Apparatus for limb rehabilitation and method of using same
A robotic device for limb rehabilitation includes a base with supports, an adjustable stand, a guiding rail, and a carriage carrying a limb holding assembly having cradles for a middle limb segment and an extreme limb segment. The carriage is driven along the guiding rail, and the limb holding assembly is configured to move the supported limb segments while maintaining natural anatomical motion. The device includes a control unit, sensors for determining positions of device elements, and an emergency stop system. The configuration allows movement of the limb in multiple planes, including translation of the middle limb segment along a longitudinal axis and angular movement of the extreme limb segment relative to the middle limb segment. The device is compact, mobile, and configurable for use in seated or supine positions to provide personalized rehabilitation.
1 . A robotic device for a limb rehabilitation training system, comprising:
a base with a plurality of supports;
a stand attached to the base;
a guiding rail fixed on the stand;
a carriage moving along the guiding rail, to which a limb holding assembly is hinged;
a drive that moves the carriage and a limb holding assembly along the guiding rail;
a system and/or sensors for determining positions of the base, the stand, the guiding rail, the carriage, and the limb holding assembly;
a drive control unit connected to a computer with installed software;
an emergency stop device; and
a power unit,
wherein:
the stand is attached to the base with the ability to change the inclination and/or rotation relative to the base;
the guiding rail is fixed on the stand with the ability to change and fix the position of an attachment point of the guiding rail to the stand as well as change and fix an angle of inclination of the guiding rail relative to the stand and/or an angle of rotation relative to the axis of the stand; and
the software installed on the computer is configured to process signals from the control unit and/or from the system and/or the sensors for determining and changing positions of the base, the stand, the guiding rail, the carriage, and the limb holding assembly.
2 . The robotic device according to claim 1 further comprising a controlled drive with a position sensor to change the stand height.
3 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one support of the plurality of supports can change its angular position.
4 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one support of the plurality of supports can change its length.
5 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein at least two supports of the plurality of supports have casters with stoppers.
6 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the stand is configured with the possibility of fixing the angle of inclination to the base in at least two positions.
7 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the stand is configured to change its height during an exercise performed by a user of the robotic device.
8 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding rail has movement limiters to stop movement of the carriage.
9 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding rail is straight.
10 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding rail is curved.
11 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the limb holding assembly is detachable.
12 . The robotic device according to claim 1 further comprising a handle for transportation in a folded state.
13 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the limb holding assembly is designed as limb exoskeleton.
14 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the limb holding assembly comprises: a first base with a first cradle for a middle limb segment; a second base with a second cradle for an extreme limb segment hinged to the first base of the first cradle; a second base drive to set in motion the second base of the second cradle; a limb holding assembly system and/or limb holding assembly sensors for detecting the position of the first base, the second base, the first cradle, and the second cradle.
15 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein the base and the stand comprise an integrated housing.
16 . A method of using of the robotic device for a limb rehabilitation training system according to claim 1 , comprising:
carrying out motion of a limb being rehabilitated while maintaining a natural angular degrees of freedom of the joints of the limb and a natural range of motion due to a configuration of the base and the stand that allows anatomically natural positioning of the limb during movement,
carrying out motion of a middle limb segment and/or an extreme limb segment while maintaining natural anatomical angles in joints of the limb segments and movement trajectories of the limb segments by moving the middle limb segment together with a first cradle of a limb holding assembly along a longitudinal axis of the middle limb segment by movement of a first base, and maintaining at least two angular degrees of freedom of the middle limb segment by a hinged connection between the first base and a second base, and driving linear motion of the first base,
carrying out motion of the extreme limb segment relative to the middle limb segment while maintaining natural angular degrees of freedom in the joints connecting the middle limb segment and the extreme limb segment and a trajectory of movement of the extreme limb segment by positioning the limb such that the joint connecting the middle limb segment and the extreme limb segment is aligned with a hinge connecting the first base and the second base, and driving angular motion of the second base relative to the first base using a second base drive.
17 . A limb holding assembly for a robotic device of a rehabilitation system, comprising:
a first base with a first cradle for a middle limb segment;
a second base with a second cradle for an extreme limb segment hinged to the first base of the first cradle;
a second base drive to set in motion the second base of the second cradle; and
a system and/or sensors for detecting the position of the first base, the second base, the first cradle, and the second cradle,
wherein the first base is configured to be movable along a longitudinal axis of the middle limb segment during an exercise.
18 . The limb holding assembly according to claim 17 further comprising a first base drive configured to set in motion the first base of the middle limb segment with the first cradle, and wherein the first base has movement limiters to stop movement of the first base.
19 . The limb holding assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the system and/or sensors are fixed on the first base, the second base, the first cradle, or the second cradle.
20 . The limb holding assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the system and/or sensors are placed remotely.
21 . The limb holding assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the first cradle and the second cradle are removable from the first base and the second base, respectively.
22 . The limb holding assembly according to claim 17 , wherein at least one of the cradles is made adjustable.
23 . The limb holding assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the second cradle is made in the form of an exoskeleton.