to the body part while pressing the body part requiring rehabilitation training, And a rehabilitation training device including the same.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems which are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A rehabilitation robot cuff according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of curved guides formed by continuous lamination; And a guide adjuster for adjusting the curvature of each curved guide, wherein the curved guide forms a separate point of compression to support each point of the body part.

Further, in another embodiment, the apparatus further includes a control unit for controlling the guide adjusting unit to individually adjust the plurality of curved guides.

In another embodiment, the control unit adjusts the curvature of each curved guide based on a specific walking cycle.

Further, in another embodiment, the walking cycle is a type determined for treadmills and for general walking.

The guide adjusting unit may include a plurality of control belts included in the curved guide and controlling the curvature of the curved guide according to the degree of pulling.

A rehabilitation training device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes: a cuff according to embodiments of the present invention; And a joint motor disposed at a joint of the patient to assist joint movement.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the joint motor and the cuff is fixed, and the circumferential length of each curved guide is initially set according to the patient to be worn.

Further, in another embodiment, the treadmill in which the patient wearing the cuff and the joint motor performs walking is used.

Further, in another embodiment, the treadmill is applied in the same manner as the walking cycle applied to the cuff.

According to the present invention as described above, the following various effects are obtained.

First, it can be restrained in a wider range than existing cuffs, so that the rehabilitation robot can accurately provide movement to the body part of the patient. In other words, the multi-point squeeze can reliably restrain the body part rather than the existing cuff, and accurately reflect the movement of the rehabilitation training device to the body.

Second, the cuff shape can be controlled in real time in accordance with the shape of the body part, so accurate rehabilitation training and exercise aids are possible. That is, the cuff is deformed in real time according to the shape in which the body part is changed by the muscles according to the movement of the body part (for example, the arm or the leg), so that the correct rehabilitation training can be provided compared to the existing cuff.

Third, by applying a walking cycle, the cuff shape can be modified in real time to match the movement of the body during walking. This can provide a rehabilitation patient with a motion that matches the normal motion (e.g., a normal walking motion).

1 is a configuration diagram of a cuff according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a top view of a curved guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a curved guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an exemplary illustration of a motor, pulley, and control belt connected in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a change in a main compression point according to a walking cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Figure 6 is a graph of the torque change of a joint in a walking cycle according to an embodiment of the invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention and the manner of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a sense commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Also, commonly used predefined terms are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of illustrating embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification. The terms " comprises " and / or " comprising " used in the specification do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements in addition to the stated element.

Herein, the 'rehabilitation robot' includes a device for performing rehabilitation training and a device for assisting movement (for example, walking) of a rehabilitation patient.

Hereinafter, a cuff and rehabilitation training device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a configuration diagram of a cuff 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cuff 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used in a rehabilitation robot. For example, the cuff 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be one of the components of the rehabilitation robot.

The cuff 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a curved guide 110; And a guide adjuster 120.

The curved guide 110 serves to support each point on the body part. For example, in the case of the curved surface guide 110 used in the walking rehabilitation robot, the rehabilitation patient plays a role of supporting the leg so as to perform the leg motion during walking.

The cuff 100 is formed by continuously laminating a plurality of curved surface guides 110. Each curved guide 110 individually forms a point of compression to support each point of the body part (i. E., A plurality of body points spaced apart by a certain distance). The point of compression refers to the point at which the curved guide 110 squeezes the body (i.e., the point at which the body is held) to support the body. Since the thickness of the legs or arms varies continuously depending on the position, the plurality of curved guides 110 formed with a specific thickness are adjusted by the guide adjusting portion 120, A compression point is formed according to the body shape.

The curved guide 110 may be deformed to have a different curvature by the guide adjusting portion 120, which will be described later. To this end, the curved surface guide 110 may be made of a soft material.

