Ankle Rehabilitation System

Abstract

The present invention provides an ankle joint rehabilitation system, comprising an ankle joint rehabilitation robot and a visually guided rehabilitation module. The visually guided rehabilitation module comprises a display unit, a data acquisition unit, and a control unit. The display unit is configured to display virtual objects, including dynamic virtual objects and static virtual objects. The data acquisition unit is configured to collect motion information from the ankle joint rehabilitation robot and transmit the motion information to the control unit. The control unit is configured to convert the motion information into movement information for the dynamic virtual objects, thereby controlling the movement of the dynamic virtual objects to the location of the static virtual objects. This invention can reduce user fatigue and enhance the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to an ankle joint rehabilitation system. Background Art

[0002] Ankle rehabilitation robots are medical devices that assist patients with passive ankle movement, daily activities, and rehabilitation. They include mechanical joints driven by motors to assist the ankle joint organs in performing rehabilitation exercises. However, existing ankle rehabilitation robots can be tedious to use, leading to fatigue and a poor user experience for patients after prolonged use. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide an ankle joint rehabilitation system to reduce the user's fatigue and enhance the user's experience.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, the technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ankle joint rehabilitation system, comprising: an ankle joint rehabilitation robot and a vision-guided rehabilitation module, wherein the vision-guided rehabilitation module comprises: a display unit, a data acquisition unit and a control unit; the display unit is used to display virtual objects; wherein the virtual objects include: dynamic virtual objects and static virtual objects; the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot and send the motion information to the control unit; the control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the dynamic virtual object to control the dynamic virtual object to move to the position where the static virtual object is located.

[0006] In one embodiment, the visually guided rehabilitation module further includes: a virtual object generation unit for displaying one or more dynamic virtual objects and one or more static virtual objects within a predetermined range of the display unit; wherein the predetermined range is determined based on the maximum range that can be covered by the user's ankle joint and foot movement, or is determined based on the average value of the maximum range that can be covered by the ankle joint and foot movement of multiple users stored in advance multiplied by a preset adjustment coefficient.

[0007] In one embodiment, the visually guided rehabilitation module also includes: a prescription storage unit, used to store a prescription for generating a static virtual object; wherein the prescription includes: angle information of the foot movement, and sequence information and repetition number information of each foot movement, and the foot movement includes: plantar flexion movement, dorsiflexion movement, internal rotation movement and external rotation movement; the virtual object generation unit is also used to: determine the distance from the center position of the display unit to the position of the static virtual object based on the angle information of the foot movement, and generate the static virtual object in sequence based on the distance and the sequence information and repetition number information of each foot movement.

[0008] In one embodiment, the virtual object generation unit is further used to: randomly generate the position of a static virtual object based on the movement angle of the user's ankle joint, wherein, in the probability distribution of generating the position of the static virtual object, the position of the static virtual object covers all movement directions and movement angles of the user's ankle joint; or, generate the initial position of the static virtual object based on the minimum value of the movement angle of the user's ankle joint, and generate the position of the static virtual object according to a preset gradient.

[0009] In one embodiment, the control unit is further configured to: obtain a movement time of the dynamic virtual object moving to the static virtual object, compare the movement time with a pre-stored preset time, and adjust the preset gradient based on the comparison result.

[0010] In one embodiment, the control unit is further configured to obtain a hovering time of the dynamic virtual object when it moves to the static virtual object, and determine that the dynamic virtual object reaches the position of the static virtual object when the hovering time is greater than a predetermined hovering time.

[0011] In one embodiment, the control unit is further configured to send prompt information to the display unit, so that the user can control the movement of the dynamic virtual object based on the prompt information.

[0012] In one embodiment, the above-mentioned system includes: a single healthy side mode, a single affected side mode, a double healthy side mode, a double affected side mode, and a one healthy side and one affected side mode; when it is a single healthy side mode or a single affected side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of a healthy side unit or an affected side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; the display unit is used to display a dynamic virtual object and one or more static virtual objects; the control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the dynamic virtual object to control the dynamic virtual object to move to the position where the static virtual object is located.

[0013] In one embodiment, when in the dual healthy-side mode or the dual affected-side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to collect first motion information and second motion information of two healthy-side units or two affected-side units of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; the display unit is used to display one or more dynamic virtual objects and one or more static virtual objects;

[0014] The control unit is used to control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the order in which the first motion information and the second motion information are received; it is also used to compare the sizes of the first motion information and the second motion information, and control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the larger one of the first motion information and the second motion information; it is also used to control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the difference between the first motion information and the second motion information.

[0015] In one embodiment, when it is a one-healthy-side-one-affected-side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of the healthy-side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; the display unit includes a first display area and a second display area, the first display area is used to display a first dynamic virtual object, and the second display area is used to display a second dynamic virtual object; the control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the first dynamic virtual object to control the movement of the first dynamic virtual object, and control the movement of the second dynamic virtual object based on the movement information of the first dynamic virtual object; wherein, the first dynamic virtual object and the second dynamic virtual object are mirror-image motions.

[0016] The embodiments of the present invention bring the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The ankle joint rehabilitation system provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes: an ankle joint rehabilitation robot and a visually guided rehabilitation module, wherein the visually guided rehabilitation module includes: a display unit, a data acquisition unit, and a control unit; the display unit is used to display virtual objects (dynamic virtual objects and static virtual objects); the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot and send the motion information to the control unit; the control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the dynamic virtual object to control the dynamic virtual object to move to the position of the static virtual object. The above system can display virtual objects for the user through the display unit and use various types of virtual objects to guide training movements, thereby reducing the user's fatigue and improving the user's experience.

