JP7380487B2 - detection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a detection device, and for example, to a detection device for a walking aid device.

Patent Document 1 describes a walking assist device that is worn by a user. The walking assist device of Patent Document 1 includes a thigh link, a lower leg link, a motor, a controller, and a damper that generates a resistance force against rotation of the lower leg link in the knee bending direction.

Patent No. 5316708

The walking assist device of Patent Document 1 is a knee support type robot orthosis, so if the position gradually shifts due to the weight or repetitive walking motion, the walking assist device is attached to the paralyzed leg. It is difficult for the user himself to notice the positional shift.

The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and provides a detection device that can make even a user wearing the device on a paralyzed leg aware of positional deviation.

The detection device according to the present embodiment includes: a measuring section disposed on a brace worn around a bone extending in one direction; a reference section fixed at a predetermined position on a straight line along the bone; and a detection member whose state changes with a change in relative position between the measurement part and the reference part, and detects a change in the distance between the measurement part and the reference part by a change in the state of the detection member. and detects a positional shift of the appliance. With such a configuration, even a user wearing the device on a paralyzed leg can be made aware of the positional shift.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a detection device that can make even a user wearing the device on a paralyzed leg aware of positional displacement.

1 is a diagram illustrating a detection device according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating another detection device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a front view illustrating a walking assist device and a measuring section according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a walking assist device and a measuring section according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

The present invention will be described below through embodiments, but the claimed invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are essential as means for solving the problem. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted as necessary.

(Embodiment 1)
A detection device according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The detection device of this embodiment detects, for example, a positional shift of an orthosis such as a walking aid device or a functional electrical stimulation device that is attached to a user's leg. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a detection device according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the detection device 1 includes a measurement section 40, a reference section 50, and a detection member 60.

The measurement unit 40 is placed on the appliance D11. The brace D11 is, for example, a walking assist device that is attached to the user's leg U10. Note that the orthosis D11 is not limited to a walking assist device that is attached to the user's leg U10. For example, the orthosis D11 may include a functional electrical stimulation device attached to the user's leg U10 instead of the walking assist device, or a functional electrical stimulation device attached to the user's arm instead of the leg U10. It may also be something that you can wear.

The brace D11 is worn around a bone extending in one direction. For example, the brace D11 is attached around the femur U13 that extends in one direction. Note that the brace D11 may be attached around the tibia U14 instead of the femur U13, or may be attached around the humerus, as long as the brace D11 is a bone that extends in one direction.

The detection member 60 is a stick-shaped member extending in one direction and having one end 60a and the other end 60b. The measurement unit 40 is, for example, a movement amount sensor. The measurement unit 40 is movably inserted into one end 60a of the detection member 60. The measurement unit 40 detects the amount of movement relative to the detection member 60 by measuring the length of the insertion of the detection member 60. The measurement unit 40 may be, for example, an encoder.

The reference portion 50 is placed at a predetermined position on a straight line along the bone extending in one direction. The reference part 50 is, for example, an adhesive pad to which the other end 60b of the detection member 60 is fixed. The reference part 50 is fixed on a straight line along the femur U13 by, for example, being attached to the upper leg. The reference part 50 is fixed above the appliance D11 in which the measuring part 40 is arranged. Note that the reference portion 50 may be fixed below the brace D11 as long as it is placed at a position on a straight line along the bone extending in one direction.

Note that the arrangement positions of the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50 may be replaced. For example, the measurement section 40 may be placed on an adhesive pad attached to the upper leg, and the other end 60b of the detection member 60 may be fixed to the brace D11 to serve as the reference section 50. However, it is preferable to arrange the reference part 50, which is lighter than the measurement part 40, on the adhesive pad that is attached to the upper leg so that it does not come off.

The detection device 1 detects a change in state based on the length of the detection member 60 inserted into the measurement section 40 . As the distance between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50 increases, the length into which the detection member 60 is inserted becomes smaller. Therefore, the state of the detection member 60 changes as the relative position between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50 changes.

