Device for hand tremor stabilization

Abstract

A device for hand tremor stabilization is provided, the device comprising a rotatable flywheel assembly (23) mountable to a user's hand. The rotatable flywheel assembly (23) comprises: i) a flywheel (24) having a flywheel mass m and a flywheel diameter d, and ii) a prime mover (25) adapted to rotate the flywheel (24) about a flywheel rotation axis (38) at a rotation speed R such that the rotatable flywheel assembly (23) generates a vibration having a vibration level of about 0.05 kg / m 2 / s and about 0.30kgm 2 The angular momentum is between 1.1 and 1.1 s.

Description

[0001] background

[0002] The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to tremor stabilization apparatus and methods and, in particular, to gyroscopic devices for stabilizing physiological and pathological tremors of body parts, particularly the hands.

[0003] Involuntary muscle tremors occur in a range of neurological conditions, especially degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

[0004] US5058571 describes an early proposal in which a battery-powered gyroscope is held on the back of the hand by a strap. The gyroscope attempts to maintain the orientation of its axis of rotation and resists any action that attempts to cause a change in that orientation. Thus, the theory behind using a gyroscope is that the onset of a muscle tremor will cause movement of the hand, but the gyroscope will oppose this movement, essentially canceling out the tremor.

[0005] The applicant's earlier patent application WO2016 / 102958A1 discloses a gyroscopic device for vibration stabilization. The gyroscopic device comprises a rotatable flywheel mounted to a gimbal, which in turn is mounted to a turntable within the housing of the gyroscopic device. The gimbal allows the flywheel to precess, and the flywheel and gimbal can be rotated on the turntable to match the direction of the vibration. An elastic damper is provided to control the precession of the flywheel.

[0006] Overview

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a device for hand tremor stabilization is provided, the device comprising: a rotatable flywheel assembly that can be mounted on a user's hand; wherein the rotatable flywheel assembly comprises: i) a flywheel having a flywheel mass m and a flywheel diameter d; and ii) a prime mover adapted to rotate the flywheel around a flywheel rotation axis at a rotation speed R, so that the flywheel assembly generates an angular momentum having an angular momentum of about 0.05 kgm 2 / s and about 0.30kgm 2 / s.

[0008] Advantageously, this range of angular momentum has been found to provide effective hand tremor stabilization without impeding voluntary movement. Angular momentum below this range has been found to be ineffective for tremor stabilization, while angular momentum above this range has been found to inhibit voluntary movement.

[0009] In a preferred example, the mass m of the flywheel is equal to or less than 2 kg, preferably equal to or less than 1 kg, more preferably equal to or less than 0.5 kg, more preferably between about 0.05 kg and 0.5 kg, more preferably between about 0.1 kg and 0.2 kg.

[0010] In a preferred example, the flywheel diameter d is equal to or less than about 150 mm, more preferably equal to or less than about 100 mm, more preferably equal to or less than about 80 mm, and more preferably about 50 mm.

[0011] In a preferred example, the rotational speed R of the flywheel is between about 5,000 RPM and 70,000 RPM, preferably between about 10,000 RPM and 30,000 RPM, and more preferably between about 15,000 RPM and about 30,000 RPM.

[0012] Such a device has been found to be suitable for wearing on the hand of a user while providing effective tremor stabilization.

[0013] In some examples, the device may further include a controller and a sensor, the controller being configured to control the prime mover, the sensor being configured to detect a feature of a movement of a user's hand when the rotatable flywheel assembly is mounted on the user's hand. The controller may be configured to control the prime mover to rotate the flywheel at a rotation speed R based on the detected feature.

[0014] In some examples, the sensor is arranged to detect characteristics of hand tremor when the rotatable flywheel assembly is mounted on a user's hand, such as amplitude, frequency and / or acceleration of the hand tremor.

[0015] In some examples, the apparatus may further include a housing, and the rotatable flywheel assembly may further include a gimbal. The flywheel may be mounted to the gimbal, and the gimbal may be pivotally mounted to the housing about a precession axis so that the flywheel may precess relative to the housing.

[0016] In some examples, the housing includes a turntable, and the gimbal is pivotally mounted to the turntable to define the precession axis. The turntable can rotate about the pivot axis so that the precession axis can rotate relative to the housing.

[0017] In other examples, the housing includes a hinge seat that cooperates with a hinge member of the gimbal to pivotally mount the gimbal to the housing about a precession axis that is fixed relative to the housing.

[0018] Preferably, the flywheel comprises a central disc portion and a circumferential skirt extending in an axial direction of the flywheel rotation axis, the circumferential skirt defining a cavity.The cavity may comprise at least 50%, preferably at least 75% of the total mass of the flywheel.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a device for vibration stabilization, the device comprising: a housing and a rotatable flywheel assembly, the housing being attachable to a part of a user's body, such as a hand, the rotatable flywheel assembly being mounted to the housing, the rotatable flywheel assembly comprising a rotatable flywheel and a prime mover, the prime mover being arranged to rotate the flywheel around a flywheel rotation axis; wherein the flywheel comprises a central disk portion and a circumferential skirt extending in an axial direction of the flywheel rotation axis, the circumferential skirt defining a concave cavity and comprising at least 50% of the total mass of the flywheel, preferably comprising at least 75% of the total mass of the flywheel.

[0020] In some examples, the prime mover is at least partially nested within a cavity of the flywheel.

[0021] Preferably, the prime mover comprises an electric motor. The electric motor may comprise one or more of the following:

[0022] An aspect ratio of a height dimension in the axial direction of the flywheel's axis of rotation to a width dimension perpendicular to the height dimension of about 1 or less; and / or

[0023] Brushless electric motor; and / or

[0024] Brushless DC motor; and / or

[0025] A DC motor comprising a radially polarized permanent magnet rotor; and / or

[0026] A DC motor comprising slotless and / or coreless windings, and / or

[0027] Axial flux configuration.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing a tremor stabilization device for attachment to a part of a user's body, such as a hand, the tremor stabilization device comprising a flywheel for generating a gyroscopic force to stabilize a tremor in the user's body part, the method comprising:

[0029] mounting a flywheel to a motor of a shake stabilization device to provide a rotatable flywheel assembly of the shake stabilization device, the rotatable flywheel assembly comprising a rotating element including the flywheel and a rotor of the motor;

[0030] Using a motor to rotate the rotating element;

[0031] removing material from or adding material to the rotating elements to balance the rotatable flywheel assembly; and

[0032] The rotatable flywheel assembly is assembled in the housing of the shake stabilization device.

[0033] The method may also include attaching the motor and flywheel to a gimbal including a hinge member for a precession axis of the rotatable flywheel assembly, mounting the gimbal to the accelerometer assembly via the hinge member, using the motor to rotate the flywheel on the accelerometer assembly, and removing material from or adding material to the rotating element.

[0034] The flywheel is preferably manufactured by turning a blank of material on a lathe to form the flywheel, the turning including cutting material from the blank of material from an end of the blank of material opposite to the chuck of the lathe to form the contour of the flywheel, and cutting the flywheel away from the blank of material rather than re-clamping the blank of material in the lathe.

[0035] In an example, material may be removed from or added to the flywheel by a non-contact process, such as ablation, such as laser ablation or electron beam ablation.

[0036] Preferably, the flywheel comprises a circumferential surface and wherein the step of removing material from or adding material to the flywheel comprises removing material from or adding material to at least two planes of the circumferential surface of the flywheel.

[0037] In an example, a method may include:

[0038] Using a motor to rotate the flywheel at a first speed,

[0039] Remove material from or add material to the flywheel,

[0040] Then, rotating the flywheel at a second speed using the motor, and

[0041] Then, material is removed from or added to the flywheel, wherein the second rotational speed is greater than the first rotational speed.

[0042] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a shake stabilization device manufactured according to the above method is provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0045] Figure 1 A tremor stabilization device is shown worn on a hand of a user, the tremor stabilization device including a gyroscope device;

[0046] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Gyroscopic equipment for shake stabilization;

[0047] Figure 3A and Figure 3B A cross section of an example gyroscope device is shown;

[0048] Figure 4 A cross section of another example gyroscope device is shown;

[0049] Figure 5A and Figure 5B shows an enlarged view of a biasing member arranged to control the precession of a rotating flywheel assembly of a gyroscopic apparatus;

[0050] Figure 6 An optional biasing member comprising a magnet is shown;

[0051] Figure 7 An example gyroscope device is shown having a ball and socket arrangement for providing a precession axis;

[0052] Figure 8 A gyroscope device is shown attached to a user's hand;

[0053] Fig.9A and Fig. 9B An example gyroscope device having a turntable is shown;

[0054] Fig.10 shows a cross-section of a gyroscopic apparatus including a controller and an adjustable force biasing member;

[0055] Fig.11 A method of controlling the precession of a gyroscopic device is shown;

[0056] Fig.12 A method of controlling the flywheel speed of a gyroscopic device is shown;

[0057] Fig.13 Test results showing a reduction in average tremor amplitude for gyroscope devices producing different angular momentums are shown;

[0058] Fig.14A , Fig. 14B , Fig.15 and Fig.16 A cross section showing an example of a flywheel and a rotatable flywheel assembly of a gyroscope device;

[0059] Fig.17 An example of an integrated motor and flywheel is shown;

[0060] Fig.18A and Fig.18B shows a cross section of a gyroscopic device with a motor and flywheel uncoupled;

[0061] Fig.19 An example motor and flywheel arrangement for a gyroscopic device is shown;

[0062] Fig. 20 schematically shows the motor control circuit of the gyroscope device;

[0063] Fig.21 An example rotatable flywheel assembly is shown;

[0064] Fig. 22 An example rotatable flywheel assembly having a bearing between the flywheel and the gimbal is shown; and

[0065] Fig.23 Schematic diagram showing the manufacturing Fig.21 The flywheel method.

