KR20180093611A - Tube type interface apparatus for rehabilitation training - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy, which comprises: a grip unit in which a hand to be rehabilitated is gripped; a grip sensing unit sensing grip information by gripping or unfolding the grip unit; and a control unit receiving the grip information sensed by the grip sensing unit and transmitting an operation signal to operate a program operated by an external device. It is an object of the present invention to provide the tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy which can increase interest in rehabilitation therapy and induce rehabilitation of upper limb muscles.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a tubular type interface apparatus for rehabilitation therapy,

The present invention relates to a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy, and more particularly, to a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy that can induce rehabilitation of upper limb muscles of patients suffering from stroke, cerebral palsy, ≪ / RTI >

In the case of stroke or Parkinson's disease, a variety of physical changes occur depending on the condition. Particularly, in the case of the above-mentioned diseases, the hand is paralyzed and the finger is shrunk.

If these hand paralysis and fingers are constantly left untreated, the muscles and joints become harder and harder to feel pain, and even if the nerves are restored, they can interfere with normal activities.

Further, in addition to the case of the above-mentioned specific diseases, there are many cases where the movement of the finger is obstructed by unexpected accident.

Therefore, in such a case, it is very important to maintain the maximum exercise capacity by promoting blood circulation and nerve communication by rehabilitating the hand that has come to be paralyzed or has a disability continuously.

Accordingly, various hand rehabilitation treatment apparatuses have been widely used recently.

However, the conventional hand rehabilitation treatment apparatus manually rehabilitates the hand by the physical force externally applied irrespective of the patient's intention, so that there is difficulty in motivating the rehabilitation treatment to the patients, There is a problem that the interest in rehabilitation exercise is easily lost due to the perception that there is no fun.

In addition, the conventional hand rehabilitation treatment apparatus can not provide the degree of difficulty of rehabilitation training or the type of training suitable for the patient, and the patients are difficult to rehabilitate while gradually increasing the training intensity.

Accordingly, the present applicant has developed a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy that can induce rehabilitation treatment of upper extremity muscles while playing games and the like, in cooperation with an external device.

Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1126732 (entitled Finger Rehabilitation Exercise Device, Published on Mar. 29, 2012)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy which can increase interest in rehabilitation therapy and induce rehabilitation of upper extremity muscles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a grip portion for gripping a hand to be rehabilitated; A grip sensing unit for sensing grip information by gripping or unfolding the grip portion; And a control unit for receiving the grip information sensed by the grip sensing unit and sending an operation signal to operate a program operated by an external device.

Here, the grip part is made of a stretchable material and accommodates a fluid capable of flowing by a grip force, and the grip sensing part is a pressure measuring sensor for measuring a pressure acting on the grip part according to a gripping operation of gripping or unfolding the grip part have.

The controller may further include a finger bending sensing unit for measuring a bending displacement of the finger that grips the grip unit. The control unit may receive the bending displacement information of the finger measured by the bending sensing unit, It is possible to send an operation signal to operate.

The finger bending sensing part may be a flex sensor installed in the longitudinal direction of the finger and having a resistance varying according to the bending displacement of the finger.

And a finger wearing part for supporting the finger bending sense part and detaching the finger.

The hand movement detecting unit may further include a hand movement detecting unit provided on at least one of a palm, a hand, and a wrist for measuring the position of the hand and the motion of the hand, And can transmit an operation signal to operate a program operated by an external device.

The hand motion sensing unit may include at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial measurement unit.

And a communication module for transmitting an operation signal transmitted from the control unit to the external device.

The grip portion may further include a plurality of acupressure protrusions protruding from the surface thereof for shaking the hand to be gripped.

The grip portion may further include a finger rest portion on which a finger is placed.

According to the present invention, a user who wishes to perform rehabilitation treatment can actively manipulate a program such as a game operated on an external device based on information of an operation of a hand gripping or stretching the grip portion with a magnetic force, thereby increasing interest in rehabilitation treatment , Can induce rehabilitation of upper extremity muscles.