Next, the operation of the detection device 1 will be explained. When the brace D11 is attached to a preset attachment position, the length by which the detection member 60 is inserted into the measuring section 40 is set as a reference value. In order to suppress false detections, a value within a predetermined range with a certain margin is set as a threshold value with respect to the reference value.

When the user wearing the orthosis D11 is walking, as long as the orthosis D11 is located at a predetermined attachment position on the user's leg U10, the distance between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50 will be equal to the threshold value. Keep length within range. This is because the distance between the measurement section 40, which is located on a straight line along the bone extending in one direction, and the reference section 50 does not change.

On the other hand, when the orthosis D11 is displaced from the mounting position of the user's leg U10, the distance between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50 changes. For example, if the brace D11 shifts downward due to gravity, the distance between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50 will be outside the threshold range. Therefore, the state of the detection member 60 changes as the relative position between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50 changes. The detection device 1 detects a change in the distance between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50, and detects a positional shift of the appliance D11. For example, the detection device 1 detects the magnitude of the positional shift of the appliance D11 based on the length of the detection member 60 inserted into the measurement section 40.

Furthermore, when the user rotates clockwise or counterclockwise while walking, the brace D11 may rotate around the femur U13 rather than at the mounting position. Even in the case of such a horizontal shift, the distance between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50 may be outside the threshold range. Therefore, the state of the detection member 60 changes depending on the change in the relative position between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50.

In this manner, the detection device 1 detects a change in the distance between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50 based on a change in the state of the detection member 60, and detects a positional shift of the appliance D11. Therefore, since the user can detect a change in the distance between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50, the user can notice a positional shift even when the device is attached to a paralyzed leg.

The detection device 1 of this embodiment is arranged on the side of the leg U10, that is, on the side opposite to the inner thigh of the leg U10. Thereby, a caregiver or the like other than the user can easily attach and set the detection device 1. However, the detection device 1 may be placed at the inner thigh of the leg U10. Thereby, the user U can wear the detection device 1, set it, etc. from the non-paralyzed side that is not wearing the walking assistance device 100.

(Modified example)
Although the detection device 1 detects a positional shift by detecting the length by which the detection member 60 is inserted into the measurement unit 40, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a light emitting member such as a light emitting element may be connected to the reference section 50, and a light sensor may be provided to the measurement section 40. In this case, the detection member 60 is the light emitting member and the light emitted by the light emitting member, and the state of the optical path length of the light changes as the relative position between the measurement unit 40 and the reference unit 50 changes. Therefore, the detection device 1 can detect a change in the distance between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50 based on a change in the state of the optical path length of the light, and can detect a positional shift of the appliance D11. Furthermore, instead of the light emitting member, a sound wave generating member that generates sound waves such as ultrasonic waves may be connected to the reference section 50, and the optical sensor may be replaced with a sound wave sensor.

Furthermore, markers may be provided on the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50, and changes in the distances between the markers measured from the outside may be detected. In this case, the detection member 60 is each marker, and as the relative position between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50 changes, the state of the distance between each marker changes. Therefore, the detection device 1 can detect a change in the distance between the measuring section 40 and the reference section 50 based on a change in the state between each marker, and can detect a positional shift of the appliance D11.

When the detection device 1 detects a positional shift of the brace D11, it may notify the user by making a sound or by emitting light from a light emitting element or the like. Furthermore, the walking assist device and the functional electric stimulation device may be stopped by a mechanical lock or the like.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating another detection device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, in the detection device 1a, the brace D11 is attached around a bone extending in one direction. The detection member 61 is an L-shaped member that extends in one direction from the other end 61b on the reference portion 51 to the corner 61c, and extends in the other direction perpendicular to the one direction from the corner 61c to the one end 61a. It is extending. The measurement unit 41 is, for example, a movement amount sensor. The measurement unit 41 is inserted into the detection member 61 from one end 61a from the other direction in a movable state. The measurement unit 41 detects the amount of movement relative to the detection member 61 by measuring the length in the other direction into which the detection member 61 is inserted. According to the detection device 1a, detection accuracy can be improved when detecting a positional shift in the rotational direction around a bone extending in one direction. Note that the detection devices 1 and 1a may be used together.

