Accurate hand movement assistance

• US 4,842,607 A
• Filed: 06/05/1987
• Issued: 06/27/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Morris, Augustus Jr., Repperger, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Application Number:
  US07/058,466
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 623/24, 623/25, 623/66, 244/230, 244/830, 340/163
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0118 for the arms, hands or fingers

Abstract

Hand movement assistance apparatus of both the active and passive types and usable for movement stabilization by either a normal human subject seeking to perform a task of great precision or a neurologically impaired human subject having Parkinson'"'"'s disease or similar dysfunction. Both the active and passive apparatus provide a glove-like receptacle for the subject'"'"'s hand; the passive system applies closed-loop feedback system generated forces to the glove and the active system provides a hand guidance track arrangement for the subject'"'"'s hand. Three axis stabilization forces and rotationally oriented forces are alternatively provided by the active system, along with responses particularly adopted to the Parkinson'"'"'s tremor frequency.

Claims

1. Stabilization apparatus for attenuating living subject hand tremor movements comprising the combination of:

a force coupling member receivable on a hand portion of said subject;

motion-sensing transducer means connected with said coupling member for generating an electrical signal responsive to acceleration movement of said hand portion;

electrical-to-mechanical transducer meansn mechanically coupled with said force coupling member for applying electrically generated physical force thereto;

signal processing means electrically coupled with said motion-sensing transducer means and said electrical-to-mechanical transducer means for converting said motion-sensing transducer acceleration signal to a larger electrical-to-mechanical transducer means energizing signal and for energizing said electrical-to-mechanical transducer means into tremor movement opposing mechanical motions; and

a frequency responsive filter element having selective response to signals of four Hertz frequency disposed in a predetermined location along a signal ltransmission path joining said motion-sensing transducer means, said signal processing means, and said electrical to mechanical transducer means.

2. Stabilization apparatus for attenuating human subject limiting tremor movements comprising the combination of:

a stabilization force coupling member receivable on a hand portion of said subject;

first motion-sensing transducer means conected with said force coupling member for generating an electrical signal responsive to components of said hand portion tremor movements parallel to a first axis in an orthogonal axis set surrounding said hand portion;

second motion-sensing transducer means connected with said force coupling member for generating an electrical signal responsive to components of said hand portion tremor movements oriented parallel to the second axis of said orthogonal axis set;

first electrical-to-mechanical transducer means mechanically coupled with said force coupling member for applying first electrically-generated physical forces, parallel with said first axis, to said force coupling member and said hand portion;

second electrical-to-mechanical transducer means mechanically coupled with said force coupling member for applying second electrically-generated physical forces, parallel with said second axis, to said force coupling member and said hand portion;

first signal processing means electrically coupled with said first motion-sensing transducer means andn said first electrical-to-mechanical transducer means for converting said motion-sensing transducer acceleration signal to a larger first electrical-to-mechanical transducer means energizing signal and for energizing said first electrical-to-mechanical transducer means into first tremor movement opposing mechanical motion parallel with said first axis; and

second signal processing means electrically coupled with said second motion-sensing transducer means for converting said second motion-sensing transducer acceleration signal to a larger second electrical-to-mechanical transducer means energizing signal and for energizing said second electrical-to-mechanical transducer means into second tremor movement opposing mechanical motion parallel with said second axis.