[0018] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or will be understood through implementation of the present invention. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention are realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings.

[0019] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an ankle joint rehabilitation system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an ankle joint internal rotation and external rotation action provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of ankle inversion and eversion movements provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a healthy side unit of an ankle joint rehabilitation robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of an affected-side unit of an ankle joint rehabilitation robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is an external structural diagram of a connecting rod mechanism with coupled internal and external rotation and internal and external valgus actions provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 A diagram showing the internal structure of a connecting rod mechanism coupled with internal and external rotation and internal and external valgus actions provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of generating a virtual object provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 10 A schematic structural diagram of another ankle joint rehabilitation system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of another virtual object generation method provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] icon:

[0033] 10-ankle joint rehabilitation robot; 20-visually guided rehabilitation module; 201-display unit; 202-data acquisition unit; 203-control unit; 204-virtual object generation unit; 205-prescription storage unit; 61-dynamic virtual object; 62-static virtual object; 73-ankle joint; 731-calf; 732-foot; 1-healthy side unit; 11-first leg bracket; 12-first foot bracket; 13-third bracket; 16-first floor stand; 17-first bracket; 18-second bracket; 19-fourth bracket; 51-rotating connector; 111-first leg support plate; 112- First length adjustment mechanism; 2-affected side unit; 21-second leg support; 211-second leg support plate; 212-second length adjustment mechanism; 22-second foot support; 221-foot support body; 222-first plantar support; 224-plantar upper support; 226-plantar support body; 23-seventh support; 24-ankle side motor; 25-plantar motor; 26-second floor stand; 27-fifth support; 28-sixth support; 29-eighth support; 30-transmission member; 31-first connecting member; 32-second connecting member; 301-first connecting rod; 302-second connecting rod; 303-third connecting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "inside," "outside," "forward," and "backward" to indicate directions or positional relationships are intended solely to facilitate description and simplify the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. The terms "first," "second," and the like are intended solely to distinguish components, and do not indicate that the components must be connected or operated in a specific order. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0036] The ankle joint refers to the joint between the lower leg and foot of the human body. During normal movement, the ankle joint can not only independently perform plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, internal rotation, external rotation, inversion, and eversion, but also combine at least two of the plantar flexion-dorsiflexion, internal rotation-external rotation, and inversion-eversion degrees of freedom. For example, the ankle joint performs internal rotation while also performing inversion, and external rotation while also performing eversion. Due to long-term bed rest, patients' ankle joints and muscles on the healthy side also lack normal movement for a long time and also require appropriate rehabilitation training. However, existing ankle rehabilitation robots often only have an affected side unit and cannot achieve the coordinated movement of the healthy and affected sides. At the same time, they are relatively boring to use, and patients tend to become tired after long-term use, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0037] Based on this, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ankle joint rehabilitation system to reduce the user's fatigue and enhance the user's experience.

[0038] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, an ankle joint rehabilitation system disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention is first introduced in detail.

[0039] See also Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of an ankle joint rehabilitation system shown in the figure illustrates that the system includes: an ankle joint rehabilitation robot 10 and a visually guided rehabilitation module 20, wherein the visually guided rehabilitation module 20 includes: a display unit 201, a data acquisition unit 202 and a control unit 203; the display unit 201 is used to display virtual objects; wherein the virtual objects include: dynamic virtual objects and static virtual objects; the data acquisition unit 202 is used to collect motion information of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot 10 and send the motion information to the control unit 203; the control unit 203 is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the dynamic virtual object to control the dynamic virtual object to move to the position where the static virtual object is located.

[0040] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the ankle joint 73 refers to the joint between the lower leg 731 and the foot 732 of the human body. The movements of the ankle joint 73 include plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, internal rotation, external rotation, inversion, and eversion. When the foot 732 and the lower leg 731 are nearly perpendicular and the foot 732 does not swing or turn left or right, the ankle joint 73 is in a natural position, generally referred to as the neutral position. When the ankle joint 73 is plantar flexed, the maximum downward deviation angle of the foot 732 from the neutral position is approximately 40-50 degrees. When the ankle joint 73 is dorsiflexed, the maximum upward deviation angle of the foot 732 from the neutral position is approximately 20-30 degrees. When the ankle joint 73 is internally rotated, the maximum inward deviation angle of the foot 732 from the neutral position is approximately 8 degrees. When the ankle joint 73 is externally rotated, the maximum outward deviation angle of the foot 732 from the neutral position is approximately 85 degrees. When the ankle joint 73 is inverted, the maximum inward deviation angle of the foot 732 from the neutral position is approximately 30 degrees. When the ankle joint 73 is everted, the maximum angle of the foot 732 deviating outward from the neutral position is approximately 30-35 degrees.

[0041] During normal activities, the ankle joint can not only perform plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, internal rotation, external rotation, inversion, and eversion independently, but also can perform movements combining at least two of the plantar flexion-dorsiflexion degree of freedom, the internal rotation-external rotation degree of freedom, and the inversion-eversion degree of freedom. For example, the ankle joint can also perform inversion while performing internal rotation, and can also perform eversion while performing external rotation. Due to long-term bed rest, the ankle joint and muscles on the healthy side also lack normal movement for a long time and also require appropriate rehabilitation training.

