A lower limb deformity correction robot

Abstract

The application discloses a lower limb deformity correction robot and belongs to the technical field of rehabilitation aids, which comprises a pasting type flexible corrector and a variable rigidity external fixator which are synchronously driven and used for the cooperative correction of lower limb soft tissues and skeletal hard tissues. The lower limb deformity correction robot provided by the application comprises the orthosis and the variable rigidity external fixator which are used for the cooperative correction of lower limb soft tissues and skeletal hard tissues, can realize the synchronous and cooperative correction of the soft tissues and the skeletal hard tissues, and is beneficial to the muscle-bone integrated physiological function reconstruction and repair of the lower limb deformity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of rehabilitation aids technology, specifically relating to a lower limb deformity correction robot. Background Technology

[0002] The lower limbs are an important part of the human body. They support the body, coordinate different movements, and play a vital role in people's normal lives.

[0003] In today's world, due to the increase in high-energy injuries caused by traffic accidents, workplace accidents, and natural disasters, the number of patients with lower limb injuries is gradually increasing. Lower limb injuries not only cause serious fractures and damage but also affect soft tissues, muscles, and blood vessels, making treatment more difficult.

[0004] Traditional external fixators primarily focus on skeletal correction and employ manual adjustment. This requires thousands of adjustments during deformity correction, resulting in a complex procedure, inaccurate adjustments, cumulative errors, and unstable corrective force, severely impacting the effectiveness of deformity correction. In addressing the complex treatment and rehabilitation needs of patients with lower limb deformities, clinical practice reveals issues such as "uneven musculoskeletal system correction, inaccurate manual adjustment of the external fixator, unstable corrective force, and secondary complications such as knee flexion and knee stiffness." Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A lower limb deformity correction robot includes a patch-type flexible orthosis and a variable stiffness external fixator that are synchronously driven and used for the coordinated correction of the soft tissues and hard bones of the lower limbs.

[0007] Furthermore, it also includes an air source, which synchronously and intermittently drives the patch-type flexible orthodont and the variable stiffness external fixator to adjust the correction parameters of the patch-type flexible orthodont and the variable stiffness external fixator.

[0008] Furthermore, the adhesive flexible orthosis includes:

[0009] Muscle tape, which is applied to the thigh muscles;

[0010] The first flexible airbag is located on the side of the kinesiology tape away from the thigh muscle, and the first end of the first flexible airbag is connected to the kinesiology tape. The first flexible airbag is connected to the air source to drive the kinesiology tape to assist in the rotation of the knee joint and the correction of soft tissues.

[0011] A magnetic connector is disposed at the second end of the first flexible airbag and is attached to the variable stiffness external fixator.

[0012] Furthermore, the muscle tape includes an inner thigh muscle tape and an outer thigh muscle tape, which are applied to the inner thigh muscles and the outer thigh muscles, respectively.

[0013] The first flexible airbag is a dual-chamber auxiliary traction airbag that can inflate and deflate any one of the airbags individually. There are two sets of dual-chamber auxiliary traction airbags, which are respectively set with the inner thigh muscle tape and the outer thigh muscle tape to assist in traction of the soft tissue of the muscles, so as to realize musculoskeletal synergistic traction correction and assist in the rotation of the knee joint.

[0014] The dual-chamber auxiliary traction airbag is connected to the air source through the first quick-insertion air port.

[0015] Furthermore, the inner thigh muscle patch and the outer thigh muscle patch are provided with flexible circuits, which are used to acquire information such as stress and strain of the muscles at the patching site, heart rate, and blood pressure.

[0016] Furthermore, the variable stiffness external fixator includes:

[0017] An upper fixing ring and a lower fixing ring are set at opposite ends;

[0018] At least one bone pin, one end of which is inserted into the leg bone and the other end is detachably connected to the upper fixing ring;

[0019] An adjustable stiffness actuator is provided, which is disposed between the upper and lower fixing rings and is detachably connected to the upper and lower fixing rings; the variable stiffness actuator is connected to the air source, which drives the length of the variable stiffness actuator to change, so as to adjust the traction force and angle of the overall external fixation frame on the lower limb bones.

[0020] Furthermore, the variable stiffness actuator includes:

[0021] An upper support rod and a lower support rod, wherein the first end of the upper support rod is hinged to the upper fixed ring via a first hinge, and the first end of the lower support rod is hinged to the lower fixed ring via a second hinge;

[0022] A cylinder body, located between the upper support rod and the lower support rod;

[0023] The second flexible airbag is disposed in the cylinder body, and the second ends of the upper support rod and the lower support rod extend into the cylinder body and abut against the second flexible airbag; the second flexible airbag is connected to the air source through the second quick-connect air port.