Next, the walking assist device 100 will be described as an example of what is worn by the user using the orthosis D11. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the walking assist device and the measurement unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the walking assist device and the measurement unit according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the walking assist device 100 is attached to the user's leg U10. The walking assist device 100 is worn by a user who performs walking training, for example. The user performs walking training while wearing the walking assist device 100.

The walking assist device 100 includes an upper leg supporter 111, a lower leg supporter 112, an upper leg frame 113, a lower leg frame 114, and a damper 115. Note that these configurations of the walking assist device 100 are merely examples, and as long as the walking assist device 100 can assist the user wearing the device in walking, it may include other configurations, or some configurations may be omitted.

The upper leg supporter 111 is attached so as to be wrapped around the upper leg of the user's leg U10, and the lower leg supporter 112 is attached so as to be wrapped around the lower leg of the user's leg U10. Therefore, the upper leg supporter 111 and the lower leg supporter 112 are arranged around the knee joint, specifically, over the upper leg and the lower leg. Note that the upper leg indicates the part from below the hip joint to the knee joint, and the lower leg indicates the part from the knee joint to the ankle joint. The ankle joint includes the malleolus. The lower leg includes the shin. The part below the ankle joint, that is, the part toward the tip of the leg, is the foot.

The upper leg supporter 111 and the lower leg supporter 112 are made of a stretchable material such as a resin material or a fiber material. The upper leg supporter 111 and the lower leg supporter 112 are wrapped around the upper leg and lower leg, respectively, to allow the walking assist device 100 to be worn. The upper leg supporter 111 and the lower leg supporter 112 may have hook-and-loop fasteners 111a and 112a for attachment to the upper leg and lower leg. The user wraps the upper leg supporter 111 and the lower leg supporter 112 around the leg U10 and secures them with hook-and-loop fasteners 111a and 112a.

The hook-and-loop fastener 111a is provided on the front side of the upper leg. The hook and loop fastener 112a is provided on the front side of the lower leg. By using the hook-and-loop fasteners 111a and 112a, the user can easily attach and detach the walking aid device 100. The hook-and-loop fasteners 111a and 112a allow the user to adjust the degree of compression.

Note that the fixation of the walking aid device 100 to the leg is not limited to the hook-and-loop fasteners 111a and 112a. For example, the walking aid device 100 may be fixed to the upper leg and lower leg using a fixing means such as a belt, button, pin, or band. Even if such a fixing means is used, the user can wear the walking assist device 100.

An upper leg frame 113 is attached to the side of the upper leg supporter 111. The upper leg frame 113 is arranged along the upper leg. A lower leg frame 114 is attached to the side of the lower leg supporter 112. The lower leg frame 114 is arranged along the lower leg. Upper leg frame 113 and lower leg frame 114 are connected via damper 115. Specifically, the damper 115 is arranged at the height of the knee joint U11 so that the rotation axis Ax of the damper 115 substantially coincides with the rotation axis C11 of the knee joint. The upper leg frame 113 and the lower leg frame 114 constitute a link mechanism rotatable around the rotation axis Ax of the damper 115.

The damper 115 provides a resistance force in the bending direction of the knee joint of the user's leg U10. The bending direction is the direction in which the knee joint bends in the direction of rotation of the knee joint. The damper 115 is, for example, a rotary damper, and is located on the side of the knee joint. The damper 115 uses, for example, viscous resistance of a fluid such as oil, elastic resistance of a spring, frictional resistance of a disk, etc. to decelerate the rotation of the knee joint in the bending direction. The damper 115 can change the resistance force by making the resistance variable. The damper 115 can gradually change the resistance force.

