Finger movement assisting apparatus, finger movement assisting method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024408388-A1
Application number	US-202118698434-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2021
Priority date	Oct 6, 2021
Publication date	Dec 12, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A finger exercise assistance device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) control unit configured to control: a first EMS presentation unit configured to present a first EMS to a user's extensor muscle to contract the extensor muscle; and a second EMS presentation unit configured to present a second EMS to the user's flexor muscle that is an antagonist to the extensor muscle to contract the flexor muscle, wherein the EMS control unit is configured to drive the second EMS presentation unit to present the second EMS to the user's flexor muscle while the first EMS is presented to the user's extensor muscle, and the second EMS has a stronger intensity than the first EMS.

First claim

1 . A finger exercise assistance device, comprising:
EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) control circuitry configured to control:
first EMS presentation circuitry configured to present a first EMS to a user's extensor muscle to contract the extensor muscle; and
second EMS presentation circuitry configured to present a second EMS to the user's flexor muscle that is an antagonist to the extensor muscle to contract the flexor muscle,
wherein the EMS control circuitry is configured to drive the second EMS presentation circuitry to present the second EMS to the user's flexor muscle while the first EMS is presented to the user's extensor muscle, and the second EMS has a stronger intensity than the first EMS.

2 . The finger exercise assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the extensor muscle includes extensor digitorum, and the flexor muscle includes lumbrical.

3 . The finger exercise assistance device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an input interface to acquire an instruction designating a finger to be flexed among a plurality of fingers, wherein: the flexor muscle includes a plurality of lumbricals corresponding to each of the plurality of fingers, and the EMS control circuitry is configured to drive the second EMS presentation circuitry to present the second EMS to a lumbrical corresponding to the designated finger among the plurality of lumbricals.

4 . The finger exercise assistance device according to claim 3 , wherein the EMS control circuitry is configured to:
drive the first EMS presentation circuitry to present the first EMS to the extensor digitorum in response to the acquired instruction; and drive the second EMS presentation circuitry to present the second EMS to the lumbrical corresponding to the designated finger while the first EMS is presented to the extensor digitorum.

5 . A finger exercise assistance method, comprising:
presenting a first EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) to a user's extensor muscle to contract the extensor muscle; and presenting a second EMS to the user's flexor muscle that is an antagonist to the extensor muscle to contract the flexor muscle, wherein: the presenting the second EMS to the user's flexor muscle is performed while the presenting the first EMS to the user's extensor muscle, and the second EMS has a stronger intensity than the first EMS.

6 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 5 .

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Niijima Arinobu

Classifications

• A61N1/0452

  Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS] · CPC title

• A61N1/37247

  User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means · CPC title

• A61N1/36

  for stimulation · CPC title

• A61N1/36003 Primary

  of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance · CPC title