[0042] See also Figure 5 As shown, the healthy-side unit 1 includes a first floor stand 16, a first leg bracket 11, a first bracket 17, a rotating connector 51, and a first foot bracket 12. In actual use, the first floor stand 16 can be placed on the ground, allowing the healthy-side unit 1 to be used on the ground. Specifically, the overall structure of the first floor stand 16 is a rectangular frame. When the first floor stand 16 is placed on the ground, the support stability is improved.

[0043] A first bracket 17 and a second bracket 18 are provided between the first floor stand 16 and the first leg support 11. The first bracket 17 and the second bracket 18 are rotatably connected. The rotational connection between the first bracket 17 and the second bracket 18 comprises a locking mechanism, which can employ a conventional locking method, such as a latch lock or a thread lock. In actual use, the angle between the first leg support 11 and the first floor stand 16 can be increased or decreased, allowing the patient to use the healthy side unit 1 in different postures. For example, the patient can use the healthy side unit 1 while sitting in a chair or lying in bed.

[0044] The first foot support 12 is used to place the healthy side foot. In actual use, the healthy side foot can be fixed to the first foot support 12 by a strap. Specifically, the overall structure of the first foot support 12 is plate-shaped, which improves the supporting effect of the first foot support 12 on the healthy side foot.

[0045] The third bracket 13 is hingedly connected to the first leg bracket 11 and can rotate back and forth on the first leg bracket 11. In actual use, when the third bracket 13 rotates back and forth on the first leg bracket 11, it can cause the healthy ankle joint to plantar flexion or dorsiflexion. The first foot bracket 12 is mounted in the middle of the third bracket 13 via a rotating connector 51.

[0046] The first leg support 11 is used to fix the healthy calf. In actual use, the first leg support 11 can be fastened to the healthy calf by a strap. Specifically, the first leg support 11 includes a first leg support plate 111, which is formed with an arcuate surface. The arcuate surface of the first leg support plate 111 is adapted to the shape of the healthy calf, thereby improving the positioning fit between the healthy calf and the first leg support plate 111 and also improving the comfort of the first leg support plate 111 in supporting the healthy calf.

[0047] The first leg support 11 includes a first length adjustment mechanism 112, which is disposed between the first leg support plate 111 and the fourth bracket 19. The first length adjustment mechanism 112 can be extended or shortened to adjust the distance between the first leg support plate 111 and the first foot support plate 12. In actual use, when the first length adjustment mechanism is extended or shortened, the distance between the first leg support plate 111 and the first foot support plate 12 on the third bracket 13 is also increased or decreased, allowing patients with different leg lengths to comfortably wear the healthy-side unit 1, thereby improving the applicability of the healthy-side unit 1.

[0048] The first foot support 12 is connected to the third support 13 via a rotating connector 51. The first foot support 12 can perform internal and external rotation, internal and external rotation, and other rotations similar to the range of motion of the ankle joint on the third support 13 via the rotating connector 51. In actual use, when the first foot support 12 deflects left and right and flips left and right on the third support 13, the ankle joint on the healthy side can be internally rotated, externally rotated, and inverted and everted.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present invention, the ankle joint on the healthy side can be rehabilitated on the healthy side unit 1. The healthy side unit 1 can limit the rotation angle of the ankle joint on the healthy side to avoid sprains, strains and other problems on the healthy side. Therefore, the invention has the advantage of a high safety factor.

[0050] See also Figure 6As shown, the affected-side unit 2 includes: a second floor stand 26, a second leg support 21, a fifth support 27, a sixth support 28, a second foot support 22, and a seventh support 23. The affected-side unit 2 is used to assist in rehabilitation exercises of the affected ankle joint.

[0051] The second floor stand 26 can be placed on the ground so that the affected-side unit 2 can be used on the ground. In some embodiments, the second floor stand 26 can be placed on an additional stand to accommodate situations such as when the user is lying on their back.

[0052] The second leg support 21 is arranged on the eighth bracket 29 and is used to fix the affected calf. In actual use, the second leg support 21 can be fastened to the affected calf by a strap. Specifically, the second leg support 21 includes a second leg support plate 211, which is formed with an arcuate surface. The affected calf can be adapted to the arcuate surface of the second leg support plate 211, thereby improving the fit between the calf and the second leg support plate 211 and improving the comfort of the second leg support plate 211 in supporting the calf.

[0053] The second leg support 21 further includes a second length adjustment mechanism 212, which is disposed between the eighth bracket 29 and the second leg support plate 211 and is used to adjust the distance between the second leg support plate 211 and the second foot support plate 22 on the first bracket 17. The second length adjustment mechanism 212 can be extended or shortened, thereby adjusting the distance between the second leg support plate 211 and the first bracket 17. In actual use, if the second length adjustment mechanism 212 is extended or shortened, the distance between the second leg support plate 211 and the second foot support plate 22 on the seventh bracket 23 is also increased or decreased, so that patients of different physiques can all comfortably wear the ipsilateral unit 2, thereby improving the applicability of the ipsilateral unit 2.

[0054] The fifth bracket 27 and the sixth bracket 28 are rotatably connected to each other to adjust the angle of the second leg support 21 relative to the second floor stand 26. In actual use, the angle of the second leg support 21 relative to the second floor stand 26 can be increased or decreased, allowing the patient to use the affected-side unit 2 in different postures. For example, the patient can use the affected-side unit 2 while sitting on a chair or lying in bed, thereby increasing the diversity of usage.

