REHABILITATION SYSTEM

• US 20150217112A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: SHIMODA, Shingo, SK SHIBATA ALNAJJAR, Fady, YAMADA, Hitoshi, YAMASHITA, Masashi, IZUO, Takashi, BERENZ, Vincent, TAKAGI, Soya
• Granted Patent: US 9,498,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/395 Details of stimulation, e.g. nerve stimulation to elicit EMG response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0274 for the upper limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1635 Hand or arm, e.g. handle hand-held, A61H2201/0153; fore-arm support, A61H2003/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5043 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/06 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/605 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance

Abstract

A rehabilitation system that assists an action of a paretic arm due to brain damage, such as a stroke, includes: a detecting unit configured to detect an assist action that a healthy arm assists the paretic arm; an assist unit configured to cause the paretic arm to carry out bending and stretching actions; an adjustment unit configured to adjust an operation timing, operation speed, bending load or stretching load of the assist unit in response to detection of the assist action by the detecting unit; and a control unit configured to cause the assist unit to operate in accordance with the operation timing, operation speed, bending load or stretching load, adjusted by the adjustment unit.

Claims

1. A rehabilitation system that assists an action of a paretic arm due to brain damage, the rehabilitation system comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect an assist action that a healthy arm assists the paretic arm;

an assist unit configured to cause the paretic arm to carry out bending and stretching actions;

an adjustment unit configured to adjust an operation timing, operation speed, bending load or stretching load of the assist unit in response to detection of the assist action by the detecting unit; and

a control unit configured to cause the assist unit to operate in accordance with the operation timing, operation speed, bending load or stretching load, adjusted by the adjustment unit.

2. The rehabilitation system according to claim 1, wherein

the detecting unit is configured to detect support of a forearm of the paretic arm or a hand of the paretic arm by a hand of the healthy arm.

3. The rehabilitation system according to claim 2, wherein

the detecting unit includes a first wearing device and a second wearing device, the first wearing device is worn on the hand of the healthy arm, the second wearing device is worn on the forearm of the paretic arm or the hand of the paretic arm, and the detecting unit is configured to detect the assist action through contact of the first wearing device with the second wearing device or pressing of the first wearing device against the second wearing device.

4. The rehabilitation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a myoelectric sensor configured to detect a myoelectric potential of the paretic arm; and

an output unit configured to inform that the myoelectric potential has been detected by the myoelectric sensor.

5. The rehabilitation system according to claim 4, wherein

the assist unit is a myoelectric stimulation device, and

the myoelectric stimulation device is configured to stimulate the paretic arm in accordance with the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor or a muscle synergy calculated based on the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor.

6. The rehabilitation system according to claim 4, wherein

the output unit is configured to display a video image of movement of the paretic arm in response to detection of the myoelectric potential by the myoelectric sensor or a muscle synergy calculated based on the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor.

7. The rehabilitation system according to claim 4, wherein

the output unit is configured to display, through a head-worn display, the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor or a muscle synergy calculated based on the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor and a video image of movement of the paretic arm in a superimposed manner.

8. The rehabilitation system according to claim 4, wherein

the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the operation timing, operation speed, bending load or stretching load of the assist unit in response to detection of the myoelectric potential by the myoelectric sensor or a muscle synergy calculated based on the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor.

9. The rehabilitation system according to claim 4, wherein

the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the operation timing, operation speed, bending load or stretching load of the assist unit by comparing a target value generated by inputting a myoelectric potential or muscle synergy of the healthy arm or an arm of a healthy person as a model with the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor or a muscle synergy calculated based on the myoelectric potential detected by the myoelectric sensor.