SYSTEM FOR REHABILITATION AND/OR PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF NEUROMOTOR DISORDERS

• US 20100105991A1
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bongers, Edwin Gerardus Johannus Maria, Lanfermann, Gerd, Te Vrugt, Juergen, Willmann, Richard Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/70 Means for positioning the patient in relation to the detecting, measuring or recording means

Abstract

The invention discloses a sensor docking unit (1), a rehabilitation system and a method for attaching and removing at least one sensor or marker (2a) onto/from a users limb(s) the sensor docking unit (1) comprising a guiding portion (4), a limb localization unit (5) comprising at least one detecting means (6) to determine if an insertion of the users limb (3) into a pre-specified position within the sensor docking unit (1) has been completed correctly and a sensor or marker mounting means (7) including at least one sensor or marker entity (2) to enable an at least semi-automatic attachment and/or removal of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) to/from the users limb (3) in a reproducible manner. The sensor or marker mounting means (7) is activatable to start with an attachment and/or removal of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) when a correct insertion of the users limb (3) has been determined by the limb localization unit (5).

Claims

1. Sensor docking (1) unit for attaching and/or removing at least one sensor or marker (2a) onto/from a user'"'"'s limb(s) comprising

a guiding portion (4) to facilitate an insertion of at least one body part in particular a user'"'"'s limb (3) to be equipped with at least one sensor or marker (2a) into the sensor docking-unit (1) by guiding the limb (3) into a pre-specified position;

a limb localization unit (5) comprising at least one detecting means (6) to determine if the insertion of the user'"'"'s limb (3) into the pre-specified position within the sensor docking unit (1) has been completed correctly; and

a sensor or marker mounting means (7) including at least one sensor or marker entity (2) to enable an at least semi-automatic attachment and/or removal of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) to/from the user'"'"'s limb (3) in a reproducible manner;

wherein the sensor or marker mounting means (7) is activatable to start with an attachment and/or removal of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) when a correct insertion of the user'"'"'s limb (3) has been determined by the limb localization unit (5).

2. Sensor docking unit (1) according to claim 1,

characterized in that it comprises an activation means for activating the sensor or marker mounting means (7) to start the sensor or marker mounting procedure.

3. Sensor docking unit (1) according to claim 2,

characterized in that the activation means includes a receiver for receiving an acoustic signal and/or an impulse signal wherein upon reception of an acoustic signal or an impulse signal the mounting procedure of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) is initiated.

4. Sensor docking unit (1) according to claim 1,

characterized in that it further comprises a means to charge at least one sensor (2a) being included in the sensor entity (2).

5. Sensor docking unit (1) according to claim 1,

characterized in that it comprises a data processor to upgrade software and to exchange data being stored in the sensor or marker entity (2) regarding the mounting process to ease a maintenance of the sensors (2a).

6. Sensor docking unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is adaptable to the length of the user'"'"'s arm 3 or its posture due to illness by shifting the limb localization unit (5) and/or by using a flexible material in the area of the guiding portion (4).

7. Rehabilitation system comprising at least one sensor docking unit (1) according to claim 1 each sensor docking unit (1) being connected to a control unit to separately or simultaneously control the attachment or removal of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) included in each sensor docking unit (1).

8. Rehabilitation system according to claim 7,

characterized in that the control unit comprises a voice recognition means to process a user'"'"'s voice commands.

9. Method for attaching a sensor to a user'"'"'s body in particular his limb(s) comprising the steps of

Inserting a limb (3) into a sensor docking unit (1) according to claim 1 until a pre specified position within the sensor docking unit (1) has been reached;

Activating the sensor or marker mounting means (7) including at least one sensor or marker entity (2) at least semi-automatic attach and/or remove the at least one sensor or marker (2a) to/from the user'"'"'s limb (3) in a reproducible manner;

Removing the user'"'"'s limb out of the sensor docking unit (1).

10. Method for attaching a sensor or marker (2a) to a user'"'"'s body in particular his limb(s) (3) according to claim 9 characterized in that it comprises the step of calibrating the at least one sensor (2a) after attaching the at least one sensor (2a) to the user'"'"'s body.

11. Method for attaching a sensor or marker (2a) to a user'"'"'s body in particular his limb(s) (3) according to claim 9 characterized in that it comprises an activation means being included in the sensor or marker mounting means (7) wherein the mounting procedure of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) is activated as soon as an acoustic signal and/or an impulse signal is received by the activation means.

12. Method for attaching a sensor or marker (2a) to a user'"'"'s limb (3) according to claim 9 characterized in that the mounting procedure of the at least one sensor or marker (2a) is initiated by pushing a switch (8) wherein the switch (8) is blocked as long as the pre specified position of the user'"'"'s limb (3) within the sensor docking unit (1) hasn'"'"'t been reached properly.