[0066] Detailed Description

[0067] A gyroscope is a device having a rotatable disk (e.g., a flywheel) that can rotate about the flywheel's axis of rotation. As the flywheel rotates, the gyroscope will resist the action of the applied force couple and tend to maintain a fixed orientation. If the gyroscope is rotationally displaced, angular momentum is conserved by the nutation of the device about an axis that is mutually perpendicular to the flywheel's axis of rotation and the axis through which the device is displaced.

[0068] The gyro will exert a gyroscopic torque, the magnitude of which is proportional to the moment of inertia of the flywheel, the angular velocity of the flywheel, and the angular velocity of the nutation. The direction vector of the gyroscopic torque is proportional to the vector cross product of the flywheel angular velocity and the angular velocity of the nutation of the device.

[0069] The apparatus of the present invention includes a gyroscope device having a rotatable gyroscope assembly and a housing. The rotatable gyroscope assembly includes a rotatable flywheel that can rotate around a flywheel rotation axis. The flywheel is mounted to precess around a precession axis so that the displacement of the flywheel is limited to rotation around the precession axis. In some examples, the flywheel is mounted to a gimbal that is hingedly attached to the housing to define the precession axis. In other examples, the gimbal is mounted to a turntable of the housing so that the precession axis can rotate within the housing. The housing can be attached to a part of the user's body, such as a hand, and in use, the flywheel rotates, and a tremor in the user's body part causes the flywheel and the gimbal to shift around the precession axis, generating a counter-rotational force to counteract the tremor, thereby stabilizing the tremor.

[0070] The device of the present invention may include a plurality of gyroscopic devices spaced around a body part of the user. When the body's equilibrium state is disturbed, such as during a tremor or rotational shift, the plurality of gyroscopic devices together exert a cumulative net gyroscopic moment on the body, but allow the use of smaller gyroscopes, thereby distributing the mass of the gyroscopes over the body part, making the device easier to wear, and reducing the size of the device, thereby impeding dexterity and movement to a lesser extent.

[0071] Figure 1An embodiment of a tremor stabilization device is shown. The tremor stabilization device is a gyroscopic device 11 attached to a glove 10 for a hand 12. In the embodiment shown, the glove 10 is of an open or fingerless type to allow free movement of the fingers 13 and thumb 14. Preferably, the glove 10 is formed as a fabric support for the gyroscopic device 11, which can be attached to the wrist, fingers and thumb of the wearer by straps (suitably, the straps use hook and loop type adjustable fastening devices). The fabric is preferably a soft, comfortable material that can be worn comfortably for long periods of time. In a preferred embodiment, the fabric is of the type described in WO 2014 / 127291, in which van der Waals forces are generated between the soft silicone fabric surface and the wearer's skin to hold the fabric in place.

[0072] In other examples, glove 10 may be replaced with a simple strap or other means of securely attaching gyroscopic device 11 to a hand or other part of the user's body. The attachment of gyroscopic device 11 to the user's body part is sufficiently rigid to transfer tremors from the body part to gyroscopic device 11, and to transfer the gyroscopic force of gyroscopic device 11 to the user's body part.

[0073] The described example is a gyroscopic device 11 that can be attached to a user's hand 12, but it is understood that the tremor stabilization apparatus, and in particular the gyroscopic device 11, can be attached to any part of the user's body to stabilize the tremor of that body part or a nearby body part. For example, the gyroscopic device 11 can be attached to the user's forearm, upper arm, shoulder, thigh, calf, ankle, neck, torso, or head to stabilize the tremor in these body parts. As described above, a user can be provided with multiple gyroscopic devices 11 mounted to different body parts. Different gyroscopic devices 11 can act to stabilize the tremor in different body parts, or they can cooperate with each other to stabilize the tremor in a specific body part. For example, a user can mount a first gyroscopic device 11 to his upper arm, a second gyroscopic device 11 to his forearm, and a third gyroscopic device 11 to his hand, and all three gyroscopic devices 11 will act to stabilize the tremor of the user's arm and hand to provide a stable hand for performing tasks such as eating.

[0074] Figure 2 The gyroscopic device 11 of the shake stabilization device is shown. The gyroscopic device 11 has a device for attaching the gyroscopic device 11 to the user's body (in this example, Figure 1The gyroscopic device 11 includes a mounting member 15 for the glove 10 and hand 12 shown. The gyroscopic device 11 includes a cable 16 for providing power and / or control signals to the gyroscopic device 11 from another component. For example, a power pack including a power source (e.g., a battery) can be attached to the user's arm, or attached elsewhere on the user's body, such as on a belt. The power pack can include a controller for controlling the gyroscopic device 11 and connected by the cable 16, or the gyroscopic device 11 can include the controller.

[0075] In an example, the power pack can be recharged by connecting it to a mains power source, such as through a charging cable. In an example, the power pack has a single connector that can be connected to the cable 16 of the gyroscopic device 11 or the charging cable. In an example, the cable 16 of the gyroscopic device 11 has a magnetic component, and the connector of the power pack has a relative magnetic component, so that the magnetic component acts to magnetically attract the cable 16 of the gyroscopic device 11 to the connector. In an example, the power pack includes a sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor, which is configured to detect the magnetic component of the cable 16 of the gyroscopic device 11. In this way, the power pack can detect whether it is connected to the gyroscopic device 11 or to the charging cable (without a magnetic component). In an example, the connector on the charging cable connected to the power pack includes a shield that is configured to prevent the charging cable from connecting to the power pack when the power pack is worn. For example, the shield may include a protrusion that is arranged to surround the portion of the power pack that is placed against the user when the power pack is worn, and the power pack is therefore inaccessible. Thus, when the power pack is worn, the shield may prevent the charging cable from connecting to the power pack.

[0076] In some examples, gyroscope device 11 has an integrated power source, such as a battery, and in this example, cable 16 may not be needed.

[0077] like Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the gyroscope device 11 includes a housing (not shown) Figure 2 1 . The housing 17 of the rotatable flywheel assembly is shown in FIG. The housing 17 is generally cylindrical, having a circumferential face 19 and opposing end faces 20, 21. In the example shown, the end faces 20, 21 of the housing 17 are planar, but in other examples, one or both end faces 20, 21 may be curved, for example, curved to match the contour of an attachable body part of a user (e.g., the back of the hand 12).

[0078] like Figure 1 and 2As shown, the end face 21 of the housing 17 rests on the back of the user's hand 12. In the example shown, the gyroscopic device 11 includes a mounting member 15 in the form of a shaped plate 12, which can be secured to the user by means of a strap (omitted for clarity) passing through an aperture 18 formed in the mounting member 15. Figure 1 The back of the hand 12 and / or the glove 10 are shown. Optionally, the mounting member 15 may be mounted to the glove 10 by one or more fasteners, preferably quick release fasteners such as bayonet fittings or clips.

[0079] Figure 3A and 3B A cross-sectional view of an example gyroscope device 11 having a fixed precession axis 34 is shown. The gyroscope device 11 includes a housing 17 that is generally cylindrical and defines an interior cavity 22 in which a rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is housed. The rotatable flywheel assembly 23 includes a flywheel 24, a motor 25, and a gimbal 26. The motor 25 includes a stator 27 and a rotor 28 including a motor shaft 29. The flywheel 24 is mounted to the motor shaft 29. The flywheel 24 may be mounted to the motor shaft 29 by a press fit, a keyed shaft arrangement, or fasteners. The stator 27 of the motor 25 is attached to the gimbal 26, as shown in FIG. Figure 3B As shown, the gimbal 26 is pivotally mounted to the housing 17. The motor 25 is adapted to rotate the flywheel 24 about a flywheel axis of rotation 38.

[0080] As shown, the gimbal 26 includes a motor mounting portion 30, which is in the form of a planar member to which the motor 25 is attached. The motor mounting portion 30 is disposed between the motor 25 and the flywheel 24 and includes an opening 31 through which the motor shaft 29 passes. The gimbal 26 also includes a hinge member 32 that extends beyond the outer edge of the flywheel 24 and cooperates with a hinge support 33 formed in the housing 17 to provide an articulation between the gimbal 26 and the housing 17. In this way, the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, particularly the gimbal 26, the motor 25 and the flywheel 24, are hingedly mounted within the housing 17 for rotation about the precession axis 34. Figure 3B In FIG. 1 , the precession axis 34 extends through the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, while in Figure 3A The precession axis 34 is perpendicular to the image plane. The hinge support 33 and the hinge member 32 provide the precession axis 34 fixed relative to the housing 17.

[0081] Thus, the motor 25 is arranged to rotate the flywheel 24 within the housing 17, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the housing 17 is attached to the hand 12 of the user.

[0082] As mentioned above, electricity is passed through cables (16, see Figure 2) or from a battery within housing 17. In some examples, an electrical connection to motor 25 is provided by a flexible wire extending between a power terminal or a battery in housing 17 and motor 25. The flexible wire accommodates movement of motor 25 about precession axis 34. Preferably, the flexible wires are arranged so that they do not twist or fold during precession of rotatable flywheel assembly 23. The flexible wires may be routed from an opening in housing 17 to the motor (and other electronic components) through one or more bends. In other examples, a slip ring is provided between gimbal 26 and housing 17 to provide an electrical connection to motor 25. In other examples, an inductive coupling is provided to transfer power from a power terminal or a battery in housing 17 (optionally via gimbal 26) to motor 25.

[0083] When the user's hand 12 experiences a tremor, the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is angularly displaced about the precession axis 34. The gyroscopic effect of the rotating flywheel 24 generates a gyroscopic force that counteracts the tremor. The gyroscopic force is transferred to the user's hand 12 through the housing 17 and the mount 15. As further explained below, the biasing member 35 is arranged to control the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34.

[0084] like Figure 3A As shown, the gimbal 26 further includes a plate member 36 extending from the motor mounting portion 30 of the gimbal 26. The plate member 36 extends to a position where it is opposite to the inner surface 37 of the housing 17, and a space is defined between the plate member 36 and the inner surface 37 of the housing 17. A biasing member is arranged between each plate member 36 and the inner surface 37 of the housing 17, and the biasing member is a spring 35 in this example.