1 is a perspective view of a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 2 to 4 are views showing the state of use of Fig. 1,
5 is a perspective view of a tubular interface device for rehabilitation according to another embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein, And is provided to fully convey the scope of the present invention to a technician.

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. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification and "and / or" include each and every combination of one or more of the elements mentioned. Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a sense that is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In addition, commonly used predefined terms are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Prior to description, elements having the same configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals in representative embodiments, and only other configurations are described for the other embodiments.

1 to 4 show a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in these drawings, the tubular type interface device 10 for rehabilitation treatment according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a grip part 11, a grip sensing part 25, and a control part 31.

In the grip portion 11, the hand to be rehabilitated is gripped by gripping the remaining fingers including the palm, thumb and index finger. The grip portion 11 in this embodiment has a cylindrical tube shape having a constant volume. The grip portion 11 receives and seals fluid to be able to flow. The grip portion 11 is preferably made of a flexible material that can be stretched or shrunk by the grip of the user's hand.

A plurality of acupressure projections (13) are formed on the surface of the grip portion (11). The plurality of acupressure projections 13 press the palm and fingers of the user gripping the grip portion 11.

On the other hand, the grip portion 11 is supported by the support band 15, and the support band 15 is supported by the wrist band 17 worn on the wrist. On the other hand, at both ends of the wrist band 17, a Velcro cloth is provided as a fixing means 19, so that the wrist band 17 forms a closed loop and is fixed to the wrist. Here, instead of the velcro cloth, a snap button may be provided as the fixing means 19 of the wristband 17. [

The grip sensing portion 25 senses grip information as the user grasps or unfolds the grip portion 11. [ The grip information sensed by the grip sensing unit 25 is transmitted to the control unit 31. [

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, a pressure measuring sensor is provided as the grip sensing part 25. [ The grip sensing portion 25 is provided inside the grip portion 11 and measures the pressure acting on the grip portion 11 such as the fluid pressure inside the grip portion 11 in accordance with the grip operation of gripping or unfolding the grip portion 11 . The pressure data inside the grip portion 11 as the grip information sensed by the grip sensing portion 25 is transmitted to the control portion 31. [

The control unit 31 is synchronized with the mobile device, which is located remotely, as an external device through the communication module 35 to enable data communication. Here, the control unit 31 and the external device may be connected by a wire.

The control unit 31 receives the grip information sensed by the grip sensing unit 25, and transmits an operation signal to operate a program operated by the external device. For example, the control unit 31 sends out a predetermined different operation signal to the external device based on the pressure data of the grip part 11 that varies according to the gripping force of the user holding or unfolding the grip part 11. [

2, when the user's hand grips the grip portion 11 to grip the grip portion 11, the pressure of the inside of the grip portion 11 is increased by the gripping force and the pressure value measured by the pressure measurement sensor is . 3, when the thumb of the user unfolds the grip portion 11 without gripping the grip portion 11 and when the user's finger tip is extended without gripping the grip portion 11 as shown in FIG. 4, The pressure decreases and the pressure value measured by the pressure measuring sensor decreases.

The grip information sensed by the grip sensing unit 25 is transmitted to the control unit 31. The control unit 31 transmits an operation signal to the external device through the communication module 35. [ For example, when the grip sensing portion 25 grips the grip portion 11 with the palm, thumb, and index finger to sense an increase in the pressure acting on the grip portion 11 and a signal when the grip portion 11 grips the grip A signal when the grip portion 11 is not gripped by the detection, and a signal when the grip portion does not grip the thumb and the detection portion, for example, can be recognized as signals differentiated from each other.

Accordingly, the control unit 31 can generate various signals according to the increase or decrease of the grip information measured by the grip sensing unit 25, that is, the measured pressure value of the grip unit 11, The input device can be replaced.

Thus, based on the grip information of the grip portion 11 to which the hand is gripped, for example, the measured pressure value of the grip portion 11, when the user who intends to perform the rehabilitation treatment actively grips or unfolds the grip portion 11 By operating a program such as a game operated by an external device, it is possible to increase interest in rehabilitation treatment and induce rehabilitation treatment of upper extremity muscles.

