Method and system for training adaptive control of limb movement

• US 20070016265A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: Alfred E MANN Institute For Biomedical Engineering At The University of Southern California
• Inventors: Loeb, Gerald, Lee, Junkwan, Davoodi, Rahman
• Application Number:
  US11/350,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016265A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/76 Means for assembling, fitting or testing prostheses, e.g. for measuring or balancing, e.g. alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for a virtual reality simulation and display of limb movement that facilitate the development and fitting of prosthetic control of a paralyzed or artificial limb. The user generates command signals that are then processed by the control system. The output of the control system drives a physics-based simulation of the limb that simulates the limb to be controlled. The computed movements of the model limb are displayed to the user as a 3D animation from the perspective of the user so as to give the impression that the user is watching the actual movements of his/her own limb. The user learns to adjust his/her command signals to perform tasks successfully with the virtual limb. Alternatively or additionally, the errors produced by the virtual limb and/or the responses of the user during the training process can provide information for adapting the properties of the control system itself.

Claims

1. ) A training system that displays to a patient simulated movements of a virtual limb comprising:

a) at least one sensor configured to sense a patient'"'"'s voluntary movement signals from an unimpaired portion of the patient'"'"'s body and deliver the sensed signal to a processing system;

b) a processing system configured to;

i) receive the sensed voluntary movement signals from the at least one sensor;

ii) predict the intended limb movement;

iii) generate command signals to control simulated limb actuators based on the predicted limb movement; and

iv) create a dynamic simulation of limb movement based on the simulated limb actuators, and a plurality of internal and external forces of a simulated limb; and

c) a display device configured to communicate with the processing system and display animation of the simulated movements of the simulated limb to the patient in a virtual environment.

2. ) The training system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the forces is gravity.

3. ) The training system of claim 1, wherein the animation is 3D animation.

4. ) The training system of claim 3, wherein the display device is mounted on the patient'"'"'s head.

5. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the display device further comprises a head motion-tracking device.

6. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to compare the predicted limb movement to the simulated limb movement.

7. ) The system of claim 6, wherein the processing system is further configured to adjust its command signals to control the simulated limb actuators so that the simulated limb movement matches the predicted intended limb movement.

8. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense cortical signals.

9. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense residual voluntary muscle movement.

10. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is an implantable microstimulator.

11. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to analyze the sensed voluntary movement signals to determine whether it matches a known movement pattern.

12. ) A processing system configured to:

a) receive a sensed voluntary movement signal from a patient sensor;

b) predict intended limb movement based upon the sensed voluntary movement signal;

c) generate command signals to control simulated limb actuators based on the predicted limb movement; and

d) create a dynamic simulation of limb movement based on the simulated limb actuators, and a plurality of internal and external forces of a simulated limb.