[0085] Figure 3A A cross section of the gyroscope device 11 is shown, the cross section being relative to Figure 3B 90 degrees to the cross section of the housing 17. In this example, the plate member 36 is angularly offset from the hinge member 32 about the flywheel rotation axis 38. Therefore, when the tremor causes the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to rotate about the precession axis 34, as described above, one of the plate members 36 acts to compress the associated spring 35. The force exerted by the spring 35 on the housing 17 acts to push the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 back to the equilibrium position (such as Figure 3A and 3B shown).

[0086] In some examples, the spring 35 is attached to the housing 17 and the plate member 36 of the gimbal 26 so that extension of the spring 35 also pushes the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 back to the equilibrium position (eg, Figure 3A and 3B shown).

[0087] Thus, the spring 35 is used to control the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34. The biasing force provided by the spring 35 advantageously increases the frequency of tremors that can be stabilized by returning the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to an equilibrium position faster than the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 would return on its own due to gyroscopic forces. Since hand tremors are typically small in amplitude and high in frequency (i.e., short, sharp tremors), the spring 35 advantageously allows the gyroscopic device 11 to counteract continuous tremors by limiting angular displacement about the precession axis 34 and by quickly returning the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to an equilibrium position.

[0088] Figure 4 An alternative gimbal 26 and spring 35 arrangement is shown in which the gimbal 26 is pivotally mounted to the housing 17 about a hinge 39 formed on one side of the housing 17. The hinge member 32 of the gimbal 26 extends beyond the flywheel 24 to the hinge 39. In this example, the hinge 39 defines a precession axis 34 that is fixed relative to the housing 17.

[0089] The plate member 36 of the gimbal 26 extends in a direction opposite to the hinge member 32 and engages the spring 35 in the same manner as described above. In this example, the spring 35 is attached to the inner surface 37 of the housing 17 and the plate member 36 so that the spring 35 opposes the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34 in either direction by compression or extension of the spring 35.

[0090] The housing 17 and gimbal 26 are configured to restrict rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34 . Figure 5A and 5B An enlarged view of the plate member 36 , the spring 35 , and the housing 17 is shown. Figure 5A The plate member 36 is shown in an equilibrium position. The plate member 36 includes an abutment 40 for retaining a first end of the spring 35, and the inner surface 37 of the housing 17 includes a similar abutment 41 for retaining the other end of the spring 35. As described above, the spring 35 can be attached to the plate member 36 and / or the housing 17, particularly at the abutments 40, 41.

[0091] In the example, the elastic damper 42 is disposed between the spring 35 and the plate member 36. The elastic damper 42 is used to dampen the force applied by the spring 35 to the plate member 36 and dampen the force applied by the plate member 36 to the spring 35. The elastic damper 42 can be, for example, a silicon or nylon insert. In some examples, the elastic damper 42 is optionally disposed in the support 41 between the housing 17 and the spring 35. In some examples, a first elastic damper is disposed between the spring 35 and the plate member 36, and a second elastic damper is disposed between the housing 17 and the spring 35.

[0092] exist Figure 6In the example of FIG. 1 , the biasing member includes a first magnet 98 attached to the gimbal 26, particularly at a position corresponding to the reference Figure 5A and 5B The support 40 described above and the biasing member comprises a second magnet 99 which is attached to the housing 17, in particular to the housing 17 at the position indicated in the figure. Figure 5A and 5B The magnets 98, 99 are arranged to repel each other, thereby providing a biasing force against the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23.

[0093] like Figure 5B and Figure 6 As shown, the wall 43 of the plate member 36 can act as a hard stop to resist the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23. In this example, at the maximum precession angle, the wall 43 contacts the housing 17 and prevents further rotation. In an alternative example, the housing 17 can also include a wall that acts as a hard stop in addition to or in place of the wall 43 shown.

[0094] Thus, the gimbal 26 and housing 17 are configured to limit rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34. In an example, the maximum precession angle is preferably less than about 30 degrees, more preferably less than about 20 degrees, and more preferably about 10 degrees, and most preferably about 5 degrees. Advantageously, limiting the precession angle means that the precession of the rotatable gyroscope assembly 23 does not exceed the precession required to generate the restoring force for the tremor, limits the amount of angular momentum generated to prevent the gyroscopic forces from becoming excessive, and ensures that the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 returns to an equilibrium position in a short amount of time so that any subsequent tremor can be offset (i.e., ensures that the gyroscope device 11 is responsive to continued tremors). In addition, limiting the precession angle provides a more compact gyroscope device 11 because the housing 17 does not need to accommodate further rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34.

[0095] exist Figure 7 In the exemplary gyroscope device 11 of , the gimbal 26 is mounted to the housing 17 via a ball and socket hinge 82 that defines the precession axis 34. The motor 25 and flywheel 24 are mounted to the gimbal 26, and as shown, the gimbal 26 includes a ball 83, and the housing 17 includes a socket 84 that receives the ball 83 and allows the ball 83 and the gimbal 26 to rotate. Preferably, the socket 84 is shaped so that the ball 83 and the gimbal 26 can only rotate in one plane (the plane of the page as shown), or additional guides are provided to limit the rotation of the ball 83 and the gimbal 26 to a single plane. This provides a hinge 82 with a fixed precession axis 34. With Figures 3A to 6As in the example of FIG. 1 , one or more biasing members 35 are provided for opposing rotation of the gimbal 26 about the precession axis 34. Advantageously, the ball and socket hinge 82 is arranged in line with the rotation axis 38 of the flywheel 24, and thus the radial dimension of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is less than Figures 3A to 6 Examples in .

[0096] Figure 7 The one or more biasing members 35 of the example may be provided in a Figures 5A to 6 The support shown has a stop and an elastic damper.

[0097] As described above, the precession axis 34 of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is defined by the hinge formed between the gimbal 26 and the housing 17. The orientation of the precession axis 34 is fixed relative to the housing 17, and as previously explained, the housing 17 is fixed relative to the user's hand 12 during use. Figure 8 The gyroscopic device 11 is shown positioned on the back of a user's hand 12. Axis 44 is an imaginary longitudinal axis of the hand 12 that extends through the center of the gyroscopic device 11 from the user's arm parallel to the usual position of the user's fingers 13. As shown, the precession axis 34 of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 of the gyroscopic device 11 defines a non-parallel, non-perpendicular angle with the hand axis 44.

[0098] As described below, the angular offset between the precession axis 34 and the hand axis 44 allows tremors in the user's hand 12 to cause displacement of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34 and also allows the gyroscopic forces generated by the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to counteract the tremors.

[0099] In particular, the tremor of the user's hand 12 will include tremors about the hand axis 44, a transverse hand axis 46 that is perpendicular to the hand axis 44 and in the plane of the hand 12, and a tremor that is perpendicular to both the hand axis 44 and the transverse hand axis 46 (i.e., perpendicular to the hand axis 44 and the transverse hand axis 46). Figure 7 Some combination of rotations about a third axis (not shown) about the image plane in the image plane. Typically, the largest and most disruptive components of hand tremor are rotations about the hand axis 44 and the lateral hand axis 46. Figure 7 The arrangement of the precession axis 34 shown provides stabilization against vibrations about the hand axis 44 and the transverse hand axis 46, since rotation about either of these two axes will cause precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23. Any angular offset between the third axis (not shown) and the flywheel rotation axis will also cause precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 and will therefore be stabilized by the gyroscopic device 11.

[0100] In a preferred embodiment, the angular offset between the precession axis 34 and the hand axis 44 is between 5 and 85 degrees, preferably between 5 and 45 degrees, and more preferably between 10 and 20 degrees. The preferred angular offset between the precession axis 34 and the hand axis 44 provides greater stability to vibrations about the hand axis 44 than vibrations about the lateral hand axis 46, since vibrations about the hand axis 44 are generally the most disruptive to the task being performed.

[0101] Specifically, the gyroscopic effect created by the angular momentum of the flywheel 24 acts at 90 degrees relative to the precession axis 34. Figure 8 In the arrangement shown, the gyroscopic device 11 is oriented to primarily stabilize vibrations of the hand 12 in the form of rotations about the hand axis 44. Vibrations including rotations about the hand axis 44 will displace the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34, thereby producing a rotation about the hand axis 44. Figure 8 The stabilizing force is shown to act about an axis 45 that is 90 degrees to the precession axis 34. Due to the angular arrangement of the precession axis 34 relative to the hand axis 44, most of the stabilizing force counteracts hand tremors about the hand axis 44. In addition, due to the angular arrangement of the precession axis 34 relative to the hand axis 44, a portion of the stabilizing force also stabilizes hand 12 tremors about an axis 46 that is perpendicular to the hand axis 44. Thus, advantageously, the position of the precession axis 34 within the gyroscope device 11 can be fixed while still providing stabilization against different tremors.

[0102] The angular arrangement of the precession axis 34 relative to the hand axis 44 can be tailored to the tremor profile of a particular user. In the applicant's earlier application WO2016 / 102958A1, the rotatable flywheel assembly was mounted to a turntable within a housing so that the angular offset varied according to the tremor. However, the inventors have discovered that the angular position of the precession axis relative to the user's hand 12 can be fixed, which advantageously provides effective tremor stabilization while maintaining a small, low profile and light gyroscopic device 11 with fewer moving parts. In addition, as described above, a fixed precession axis improves the transfer of gyroscopic forces from the gyroscopic device 11 to the user's hand 12 because there are fewer moving parts between the flywheel 24 and the mounting 15, thereby reducing any damping that may be provided by these moving parts (e.g., due to flexure, play in the bearings, etc.).

[0103] In some examples, the position of precession axis 34 relative to the user's hand 12 may be set based on the user's tremor profile. For example, a user who experiences hand tremor primarily about hand axis 44 may be provided with gyroscopic device 11 having precession axis 34 aligned with hand axis 44, thereby providing stabilizing force only about hand axis 44. However, most users will experience a tremor profile that is best addressed by an angular offset between hand axis 44 and precession axis 34 of between 5 and 85 degrees, such as Figure 8 In particular, an angular offset between 5 and 45 degrees or between 20 and 30 degrees will provide effective tremor stabilization for the tremor curves of most users.