[0055] The second foot support 22 is used to fix the affected foot. In actual use, the affected foot can be fixed to the second foot support by a strap. Specifically, the overall structure of the second foot support is plate-shaped, which improves the supporting effect of the second foot support 22 on the affected foot.

[0056] The second foot bracket 22 is hinged to the seventh bracket 23 via the foot motor 25. Driven by the foot motor 25, the second foot bracket 22 rotates left and right on the seventh bracket 23, thereby driving the ankle joint of the affected side to perform internal rotation or external rotation.

[0057] The second foot bracket is hinged to the sixth bracket 28 via the seventh bracket 23. When the seventh bracket 23 rotates forward and backward relative to the sixth bracket 28, the ankle joint of the affected side can be driven to plantar flexion or dorsiflexion.

[0058] The second foot support 22 includes: a foot support body 221, a first plantar support 222, an upper plantar support 224, a lower plantar support symmetrically arranged with the upper plantar support 224, and a plantar support body 226. The foot support body 221 and the first plantar support 222 are fixedly connected, and the foot support body 221 and the first plantar support 222 are hinged to the second plantar support. The second plantar support includes the upper plantar support 224, the lower plantar support, and the plantar support body 226, so that the second plantar support is "U"-shaped as a whole. The foot support body 221, together with the first plantar support 222, can be flipped left and right relative to the second plantar support.

[0059] In actual use, when the foot support body 221 is turned left and right, the affected ankle joint can be driven to invert or evert. The overall structure of the first plantar support 222 is "U" shaped, matching the overall "U" shape of the second plantar support.

[0060] Furthermore, the plantar support body 226 is connected to the output end of the plantar motor 25, so that when the plantar motor 25 rotates, the plantar support body 226 drives the second foot bracket 22 as a whole to rotate inward and outward.

[0061] The ankle motor 24 is connected to the sixth bracket 28, and the seventh bracket 23 is fixedly connected to the output end of the ankle motor 24. The ankle motor 24 can drive the seventh bracket 23 to rotate forward and backward relative to the sixth bracket 28, thereby driving the second foot support 22 to rotate up and down with the ankle motor 24 as the axis, thereby driving the foot placed on the second foot support 22 to perform plantar flexion and dorsiflexion.

[0062] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the transmission member 30 is connected between the first connecting member 31 and the second connecting member 32. The first connecting member 31, the second connecting member 32 and the transmission member 30 form a spatial linkage mechanism. When the second plantar support drives the affected ankle joint to internally rotate, the first connecting member 31 also drives the affected ankle joint to invert. When the second plantar support drives the affected ankle joint to externally rotate, the first connecting member 31 also drives the affected ankle joint to evert.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first connecting member 31, the second connecting member 32 and the transmission member 30 constitute a spatial linkage mechanism, so that the left and right rotation of the second plantar support relative to the seventh support 23 and the left and right flipping of the foot support body on the second plantar support constitute a linkage. When the plantar motor 25 drives the second plantar support to rotate left and right on the plantar motor 25, it also drives the foot support body to flip left and right on the second plantar support. Thus, a single plantar motor 25 can achieve the coordinated action of the affected ankle joint in the internal rotation-external rotation degree of freedom and the inversion-external rotation degree of freedom. By designing the spatial linkage mechanism, a control method that conforms to human body movement engineering can be designed. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention has the advantages of simple control, easy design, simple structure and good rehabilitation effect.

[0064] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the transmission member 30 includes a first connecting rod 301, a second connecting rod 302, and a third connecting rod 303. One end of the first connecting rod 301 is rotatably connected to the first connecting member 31, and the other end of the first connecting rod 301 is rotatably and slidably connected to the second connecting rod 302. One end of the third connecting rod 303 is rotatably and slidably connected to the second connecting rod 302, and the other end of the third connecting rod 303 is connected to the second connecting member 32.

[0065] The third connecting rod 303 is fixedly arranged on the seventh bracket 23 through the housing of the plantar motor 25. Taking the external rotation action as an example, when the output end of the plantar motor 25 drives the second plantar bracket and the plantar bracket body 226 to rotate outward, since the first connecting member 31 is stationary relative to the foot support body 221, and the second connecting member 32 is stationary relative to the seventh bracket 23, the first connecting member 31 and the foot support body 221 rotate outward relative to the second plantar bracket, thereby achieving the action of driving the foot support body 221 to perform eversion while rotating outward. Of course, this is only an example of a foot support rotation method. In other embodiments, the internal and external rotation, eversion and dorsiflexion of the foot can also be controlled separately by separate motors.

[0066] In one embodiment, the ankle joint rehabilitation robot 10 has two healthy side units 1 or two affected side units 2, or one healthy side unit 1 and one affected side unit 2, and the visually guided rehabilitation module 20 is used in conjunction with the healthy side unit 1, the affected side unit 2 and a combination thereof. Specifically, the healthy side unit 1 or the affected side unit 2 has a sensor, which can be an angle sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc. The sensor detects the motion information of the first foot support or the second foot support respectively, and the motion information includes the motion angle, angular velocity and motion direction. The sensor can send the motion information to the data acquisition unit 202, and the data acquisition unit 202 sends the motion information to the control unit 203. The control unit 203 converts the motion information into the motion of a dynamic virtual object in the display unit 201.

