KR20190031936A - Rehabilitation exercise based on random error signal and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rehabilitation exercise apparatus for assisting a rehabilitation exercise of a patient. Specifically, the present invention relates to a rehabilitation exercise apparatus comprising: a skeleton frame worn on a patient and formed into a joint structure capable of moving according to the movement of the patient; a power unit for transmitting power to the movement of the joint structure of the skeleton frame; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the power unit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rehabilitation exercise apparatus using a random error signal,

The present invention relates to a rehabilitation exercise apparatus and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly, to a rehabilitation training apparatus for assisting a patient to perform a rehabilitation exercise more intensively by applying a random movement to a motion of a patient performing a rehabilitation exercise.

Generally, gait training device is a device for rehabilitation of patients with paraplegia of the lower half of the body or patients with leg joints and muscular difficulties and difficulty in normal walking. This gait training is performed to acquire the necessary skills for independent gait using the residual sensation to paralyzed patients or patients with gait disorder. Autonomous gait requires comprehensive help from experts in various fields. In particular, .

Therefore, research is being conducted on a gait training device or system that can provide a natural gait rhythm in order to learn the ability to walk in patients with paralysis or those with a disability.

Looking at the conventional gait training device, it provides only the power to move the patient's legs in a similar manner to the actual gait. That is, the patient can perform a motion similar to a real gait without applying any force to the muscles while wearing the gait training device.

However, even if there is such a move, it can not be said to be an effective rehabilitation exercise. This is because, even if a movement is forcibly performed by a gait training device, a body adapted to such movement does not voluntarily control the muscles.

Therefore, there is a need for research on rehabilitation exercise equipment that can perform effective rehabilitation training.

The present invention is directed to solving the above-mentioned problems and other problems. Another goal is to provide a system that allows the patient to continue to focus on the muscles during rehabilitation training.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rehabilitation exercise device comprising: a skeleton frame formed of an articulated structure that can be worn on a patient and moved together with a movement of the patient; A power unit for transmitting power to movement of a joint structure of the skeleton frame; And a control section for controlling the operation of the power section.

Effects of the rehabilitation training apparatus and its control method according to the present invention will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage that it is possible to perform effective rehabilitation training by concentrating on the muscles continuously during the rehabilitation training.

Also, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage that an effort to continuously control the muscles during rehabilitation training can be performed.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, such as the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the present invention of a robot for gait training, which is one of rehabilitation exercises according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of a rehabilitation training apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a 'uniform error', in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random error that varies as the intensity of an amplitude changes according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random error that varies as the duration of time varies according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is an illustration of an example of a random error as the directional variable of force according to an embodiment of the invention changes.
7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random error complex form according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating an example of applying a random error to the hip joint angle graph (first graph, 301) in FIG. 3, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart showing a control method of the rehabilitation exercise mechanism in the above-described embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the terms "comprises", "having", and the like are used to specify that a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Patients with impaired brain or spine can not move their muscles to their will. Therefore, in order to restore the arm (upper limb) or leg (lower limb) back to the original state, continuous rehabilitation training should be performed. This training is usually done in a way that helps the rehabilitation assistant to move the patient's arm or leg exercises compulsorily. However, the exercise performed by the rehabilitation assistant not only requires a lot of manpower, but also the number of rehabilitation aids is too small compared to the number of patients.

To this end, various types of rehabilitation exercise devices have been developed. These rehabilitation exercise devices are provided in the form of being worn on the upper and lower sides of the patient, and provide power to move the upper and lower sides of the patient in various ways. Such a rehabilitation exercise machine typically includes a robot for gait training to be described later.

The rehabilitation exercise device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a skeleton frame that is worn by a patient and formed of a joint structure that can move together with the movement of the patient, a power unit for transmitting power to the movement of the joint structure of the skeleton frame, And a control unit for controlling the operation of the power unit. Hereinafter, a robot for walking training, which is a representative example of a rehabilitation exercise machine, will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the present invention of a robot for gait training, which is one of rehabilitation exercises according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rehabilitation exercise device shown in FIG. 1 is provided in a form to be worn on a patient (pelvis), and is provided with a walking aid for assisting the walking motion of the patient.

2 is a block diagram of a rehabilitation training apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 and Fig. 2 together. Fig.

1, the walking robot according to the present invention comprises a walking-assist robot 100, a treadmill 200, a load retractor 300 and a controller 400. The treadmill 200 includes a treadmill 200, The walking retractor 300 is driven at a speed corresponding to the walking speed of the walking trainee while the walking-assist robot 100 is worn. The load retractor 300 supports the body of the walking trainee up to a designated retraction amount.

