PHYSIOTHERAPY APPARATUS

• US 20130085531A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enraf-Nonius B.V. (Zimmer MedizinSysteme GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Enraf-Nonius B.V. (Zimmer MedizinSysteme GmbH)
• Inventors: Van Baren, Arie, Hartman, Johannes Bastiaan
• Granted Patent: US 10,548,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/01 Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/00 Apparatus for passive exercising A61H5/00 takes precedence; Vibrating apparatus driving means for vibrating A61H23/00; Chiropractic devices, e.g. body impacting devices, external devices for briefly extending or aligning unbroken bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/02 Stretching or bending or torsioning apparatus for exercising
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0237 for the lower limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0274 for the upper limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0296 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2001/0207 Nutating movement of a body part around its articulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1238 with hydraulic or pneumatic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1246 by piston-cylinder systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1607 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1611 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1616 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5038 freely programmable by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5064 Position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5079 Velocity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/0456 Supine

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for treating a body part (5) of a patient (3) is provided. The apparatus comprises a support (7) for at least partially supporting and holding the body part and a manipulator (11) connected to the support for supporting and maneuvering the support. The manipulator comprises a parallel linkage device (13) comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected linear actuators (19). The the parallel linkage device (11) comprises at least one hinge (21) comprising a, preferably resilient, tendon joint (61). Further, a method, a storage medium and a piece of headgear are provided.

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating a body part of a patient, comprising:

a support for at least partially supporting and holding a body part of a patient;

a manipulator connected to the support for supporting and maneuvering the support;

wherein the manipulator comprises a parallel linkage device comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected linear actuators;

wherein the parallel linkage device comprises at least one hinge comprising a tendon joint.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parallel linkage device comprises a Stewart-platform.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parallel linkage device comprises at least one hinge comprising a magnetic ball joint.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the said linear actuators comprises at least one spindle actuator.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a servo motor or stepper motor configured to operate at least one of the linear actuators.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is arranged for controllably maneuvering the support in six degrees of freedom and over a solid angle spanned by plane angles (θ

, φ

, ρ

) in mutually perpendicular directions of approximately (45°

, 45°

, 45°

).

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second support for supporting at least a further body part of a patient.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprising a plurality of sources for emitting a signal and the second portion comprising a plurality of detectors for detecting at least a portion of the signal,

wherein each signal emitted from a source and detected by a detector has a signal travelling time between the respective source and detector,

wherein the apparatus comprises a controller configured to determine a plurality of signal travelling times between at least some of the sources and at least some of the detectors and to determine, on the basis of the determined plural signal travelling times, the spatial position and orientation of the first and second portions relative to each other.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first portion comprises an object which is wearable on the body part.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, comprising a non-transient computer readable memory for storing a plurality of the determined spatial positions and orientations of the first portion and second portion relative to each other.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a controller configured to read at least part of the information stored in the non-transient computer readable memory;

to define at least a first maneuvering sequence of the body part as a function of the information stored in the non-transient computer readable memory; and

to control the apparatus to operate the manipulator to maneuver the support in such a way that the body part, when appropriately positioned on the support, is maneuvered according to at least the first maneuvering sequence.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tendon joint is resilient.

19. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the object which is wearable on the body part is at least one of:

a headgear, a helmet, a spectacles-frame, a head band, and a wrist strap.

12. Method of operating a physiotherapy apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises a first object, comprising a plurality of ultrasound signal sources, and a second object, comprising a plurality of ultrasound signal detectors for detecting a signal of the signal sources;

the method comprising the steps of;

a) emitting an ultrasound signal from at least one signal source of the plurality of signal sources and

b) detecting the ultrasound signal with at least one detector of the plurality of signal detectors

such that

a signal travelling time between the respective source and detector for each ultrasound signal emitted from one of the sources and detected by one of the detectors is defined;

c) determining a plurality of signal travelling times of at least one of

a predetermined ultrasound signal from one source to plural detectors and

a predetermined ultrasound signal from plural sources to one detector;

d) determining, on the basis of the determined plural signal travelling times, at least one of the position of the one source relative to the plural detectors, and respectively, the position of the one detector relative to the plural sources;

e) repeating the method steps of emitting and detecting a signal, determining signal travelling times and determining relative positions, with different combinations of sources and detectors;

f) determining from the determined relative positions the spatial position and orientation of the first and second objects relative to each other.

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising the further steps of

g) repeating the method steps a-f of the method of claim 12;

h) storing the determined spatial positions and orientations of the first and second objects relative to each other in a non-transient computer readable memory ;

i) defining at least a first maneuvering sequence of a body part as a function of at least part of the determined spatial positions and orientations of the first and second objects stored in the non-transient computer readable memory; and

j) operating at least part of a manipulator to maneuver a support in such a way that the body part, when appropriately supported and held by the support, is maneuvered according to at least part of the first maneuvering sequence.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the physiotherapy apparatus is configured for treating a body part of a patient, comprising:

a support for at least partially supporting and holding a body part of a patient;

a manipulator connected to the support for supporting and maneuvering the support;

wherein the manipulator comprises a parallel linkage device comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected linear actuators;

wherein the parallel linkage device comprises at least one hinge comprising a tendon joint.

14. (canceled)

15. Headgear comprising an ultrasound signal source, an inclinometer, a gyroscope and/or a plurality of ultrasound signal sources adapted for use in a first apparatus, or for use in a first method wherein:

the first apparatus is configured for treating a body part of a patient, comprising;

a support for at least partially supporting and holding a body part of a patient;

a manipulator connected to the support for supporting and maneuvering the support;

wherein the manipulator comprises a parallel linkage device comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected linear actuators;

wherein the parallel linkage device comprises at least one hinge comprising a tendon joint;

a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprising a plurality of sources for emitting a signal and the second portion comprising a plurality of detectors for detecting at least a portion of the signal,

wherein each signal emitted from a source and detected by a detector has a signal travelling time between the respective source and detector,

wherein the apparatus comprises a controller configured to determine a plurality of signal travelling times between at least some of the sources and at least some of the detectors and to determine, on the basis of the determined plural signal travelling times, the spatial position and orientation of the first and second portions relative to each other; and

the first method is for operating the headgear, wherein the headgear comprises a first object, comprising a plurality of ultrasound signal sources, and a second object, comprising a plurality of ultrasound signal detectors for detecting a signal of the signal sources, the first method comprising the steps of;

a) emitting an ultrasound signal from at least one signal source of the plurality of signal sources and

b) detecting the ultrasound signal with at least one detector of the plurality of signal detectors

such that

a signal travelling time between the respective source and detector for each ultrasound signal emitted from one of the sources and detected by one of the detectors is defined;

c) determining a plurality of signal travelling times of at least one of

a predetermined ultrasound signal from one source to plural detectors and

a predetermined ultrasound signal from plural sources to one detector;

d) determining, on the basis of the determined plural signal travelling times, at least one of the position of the one source relative to the plural detectors, and respectively, the position of the one detector relative to the plural sources;

e) repeating the method steps of emitting and detecting a signal, determining signal travelling times and determining relative positions, with different combinations of sources and detectors;

f) determining from the determined relative positions the spatial position and orientation of the first and second objects relative to each other.

16. (canceled)