[0067] In some embodiments, the healthy-side unit 1 may be used alone, and the healthy-side unit 1 uses a sole sensor and an ankle sensor to collect motion data.

[0068] In some embodiments, the affected-side unit 2 may be used alone. When the affected-side unit 2 is used alone, it is equivalent to exercising only the affected side.

[0069] In some embodiments, two healthy-side units 1 may be used simultaneously. In this case, the two healthy-side units 1 respectively use a plantar sensor and an ankle sensor to collect motion data.

[0070] In some embodiments, two affected-side units 2 may be used simultaneously. Similar to the two healthy sides, the sensors on the sole of the foot and the ankle of the affected-side unit 2 are used to detect information such as the direction and angle of movement.

[0071] In some embodiments, one healthy foot unit and one affected foot unit may be used. In this case, the healthy foot unit 1 and the affected foot unit 2 may be interchangeable. When the healthy foot is used to control the movement, the sensor detects the movement pattern of the healthy foot, and the control unit 203 controls the affected foot to move in a mirror-image manner based on the movement parameters of the healthy foot.

[0072] In one embodiment, the data acquisition unit 202 receives the values ​​of the motion angle and motion direction collected by the sensor, and uses the direction value as the first signal and the angle value as the second signal; the control unit 203 converts the first signal and the second signal into the movement information of the virtual object in the display unit 201. For example, the display unit 201 can be a liquid crystal display, such as Figure 9 As shown, the display unit 201 can display a dynamic virtual object (i.e., a moving virtual object) and at least one static virtual object. The first or second foot support of the ankle rehabilitation robot 10 moves in response to the user's foot movements. After detecting the movement angle and direction of the foot support, the sensor continuously sends real-time signals to the control unit 203. The control unit 203 converts this movement information into the movement of the dynamic virtual object on the display screen.

[0073] The ankle joint rehabilitation system provided by the embodiment of the present invention can display virtual objects for the user through the display unit, and use various types of virtual objects to guide training movements, thereby reducing the user's fatigue and improving the user's experience.

[0074] Further, see Figure 10 As shown, in Figure 1On the basis of the above, the visually guided rehabilitation module also includes: a virtual object generation unit 204 and a prescription storage unit 205, the virtual object generation unit 204 is used to display one or more dynamic virtual objects and one or more static virtual objects within a predetermined range of the display unit; wherein the predetermined range is determined based on the maximum range that can be covered by the user's ankle joint and foot movement, or is determined based on the average value of the maximum range that can be covered by the ankle joint and foot movement of multiple users stored in advance multiplied by a preset adjustment coefficient.

[0075] In one embodiment, the predetermined range of the display unit in the embodiment of the present invention is determined in one way based on the maximum range that can be covered by the user's ankle and foot movements; another way is to determine it based on the average value of the maximum range that can be covered by the ankle and foot movements of a large number of users stored in the database multiplied by a preset adjustment coefficient. In the initial stage, the value of the adjustment coefficient is usually less than 1 and gradually increases until it is equal to 1. After a predetermined time period or a predetermined combination of actions, the value of the adjustment coefficient can also be gradually increased to greater than 1, so that the position where the static virtual object appears can be controlled to exceed the user's range of motion, thereby providing a controllable and challenging range of motion to provide the user with a larger range of exercise and enhance their athletic ability. When the adjustment coefficient is greater than 1, the movement mode of the ankle rehabilitation robot should be a mode driven by the user's active movement, rather than a mode in which the ankle rehabilitation robot drives the user's ankle movement, so as to avoid the user's ankle being driven to an angle beyond its tolerance range and causing unnecessary damage.

[0076] Furthermore, the visual prescription storage unit 205 is used to store a prescription for generating a static virtual object; wherein the prescription includes: angle information of the foot movement, and sequence information and repetition number information of each foot movement, and the foot movement includes: plantar flexion movement, dorsiflexion movement, internal rotation movement and external rotation movement; the virtual object generation unit is also used to: determine the distance from the center position of the display unit to the position of the static virtual object based on the angle information of the foot movement, and generate the static virtual object in sequence based on the distance and the sequence information and repetition number information of each foot movement.

[0077] In a specific embodiment, see Figure 11As shown, the generation position and generation order of the static virtual object 62 can be planned in some modes according to the prescription stored in the prescription storage unit. For example, the prescription stored in the prescription storage unit includes the angle and angular velocity of each action of plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, internal rotation and external rotation of the foot, as well as information such as the sequence of actions and the number of repetitions. The virtual object generation unit can set the distance from the center position of the display unit to the location of the static virtual object 62 according to the angle of each foot action, wherein the center position of the display unit is the initial position of the dynamic virtual object 61, and the virtual object generation unit can generate the static virtual object 62 based on the time series according to the order of each action, or publish a prompt of the location of the corresponding static virtual object 62 when generating the static virtual object 62.

[0078] In addition to the above-mentioned method of setting the appearance area and the order of appearance of the static virtual object 62 according to the prescription, in an embodiment of the present invention, the virtual object generation unit is also used to: randomly generate the position of the static virtual object based on the movement angle of the user's ankle joint; or, generate the initial position of the static virtual object based on the minimum value of the movement angle of the user's ankle joint, and generate the position of the static virtual object according to a preset gradient.