[0024] Furthermore, the variable stiffness actuator is in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of variable stiffness actuators are arranged in a ring array between the upper fixed ring and the lower fixed ring.

[0025] Furthermore, the variable stiffness actuator is equipped with pressure sensors, displacement sensors, and temperature and humidity sensors to monitor various parameters of the variable stiffness external fixator and other environmental parameters in real time, which can help physicians adjust treatment strategies in a timely manner.

[0026] Furthermore, the air source is an intelligent air source, which has a visual display electronic screen and a built-in inflation / deflation module. The inflation / deflation module is connected to the adhesive flexible orthosis and the variable stiffness external fixator. The intelligent air source is equipped with an embedded communication module, which can communicate with the orthosis robot and other electronic devices in real time, and can process and calculate data to precisely control the inflation / deflation volume, inflation / deflation rate, and internal air pressure parameters of the orthosis robot.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0028] The present invention provides a lower limb deformity correction robot that solves the problems of traditional fixation devices, such as manual adjustment, complex programming, structural coupling, and poor correction effect when faced with complex lower limb deformities.

[0029] This invention abandons the traditional rigid external fixator treatment method and introduces a flexible airbag to upgrade the adjustment method of the variable stiffness external fixator. The use of the airbag also significantly reduces the weight of the external fixator.

[0030] The "external fixation device + orthosis" composite correction solution can treat some more complex lower limb injuries. The design of the patch-type soft body assisted traction correction mechanism can make the orthosis fit the skin tissue better. The patch-type design greatly improves human-machine compatibility and solves the problem of displacement of traditional orthotics.

[0031] Furthermore, this invention incorporates electronic skin technology into the flexible muscle patch. During the muscle-assisted traction and correction process, flexible circuitry embedded within the patch acquires information such as stress, strain, heart rate, and blood pressure at the application site. This allows for a quantitative assessment of muscle deformation and the assisted traction and correction force, thereby achieving quantitative regulation and closed-loop intelligent control of the patch-type flexible assisted traction structure.

[0032] The patch-type soft body auxiliary traction structure proposed in this invention can act as a flexible hinge in the knee joint. By inflating and extending one side of the airbag and deflating the other side, assisted joint rotation can be achieved.

[0033] The present invention provides a lower limb deformity correction robot, which includes an orthosis and a variable stiffness external fixator for the coordinated correction of the soft tissue and hard bone tissue of the lower limb. It can realize the synchronous and coordinated correction of soft tissue and hard bone tissue, which is beneficial to the musculoskeletal integrated physiological function reconstruction and repair of lower limb deformities. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the usage state of the lower limb deformity correction robot provided by the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the lower limb deformity correction robot provided by the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a patch-type flexible orthodontic appliance.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a variable stiffness external fixator;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the variable stiffness actuator structure of the variable stiffness external fixator.

[0039] Among them, 1. Adhesive flexible orthosis; 11. Inner thigh muscle tape; 12. Outer thigh muscle tape; 13. Dual-cavity auxiliary traction airbag; 14. Magnetic connector; 2. Variable stiffness external fixator; 21. Upper fixation ring; 22. Variable stiffness actuator; 22-1. Sensor mounting part; 22-2. Upper support rod; 22-3. Second quick-connect air port; 22-4. Second flexible airbag; 22-5. Lower support rod; 23. Bone pin; 24. Lower fixation ring; 3. Air source. Detailed Implementation

[0040] This invention provides a robot for correcting lower limb deformities. The technical solution of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings to make it easier to understand and master.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] refer to Figure 1 - Figure 5 A lower limb deformity correction robot includes a patch-type flexible orthosis 1 and a variable stiffness external fixator 2, which are synchronously driven and used for the coordinated correction of the soft tissue and hard bone tissue of the lower limb.

[0043] The lower limb deformity correction robot provided in this embodiment also includes an air source 3, which synchronously and intermittently drives the patch-type flexible orthosis 1 and the variable stiffness external fixator 2 to adjust the correction parameters of the patch-type flexible orthosis 1 and the variable stiffness external fixator 2.

[0044] In this embodiment, the adhesive flexible orthodontic appliance 1 includes:

[0045] Muscle tape, muscle tape is applied to the thigh muscles;

[0046] The first flexible airbag is located on the side of the kinesiology tape away from the thigh muscle, and the first end of the first flexible airbag is connected to the kinesiology tape. The first flexible airbag is connected to the air source 3 to drive the kinesiology tape to assist in the rotation of the knee joint and the orthopedic correction of the soft tissue.

[0047] The magnetic connector 14 is located at the second end of the first flexible airbag and is attached to the variable stiffness external fixator 2.

[0048] Among them, the muscle tape includes inner thigh muscle tape 11 and outer thigh muscle tape 12, which are applied to the inner thigh muscles and outer thigh muscles, respectively.