The tubular interface device 10 for rehabilitation treatment according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a finger bending sensing part 41 for measuring the bending displacement of the index finger and the thumb for gripping the grip part 11.

The finger bending sensing portion 41 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the finger. In the present embodiment, the finger bending sensing part 41 is shown to be installed along the longitudinal direction of the thumb and forefinger, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the finger bending sensing part 41 may be provided for stopping, . There are various methods of measuring the degree of bending of the finger, but a flex sensor may be provided as the finger bending sensing part 41. [ The flex sensor is a sensor that detects the degree of bending according to the measured resistance value by changing the resistance value according to the degree of bending. The flex sensors are individually mounted on the thumb and index finger. In other words, the flex sensor attached to the thumb and the index finger independently detects the movement of the thumb and the index finger. It is most preferable that the flex sensor is mounted on the back portion of the finger of the finger wearing portion 45 as shown in Figs.

The finger bending sensing portion 41 is supported on the finger wearing portion 45 where the thumb and index finger are detached and detached.

A plurality of finger-wearing parts 45 are supported by the auxiliary band 47 corresponding to the thumb and index finger, and are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the thumb and index finger . The auxiliary band (47) is supported on the wristband (17). Here, it is preferable that the finger wearer 45 is formed in a band shape having a certain length, and both ends are detachably attached by a velcro cloth (not shown). As a result, the finger-wearing portion 45 can be mounted on the fingers in a manner corresponding to various fingers. Here, the finger wearer 45 may have a sleeve shape in which a finger is inserted.

The bending displacement information of the thumb and forefinger measured by the finger bending sensing unit 41 is transmitted to the control unit 31 and the control unit 31 transmits an operation signal to the external device through the communication module 35. [ For example, in the case of sensing the finger bending by the flex sensor, the signal when bending the thumb and index finger separately and the signal sensed when bending the two fingers at the same time can be recognized as signals to be distinguished.

Therefore, the control unit 31 can generate various signals according to the bending displacement information of the thumb and the finger, measured by the finger bending sensing unit 41, and can replace the input device such as a mouse or a keyboard of the external device . Particularly, based on the bending displacement information of the thumb and forefinger measured by the finger bending sensing portion 41, the input position and the like in the external device can be controlled.

Thereby, in accordance with the action of the user who is actively bending or unfurling by the user who wishes to rehabilitate the game, the game and the like operated on the external device based on the bending displacement information of the thumb and index measured by the finger bending sensing part 41 By manipulating the same program, it can increase interest in rehabilitation treatment and induce rehabilitation treatment of upper extremity muscles.

In addition, the tubular interface device 10 for rehabilitation therapy according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a hand movement sensing unit 51 for measuring the position of the hand and the movement of the hand.

 The hand motion sensing portion 51 is provided on the wrist portion of the wristband 17. [ Here, the hand motion sensing unit 51 may be provided anywhere on the wrist, the palm, or the hand. Although various kinds of sensors for sensing hand motion may be employed, the present invention preferably includes at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Using these sensors, information on hand movements such as upward, downward, left, right, forward, and backward movements of the hands and the degree of rotation of the hands can be obtained.

The hand position and hand motion information measured by the hand motion sensing unit 51 are transmitted to the control unit 31 and the control unit 31 transmits an operation signal to the external device through the communication module 35. [ As an example, the gyro sensor can recognize the different signals for the respective motions in the up, down, left, right, front, and back directions of the hand.

Accordingly, the control unit 31 can generate various signals according to the hand position and hand motion information measured by the hand motion sensing unit 51. For example, when the mouse, Left and right input keys, and the like. In particular, the tubular interface device 10 for rehabilitation treatment according to an embodiment of the present invention can detect three-dimensional coordinates of X, Y and Z axes through the hand motion sensing part 51, .

As a result, as the user actively moving his or her hand in the rehabilitation treatment actively moves the hand, such as a game operated on the external device based on the position of the hand and the motion information of the hand measured by the hand motion detection unit 51 By manipulating the program, it is possible to increase interest in rehabilitation treatment and induce rehabilitation treatment of upper extremity muscles.