[0079] In one embodiment, the virtual object generation unit may calculate the area that the user's ankle joint movement can cover in the initial stage based on a pre-assessment of the user's ankle joint mobility, and determine the area position range where the static virtual object appears based on this.

[0080] The generation position of static virtual objects is random in some modes. Preferably, although the generation position of static virtual objects reflects randomness in the generation of the position of a single static virtual object, its generation position should cover all movement directions and angles of ankle joint movement based on the probability distribution of the positions of all static virtual objects.

[0081] Another way for the virtual object generation unit to generate a static virtual object is to set the initial position of the static virtual object according to the minimum value of the user's ankle joint movement angle in the initial stage, and then increase the distance of the static virtual object from the center of the display unit according to the preset gradient a, thereby slowly increasing the size of the user's foot rotation angle. The value range of the preset gradient a can be selected within the range of 0.1-5° increase in the ankle movement angle. In some embodiments, 1° can be selected as a gradient. At this time, the increased distance of the static virtual object presented in the display unit from the center of the display unit is equivalent to an increase or decrease of 1° in the actual rotation of the ankle joint in the direction of movement.

[0082] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is further configured to: obtain the movement time of the dynamic virtual object moving to the static virtual object, compare the movement time with a pre-stored preset time, and adjust the preset gradient based on the comparison result.

[0083] Specifically, a sensor can be used to detect the movement time taken by a dynamic virtual object to move to the position of a static virtual object. The control unit obtains the movement time and compares it with the average time for reaching the same position stored in the system (i.e., the preset time). If the dynamic virtual object can reach the position of the static virtual object faster, the preset gradient corresponding to the position where the static virtual object appears next time can be increased by a percentage. For example, if it increases by 50%-300%, the corresponding gradient value is 150%a-400%a. For example, when the initial gradient value is 1°, it increases by 50%, and the subsequent increase gradient becomes 1.5°.

[0084] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit can also calculate the time it takes for the dynamic virtual object to reach the location of the static virtual object, as well as the number of failures before reaching the location. If the number of consecutive failures reaches a preset number of failures, the control unit can reduce the location where the next static virtual object appears by one gradient.

[0085] In one embodiment, when the position of a static virtual object is set by increasing the distance between the static virtual object and the center of the display unit according to a preset gradient, the control unit can also record the maximum angle detected by the sensor and use it as the user's maximum joint range of motion data, thereby obtaining the user's joint status data without perception.

[0086] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is also used to: send prompt information to the display unit so that the user can control the movement of the dynamic virtual object based on the prompt information, and obtain the hovering time of the dynamic virtual object moving to the static virtual object, when the hovering time is greater than the predetermined hovering time, determine that the dynamic virtual object reaches the position of the static virtual object.

[0087] In a specific embodiment, when a dynamic virtual object reaches the location of a static virtual object, the control unit may detect the hovering time of the dynamic virtual object over the static virtual object. When the hovering time exceeds a predetermined hovering time, the control unit may determine that the dynamic virtual object has reached the location of the static virtual object. At this point, the control unit determines whether the static virtual object is consistent with the one indicated in the prompt information. If so, the control unit issues a prompt information indicating a correct operation through the display unit; if not, the control unit issues a prompt information indicating an incorrect operation through the display unit.

[0088] In one embodiment, for the aforementioned system, the healthy side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot can be used alone, which is a single healthy side mode, and the plantar sensor and the ankle sensor are used to collect motion information respectively; the affected side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot can also be used alone, which is a single affected side mode; two healthy side units can also be used at the same time, which is a double healthy side mode, and the two healthy side units use the plantar sensor and the ankle sensor to collect motion information respectively; two affected side units can also be used at the same time, which is a double affected side mode, and the two affected side units use the plantar sensor and the ankle sensor to collect motion information respectively; one healthy side unit and one affected side unit can also be used, which is a one healthy side and one affected side mode, and the healthy side unit and the affected side unit can be interchangeable. When the healthy side foot is used to control the movement, the sensor detects the motion information of the healthy side unit, and the control unit controls the affected side unit to perform mirror motion according to the motion parameters of the healthy side unit.

[0089] (1) When in single healthy side mode or single affected side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of a healthy side unit or an affected side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; the display unit is used to display a dynamic virtual object and one or more static virtual objects; the control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the dynamic virtual object to control the dynamic virtual object to move to the position where the static virtual object is located.

[0090] In a specific embodiment, the movement of the foot support of the healthy side unit or the affected side unit is detected by the sensor and used to control the movement of the dynamic virtual object. Specifically, when the foot support performs plantar flexion, the corresponding dynamic virtual object moves upward in the display unit; when the foot support performs dorsiflexion, the corresponding dynamic virtual object moves downward in the display unit. In other embodiments, the direction can be opposite to the above, and when the foot support performs plantar flexion, the corresponding dynamic virtual object moves downward in the display unit; when the foot support performs dorsiflexion, the corresponding dynamic virtual object moves upward in the display unit.

[0091] In one embodiment, the control unit can send movement prompt information through the display unit or speaker for the user to receive. After the user receives the prompt information, the foot support of the healthy side unit or the affected side unit moves under the influence of the user's foot movements. After detecting the movement angle and direction of the foot support, the sensor continuously sends real-time signals to the control unit, and the control unit converts the movement information into the movement of the dynamic virtual object in the display unit. The control unit can only control the movement of the dynamic virtual object to the position of the static virtual object; in addition, similar to football games, when the dynamic virtual object moves to the position of the static virtual object under the control of the healthy side unit or the affected side unit, the static virtual object can be configured to be eliminated according to a predetermined trajectory or leave its position due to collision.

