HAND FUNCTION DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC SYSTEM

• US 20160120446A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oregon Health & Science University
• Original Assignee: Oregon Health & Science University
• Inventors: Vimegnon, Yves, Landry, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 10,517,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1125 Grasping motions of hands
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/70 Means for positioning the patient in relation to the detecting, measuring or recording means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/16 for hands or fingers for teaching typing G09B13/00

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods for quantitatively assessing hand function strength and range of motion via various instrumentations are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a hand function diagnostic and therapeutic system includes distal and proximal finger flexion measurement apparatuses used to automate quantitative assessment of hand function based on a combination of strength, range of motion, and time performance metrics.

Claims

1. A proximal finger flexion measurement apparatus, comprising:

a base platform;

a palm platform perpendicularly coupled to the base platform, the palm platform having opposing first and second surfaces where the first and second surfaces are substantially perpendicular to the base platform;

a hand positioning member perpendicularly coupled to the first surface of the palm platform and extending a distance away from the first surface of the palm platform,

wherein the hand positioning member is coupled to the first surface of the palm platform adjacent to an edge of the palm platform at a location such that when a user positions the palm of a hand on the first surface of the palm platform with the hand positioning member touching a base of a thumb of the hand between the thumb and an index finger of the hand, the edge of the palm platform is located beneath at least one knuckle of the hand, thereby permitting the user to pivot at least one finger about the at least one knuckle while the palm rests on the first surface of the palm platform;

a proximal finger flexion surface rotatably coupled via a pivoting member to and perpendicular with the base platform at a location adjacent to the edge of the palm platform such that the proximal finger flexion surface extends away from the second surface of the palm platform, such that when a user positions the palm of the hand on the first surface of the palm platform with the hand positioning member touching the base of the thumb of the hand between thumb and index finger of the hand, at least one finger of the hand interfaces with the proximal finger flexion surface, and

where the proximal finger flexion surface is biased to remain in a resting position relative to the palm platform, wherein in the resting position the proximal finger flexion surface forms an angle with the first surface of the palm platform, wherein the angle is substantially equal to or less than 90 degrees, and when the user applies a force to the proximal finger flexion surface via the at least one finger, the proximal finger flexion surface is rotated toward the second surface of the palm platform such that the angle between the proximal finger flexion surface and the first surface of the palm platform increases and rotates a sensor in communication with the pivoting member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical rotary sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand positioning member is cylindrical.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand positioning member extends at least 1 cm away from the first surface of the palm platform.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximal finger flexion measurement apparatus is configured to measure proximal finger flexion of a left hand of a user and the first surface of the palm platform is a left surface of the palm platform.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximal finger flexion measurement apparatus is configured to measure proximal finger flexion of a right hand of a user and the first surface of the palm platform is a right surface of the palm platform.

13. A hand function diagnostic and therapeutic system for automated quantitative assessment of hand function based on a combination of strength, range of motion, and time performance metrics, comprising:

one or more of the measurement apparatuses of claim 1 or claim 7; and

a controller configured to receive measurements from sensors included in the one or more apparatuses, process the received sensor data, and output the processed sensor data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensors comprise digital transducers.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a display device configured to display instructions and visualizations of test assessments generated from the processed sensor data.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising one or more of a vise grip measurement apparatus, a thermos grip measurement apparatus, a key lock measurement apparatus, a door handle measurement apparatus, and a coin pinch measurement apparatus.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a vise grip measurement apparatus, vise grip measurement apparatus comprising:

an elongated base member having first and second opposing ends, wherein the first and second opposing ends are cylindrical and are coupled to each other via a bridge having a width less than diameters of the first and second opposing ends, and wherein the length of the bridge of the base member is sized to accommodate a width of a hand of a user;

an elongated beam extending along the length of the base member, the beam having first and second opposing ends, where a bottom side of the first end of the beam is coupled to a load cell in the first end of the base member and a bottom side of the second end of the beam is coupled to a load cell in the second end of the base member, and wherein axial edges of a top surface of the beam are rounded along the length of the beam.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a thermos grip measurement apparatus, the thermos grip measurement apparatus comprising:

a base platform;

a cylindrical base coupled to the base platform and extending a perpendicular distance above the base platform;

a cylindrical top element rotatably coupled to a top surface of the cylindrical base via a pivoting member; and

an optical rotary sensor coupled to the pivoting member.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a key lock measurement apparatus, the key lock measurement apparatus comprising:

a base platform;

a cylindrical rotatable base member perpendicularly coupled to the base platform via a pivoting member, where the pivoting member is coupled to an optical rotary sensor; and

a key coupled within a slot in the base member, the key coupled to a load cell sensor.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a door handle measurement apparatus, the door handle measurement apparatus comprising:

a base platform;

a handle rotatably coupled to the base platform via a pivoting member, where the pivoting member is coupled to an optical rotary sensor; and

a load cell coupled to the handle.

7. A distal finger flexion measurement apparatus, comprising:

a base platform;

a palm platform perpendicularly coupled to the base platform, the palm platform having opposing first and second surfaces where the first and second surfaces are substantially perpendicular to the base platform;

a hand positioning member perpendicularly coupled to the first surface of the palm platform and extending a distance away from the first surface of the palm platform,

wherein the hand positioning member is coupled to the first surface of the palm platform at a distance from an edge of the palm platform such that when a user positions the palm of a hand on the first surface of the palm platform with the hand positioning member touching a base of a thumb of the hand between the thumb and an index finger of the hand, the edge of the palm platform is located beneath at least one proximal phalanx of the hand thereby permitting the user to pivot the distal ends of the fingers while the palm rests on the first surface of the palm platform;

a distal finger flexion surface rotatably coupled via a pivoting member to and perpendicular with the base platform at a location adjacent to the edge of the palm platform such that the distal finger flexion surface extends away from the second surface of the palm platform, such that when a user positions the palm of the hand on the first surface of the palm platform with the hand positioning member touching the base of the thumb of the hand between thumb and index finger of the hand, the distal ends of the fingers of the hand interface with the distal finger flexion surface, and

where the distal finger flexion surface is biased to remain in a resting position relative to the palm platform, wherein in the resting position the distal finger flexion surface forms an angle with the first surface of the palm platform, wherein the angle is substantially equal to or less than 90 degrees, and when the user applies a force to the distal finger flexion surface via the fingers, the distal finger flexion surface is rotated toward the second surface of the palm platform such that the angle between the distal finger flexion surface and the first surface of the palm platform increases and rotates a sensor in communication with the pivoting member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sensor is an optical rotary sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the hand positioning member is cylindrical.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the hand positioning member extends at least 1 cm away from the first surface of the palm platform.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the distal finger flexion measurement apparatus is configured to measure distal finger flexion of a left hand of a user and the first surface of the palm platform is a left surface of the palm platform.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the distal finger flexion measurement apparatus is configured to measure distal finger flexion of a right hand of a user and the first surface of the palm platform is a right surface of the palm platform.