[0104] In some examples, gyroscope device 11 is configured so that precession axis 34 is parallel to transverse hand axis 46 or hand axis 44. As described above, a user's hand tremor includes motions in different directions, and thus rotatable flywheel assembly 23 may be angularly displaced (i.e., precessed) in any orientation of precession axis 34 on hand 12. In addition, if gyroscope device 11 is used on other body parts, precession axis 34 may be arranged in different orientations depending on the tremor of that body part.

[0105] In addition, the one or more springs 35 used to control the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 and return the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to the equilibrium position can be selected based on the user's tremor profile. In particular, users with higher amplitude, lower frequency tremors are best addressed by springs 35 having lower spring rates than users with lower amplitude, higher frequency tremors. Thus, the springs 35 can be selected to provide a customized gyroscope device 11.

[0106] exist Fig.9A and 9B In the example of FIG. 1 , housing 17 includes a turntable assembly 85 for mounting gimbal 26. In this example, precession axis 34 can be rotated within housing 17 so that the orientation of precession axis 34 relative to the user's body part can be changed after gyroscopic device 11 has been attached to the user's body part. In this example, as shown in the figure, housing 17 includes a turntable assembly 85 having a turntable 86, and gimbal 26 is arranged in a similar manner to Figure 3A and 3BThe rotatable flywheel assembly 23 (i.e., the gimbal 26, the motor 25, and the flywheel 24) is pivotally mounted to the turret 86. In particular, the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 (i.e., the gimbal 26, the motor 25, and the flywheel 24) is hingedly mounted to the turret so that the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 can rotate about a precession axis 34 defined between the turret 86 and the gimbal 26. A biasing member, such as a spring 35, is arranged to act between the turret 86 and the gimbal 26. In this way, the biasing member 35 acts between the gimbal 26 and the housing 17 via the turret assembly 85. The turret 86 is mounted to the housing 17 by a pivot 87, which defines an axis 88 for rotation of the turret 86 and the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 of the gimbal 26, the motor 25, and the flywheel 24 together with the turret 86.

[0107] In some examples, a motor 89 may be provided to control the rotation of the turntable 86 and the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, or the turntable 86 and the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 may be freely rotated about the pivot 87 within the housing 17 so that the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 may orient itself based on the user's tremor.

[0108] In a preferred example, the biasing member 35 acting between the gimbal 26 and the housing 17 or the turntable 86 of the gyroscopic device 11 comprises an adjustable force biasing member. As described above, the adjustable force biasing member can be provided Figure 3A To any of the example gyroscope devices 11 of FIG. 9 .

[0109] For example, the adjustable force biasing member may include an adjustable spring, such as a compression spring, having a threaded shaft extending through the middle of the compression spring and a threaded adjustment nut mounted on the threaded shaft, such that rotation of the threaded shaft and / or the threaded adjustment nut compresses or extends the compression spring, thereby varying the biasing force provided by the compression spring. An actuator may be provided to rotate the threaded shaft and / or the adjustment nut.

[0110] In another example, the adjustable force biasing member may include an adjustable force gas spring, wherein the gas pressure within the adjustable force gas spring may be varied to control the biasing force provided by the adjustable force gas spring. An actuator may be provided to reduce or increase the gas pressure in the adjustable force gas spring. The actuator may include a release valve for reducing pressure and / or a compressor for increasing pressure.

[0111] In another example, the adjustable force biasing member may include an electromagnet arrangement where the electromagnet is provided in the housing 17 or the turntable 86 and an opposing permanent magnet is provided on a gimbal (or the electromagnet is provided on a gimbal and an opposing permanent magnet is provided in the housing 17 or the turntable 86). In such an arrangement, controlling the electrical power provided to the electromagnet controls the biasing force provided by the adjustable force biasing member. An actuator may be provided to control the electromagnet.

[0112] In some examples, the bias force of the adjustable force biasing member can be set to configure the gyroscopic device 11 for a specific user. Specifically, as described above, the bias force can be set to control the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 in a manner customized to the user's requirements. For example, the bias force and / or maximum precession angle can be set based on the user's tremor amplitude and frequency. Users with lower amplitude, higher frequency tremors will be provided with a higher bias force and a smaller maximum precession angle, while users with higher amplitude, lower frequency tremors will be provided with a lower bias force and a higher maximum precession angle.

[0113] In other examples, the gyroscopic device 11 may be configured to adjust the biasing force of the adjustable force biasing member during operation, i.e. dynamically. This allows the biasing force to be varied depending on the user's current tremor. Furthermore, advantageously, this arrangement means that a single device can be configured for different users according to their specific tremor.

[0114] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a gyroscopic device 11 having a dynamic control system for dynamically controlling an adjustable force biasing member based on detected tremors. The example shown is based on Figure 3A and 3B , but it is to be understood that it can also be applied to Figure 4 , Figure 7 as well as Fig.9A and 9B .

[0115] Fig.10 The gyroscope device 11 is shown with a housing 17 and a rotatable flywheel assembly 23. The rotatable flywheel assembly 23 includes a flywheel 24, a motor 25, and a gimbal 26. The gimbal 26 is rotatable with respect to the housing 17 and the gyroscope device 11. Figure 3A and 3B The same manner as described is rotatably mounted to the housing 17. In this example, adjustable force biasing members 47 are provided between the housing 17 and the plate member 36 of the gimbal 26. Each adjustable force biasing member 47 has an actuator 48 for varying the biasing force provided by the adjustable force biasing member 47.

[0116] Fig.10 The gyroscopic device 11 also comprises a sensor 49 arranged to detect movement of a user's hand to which the gyroscopic device 11 is attached, such as a tremor. In the example shown, the sensor 49 is attached to the housing 17. However, the sensor 49 may be located elsewhere in the gyroscopic device 11, or may be located outside the housing 17, such as directly on the hand or arm of the user. The sensor 49 is preferably an accelerometer arranged to detect movement of the hand, such as a tremor. Preferably, the sensor 49 detects rotation of the hand (tremor) about at least two axes, in particular Figure 8The hand axis 44 and the lateral hand axis 46 are shown in FIG. The sensor 49 detects one or more characteristics of the movement of the hand 12, such as one or more tremor characteristics. For example, the accelerometer can detect any one or more of the amplitude, frequency and / or acceleration of a tremor such as a hand tremor.

[0117] like Fig.10 As shown, the gyroscopic device 11 further comprises a controller 50 arranged to receive signals from the sensor 49. The controller 50 is configured to control the actuator 48 of the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on the detected tremor.

[0118] like Fig.11 As shown, in the method of controlling the gyroscopic device 11, the controller 50 is configured to receive a sensor signal 51 from the sensor 49. This may include receiving motion characteristic data (e.g., tremor amplitude, frequency, acceleration) about the detected motion of a part of the user's body, or this may include receiving an unprocessed signal and determining the characteristics of the motion (e.g., tremor amplitude, frequency, acceleration).

[0119] The controller is also configured to determine a target bias force 52 for the adjustable force biasing member 47. The target bias force is based on the motion signature. The controller 50 is also configured to control the actuator 48 of the adjustable force biasing member 47 to provide a target bias force 53. The target bias force may be based on the detected motion signature. The controller 50 may include a memory that stores a table of target bias forces based on the detected motion signature. The controller 50 may retrieve the target bias force from the memory based on the detected motion signature and control the adjustable force biasing member 47 to provide the target bias force.

[0120] In an alternative example, the controller 50 controls the actuator 48 of the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on a proportional relationship between the detected motion characteristics and the configuration of the actuator. The proportional relationship can be defined in the controller. Therefore, when controlling the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on the detected motion characteristics, the controller 50 does not need to determine or retrieve the actual target bias force value.

[0121] In this way, the gyroscopic device 11 can be mounted to any user and it will configure the operation of the adjustable force biasing member according to the user's movements (e.g., the user's tremors). In addition, when the user's tremors vary in amplitude and frequency (which is common in people affected by Parkinson's disease and essential tremor), such a gyroscopic device 11 can effectively counteract these tremors.

[0122] Additionally or alternatively, the gyroscopic device 11 may include a sensor (not shown) arranged to detect the rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34. Such a sensor may detect the precession angle relative to the equilibrium position where the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is located when the user's hand is not moving. For example, the sensor may include a rotational position sensor. In other examples, the sensor is arranged to detect the power drawn by the motor 25, in particular the current drawn by the motor 25. When the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 rotates about the precession axis 34, it has been found that the gyroscopic forces applied to the motor shaft cause higher power to be drawn to rotate the flywheel 24. Therefore, the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 may be detected by sensing the power drawn by the motor 25. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor may be arranged to detect the rotational speed of the flywheel 24. In particular, the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 will be reduced due to the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, due to the gyroscopic forces acting on the motor 25, which increases the friction in the motor. The sensor may be arranged to detect the actual rotational speed of the flywheel 24 and determine a rotational speed error compared to the speed at which (according to the controller) the motor 25 should be rotating. This rotational speed error will be proportional to the precession angle of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 and can therefore be used to detect the precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23.

[0123] In this example, the controller 50 can receive a signal from the sensor and control the actuator 48 to adjust the bias force of the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on the detected precession angle. For example, if the sensor detects a higher precession angle, the controller 50 can increase the bias force provided by the adjustable force biasing member 47. In this way, the bias force provided by the adjustable force biasing member 47 can be controlled based on the amount of precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, which is at least partially determined by the acceleration and amplitude of any hand movement (particularly tremors). Therefore, detecting the precession angle allows the bias force provided by the adjustable force biasing member 47 to be adapted to the user's movement. In addition, the adjustable force biasing member 47 can be controlled to prevent the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 from grounding out, i.e., contacting the reference Figure 5A and 5B The stopper 43 described above could damage the flywheel 24 and / or the motor 25 .