The damper 115 is preferably a one-way damper that applies resistance only in one direction. Therefore, the damper 115 is free so as not to apply any resistance force in the direction of extension of the knee joint. The extension direction is the direction in which the knee joint extends in the direction of rotation of the knee joint.

Walking assistance device 100 may include a control unit that controls the operation of damper 115. The control unit may be separated from the main body of the walking aid device 100 including the damper 115 and connected only to the communication line, or may be attached to the main body together with the damper 115. The walking assist device 100 may also include a sensor that detects the angle between the ground and the lower leg and detects the timing of the user's walking motion. Therefore, the control unit controls the damper 115 based on the switching timing output from the sensor.

For example, the upper leg supporter 111 is worn around a bone that extends in one direction. Therefore, the measurement unit 40 of the detection device 1 is arranged, for example, on the upper leg supporter 111 of the walking aid device 100.

Next, the effects of this embodiment will be explained. The detection device 1 of this embodiment includes a detection member 60 whose state changes as the relative position between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50 changes. The detection device 1 detects a change in the distance between the measurement section 40 and the reference section 50 based on a change in the state of the detection member 60. Therefore, it is possible to detect a positional shift of the brace D11 attached to the user's leg U10. This allows the user wearing the device on a paralyzed leg to notice the positional shift.

On the other hand, for example, in order to determine whether the device D11 of the walking aid device 100 is in an appropriate position, the leg length is measured in advance, and the position of the walking assist device 100 is measured using a jig placed on the ground. It is possible to measure however. With this method, it is difficult to measure while walking when the distance to the ground changes, so it can only be measured when the person is stopped.

On the other hand, in the detection device 1 of this embodiment, the positional shift can be detected depending on the length of the detection member 60 inserted into the measurement section 40. Therefore, the positional shift of the orthosis D11 can be detected even while walking.

Further, the detection device 1 is not limited to the brace D11 of the walking aid device 100, but can be a functional electrical stimulation device as long as it is attached around a bone extending in one direction, such as the femur U13, tibia U14, or humerus. It is possible to detect misalignment of other braces, such as braces.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit. For example, a combination of the configurations of the first embodiment and the modified example is also included within the scope of the technical idea of the present embodiment.

1, 1a Detection devices 40, 41 Measurement parts 50, 51 Reference parts 60, 61 Detection members 60a, 61a One end 60b, 61b Other end 61c Corner 100 Walking aid device 111 Upper leg supporter 111a, 112a Hook and loop fastener 112 Lower leg supporter 113 Upper Thigh frame 114 Lower leg frame 115 Damper C11 Rotation axis D11 Orthosis U10 Leg U13 Femur U14 Tibia

Claims (1)

A first measuring part and a second measuring part arranged on a brace to be worn around a bone extending in one direction;
a first reference part fixed at a predetermined first position on a first straight line along the bone;
a second reference part fixed at a predetermined second position on a second straight line along the bone;
a first sensing member whose state changes as the relative position between the first measuring part and the first reference part changes;
a second sensing member whose state changes as the relative position between the second measuring part and the second reference part changes;
Equipped with
The first sensing member is a stick-shaped member extending in the one direction and having a first end and a first other end,
The first reference part is fixed to the first other end of the first detection member ,
The first measurement unit is configured to insert the first end of the first detection member in a movable state, and measure the length of the insertion of the first detection member, thereby determining the amount of movement relative to the first detection member. Detects,
The second sensing member is an L-shaped member having a second one end, a corner, and a second other end,
A portion from the corner to the second other end extends in the one direction,
A portion from the corner to the second one end extends in another direction perpendicular to the one direction,
The second reference part is fixed to the second other end of the second detection member,
The second measuring unit inserts the second one end of the second sensing member from the other direction in a movable state, and measures the length in the other direction into which the second sensing member is inserted, detecting the amount of movement relative to the second sensing member ;
Based on the amount of movement , changes in the distance between the first measurement section and the first reference section and changes in the distance between the second measurement section and the second reference section are detected, and the position of the brace is determined. detect the deviation of
Detection device.

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