The controller 400 receives the information and commands necessary for driving the walking-assist robot 100, the treadmill 200 and the load retractor 300 to receive the walking assist robot 100, the treadmill 200, the load retractor 300, and selectively outputs and stores information generated during the driving of the walking-assist robot 100, the treadmill 200, and the load-retractor 300. [

The walking-assist robot 100 includes a skeleton frame formed of a joint structure corresponding to each joint structure of the walking trainee (patient), and is worn on the legs of a walking trainee who needs gait training. A joint structure of at least one of a hip joint, a knee joint, and ankle joint may be selectively provided, and a joint structure may be provided at one leg And may be worn entirely on the legs of the walking trainee according to the needs of the walking trainee.

The structure and operation principle of the walking-assist robot 100 are well known in the art for manufacturing a robot having a joint structure corresponding to the legs of a human body and driven in a specific pattern, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted do.

The controller 400 may include an input unit 410, an information storage unit 190, a controller 180, a monitor unit 420, and a power unit 230.

The input unit 410 of the controller is connected to the controller 400 or the information storage 190 of the controller 400 or to a plurality of controllers 400 installed in different places (for example, different hospitals or physical therapy rooms) And a communication terminal connected to a network communication network for enabling information to be transmitted to each other, so that the body size of the walking trainee, the speed and angle of each joint necessary for the training of the walking trainee, And a terminal capable of receiving information and commands or inputting numerical values or the like to the controller 400 and directly receives information or commands from the user.

The input unit 410 of the controller 400 is installed on the controller 400 while maintaining the installed state of the controller 400 in the casing together with the information storage device 190, the control unit 180, and the monitor unit 420. A main body of an input unit 411 that provides an input terminal through which information or commands can be directly input to the information storage device 190 or the control unit 180 and a control unit 400 which controls the controller 400 at an arbitrary point spaced apart from the main body of the input unit 411. [ And a wireless input unit (not shown) included in a remote controller capable of transmitting information or commands wirelessly to the information storage device 190 or the controller 180.

The control unit 180 takes charge of the overall control. For example, the command received through the input unit 410 may be transmitted to a necessary configuration or may be stored in the information storage device 190. In addition, the controller 180 may transmit a command for controlling the power unit 230 to provide power for controlling the movement of the skeleton frame 210, or may transmit a random-type power to be described later.

The information storage device 190 of the controller 400 stores information or commands received through the input unit 410 or the control unit 180 as well as information about the walking assist robot 100 and the treadmill 200 and the load retractor 300 The control unit 180 of the controller 400 receives information input through the input unit 410 or information or command received from the information storage device 190 of the controller Controls the driving state of the walking-assist robot 100, the power unit 230, the treadmill 200, and the load retractor 300.

The monitor unit 420 of the controller monitors information or commands input through the input unit 410 and the information storage unit 190, the walking-assist robot 100, the treadmill 200, The information storage device 190, the walking-assist robot 100, the treadmill 200, and the load retractor 300 (see FIG. 3) stored in the information storage device 190 during the walking state of the load retractor 300, ) In a numerical value or a graph.

The monitor unit 420 of the controller is also installed in a state of being installed in a proper position with the main body 411 of the information storage device, the control unit 180 and the input unit of the controller 400, like the input unit 410 of the controller And information and commands from the controller 410, the information storage device 190, and the controller 180 at any point spaced apart from the main body 421 of the monitor unit. And a wireless monitor unit of the remote controller for transmitting and displaying wirelessly.

A command necessary for driving the walking-assist robot 100 can be input in real time at a position spaced apart from the main body of the controller 400 using the remote controller, so that the therapist can walk the walker in various positions It is possible to control the walking-assist robot 100 while performing the walking exercise more efficiently.

In the above-described configuration, when the robot for gait training according to the present invention is operated, the load retractor 300 includes a harness 310 to which a lower portion of the gait trainee is worn and a controller (not shown) A load for transferring a load applied to the harness 310 to the control unit 180 of the controller 400. The control unit 180 controls the operation of the harness 310, Sensor, it is possible to always pull the walking trainee, which is difficult to perform the gait training in a state in which the whole of his / her own weight is burdened on the leg, at a constant amount.

The power unit 230 can transmit power to the skeleton frame 201. At this time, the transmitted power may be the power for the overall movement of the skeleton frame 201. For example, in the joint structure forming the skeleton frame 201, it may be power relating to movement of the joint. In other words, it may be a movement of the frame around the joint. As an example of the power unit 230, it may be a motor for transmitting rotational power to the joint structure. Another example of the power unit 230 may be an actuator for transmitting sliding power to the joint structure. The power section 230 is not limited to the structure of such a motor or an actuator.