[0124] This method is also Fig.11 , where the controller 50 is configured to receive a sensor signal 51 from the sensor 49 indicative of the angle of rotation about the precession axis 34 .

[0125] The controller is also configured to determine a target bias force 52 of the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on the detected precession angle. The controller 50 is also configured to control the actuator 48 of the adjustable force biasing member 47 to provide a target bias force 53. The controller 50 may include a memory that stores a table of target bias forces according to the detected precession angle. The controller 50 may retrieve the target bias force from the memory based on the detected precession angle and control the adjustable force biasing member 47 to provide the target bias force.

[0126] In an alternative example, the controller 50 controls the actuator 48 of the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on a proportional relationship between the detected precession angle and the configuration of the actuator. The proportional relationship can be defined in the controller. Therefore, when controlling the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on the detected precession angle, the controller 50 does not need to determine or retrieve the actual target bias force value.

[0127] As previously described, the force generated by the gyro device 11 for stabilizing the user's tremor is primarily based on the angular momentum generated by the rotating flywheel 24, and on the displacement torque applied to the flywheel 24 by the user's tremor (i.e., precession). Therefore, even if the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 is stable, the gyro device 11 will generate a higher counteracting gyroscopic force in response to a stronger tremor (and vice versa).

[0128] Although the magnitude of the gyroscopic force generated by the flywheel 24 is inherently dependent on the severity of the tremor (i.e., the displacement torque applied to the flywheel 24 about the precession axis 34), as described below, the gyroscopic device 11 may additionally or alternatively be configured to control the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 to control the angular momentum generated by the gyroscopic device 11. In this way, the range of forces provided by the gyroscopic device 11 may be tailored for a particular user having particular movement characteristics (e.g., tremor characteristics).

[0129] Angular momentum is a function of the inertia and rotational speed of the flywheel 24. Inertia is a function of the mass and diameter of the flywheel 24, including how the mass is distributed over the radius of the flywheel 24.

[0130] The gyroscopic device 11 for use on a body part (e.g., hand) of a user preferably has a configuration that does not inhibit the autonomous movement of the body part and allows the user to comfortably wear the gyroscopic device 11 (e.g., Figure 1 dimensions and weights as shown).

[0131] In particular, for use on a user's hand, the gyroscopic device 11 preferably has a maximum weight of about 1 kg and a maximum dimension across the gyroscopic device 11 of about 80 mm. In the example shown, the housing 17 of the gyroscopic device 11 is cylindrical to accommodate the cylindrical flywheel 24. Therefore, in the example, the maximum diameter of the housing 17 is preferably about 80 mm. Preferably, for use on a user's hand, the maximum weight of the gyroscopic device 11 is about 0.5 kg, and the maximum diameter of the gyroscopic device 11 is about 60 mm. Figure 1 As shown, such a gyroscopic device 11 is comfortable for a user to wear on their hand 12 .

[0132] For use on other body parts, it is understood that the gyroscopic device 11 can be larger and heavier. For example, for use on a user's arm or leg, the maximum weight of the gyroscopic device 11 can be about 2 kg, more preferably about 1 kg, and the maximum diameter can be about 180 mm, more preferably about 100 mm to 150 mm. Stronger, heavier limbs, such as arms and legs, will require higher gyroscopic forces to stabilize stronger tremors, and therefore the flywheel 24 for these body parts is preferably heavier, such as up to 1 kg, and larger, such as up to about 160 mm.

[0133] Within the size and weight constraints noted above, a gyroscopic device 11 designed to be worn by a user can be customized for a particular user by selecting a flywheel 24 that provides an appropriate amount of force at a given rotational speed to stabilize the tremor in the body part to which the gyroscopic device 11 is attached. The force generated by the gyroscopic device 11 is preferably a balance between providing enough force to stabilize the tremor while still allowing for autonomous movement of the body part, and providing a gyroscopic device 11 that is comfortable for the user to wear.

[0134] The inventors have found that for a gyroscopic device 11 intended for use on a user's hand, certain ranges of angular momentum are particularly effective in hand tremor stabilization. In particular, Fig.13 As shown in the test results shown in , the inventors have shown that at about 0.05kgm 2 / s to 0.30kgm 2 / s, especially in the range of about 0.08kgm 2 / s to 0.2kgm 2 Angular momentum in the range of 100 Å / s provides effective hand tremor stabilization for a wide range of users while still allowing the user to make autonomous hand movements to perform tasks.

[0135] In particular, tests have shown that for most users, 0.05 kg / m 2 / s to 0.30kgm 2Angular momentum within the range of 100 Å / s provides the most effective hand tremor stabilization without suppressing voluntary hand movement. Angular momentum below this range has been found to be ineffective for stabilizing hand tremors, while angular momentum above this range causes suppression of voluntary hand movement, generates gyroscopic forces that are too great, causing additional tremor to be transmitted to the user, and / or makes the gyroscopic device 11 too heavy and large to be worn on the user's hand.

[0136] The tests described below were performed on 46 subjects. Fourteen of these subjects had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and 32 subjects had been diagnosed with essential tremor. For each subject, all tests were performed on the same hand, usually but not exclusively the subject's dominant hand. All subjects were 18 years of age or older.

[0137] The subjects were provided with five different gyroscopic devices that were worn on the user's hand. The following table details the specifications of the flywheel for each of the different gyroscopic devices.

[0138] Table 1 - Flywheel test specifications

[0139] Flywheel #1 Flywheel #2 Flywheel #3 Flywheel #4 Flywheel #5 Flywheel mass (kg) 0.0047 0.195 0.152 0.195 0.152 Flywheel diameter(mm) 14 52 51 52 51 <![CDATA[Flywheel inertia (kgm 2 )]]> 1.0E-6 6.7E-5 5.9E-5 6.7E-5 5.9E-5 Speed ​​(RPM) 14000 12000 14000 24000 28000 <![CDATA[Angular momentum (kg.m 2 / s)]]> 0.002 0.084 0.086 0.168 0.173

[0140] During the test, each subject had an inertial measurement unit attached to their hand. The inertial measurement unit was a Bosch BNO055 9-axis absolute orientation sensor. The inertial measurement unit was arranged to measure the Euler angles of the hand around three axes (x, y, z), the rotational speed of the hand around three axes (x, y, z), and the linear acceleration of the hand in the directions of the three axes (x, y, z).

[0141] During testing, using data output from the inertial measurement unit, the average rotational hand tremor amplitude was determined by combining the Euler angle data about all three axes into a vector sum and then calculating the average rotational hand tremor amplitude.

[0142] The subjects were asked to perform the following two activities:

[0143] 1. Capacity Test - Subjects were asked to hold a (filled) 100ml beaker of water over a basin, without support from their arms, sitting for 60 seconds. This activity was repeated 5 times for each test.

[0144] 2. Eating test - the subjects were asked to transfer a spoonful of soybeans from the first bowl (75% full) to the second bowl (initially empty), which was located one bowl diameter away from the first bowl. This activity was repeated 5 times for each test.

[0145] For each gyroscopic device, each subject was first asked to complete the activity with the gyroscopic device turned off (i.e., no flywheel spinning). A baseline mean rotational hand tremor amplitude was determined for each gyroscopic device. Subsequently, for each gyroscopic device, each subject was asked to complete the activity described in detail above with the gyroscopic device activated (i.e., flywheel spinning), and the mean rotational hand tremor amplitude was measured.

[0146] Fig.13 The average reduction in rotational hand tremor amplitude (in degrees) is shown for each of the five gyroscope devices detailed above. Specifically, Fig.13 The mean difference in hand tremor amplitude between the baseline mean rotational hand tremor amplitude and the mean hand tremor amplitude during the activity in which the gyroscopic device was activated is shown for each gyroscopic device. The mean values ​​were taken across all tests performed, i.e., across all subjects tested and all volumetric and eating activities.

[0147] like Fig.13 The test results show that the angular momentum is 0.002kgm 2 / s of flywheel #1 resulted in an increase in the mean tremor amplitude (degrees). This increase can be attributed to the fact that the test subjects had a weight attached to their hands, which made it more difficult for them to stabilize their hands, while the flywheel provided little gyroscopic force and therefore only provided minimal tremor stabilization. It was found that at least about 0.05 kg / m was required. 2 / s angular momentum to demonstrate the reduction in the average tremor amplitude.

[0148] Flywheels #2, #3, and #4 demonstrated effective vibration stabilization, while the vibration amplitude reduction of flywheel #5 was less than that of flywheels #2, #3, and #4. 2 Angular momentum of less than about 0.30 kg / s resulted in poor tremor reduction, since the strength of the gyroscopic forces was significantly too great for the test subjects to control, resulting in additional tremor caused by the gyroscopic device 11. In addition, it was found that angular momentum greater than about 0.30 kg / s resulted in poor tremor reduction, since the strength of the gyroscopic forces was significantly too great for the test subjects to control, resulting in additional tremor caused by the gyroscopic device 11. 2 / s of angular momentum tends to inhibit the voluntary movements of the tested subjects, meaning that the tested subjects have to work harder to perform the task, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of tremor stabilization.

[0149] Thus, the test results demonstrate the effectiveness of the gyroscopic device in stabilizing a user's hand tremor, and also demonstrate that angular momentum can be set or controlled to provide effective tremor stabilization.

[0150] In particular, the test results show that the preferred momentum range for stabilizing hand tremor is about 0.05 kg / m 2 / s and about 0.30kgm 2 / s, especially around 0.08kgm 2 / s and 0.20kgm 2 This range has been shown to provide effective hand tremor stabilization while still allowing subjects to make voluntary hand movements to perform tasks.