In addition, the curved surface guide 110 can be manufactured in various forms. For example, the curved surface guide 110 may be U-shaped to surround one side of the body part. At this time, portions of both ends of the U-shape in the curved surface guide 110 can form a point of compression of the curved surface guide 110. 1, the front point (point A) and the rear point (point B) of the curved guide 110 can press the body. That is, the curved surface guide 110 may extend in a U-shape from the front point (point A) to the rear point (point B). The curved surface guide 110 has a first extending portion extending to one side from a front point (point A), a second extending portion extending to one side from a rear point (point B), and a second extending portion And a curvature portion disposed between the two extensions and having a convex curvature formed on one side. The front point (point A) of the curved surface guide 110 and the rear point (point B) of the curved surface guide 110 approach or depart from each other when the curvature of the curved surface guide 110 is changed by the guide adjusting unit 120 . That is, the distance between the front point (point A) of the curved surface guide 110 and the rear point (point B) of the curved surface guide 110 can be varied by the curvature of the curved surface guide 110. The curved surface guide 110 can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the front point A of the curved surface guide 110 and the rearward point of the curved surface guide 110 according to the change in the thickness (Point B) can be adjusted.

The guide adjuster 120 serves to deform each curved guide 110 such that each curved guide 110 squeezes a bodily point. That is, the guide adjuster 120 adjusts the curvature of each curved guide 110 so that the cuff 100 can restrain the body part. This is because if the cuff 100 is larger than the body part (i.e., the body part to be restrained) performing the rehabilitation, the cuff 100 can not assist the patient in the normal walking unless the body part is squeezed.

For example, when the curved guide 110 has a U-shape, the guide adjusting unit 120 individually adjusts curvatures of the curved guides 110.

The guide adjuster 120 may be implemented in various forms. For example, the guide adjuster 120 may be coupled to one side of the curved guide 110 or may be disposed within the curved guide 110 to adjust the curvature of the curved guide 110 according to the degree of tension Or a control belt 121 (or strap). One control belt 121 is provided in one curved guide 110 and the curvature of the curved guide 110 coupled to a particular control belt 121 is adjusted as the particular control belt 121 is adjusted. That is, the plurality of control belts 121 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of curved surface guides 110, so that the plurality of curved surface guides 110 can be individually (independently) controlled.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the control belt 121 is disposed inside a curved guide made of a soft material and coupled to a pulley 122 driven by a motor 123, Or by being driven. In this case, the motor can rotate (rotate) the pulley 122. The control belt 121 may have a distal end fixed to one end of the curved guide 110. In this case, when the control belt 121 is wound (wound up) on the pulley 122 by the driving of the motor 123, the curvature of the curved surface guide 110 increases as the control belt 121 is pulled by the control belt 121 The radius can be reduced so that the wearer can press the body part.

The cuff 100 may be manufactured in different sizes depending on the body part to be worn. For example, in the case of a lower-limb rehabilitation robot, the cuff 100 may be formed in a size wearable on the undergarment.

Further, in another embodiment, the cuff 100 further includes a control unit (not shown). The control unit controls the guide adjusting unit 120 so that the plurality of curved surface guides 110 individually adjust. The body such as an arm or a leg varies in thickness depending on the position, and the thickness varies depending on the movement state of the body. For example, in the case of using the cuff 100 for leg rehabilitation, the calf region where the cuff 100 is placed (i.e., the leg portion between the knee and ankle) has a circumferential length Or width. Thus, depending on the respective body points and the state of motion, it is necessary to adjust the point of compression of each curved guide 110. The control unit controls the guide regulating unit 120 such that each curved guide 110 has a shape (e.g., curvature control) conforming to each body point at each time point.

The control unit applies a different shape change pattern (e.g., a curvature change pattern) to each curved surface guide 110 included in the cuff 100. That is, since each of the curved guides 110 is continuously disposed at different body points, the control unit controls the shape change patterns (e.g., the curved guides 110 and the curved guides 110) For example, a curvature change pattern) is applied. For example, when the guide adjusting unit 120 individually adjusts each curved surface guide 110, the control unit controls the guide adjusting unit 110 so that each curved guide 110 has a shape change pattern corresponding to the body point where the curved guides 110 are disposed. (120).

The control unit controls the guide adjusting unit 120 so that the plurality of curved surface guides 110 stacked at a specific time have an arrangement corresponding to the body shape. That is, the controller 130 applies a shape change pattern (for example, a curvature change pattern) so that the plurality of curved surface guides 110 stacked are arranged along the body surface at a specific point in time.