9 is a flowchart showing a control method of the rehabilitation exercise mechanism in the above-described embodiment.

In step S901, the rehabilitation exercise device can sense the movement of the joint structure. In step S902, power can be transmitted to the joint structure of the skeleton frame.

In step S903, the rehabilitation exercise device provides power in a form that interferes with the movement of the patient. The power provided at this time may be transmitted in different forms according to the above three modes.

Hereinafter, in order to explain the operation of the power unit of the rehabilitation exercise apparatus, it will be explained through the process of gait training through the gait training robot, but it will be obvious that it is not limited to the gait training robot.

Generally, the degree of muscle paralysis will vary depending on the degree of brain damage or degree of spinal injury. In addition, even if the same person, the degree of muscle paralysis can be improved gradually as rehabilitation training progresses. Accordingly, in the present invention, it is proposed that the operation mode of the rehabilitation exercise apparatus is divided as follows according to the degree of muscle paralysis.

1) Passive mode

Manual mode is a mode that can be used when the degree of paralysis of a rehabilitation trainee (patient) is very severe. Rehabilitation exercises assist force movement through the transmission of power through the power unit, even if the rehabilitation trainer has little control over the muscles. That is, the control unit 180 may control the power unit 230 to provide the power for assisting the movement of the patient.

In addition, there is a need to detect local motion of the patient in order to assist the movement of the patient. Accordingly, the rehabilitation exercise device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a sensing unit (not shown) for sensing movement of the joint structure. It is apparent that the sensing unit can be included in the modes described below. In this case, when the motion of the patient is sensed based on the sensing result of the sensing unit, the controller 180 controls the power unit to provide power in the same direction as the movement of the patient, I will be able to give.

2) constant error mode

The uniform error mode is a mode in which the rehabilitation trainer can be used in a state where the muscle can be controlled to some extent. Even if the rehabilitation trainer does not have the power transmitted from the power unit 230 to the skeleton frame 201, the skeleton frame 201 can be moved by itself. In other words, although the rehabilitation trainer can control the muscles to some extent, rehabilitation training is required to increase muscle strength.

In such a case, it may be possible to rehabilitate by merely walking, but there is a need to provide resistance in the opposite direction in which muscles act for more efficient exercise. The resistance for this is called a 'uniform error', and a mode in which this operation is performed will be referred to as a 'uniform error mode'.

The control unit 180 can provide power in a direction opposite to the direction in which the muscles act (direction to obstruct the movement of the patient). Specifically, what kind of force is applied in any direction will be described with reference to Fig.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a 'uniform error', in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a 'constant force' may be given in the direction of obstructing the muscles, but a force proportional to the displacement (movement distance, rotation angle of the hip joint) may be given.

In FIG. 3, the first graph 301 is a diagram showing a change in the patient's hip joint angle (an angle that rotates forward and backward on a patient basis) with time in rehabilitation training. That is, the y-axis is an axis representing the front-to-back angle of the hip joint with respect to the center (positive in the front and negative in the rear), and the x-axis is the axis representing the time (unit [s]) from the start of the rehabilitation exercise. The first graph 301 shows only the angle with respect to either the left or the right side of the patient, but other angles will also show the same graph shape.

Referring to the first graph 301, the hip joint rotates forward by about 10 degrees per one step cycle and then backward by -10 degrees. In addition, the above movement can be repeated in a similar fashion throughout the rehabilitation training.

In the present invention, it is proposed to have the largest resistance (disturbing force) at the position where the rotational displacement is the greatest, and the smallest resistance near the center point. This is because the resistance is most similar to the resistance received by gravity when the person is walking. In other words, the greater the strength of the human body to rotate the hip joint as the leg is raised.

Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3, the magnitude of the resistive force 303 can be set to be the largest at about 10 deg., And the smallest (near zero) at about 0 deg.. To this end, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is proposed to determine the force magnitude as shown in Equation (1) below.

F _resistance refers to the magnitude of the resistive force, K is a constant (unit: N / deg), and? Refers to the anteroposterior angle of the hip joint shown in the first graph 301.

The value of K is a constant for controlling the strength of the resistive force. The larger the size, the more applicable to more skilled rehabilitation trainees. The smaller the size, the more applicable to rehabilitation trainees with more severe paralysis. That is, by adjusting the value of K, the difficulty level of the training can be determined.

Next, the random error mode will be described.

3) Random error mode

In the uniform error mode, only the resistance force acting in the direction opposite to the direction of motion of the patient was applied. However, the force applied in this particular direction can be understood as being easy for the trainee to predict, i. E., It can be concluded that the patient is likely to adjust. It is difficult for the patient to adjust to rehabilitation training, and to focus on rehabilitation training.