[0151] In particular, the inventors have found that a material having a mass of about 0.150 kg, a diameter of about 50 mm, and an inertia of about 6×10 -5 kgm 2 The flywheel gyroscope device 11 can operate at a speed between 8000RPM and 50000RPM to provide about 0.05kgm 2 / s to 0.30kgm 2 angular momentum in the range of about 0.05 kg / s, which can provide tremor stabilization for widespread tremors in the user's hands. Such a gyroscopic device 11 will also effectively stabilize tremors in other body parts that experience similar tremors, such as tremors in the user's forearms. Thus, a gyroscopic device 11 having such a flywheel can be used for a variety of users, and the speed of the flywheel can be configured for each user to provide a tremor stabilization in the range of about 0.05 kg / s. 2 / s to about 0.30kgm 2 Appropriate angular momentum in the range of / s.

[0152] For other parts of the body, such as the arms, legs, neck, back, and head, the inventors found that greater angular momentum is required due to the higher muscle strength in these areas (resulting in stronger tremors) and the greater mass of the body part experiencing the tremor.

[0153] In some examples, Fig.10 The controller 50 shown in is additionally or alternatively configured to control the rotational speed of the motor 25 and the flywheel 24. Thus, the controller 50 can be configured to control the angular momentum of the flywheel 24 and the gyroscopic force provided to stabilize the tremor. In these examples, the controller 50 can be configurable when the gyroscopic device 11 is set up for the user to provide the appropriate angular momentum, and / or the controller 50 can be configured to dynamically control the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 based on one or more tremor characteristics detected by the sensor 49. Control of the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 can be provided in the gyroscopic device 11, which includes a passive biasing member, such as a reference Figure 3A To Figure 5, Figure 7 or Fig.9A and 9B The spring 35 described, or as previously referred to Fig.10 An adjustable force biasing member is described.

[0154] For example, Fig.12As shown in the method of controlling the gyroscopic device 11 shown in FIG. 1 , the controller 50 may be configured to receive a sensor signal 54 from the sensor 49. The sensor 49 may be arranged to detect characteristics of the motion of the user's hand, such as a tremor characteristic or a precession angle, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 and 11 described.

[0155] The controller is also configured to determine a target angular momentum and / or a target rotational speed 55 for the flywheel 24. The target angular momentum and / or the target rotational speed are based on sensor signals, such as motion characteristics and / or precession angle. The controller 50 is also configured to control the motor 25 to provide the angular momentum and / or the target rotational speed 56.

[0156] The target angular momentum and / or target speed may be based on the detected motion characteristics and / or precession angle. The controller 50 may include a memory that stores a table of target angular momentum and / or target speed according to the detected motion characteristics and / or precession angle. The controller 50 may retrieve the target angular momentum and / or target speed from the memory based on the detected motion characteristics and / or precession angle, and control the motor 25 to provide the angular momentum and / or target speed. In some examples, the memory stores the flywheel speed corresponding to one or more motion characteristics and / or precession angles, and the controller 50 retrieves the target flywheel speed based on the detected motion characteristics and / or precession angles. In other examples, the memory stores the target angular momentum corresponding to one or more motion characteristics and / or precession angles, and the controller 50 retrieves the target angular momentum based on the detected motion characteristics and / or precession angles, and then determines the target speed of the flywheel 24 corresponding to the target angular momentum. In this way, the same storage item (i.e., the target angular momentum) can be used for different flywheels 24, i.e., flywheels 24 with different masses and / or radial mass distributions (moment of inertia).

[0157] In an optional example, the controller 50 controls the motor 25 based on a proportional relationship between the detected motion characteristics and the power and / or speed of the motor 25. The proportional relationship can be defined in the controller. Therefore, the controller 50 does not need to determine or retrieve the actual target angular momentum value or speed value when controlling the motor 25 based on the detected motion characteristics.

[0158] In this way, the gyroscopic device 11 can be mounted to any user, and it will adjust the motor 25 to provide the appropriate angular momentum for the user's motion, particularly the user's tremor. In addition, when the user's tremor varies in amplitude and frequency (which is common in people affected by Parkinson's disease and essential tremor), such a gyroscopic device 11 can effectively counteract the user's motion, particularly the tremor. In addition, by dynamically controlling the rotation speed of the flywheel 24, the gyroscopic device 11 can save energy and extend the operating life of the gyroscopic device 11 by turning off the motor 25 when the user is not experiencing tremor.

[0159] In a preferred example, the controller 50 is configured to control one or more adjustable force biasing members 47 to provide a target biasing force with respect to precession, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 As described above, the controller is further configured to control the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 to provide a target angular momentum and / or a flywheel rotational speed, as shown in reference Fig.12 In this example, the gyroscopic device 11 is dynamically operated to control the flywheel angular momentum and precession force based on the motion characteristics and / or precession angle detected by the sensor 49 or sensors.

[0160] FIG. 14A to FIG. 15 An example of a flywheel 24 for use in the gyroscopic device 11 is shown. Fig.14A A separate flywheel 24 is shown, and Fig. 14B A cross section of a rotatable flywheel assembly 23 including a flywheel 24 is shown. The flywheel is generally cylindrical about the flywheel rotation axis 38. As shown, the flywheel 24 includes a central disk portion 57 including a hole 58 for attachment to the motor shaft 29. The central disk portion 57 is generally planar and relatively thin. The flywheel 24 also includes a circumferential skirt 59 extending from the circumferential edge of the central disk portion 57 in the axial direction of the flywheel rotation axis 38.

[0161] The flywheel 24 includes a curve that provides a mass distribution that is concentrated at the outer peripheral edge, ie, the circumferential skirt, of the flywheel 24. That is, the circumferential skirt 59 includes a majority of the total mass of the flywheel 24.

[0162] In a preferred example, the circumferential skirt 59 comprises at least 50% of the total mass of the flywheel 24, preferably at least 60% of the total mass of the flywheel 24, and more preferably at least 75% of the total mass of the flywheel 24. As shown, the configuration of the circumferential skirt 59 concentrates mass at the circumferential edge of the flywheel 24, which provides the flywheel 24 with a higher angular momentum that can generate the desired angular momentum while limiting the total mass of the flywheel 24.

[0163] Since the mass and diameter of the flywheel 24 determine the inertia and angular momentum of the flywheel 24, and also determine the outer dimensions of the gyroscopic device 11, it is beneficial that the mass and diameter of the flywheel 24 are suitable for attaching the gyroscopic device 11 to a part of the user's body, such as the user's hand. Therefore, for a gyroscopic device 11 for use on a user's hand, the mass of the flywheel 24 is preferably between about 0.05 kg and about 0.5 kg, more preferably between about 0.1 kg and 0.2 kg. Preferably, the diameter of the flywheel 24 is less than about 150 mm, preferably less than about 100 mm, preferably less than about 80 mm, preferably about 50 mm.

[0164] For a gyroscopic device 11 for use on a different body part, such as an arm or leg, the required angular momentum is greater, and the user may support a heavier gyroscopic device 11. In such an application, the mass of the flywheel may be up to about 2 kg, more preferably up to about 1 kg, more preferably less than about 0.5 kg, or between 0.2 kg and 0.5 kg. Similarly, a gyroscopic device 11 for an arm or leg may be larger, and thus the diameter of the flywheel 24 may be up to about 200 mm, more preferably about 150 mm.

[0165] Within these mass and diameter limits, the inventors have discovered that a flywheel in which at least 75% of its mass is in the circumferential skirt 59 can provide the desired range of angular momentum at rotational speeds varying between about 5,000 RPM and 70,000 RPM, more preferably between about 10,000 RPM and 30,000 RPM, and more preferably between about 15,000 RPM and 30,000 RPM.

[0166] In addition, the circumferential skirt 59 of the flywheel 24 provides a recessed cavity 60 on one side of the flywheel 24. Fig. 14B As shown, in a preferred example, the gimbal 26 and motor 25 are at least partially nested in a recessed cavity 60 of the flywheel 24. This advantageously provides a rotatable flywheel assembly 23 with a low profile and helps to keep the center of mass of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 and the gyroscopic device 11 closer to the surface of the user's body part during use. This advantageously reduces any effects of the weight of the gyroscopic device 11, such as the torque generated by the weight of the gyroscopic device 11 when the hand is rotated.

[0167] like Fig. 14B As shown, the gimbal 26 is dish-shaped with the motor mounting portion 30 disposed in a recessed cavity 60 between the flywheel 24 and the motor 25. This provides a mounting location for the motor 25 nested in the recessed cavity 60. The motor 25 is a low-profile motor 25 as described below that is configured to fit substantially within the recessed cavity 60 of the flywheel 24. In this manner, the housing 17 can be closely matched to the size of the flywheel 24, which minimizes the overall size of the gyroscope device 11.

[0168] exist Fig.16 In the example of FIG. 1 , the flywheel 24 has a lower profile and has a FIG. 14A to FIG. 15 The flywheel has a more uniform radial mass distribution, and a lower proportion of the mass is located in the circumferential skirt. All other factors being equal, Fig.16The flywheel has a lower inertia and will generate less angular momentum, and therefore lower gyroscopic forces for a given rotational speed. Such a flywheel can be used for users with weak tremors, or for situations where the total weight of the gyroscopic device should be minimized, such as children or the elderly. The flywheel 24 of this example can be rotated at a higher speed to achieve the same angular momentum as other flywheels at a lower total weight. Since angular momentum is the primary driver of the magnitude of gyroscopic forces, such a lightweight device can be used to stabilize tremors while maintaining a low weight gyroscopic device 11.

[0169] In addition, if Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 4 , Figure 7 , Fig.10 As shown, in a preferred arrangement, the flywheel 24 is disposed near the side 21 of the housing 17, which is disposed against or closest to the user's body part during use. In this arrangement, the gimbal 26 and the motor 25 are disposed on the side of the flywheel 24 opposite to the user's body part. Such an arrangement is beneficial because the flywheel 24 is the heaviest part of the gyroscopic device 11, and therefore arranging the flywheel 24 closer to the user's body part limits the torque generated by the weight of the gyroscopic device 11 on the user's body part, making the gyroscopic device 11 more comfortable to wear. In addition, the gyroscopic force of the gyroscopic device 11 is more effective when it is closer to the axis of motion of the tremor, that is, closer to the body part. Therefore, such an arrangement provides a gyroscopic device 11 that is more comfortable for the user to wear and is also more effective in stabilizing the tremor.

