Compliant bimanual rehabilitation device and method of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9265685-B1
Application number	US-201514676452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	May 1, 2014
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A compliant bimanual rehabilitation system. The device allows for the user or operator's hands to be coupled with a variety of coupling stiffnesses and in a variety of symmetry modes, leading to enhanced rehabilitation of the impaired arm. Structurally, the device includes a carrier assembly slidably coupled to a base along a y-axis, an upper assembly rotatably coupled to the carrier assembly along a z-axis, handle slides slidably coupled to the upper assembly along an x-axis, compliant handle assemblies coupled to the handle slides, and handles coupled to the compliant handle assemblies. Encoders and load cells can also be positioned accordingly to monitor the position of the components and force applied to the device. Spring stacks can be coupled to the compliant handle assemblies to adjust coupling stiffnesses. The handles are indirectly linked to each other to facilitate rehabilitation of the paretic arm using the sound arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rehabilitation system including a compliant bimanual rehabilitation device, comprising:
a base that defines a left side, a right side, a front side, a rear side, an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis of said device, wherein said base has a top side and a bottom side;
a carrier assembly slidably coupled to said base, said carrier assembly being slidable along the y-axis of said device;
an upper assembly rotationally coupled to said carrier assembly, said upper assembly being rotational about the z-axis of said device, said upper assembly having a left end corresponding to said left side of said device and a right end corresponding to said right side of said device;
a left handle slide slidably coupled to said left end of said upper assembly, said left handle slide being slidable along the x-axis of said device;
a right handle slide slidably coupled to said right end of said upper assembly, said right handle slide being slidable along the x-axis of said device;
a left compliant handle assembly coupled to said left handle slide and extending from said left handle slide;
a right compliant handle assembly coupled to said right handle slide and extending from said right handle slide;
a left handle fixedly coupled to said left compliant handle assembly;
a right handle fixedly coupled to said right compliant handle assembly,
wherein one of said left handle and said right handle is a guiding handle and the other of said left handle and said right handle is a following handle,
wherein said left handle and said right handle are indirectly linked to each other at an adjustable, predetermined coupling stiffness, such that when said device is in use, a paretic arm of a user or operator of said device is linked to a sound arm of said user of said device, such that a movement of said guiding handle dictates a corresponding movement of said following handle according to a predetermined symmetry mode;
said left handle and said right handle indirectly linked to each other via said left handle slide and said right handle slide, said left handle slide and said right handle slide being coupled to each other, thus also coupling said left compliant handle assembly and said right compliant handle assembly to each other;
said left handle slide and said right handle slide being coupled to each other via a cable and pulley assembly including at least one cable and at least two pulleys;
wherein when said at least one cable is looped around said at least two pulleys an even number of times, said left handle and said right handle move in a same absolute direction, and
when said at least one cable is looped around said at least two pulleys an odd number of times, said left handle and said right handle mirror each other.

2. A rehabilitation system as in claim 1 , further comprising:
said carrier assembly being slidably coupled to said base via slide rails mounted on said top side of said base.

3. A rehabilitation system as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a left handle slide encoder in communication with said left handle slide in order to determine a position of said left handle slide along the x-axis of said device; and
a right handle slide encoder in communication with said right handle slide in order to determine a position of said right handle slide along the x-axis of said device,
wherein said left and right handle slide encoders are in further communication with an electronic device in order to transmit the positions of said left and right handle slides to said electronic device.

4. A rehabilitation system as in claim 3 , further comprising:
a carrier assembly encoder in communication with said carrier assembly in order to determine a position of said carrier assembly along the y-axis of said device,
wherein said carrier assembly encoder is in further communication with said electronic device in order to transmit the position of said carrier assembly to said electronic device.

5. A rehabilitation system as in claim 4 , further comprising:
an upper assembly encoder in communication with said upper assembly in order to determine a position of said upper assembly about the z-axis of said device,
wherein said upper assembly encoder is in further communication with said electronic device in order to transmit the position of said upper assembly to said electronic device.

6. A rehabilitation system as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first load cell in communication with said left compliant handle assembly to determine an amount of force placed by said user on said left compliant handle assembly; and
a second load cell in communication with said right compliant handle assembly to determine an amount of force placed by said user on said right compliant handle assembly,
wherein said first and second load cells are in further communication with an electronic device in order to transmit the amounts of force on said left and right compliant handle assemblies to said electronic device.

7. A rehabilitation system as in claim 1 , further comprising:
said left compliant handle assembly including a first left compliant handle assembly component coupled to and extending from said left handle slide along the y-axis of said device, said left compliant handle assembly further including a second left compliant handle assembly component coupled to and extending inwardly from said first left compliant handle assembly component, and
said right compliant handle assembly including a first right compliant handle assembly component coupled to and extending from said right handle slide along the y-axis of said device, said right compliant handle assembly further including a second right compliant handle assembly component coupled to and extending inwardly from said first right compliant handle assembly component.

8. A rehabilitation system as in claim 7 , further comprising:
a first left load cell positioned along and in communication with said first left compliant handle assembly component to determine an amount of force placed by said user on said first left compliant handle assembly component;
a second left load cell positioned along and in communication with said second left compliant handle assembly component to determine an amount of force placed by said user on said second left compliant handle assembly component,
wherein said first and second left load cells are in further communication with an electronic device in order to transmit the amount of force on said left compliant handle assembly to said electronic device;
a first right load cell positioned along and in communication with said first right compliant handle assembly component to determine an amount of force placed by said user on said first right compliant handle assembly component; and
a second right load cell positioned along and in communication with said second right compliant handle assembly component to determine an amount of force placed by said user on said second right compliant handle assembly component,
wherein said first and second right load cells are in further communication with said electronic device in order to transmit the amount of force on said right compliant handle assembly to said electronic device.

9. A rehabilitation system as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first spring system coupled to said left compliant handle assembly to provide a bias against movement of said left handle; and
a second spring system coupled to said right compliant handle assembly to provide a bias against movement of said right handle.

10. A rehabilitation system as in claim 9 , further comprising:
said first spring system including a first spring disposed at a connection joint between said left handle slide and said left compliant han

Assignees

• Mcamis Samuel Houston Lawrence
• Reed Kyle B
• Univ South Florida

Inventors

• Mcamis Samuel Houston Lawrence
• Reed Kyle B

Classifications

• A61H1/0274 Primary

  for the upper limbs · CPC title

• A61H1/00 Primary

  Apparatus for passive exercising (A61H5/00 takes precedence); Vibrating apparatus; Chiropractic devices, e.g. body impacting devices, external devices for briefly extending or aligning unbroken bones · CPC title

• A63B21/154

  using special pulley-assemblies · CPC title

• A63B2071/0652

  Visualisation or indication relating to symmetrical exercise, e.g. right-left performance related to spinal column · CPC title

• A61H2201/5064

  Position sensors · CPC title