Therefore, in the present invention, it is proposed to apply a force (random type of power) that does not depend on the resistance in a certain direction but to resist irrespective of the motion direction of the patient (moving direction) ). That is, the control unit may control the power unit to provide a random type of power regardless of the motion of the patient.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the amplitude adjustment, the duration and the force vector of the force are randomly determined in a generation method of a random error, and a random error Signal. In other words, a random variable is assigned to the set variables by 1) a variable of amplitude, 2) a duration variable, 3) a direction variable of force (for example, Lt; / RTI > signal. Such an example will be described below with reference to the drawings.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random error that varies as the intensity of an amplitude changes according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random error that varies as the duration of time varies according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is an illustration of an example of a random error as the directional variable of force according to an embodiment of the invention changes. In the figure, the x axis represents the time and the y axis represents the intensity of the error. The (+) direction may be the same as the direction of motion, and the (-) direction may be the direction opposite to the direction of motion.

Referring to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), when the amplitude parameter h changes to h ₁ or h ₂ , the intensity of the applied random error may become smaller or larger. Referring to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), when the duration variable d changes to d ₁ or d ₂ , the time during which the random error is applied may become smaller or larger. Referring to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), when the duration variable d changes to d ₁ or d ₂ , the time during which the random error is applied may become smaller or larger.

The random errors generated by FIGS. 4 to 6 may be limited to a rectangular shape (rectangular wave shape), but such rectangular random errors may be combined to form a composite random.

7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random error complex form according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, errors of varying amplitude, duration, and direction of force may be formed and combined to form random errors as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, in the present invention, an error of a sinusoidal waveform may be combined. If a sinusoidal error is applied, the patient will feel as if the vibration is applied. In the case of a sinusoidal error, it is possible not only to generate a random error by adjusting the amplitude value and the period (or frequency) value of the sinusoidal signal, It will be appreciated that a complex type of error can be formed in combination with the formed error.

FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating an example of applying a random error to the hip joint angle graph (first graph, 301) in FIG. 3, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Three random errors (801-1, 801-2, 801-3) are applied in one step cycle. Rehabilitation trainees will be able to perform effective rehabilitation training by constantly focusing on the muscles due to random errors that occur during rehabilitation training.

The control method according to the present invention and the embodiment of the rehabilitation training apparatus using the same have been described above, but this is explained as at least one embodiment, and the technical idea, structure and action of the present invention are not limited thereto , The scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited / limited by the description with reference to the drawings or the drawings. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the concepts and embodiments of the invention set forth herein may be used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. And various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (14)

In the rehabilitation exercise apparatus,
A skeleton frame which is worn on a patient and formed into a joint structure capable of moving together with the movement of the patient;
A power unit for transmitting power to movement of a joint structure of the skeleton frame; And
And a control unit for controlling operation of the power unit.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the control unit controls the power unit to provide a random type of power regardless of the movement of the patient.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the control unit controls the power unit to provide power for assisting the movement of the patient,
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The method of claim 3,
And a sensing unit for sensing movement of the joint structure.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. 5. The apparatus of claim 4,
And controls the power unit to provide power in the same direction as the motion of the patient when the motion of the patient is detected based on the sensing result of the sensing unit.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The apparatus of claim 1,
Wherein the control unit controls the power unit to provide power for interrupting the movement of the patient.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The method according to claim 6,
And a sensing unit for sensing movement of the joint structure.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. 8. The apparatus of claim 7,
And controls the power unit to provide power in a direction opposite to the movement of the patient when the movement of the patient is sensed based on a sensing result of the sensing unit.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Characterized in that the rehabilitation exercise device is a walking aiding device provided in a form to be worn on a patient (pelvis) to assist the walking motion of the patient,
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the power unit is a motor for transmitting rotational power to the joint structure.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the power unit is an actuator for transmitting a sliding power to the joint structure.
Rehabilitation exercise apparatus. 1. A control method for a rehabilitation exercise device, the rehabilitation exercise device being formed in a joint structure which is worn on a patient and movable together with the movement of the patient,
Sensing motion of the joint structure;
Transmitting power to movement of a joint structure of the skeletal frame; And
And controlling the power based on the sensing result to provide power in a form that interferes with movement of the patient.
Control method of rehabilitation exercise device. 13. The method of claim 12,
The step of controlling the power comprises:
Characterized in that it provides power in a random direction regardless of the movement of the patient.
Control method of rehabilitation exercise device. 13. The method of claim 12,
Characterized in that the rehabilitation exercise device is a walking aiding device provided in a form to be worn on a patient (pelvis) to assist the walking motion of the patient,
Control method of rehabilitation exercise device.

Images