[0170] In some examples, such as Fig.15 As shown, the face 60 of the flywheel 24 opposite the cavity 60 is angled to accommodate rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34. In particular, the angle of the face 60 can match the maximum rotation angle about the precession axis 34. This allows the flywheel 24 to be positioned closer to the side 21 of the housing 17, thereby providing a lower profile gyroscope device 11, and the center of mass of the gyroscope device 11 is closer to the user's body.

[0171] exist Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 4 , Figure 7 , Fig.10 , Fig.14A , Fig. 14B In the other examples shown, the face 60 of the flywheel 24 opposite the cavity 60 is planar, i.e. flat, or as shown in FIG. Fig.15 As described below, such a flywheel 24 is conducive to manufacturing the balancing flywheel 24, that is, machining the balancing flywheel 24.

[0172] In a preferred example, the motor 25 is an electric motor, such as a brushless DC motor. A brushless DC motor is preferred over a brushed motor because it will generate less dust and other matter that could impede the operation of the gyroscopic device 11, for example by accumulating in bearings or on the flywheel 24. Figure 3A and 3B As described above, the motor 25 includes a stator 27 and a rotor 28 .

[0173] In a preferred example, the aspect ratio of the motor body (the ratio of the axial dimension to the radial dimension of the rotation axis 38) is about 1 or less, preferably about 0.5, excluding the motor shaft 29. This provides a low profile motor 25 that can be nested in the recessed cavity 60 of the flywheel 24 as shown.

[0174] In a preferred example, the rotor 28 of the motor 25 comprises a radially polarized magnet rotor. Such a rotor 28 provides the motor 25 with a low profile.

[0175] In a preferred example, the motor 25 includes slotless and / or coreless windings, which provides a compact and low profile motor 25 .

[0176] In a preferred example, the motor 25 includes an axial flux arrangement which provides a compact and low profile motor 25 that can be more tightly nested within the cavity 60 of the flywheel 24 as shown.

[0177] In other examples, the motor 25 is replaced by an optional prime mover arranged to rotate the flywheel 24. For example, the prime mover may include a pneumatic motor driven by compressed air supplied from a compressor. The compressor may be carried on the user's body or may be part of an external source. For example, if the shake stabilization device is used to assist the user at a workstation (e.g., in a factory), compressed air may be provided from an external compressor via a hose. For a portable shake stabilization device (i.e., carried with the user wherever he goes), the prime mover is preferably an electric motor.

[0178] In some examples, the prime mover, particularly an electric motor 25, is integrated with the flywheel 24. In these examples, as shown in FIG. Fig.17 As shown, the flywheel 24 has a plurality of permanent magnets 91 of alternating polarity mounted around the inner periphery. A stator 92 is provided within the inner periphery of the flywheel 24 and includes an alternating field winding 93. In this arrangement, the flywheel 24 acts as a rotor for the motor and is rotated in a conventional manner by the corresponding alternating polarity of the winding 93. Such an arrangement provides a lighter, more compact rotatable flywheel assembly.

[0179] In other examples of gyroscopic devices 11, the prime mover, particularly the motor 25, is not directly coupled to the flywheel 24. Fig.18Aand 18B As shown, a transmission 94 is provided between the motor 25 and the flywheel 24 to transfer rotation from the motor 25 to the flywheel 24 .

[0180] In this example, the motor 25 is fixed to the housing 17, and the transmission 94 includes a flexible or articulated shaft 95 that accommodates the precession of the flywheel 24 relative to the motor 25 about the precession axis 34. Advantageously, such an arrangement means that the motor 25 does not have to be mounted to rotate about the precession axis 34, so that the precession of the flywheel 24 is more responsive to lower amplitude / acceleration tremors when the mass of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is lower. In addition, because the motor 25 does not move relative to the housing 17, the electrical connections to the motor 25 are simplified.

[0181] As shown, the articulation shaft 95 extends from the motor 25 to the flywheel 24, and the articulation shaft 95 can rotate in a plane about the precession axis 34 (in Fig.18B The gimbal 26 is bent in the plane of the page. Figure 3A and 3B The articulated shaft 95 is hingedly mounted to the housing 17 at the hinge support 33 in the same manner as described above to define the precession axis 34. The articulated shaft 95 is rotatably mounted to the gimbal 26 at the bearing 96 so that the gimbal 26 and the flywheel 24 are suspended from the articulated shaft 95. The articulated shaft 95 can bend at a position between the gimbal 26 and the motor 25. Thus, the articulated shaft 95 allows the gimbal 26 and the flywheel 24 to precess about the precession axis 34. The gimbal 26 and the biasing member are similar to the previous examples, especially Figure 3A and 3B The example works the same way.

[0182] In some examples, the transmission 94 may also include a clutch 97, which is arranged between the motor 25 and the flywheel 24 and is configured to disconnect the rotational connection between the motor 25 and the flywheel 24. Advantageously, this allows the flywheel 24 to rotate freely away from the motor 25 when the clutch 97 is disconnected. The clutch 97 can be controlled to disconnect when the user is not experiencing tremors or when the user is not performing a task. In addition, the clutch 97 can be configured to disconnect when the gyroscope device 11 is removed or dropped, thereby protecting the motor 25 from the force generated by the momentum of the flywheel 24 in this case.

[0183] Fig.19An example arrangement of a motor 25 and a flywheel 24 is schematically shown. In this example, a stator 27 of the motor 25 is mounted to a gimbal 26. The gimbal 26 includes an opening or recess 61 in which the stator 27 is located, and the recess 61 includes a plurality of slots 62 formed in the inner surface of the recess 61 near the stator 27. The slots are preferably arcuate. As shown, in this example, the recess 61 includes four slots 62 distributed around the recess 61, preferably including four slots 62 evenly distributed around the recess 61. In other examples, the recess 61 may have more or fewer slots, such as two, three or six slots 62. The stator 27 of the motor 25 includes radial tabs 63 extending from the outer peripheral surface of the stator 27 and protruding into the slots 62. The rotor 28 of the motor 25 is arranged to rotate the flywheel 24 in the direction of the arrow 64. A spring 65 is arranged between each radial tab 63 and one side of the corresponding recess 62 (the side being on the side of the radial tab 63 opposite to the rotation direction 64). In this way, the spring 65 is arranged to reduce the inertia transferred to the stator 27 when the motor 25 starts to rotate the flywheel 24, i.e., when the torque of the motor 25 is maximum. Preferably, for the gyroscopic device 11 described above, the flywheel 24 has a high inertia, and the motor 25 is compact and low energy. Fig.19 The arrangement of radial tabs 63 and springs 65 shown in FIG. 1 reduces the transfer of inertia from the flywheel 24 to the gimbal 26 (and hence the housing 17 of the gyroscopic device 11) during the start of rotation of the flywheel 24 when the torque is at a maximum. This makes the gyroscopic device 11 more comfortable for the user to wear on their body when the gyroscopic device 11 is activated.

[0184] In other examples, the slot 62 is formed in a motor housing that at least partially surrounds the stator 27 , and the housing is in turn mounted to the gimbal 26 .

[0185] Fig. 20 FIG. 6 shows a motor control circuit 66 for the motor 25 of the gyroscope device 11. The motor control circuit 66 may be configured as shown in FIG. Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.12The motor control circuit 66 includes power supplies 68 for the three windings 67 of the motor 25. Each power supply 68 includes a switch 69 controllable by the controller 60 for switching between a driving configuration, in which power is provided from a power supply 71 (e.g., a battery) to the windings 67 to drive the motor 25, and a braking configuration, in which the windings 67 are short-circuited 70 to ground. In order to brake the motor 25 to slow or stop the rotation of the motor 25 and the flywheel 24, the controller 50 configures all switches 69 to short-circuit the windings 67 to ground 70. In this configuration, the electromagnetic effect generated in the motor results in a braking effect on the motor 25 and the flywheel 24. This can stop the rotation of the flywheel 24 more quickly, while also reducing the torque felt by the user.

[0186] In a preferred example, the controller 50 is configured to pulse brake the motor 25 by sequentially changing between the zero power switch 69 configuration and the ground switch 69 configuration. Pulsing the braking action on the motor 25 reduces the reactive torque generated and experienced by the user wearing the gyroscopic device 11.

[0187] exist Fig. 20 In the illustrated configuration, the motor 25 has three windings 67 , but it should be understood that the motor 25 may have more windings, such as four windings 67 , five windings 67 , or more.

[0188] Fig.21 A rotatable flywheel assembly 23 for the gyroscopic device 11 is shown, including a flywheel 24. In particular, Fig.21 Shows Figure 3A and 3B The gyroscopic device 11 includes a rotatable flywheel assembly 23. Preferably, the flywheel 24 is highly balanced to reduce vibration and noise generated by the high speed rotation of the flywheel 24 during operation of the gyroscopic device 11. This is particularly beneficial when the gyroscopic device 11 is worn on the user's body (e.g., on the hand) during daily activities where vibration and noise are undesirable. The highly balanced flywheel 24 will also increase the operating life of the motor 25 and any bearings or other mountings (e.g., hinges) in the gyroscopic device 11. Protecting the bearings, or increasing their life, provides a more reliable and longer-lasting gyroscopic device.

[0189] like Fig.21 As shown and described above, the flywheel 24 preferably includes a flat face 78 and a recessed cavity 60 on a side of the flywheel 24 opposite the flat face 78. Fig.23 As described, the flywheel 24 is balanced on two planes 79 .

[0190] like Fig.21As shown in the other examples described above, the flywheel 24 is mounted to the motor shaft 29. In these examples, the flywheel 24 is fully supported by the motor shaft 29, which provides low friction rotation of the flywheel 24. In another example, as shown in FIG. Fig. 22 As shown, a bearing 100 is provided between the flywheel 24 and the gimbal 26. The bearing 100 is arranged between the inner circumferential surface 101 of the flywheel 24 and the gimbal 26 in the cavity 60. The bearing 100 may be a rolling bearing such as a ball bearing or a cylindrical roller bearing, or it may be a bushing.