In one embodiment, when the cuff 100 is used for underarm rehabilitation training (i.e., normal gait training) by worn on the lower limb, the controller adjusts the curvature of each curved guide 110 according to a specific walking cycle . As shown in FIG. 5, the main pressing points of the lower limbs are changed at the time of walking, and the shapes of the plurality of curved guides 110 are changed accordingly. The desired pressing point / position refers to the point at which the desired pressing point must be squeezed to provide adequate bodily movement. That is, when the cuff 100 of the rehabilitation robot is worn under the knee to assist the leg motion, the desired pressing point / position is a specific point in the vertical section between the ankle and below the knee, Means a point that must be squeezed to move the user's legs efficiently at a certain point in time.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, in the case of the knee joint in the moment (torque) graph of each joint with respect to the gait cycle, a situation where a high joint torque is required (for example, (Midstance) and E (Preswing) are present in the floor. At this time, when the cuff 100 is worn between the knee and the ankle, the control unit can change the shape of the plurality of curved guides 110 so that the point near the knee is the main pressing point in order to provide the high joint torque. That is, the controller controls the plurality of curved guides 110 so as to squeeze a point close to the knee when a high joint torque is required. Thus, the torque efficiency of the rehabilitation robot can be increased.

In addition, for example, in the C-D section in the walking cycle, the rehabilitation robot must forcibly push the foot backward. Therefore, at this time, the control unit sets a point near the ankle to be the main pressing point, and controls the curved surface guide 110 to press the point near the ankle.

The control unit stores a walking cycle corresponding to a user wearing the cuff 100 (i.e., a patient), and controls the guide adjusting unit 120 when walking. For example, since the walking cycle is different according to the physical condition of the user (i.e., the patient), the controller 130 applies the shape change pattern of the curved guide 110 matching the body condition, 120). That is, the control unit calculates and stores the optimum compression curvature suitable for supporting the body during walking based on the physical information of each user (for example, the circumference length of the lower limb in the case of the lower limb) It is possible to control the curvature according to the walking cycle. Further, the walking cycle may be determined to be of a type for the treadmill and for the general walking. Since there is a difference in the walking cycle of a person during the general walking and the treadmill walking (specifically, there is a difference in the change of the leg in the process of pushing the floor during the general walking and treadmill walking) A walking cycle in accordance with the present invention can be applied.

Further, in another embodiment, the controller may sense movement of a user (e.g., a patient) to implement a shape change of the cuff 100 for motion aids of a user (e.g., a patient). That is, when the rehabilitation robot is a rehabilitation patient assisting device, the control unit can control the cuff 100 to assist the weak muscular strength by sensing the movement pattern in advance when the patient is to perform a specific movement on a specific body part. For example, if the rehabilitation patient wishes to walk forward, the control unit senses the leg muscle movement to perform a normal gait (i.e., a walking gait) and applies a gait cycle of a normal gait to the cuff 100 worn on the leg .

Further, in another embodiment, it further includes a tension sensor (not shown). The tension sensor may be provided on a curved guide 110 or a control belt 121 made of a soft material to measure the pressure at the time of pressing the body. The control unit 130 adjusts the control belt 121 to a tension level with a high compression efficiency based on the tension data measured by a tension sensor (not shown). That is, the control unit controls the curved surface guide 110 to firmly restrain the body based on the tension data measured by the tension sensor, so that the user's pain due to the pressing can be reduced.

The rehabilitation training device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a cuff 100 according to embodiments of the present invention; And a joint motor (not shown). The joint motor is placed in the patient 's joints and serves to assist the movement of the joints. For example, when performing the underarm rehabilitation training, the joint motor is worn on the knee joint, and the cuff 100 is worn on the foot between the foot and the knee, The state of the cuff 100 is adjusted in real time.

Further, in another embodiment, the distance between the joint motor and the cuff 100 is fixed, and the cuff 100 initializes the curvature of each curved guide 110 according to the wearer.

Further, in another embodiment, the cradle 100 and the treadmill (not shown) in which the patient wearing the joint motor performs walking. The treadmill is synchronized with the gait cycle applied to the cuff 100. [ That is, the floor surface of the treadmill 300 is controlled at a speed at which the rehabilitation patient can perform the walking due to the change in the shape of the cuff 100 according to the walking cycle.