[0092] In another embodiment, the dynamic virtual object can also be configured to have the actions of moving forward, backward, leftward, and rightward. The forward and backward actions, as a pair, can be controlled by plantar flexion and dorsiflexion signals received by the sensor, with the plantar flexion signal serving as the control signal for moving forward and the dorsiflexion signal serving as the control signal for moving backward. The leftward and rightward actions, as a pair, can be controlled by internal rotation and external rotation received by the sensor. In a specific embodiment, the virtual object generation unit can randomly generate static virtual objects in the direction of the dynamic virtual object's movement, and configure the static virtual objects to block the movement of the dynamic virtual object, thereby creating a situation where the dynamic virtual object needs to avoid the static virtual objects in order to continue moving forward.

[0093] It should be noted that the "forward" action mode in the embodiments of the present invention refers to a motion mode in which a dynamic virtual object moves forward in a direction set as forward within the display unit at a predetermined acceleration until it reaches a predetermined maximum speed. Correspondingly, the "backward" action mode in the embodiments of the present invention refers to a motion mode in which, when a backward signal is triggered while the dynamic virtual object is moving in the "forward" direction, the speed of the dynamic virtual object gradually decreases. When the speed drops to zero, if the backward signal is still present, the virtual object begins moving in the opposite direction of the "forward" direction.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned methods can achieve the purpose of guiding the user to control the movement of a dynamic virtual object by controlling the movement of the ankle joint, so that the ankle joint is exercised in the process of controlling the movement of the dynamic virtual object through movement.

[0095] (2) When in the dual healthy-side mode or the dual affected-side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to collect the first motion information and the second motion information of the two healthy-side units or the two affected-side units of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; the display unit is used to display one or more dynamic virtual objects and one or more static virtual objects; the control unit is used to control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the order in which the first motion information and the second motion information are received; it is also used to compare the sizes of the first motion information and the second motion information, and control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the larger one of the first motion information and the second motion information; it is also used to control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the difference between the first motion information and the second motion information.

[0096] In a specific embodiment, when the ankle joint rehabilitation robot is configured to have two healthy side units or two affected side units, it corresponds to the situation where both ankle joints of the user are trained. In this case, the data acquisition unit collects motion data of both healthy sides or two affected sides.

[0097] In one embodiment, the display unit can display two dynamic virtual objects, and the control unit receives movement information from the foot supports of the two healthy side units or the two affected side units, and controls the movement of the two dynamic virtual objects in the display unit.

[0098] In another embodiment, the display unit can display a dynamic virtual object, and the control unit receives motion information (i.e., first motion information and second motion information) from the foot supports of two healthy side units or two affected side units respectively, and uses two motion signals to control a dynamic virtual object.

[0099] When using the motion information of the foot supports of two healthy-side units or two affected-side units to control a dynamic virtual object, one method is to control the motion of the dynamic virtual object according to the order of the first motion information and the second motion information, and give priority to the signal generated first; another method is to control the motion of the dynamic virtual object with two signals at the same time, and when the motion directions of the two signals are opposite, compare the sizes of the two signals, and control the motion direction of the dynamic virtual object in the direction with a larger angle, that is, compare the sizes of the first motion information and the second motion information, and control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the larger one of the first motion information and the second motion information.

[0100] Furthermore, the movement of a dynamic virtual object can be controlled based on the difference between the first motion information and the second motion information, that is, the difference between the two signals in opposite directions is taken, and the size and direction of the difference is used as the parameter of the dynamic virtual object's movement. In this way, there will be coordinated and antagonistic movement modes on both sides. For example, when two signals jointly control the forward direction of a virtual object, when the movement directions of the plantar brackets on the left and right sides are consistent, the dynamic virtual object can move based on the movement parameters converted from the signal with a larger movement angle or a larger angular velocity, or it can move based on the movement parameters converted from the average of the two angles, thereby helping to improve the coordination of the same-direction movement of the bilateral ankles.

[0101] (3) When it is a healthy side and an affected side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of the healthy side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; the display unit includes a first display area and a second display area, the first display area is used to display a first dynamic virtual object, and the second display area is used to display a second dynamic virtual object; the control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the first dynamic virtual object to control the movement of the first dynamic virtual object, and control the movement of the second dynamic virtual object based on the movement information of the first dynamic virtual object; wherein, the first dynamic virtual object and the second dynamic virtual object are mirror images when corresponding to the internal and external rotation movements of the foot support.

[0102] In one specific embodiment, the display area of ​​the display unit can be divided into two parts, namely a first display area and a second display area. The healthy-side unit controls the movement of the dynamic virtual object located in the corresponding first display area. The dynamic virtual object in the symmetrical second display area can perform mirrored left and right movement under the control of the control unit. The two dynamic virtual objects can be configured as mouse pointers, one for receiving movement information from the healthy-side unit and the other for receiving movement information from the affected-side unit.

[0103] Specifically, a dynamic virtual object can be configured in the form of a mouse pointer, which moves according to the motion information of the motion sensor of the healthy-side unit. While the healthy-side unit controls the movement of the mouse pointer, the affected-side unit can follow the movement direction of the healthy-side unit and make left and right mirrored movements, thereby presenting the dynamic virtual object in the second display area corresponding to the affected-side unit as having the same movement direction as the affected-side unit.