[0191] The bearing 100 provides support for the flywheel 24 and helps reduce the transfer of non-rotational forces between the flywheel 24 and the motor 25. For example, if the gyroscope device 11 is dropped, the impact momentum generated by the flywheel 24 will not be fully transferred to the motor shaft 29 because a portion of the impact momentum will be transferred to the gimbal 26 through the bearing 100, helping to protect the motor 25 from the impact force.

[0192] Additionally or alternatively, such as Fig. 22 As shown, a rubber insert 102 may be provided between the flywheel 24 and the motor shaft 29. This also helps reduce the transfer of non-rotational forces between the motor 25 and the flywheel 24 to help protect the motor 25 from impact forces. The rubber insert 102 is preferably thin and rigid so that the torque transfer for the rotation of the flywheel 24 is not significantly reduced.

[0193] Fig.23 A method of manufacturing a flywheel 24 for a gyroscopic device 11 of a shake stabilization apparatus is shown. The flywheel 24 is preferably made of metal, such as brass, and is manufactured from a cylindrical blank.

[0194] The manufacturing process includes a first stage 72 of machining the shape of the flywheel 24 from a cylindrical blank on a lathe. During machining 72, the lathe is used to turn the outer peripheral surface 77 of the flywheel 24, the upper surface 80 of the flywheel 24, the cavity 60 and the motor mounting hole 58 from the direction of the upper surface 80. That is, the above-mentioned surfaces and features of the flywheel 24 are machined from the end of the cylindrical blank protruding from the chuck of the lathe.

[0195] In the second stage 73 of the process, the flywheel 24 is cut from the cylindrical blank to separate the flywheel from the cylindrical blank by cutting a face 78 perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the lathe. Cutting the face 78, making it flat or convex, means that the flywheel 24 can be machined entirely in a single clamping operation without having to re-clamp the flywheel 24 in the lathe, which could introduce eccentricity.

[0196] Advantageously, by machining the flywheel 24 on the lathe only from the direction of the upper surface 80 and cutting the flywheel 24 from the blank in accordance with the above-described stage 73, all surfaces of the flywheel 24 are machined without removing the flywheel 24 from the lathe. That is, the flywheel 24 is machined without re-clamping the material blank, which could introduce eccentricity. This results in better tolerances between the surfaces of the flywheel 24 and reduces initial imbalance in the flywheel 24.

[0197] Next, in stage 74, the machined flywheel 24 is mounted to the motor 25 and gimbal 26 of the gyroscopic device 11, for example with reference to Figure 3A and 3B The above-mentioned rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is formed. Specifically, the motor 25 is attached to the gimbal 26, and then the motor shaft 29 is press-fitted onto the motor mounting hole 58 of the flywheel 24.

[0198] Subsequently, in stage 75, the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is balanced to improve the balance of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, in particular the balance of the flywheel 24. This stage 75 includes mounting the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to an accelerometer assembly including a mount for a gimbal 26, a plurality of accelerometers for detecting vibrations in the gimbal 26, and a laser ablation device for removing material from the flywheel 24 by laser ablation. The laser ablation device is arranged to Fig.17 The planes 79 shown are where material is removed from the flywheel 24. The two planes 79 are located at the edges of the circumferential surface 77 of the flywheel 24, adjacent the lower face 78 and the upper face 80. Removing material from the flywheel 24 at the planes 79 provides the most effective form of balancing, as the mass removed from the circumferential face 77 of the flywheel 24 will have the greatest effect in reducing imbalance, and providing two planes 79 allows an acceptable level of balance to be achieved with less total material removal, reducing any impact on the inertia and angular momentum provided by the flywheel 24 in operation.

[0199] In other examples, material may be removed from the flywheel 24 using other methods, such as mechanical drilling or cutting. Preferably, material is removed from the flywheel 24 by a non-contact operation that does not mechanically contact the flywheel 24, such as laser ablation or electron beam ablation. Advantageously, the non-contact operation does not induce vibrations in the flywheel 24 that could damage the motor 25. In other examples, material may be added to the flywheel 24 to balance the flywheel 24, for example, by material deposition, such as by welding additional material to the flywheel 24, or by drilling a hole in the flywheel 24 and inserting a heavier material into the hole. Preferably, material is added to the flywheel 24 by a non-contact material deposition operation, such as physical vapor deposition, such as pulsed laser deposition.

[0200] In stage 76, after the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is mounted to the accelerometer assembly, the motor 25 of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is driven to rotate the flywheel 24 at a first speed, and material is removed from the flywheel 24 by laser ablation based on the vibrations detected by the accelerometer to reduce vibrations caused by the flywheel 24. This improves the balance of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23.

[0201] Next, in stage 81, the motor 25 of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 increases the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 to a second speed greater than the first speed of stage 76, and removes material from the flywheel 24 by laser ablation based on the vibrations detected by the accelerometer to reduce the vibrations caused by the flywheel 24.

[0202] Optionally, phase 81 is repeated at a rotational speed higher than the second speed.

[0203] The above method provides a balanced rotatable flywheel assembly 23 .

[0204] Advantageously, using the motor 25 of the gyroscopic device 11 in the balancing process means that the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 (i.e., the flywheel 24, the gimbal 26, and the motor 25) is balanced as a single unit, which provides very precise tolerances between the motor shaft 29 and the circumferential surface 77 of the flywheel 24. The components of the balanced rotatable flywheel assembly 23 can then be assembled into the gyroscopic device 11 without disturbing the balancing of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23. The rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is preferably assembled into the gyroscopic device 11, particularly as shown in FIG. Figure 3A and 3B The housing 17 is shown beforehand without being disassembled.

[0205] Advantageously, performing the balancing at a first speed, and then performing the balancing at a second higher speed, protects the motor 25 (particularly the bearings of the motor 25) from vibrations generated by the initially unbalanced flywheel. This allows the same motor 25 to be used in the gyroscope device 11 without having to disassemble the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 before assembling the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 into the gyroscope device 11.

[0206] The inventors have found that the above described method of manufacturing and balancing a flywheel 24 provides a balanced rotatable flywheel assembly 23 that exceeds the limits specified in ISO 1940 / 1, ie achieves a balance grade below G0.4.

[0207] This high degree of balance is particularly useful in the shake stabilization apparatus described herein because it minimizes or eliminates vibration and noise, which is beneficial to the user, and also extends the operating life of the gyroscopic device 11 and extends battery life because less power is required to drive the flywheel 24.

[0208] Although the apparatus of the invention has been described primarily with respect to therapeutic benefits for patients with neurological diseases that cause relatively strong tremors, the invention is equally applicable to other uses where, for example, stabilizing hand vibrations (such as those at normal levels caused solely by blood flow pulsations) would be beneficial, such as in sports (e.g. archery, darts or golf); fine arts, such as painting fine details; photography or surgery.

[0209] For the avoidance of doubt, the features or aspects of the invention described herein with respect to a particular embodiment are not limited to that embodiment. The described features may be combined in any combination. Any and all such combinations are included in the present invention and should not and do not constitute additional subject matter.

Claims

1. A device for hand tremor stabilization, comprising a rotatable flywheel assembly that can be mounted on a user's hand; wherein: The rotatable flywheel assembly comprises: i) a flywheel having a flywheel mass m and a flywheel diameter d, and ii) a prime mover adapted to rotate the flywheel at a rotation speed R around a flywheel rotation axis so that the rotatable flywheel assembly generates an angular momentum having an angular momentum of about 0.05 kgm 2 / s and 0.30kgm 2 / s.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The mass m of the flywheel is equal to or less than 2 kg.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The mass m of the flywheel is equal to or less than 1 kg.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The mass m of the flywheel is equal to or less than 0.5 kg.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The mass m of the flywheel is between 0.05 kg and 0.5 kg.

6. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The mass m of the flywheel is between 0.1 kg and 0.2 kg.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The diameter d of the flywheel is equal to or less than 150 mm.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein: The diameter d of the flywheel is equal to or less than 100 mm.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein: The diameter d of the flywheel is equal to or less than 80 mm.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein: The diameter d of the flywheel is 50 mm.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The rotation speed R of the flywheel is between 5,000 RPM and 70,000 RPM.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein The rotation speed R of the flywheel is between 10,000 RPM and 30,000 RPM.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein: The rotation speed R of the flywheel is between 15,000 RPM and 30,000 RPM.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-13, further comprising a controller configured to control the prime mover and a sensor arranged to detect characteristics of movement of a user's hand when the rotatable flywheel assembly is mounted to the user's hand, and wherein, The controller is configured to control the prime mover to rotate the flywheel at a rotational speed R based on the detected characteristic.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein: The sensor is arranged to detect characteristics of hand tremors when the rotatable flywheel assembly is mounted to a user's hand.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein: The characteristics of the hand tremor include amplitude, frequency and / or acceleration of the hand tremor.

17. The device according to any one of claims 1-13 and 15-16, further comprising a housing, and wherein: The rotatable flywheel assembly further includes a gimbal, wherein the flywheel is mounted to the gimbal, and wherein the gimbal is pivotally mounted to the housing about a precession axis such that the flywheel can precess relative to the housing.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein: The housing includes a turntable to which the gimbal is pivotally mounted to define the precession axis, and wherein the turntable is rotatable about a pivot axis such that the precession axis can rotate relative to the housing.

19. The device according to claim 17, wherein: The housing includes a hinge mount that cooperates with a hinge member of the gimbal to pivotally mount the gimbal to the housing about a precession axis that is fixed relative to the housing.

20. The device according to any one of claims 1-13, 15-16 and 18-19, wherein The flywheel comprises a central disc portion and a circumferential skirt extending in an axial direction of the flywheel rotation axis, the circumferential skirt defining a cavity.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein: The circumferential skirt comprises at least 50% of the total mass of the flywheel.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein The circumferential skirt comprises at least 75% of the total mass of the flywheel.

Images