First, since the cuff 100 can be restrained in a wider range than the conventional cuff 100, the rehabilitation robot can accurately provide movement to the body part of the patient. That is, it is possible to reliably restrain the body part rather than the existing cuff 100 through the multi-point pressing and accurately provide the movement of the rehabilitation training device to the body.

Second, since the shape of the cuff 100 can be adjusted in real time in accordance with the shape of the body part, accurate rehabilitation training and exercise aids are possible. That is, the cuff 100 is deformed in real time in accordance with the shape of the body part (for example, the arm or the leg) changed by the muscles according to the movement, thereby providing accurate rehabilitation training compared to the existing cuff 100.

Third, by applying a walking cycle, the shape of the cuff 100 can be modified in real time in a form corresponding to the body movement at the time of walking. This can provide a rehabilitation patient with a motion that matches the normal motion (e.g., a normal walking motion).

The present invention can provide a rehabilitation training method using the rehabilitation training apparatus (rehabilitation robot) including the cuff 100 described above. In this case, the first step of the rehabilitation training method may be the step of mounting the cuff 100 on the body part, and the second step may be a step of guiding the curved guide (not shown) of each of the plurality of cuffs 100 110 may be controlled in real time and individually. In this case, the control unit can control the guide adjusting unit 120 with a walking cycle for a treadmill or a walking cycle for a normal walking.

Further, as described above, in the second step, a joint motor disposed in the joint and assisting the movement of the joint may be added. In this case, the movement of the body part can be assisted by the excessive motor.

Further, as described above, in the second step, the treadmill 300 can be added. In this case, the bottom surface of the treadmill 300 can be controlled according to the movement of the body part.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, You will understand. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

Claims

In the cuff used in the rehabilitation robot,

A plurality of curved guides arranged in a stacked manner; And

And a guide adjuster for adjusting a curvature of at least a part of the plurality of curved guides,

Wherein each of said plurality of curved guides is disposed to form a separate crimping point on a body part.
The method according to claim 1,

Further comprising a controller for controlling the guide adjuster such that the guide adjuster individually adjusts each of the plurality of curved guides.
3. The method of claim 2,

Wherein the control unit controls the guide adjusting unit such that each of the plurality of curved surface guides has a shape corresponding to each of the body points for each viewpoint.
3. The method of claim 2,

Wherein the cuff further comprises a tension sensor provided on the curved surface guide for measuring a pressure at the time of pressing the body,

Wherein the control unit controls the guide adjusting unit to adjust the curved surface guide based on the tension data measured by the tension sensor.
3. The method of claim 2,

Wherein the control unit controls the guide adjusting unit according to a walking cycle.
6. The method of claim 5,

Wherein the walking cycle is a treadmill walking cycle or a normal walking gait cycle.
The method according to claim 1,

Wherein the guide adjusting portion includes a plurality of control belts disposed on one side of the plurality of curved guides or disposed at at least one point of the inside of the plurality of curved guides,

Wherein the plurality of control belts individually adjust the curvatures of the plurality of curved guides.
8. The method of claim 7,

Wherein the guide regulating portion further comprises a motor and a pulley rotated by the motor, wherein the control belt is wound on the pulley and the curvature is adjusted by rotation of the pulley.
The method according to claim 1,

Wherein each of the plurality of curved guides extends in a U-shape from a front point to a rear point,

Wherein a forward point of each of the plurality of curved guides and a rearward point of each of the plurality of curved guides compress the body part.
10. The cuff of any one of claims 1 to 9, And

And a joint motor disposed at a joint of the patient to assist movement of the joint.
11. The method of claim 10,

The distance between the cuff and the joint motor is fixed,

Wherein the cuff initially sets the circumferential length of each curved guide according to the patient.
11. The method of claim 10,

Wherein the rehabilitation training apparatus further comprises a treadmill in which a patient wearing the cuff and the joint motor performs walking.
13. The method of claim 12,

Wherein the rehabilitation training apparatus further comprises a treadmill in which a patient wearing the cuff and the joint motor performs walking.
14. The method of claim 13,

Wherein the treadmill is synchronized with a gait cycle applied to the cuff.