[0104] In another embodiment, the healthy side unit and the affected side unit can respectively control the movement of dynamic virtual objects located in the display area on the side corresponding to the current side. At the same time, static virtual objects can appear symmetrically in the display areas on the left and right sides, guiding the movement of dynamic virtual objects on both sides, thereby guiding the healthy side foot and the affected side foot to perform symmetrical movements.

[0105] Because the range of motion on the affected side is limited, it's usually less than that of the unaffected side. When using the one-affected-side-one-affected-side mode, the range of motion indications for the affected side in all directions should be appropriately reduced. For example, the maximum rotation angle should be multiplied by a coefficient less than 1 before being provided to the affected side. The coefficient can be obtained by taking the ratio of the actual measured motion angle of the affected side to the motion angle of the unaffected side, or it can be set to a low value, such as 0.1, and then slowly increased during exercise.

[0106] The above-mentioned ankle joint rehabilitation system provided by the embodiment of the present invention can adapt to a variety of application scenarios because it has combination forms such as single healthy side, single affected side, double healthy sides, double affected sides, and one healthy and one affected side; at the same time, it can display virtual objects for users through the display unit and use various types of virtual objects to guide training movements, thereby reducing the user's fatigue and improving the user's experience.

[0107] It should be noted that in all examples shown and described herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary rather than limiting, and therefore other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0108] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementation methods of the present invention, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the above-described embodiments within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. Such modifications, changes, or replacements do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An ankle joint rehabilitation system, characterized in that: include: Ankle joint rehabilitation robot and visually guided rehabilitation module, wherein the visually guided rehabilitation module comprises: a display unit, a data acquisition unit and a control unit; The display unit is used to display virtual objects; wherein the virtual objects include: dynamic virtual objects and static virtual objects; The data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot and send the motion information to the control unit; The control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the dynamic virtual object, so as to control the dynamic virtual object to move to the position where the static virtual object is located; The visually guided rehabilitation module further includes: a virtual object generation unit, configured to generate an initial position of the static virtual object based on a minimum value of a motion angle of the user's ankle joint, and to generate a position of the static virtual object according to a preset gradient; The control unit is further configured to obtain a movement time of the dynamic virtual object moving to the static virtual object, compare the movement time with a pre-stored preset time, and adjust the preset gradient based on the comparison result.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The virtual object generating unit is configured to display one or more dynamic virtual objects and one or more static virtual objects within a predetermined range of the display unit; The predetermined range is determined based on the maximum range that can be covered by the user's ankle joint and foot movement, or based on the average of the maximum ranges that can be covered by the ankle joint and foot movement of multiple users stored in advance multiplied by a preset adjustment coefficient.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The visually guided rehabilitation module further includes: a prescription storage unit for storing a prescription for generating the static virtual object; wherein the prescription includes: angle information of foot movements, and sequence information and repetition number information of each foot movement, wherein the foot movements include: plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, internal rotation, and external rotation; The virtual object generation unit is also used to: determine the distance from the center position of the display unit to the position of the static virtual object based on the angle information of the foot movement, and generate the static virtual objects in sequence based on the distance and the sequence information and repetition number information of each foot movement.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein: The virtual object generation unit is also used to randomly generate the position of the static virtual object based on the movement angle of the user's ankle joint, wherein, in the probability distribution of generating the position of the static virtual object, the position of the static virtual object covers all movement directions and movement angles of the user's ankle joint movement.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is further configured to obtain a hovering time of the dynamic virtual object when the dynamic virtual object moves onto the static virtual object, and determine that the dynamic virtual object reaches a position of the static virtual object when the hovering time is greater than a predetermined hovering time.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is further configured to send prompt information to the display unit, so that the user can control the movement of the dynamic virtual object based on the prompt information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The system includes: single healthy side mode, single affected side mode, double healthy side mode, double affected side mode and one healthy side and one affected side mode; When in single healthy side mode or single affected side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of a healthy side unit or an affected side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; The display unit is used to display one of the dynamic virtual objects and one or more of the static virtual objects; The control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the dynamic virtual object, so as to control the dynamic virtual object to move to the position where the static virtual object is located.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that When in the dual healthy-side mode or the dual affected-side mode, the data acquisition unit is used to acquire the first motion information and the second motion information of the two healthy-side units or the two affected-side units of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; The display unit is used to display one or more dynamic virtual objects and one or more static virtual objects; The control unit is configured to control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the order in which the first motion information and the second motion information are received; further configured to compare the magnitudes of the first motion information and the second motion information, and control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the larger one of the first motion information and the second motion information; It is also used to control the movement of the dynamic virtual object according to the difference between the first motion information and the second motion information.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein: When the one healthy side and one affected side mode is used, the data acquisition unit is used to collect motion information of the healthy side unit of the ankle joint rehabilitation robot; The display unit includes a first display area and a second display area, the first display area is used to display a first dynamic virtual object, and the second display area is used to display a second dynamic virtual object; The control unit is used to convert the motion information into movement information of the first dynamic virtual object to control the movement of the first dynamic virtual object, and to control the movement of the second dynamic virtual object based on the movement information of the first dynamic virtual object; wherein, the first dynamic virtual object and the second dynamic virtual object are mirror images.

Images