With this configuration, a process of rehabilitation using the tubular interface device 10 for rehabilitation therapy according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, the tubular interface device 10 for rehabilitation therapy according to an embodiment of the present invention is put on the hand.

At this time, the finger wearing section 45 is worn on the thumb and index finger respectively.

Next, power is supplied to the tubular type interface device 10 for rehabilitation therapy, and the controller 31 and the external device are synchronized. As a result, the tubular interface device 10 for rehabilitation therapy can perform data communication with an external device.

The control unit 31 transmits an operation signal of a program such as a game operated by an external device based on the grip information sensed by the grip sensing unit 25 to operate an external device or a finger bending sensing unit Based on the information of the bending displacement of the thumb and the index measured by the hand movement detecting unit 51, the operation signal of a program such as a game operated by an external device is sent out to operate an external device, The grip sensing portion 25, the finger bending sensing portion 41, and the finger bending sensing portion 41 are controlled by transmitting an operation signal of a program such as a game operated by an external device based on the position of the hand and the motion information of the hand, , And an operation signal by a combination of two or more of the hand motion sensing portions 51 to operate the external device.

Thus, by operating a program such as a game operated by an external device on the basis of information on the movement of the hand, the position of the hand, and the motion of the hand gripping or stretching the grip portion actively by the self- Increase the interest in treatment, and induce rehabilitation of upper extremity muscles.

5 shows a tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy according to another embodiment of the present invention. The tubular interface device 10 'for rehabilitation therapy according to another embodiment of the present invention has a shape in which a finger is stuck on the grip portion 11', unlike the above-described embodiment.

The grip portion 11 'of the tubular type interface device 10' for rehabilitation treatment according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a finger rest portion on which a finger is stuck. In the present embodiment, the thumb mount 21 and the detection mount 23 on which the thumb is placed are shown as the finger mount, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It can be prepared.

Thus, the tubular interface device 10 'for rehabilitation treatment according to another embodiment of the present invention is configured such that when the grip 11' is gripped as compared with the tubular interface device 10 for rehabilitation treatment according to the above- The upper limb muscles can be rehabilitated while the index finger is stably mounted.

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.

10,10 ': Tubular interface device for rehabilitation therapy
11, 11 ': grip portion
13: acupressure projection
25:
31:
35: Communication module
41: finger bending sensing part
45: Finger-wearing portion
51: Hand motion detection unit

Claims (10)

A grip portion in which a hand to be rehabilitated is gripped;
A grip sensing unit for sensing grip information by gripping or unfolding the grip portion; And
And a control unit for receiving the grip information sensed by the grip sensing unit and transmitting an operation signal to operate a program operated by an external device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the grip portion is made of a stretchable material and hermetically accommodates a fluid capable of flowing by a grip force,
Wherein the grip sensing unit is a pressure measuring sensor for measuring a pressure acting on the grip part in accordance with a grip operation of gripping or unfolding the grip part. The method according to claim 1,
And a finger bending sensing unit for measuring a bending displacement of a finger that grips the grip portion,
Wherein the control unit receives the bending displacement information of the finger measured by the bending sensing unit and sends an operation signal to operate a program operated by an external device. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the finger bending sensing part is a flex sensor installed in the longitudinal direction of the finger and having a resistance varying according to a bending displacement of the finger. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a finger wearing portion for supporting the finger bending sense portion and the finger is detached and detached. The method according to claim 1,
And a hand movement sensing unit provided on at least one of a palm, a hand, and a wrist for measuring the position of the hand and the movement of the hand,
Wherein the control unit receives the position of the hand and the motion information of the hand measured by the hand motion sensing unit to transmit an operation signal to operate a program operated by an external device. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the hand motion sensing unit includes at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial measurement unit. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a communication module for transmitting an operation signal transmitted from said control unit to said external device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the grip portion further includes a plurality of acupressure protrusions protruding from a surface thereof for applying pressure to the gripped hands. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the grip portion further comprises a finger rest portion on which a finger is rested.

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