[0049] The first flexible airbag is a dual-chamber auxiliary traction airbag 13 that can inflate and deflate any one of the airbags individually. The dual-chamber auxiliary traction airbag 13 consists of two sets, which are respectively set with the inner thigh muscle patch 11 and the outer thigh muscle patch 12 to assist in traction of soft tissues such as muscles, so as to achieve musculoskeletal synergistic traction correction and assist in the rotation of the knee joint.

[0050] The dual-chamber auxiliary traction airbag 13 is connected to the air source 3 through the first quick-insertion air port.

[0051] By utilizing the inflation and deflation principle of the dual-chamber auxiliary traction airbag 13, auxiliary traction can be applied to muscles and other soft tissues to achieve synergistic traction correction of muscle and bone. Furthermore, the auxiliary traction airbag can be used in various flexible ways to target different muscle groups in different parts of the body. For example, in the correction of lower limb deformities, considering the different physical characteristics of the soft tissues on the inner and outer thighs, different traction airbags can be applied to the inner and outer thighs. Through the inflation and deflation principle of the airbags, they lengthen or contract, thus assisting in the correction of soft tissue deformities.

[0052] In this embodiment, the variable stiffness external fixator 2 includes:

[0053] An upper fixing ring 21 and a lower fixing ring 24 are arranged vertically.

[0054] At least one bone pin 23, one end of which is inserted into the leg bone, and the other end is detachably connected to the upper fixing ring 21 through the bone pin fixing part;

[0055] The variable stiffness actuator 22 is adjustable in length and is located between the upper fixing ring 21 and the lower fixing ring 24. It is detachably connected to the upper fixing ring 21 and the lower fixing ring 24. The variable stiffness actuator 22 is connected to the air source 3. The air source 3 drives the variable stiffness actuator 22 to change its length, so as to adjust the traction force and angle of the overall external fixation frame on the lower limb bones.

[0056] In this embodiment, the upper fixing ring 21 and the lower fixing ring 24 are circular or semi-circular, and the bone needle 23, the variable stiffness actuator 22 and the fixing ring are all detachably connected.

[0057] In some scenarios, during surgery, the deformed bones are first osteotomized, and then holes are drilled to insert bone pins 23. After surgery, the bone pins 23, the variable stiffness actuator 22 (adjustment component), and the upper and lower fixation rings 21 and 24 are quickly assembled. The correction parameters of the variable stiffness external fixator 2 are adjusted, and the patch-type flexible orthosis 1 is worn. The soft tissue orthosis and the variable stiffness external fixator 2 are used to synergistically correct the lower limbs. Different corrective forces are applied to different areas of the soft tissue by the patch-type flexible orthosis 1 to promote the proliferation of soft tissue cells and achieve the correction and rehabilitation of soft tissue deformities. The traction force and correction angle applied to the hard bone tissue by the variable stiffness external fixator 2 promote the proliferation of bone cells and achieve the correction and rehabilitation of lower limb hard bone deformities.

[0058] More specifically, the variable stiffness actuator 22 includes:

[0059] The upper support rod 22-2 and the lower support rod 22-5 are provided. The first end of the upper support rod 22-2 is hinged to the upper fixed ring 21 through the first hinge, and the first end of the lower support rod 22-5 is hinged to the lower fixed ring 24 through the second hinge.

[0060] Cylinder block, the cylinder block is located between the upper support rod 22-2 and the lower support rod 22-5;

[0061] The second flexible airbag 22-4 is installed in the cylinder body. The second end of the upper support rod 22-2 and the second end of the lower support rod 22-5 extend into the cylinder body and abut against the second flexible airbag 22-4. The second flexible airbag 22-4 is connected to the air source 3 through the second quick-connect air port 22-3.

[0062] The second flexible airbag 22-4 of the variable stiffness actuator 22 is placed inside the cylinder body, which can ensure that the axial position of the second flexible airbag 22-4 remains unchanged when it is extended or shortened.

[0063] In this embodiment, there are 3 sets of variable stiffness actuators 22, which are arranged in a ring array between the upper fixed ring 21 and the lower fixed ring 24.

[0064] The lower limb deformity correction robot provided in this embodiment uses the adjustment of the length of six variable stiffness actuators 22 to jointly control the position and posture of the entire variable stiffness external fixator 2, thereby repositioning and correcting the patient's bone and hard tissues.

[0065] like Figure 4As shown, preferably, the first ends of the two variable stiffness actuators 22 in each group converge on the upper fixed ring 21 and are connected to the upper fixed ring 21 through the first hinge. There is a certain gap between the first ends of the two variable stiffness actuators 22. The second ends of the two variable stiffness actuators 22 extend from top to bottom in a gradually expanding shape to the lower fixed ring 24 and are connected to the lower fixed ring 24 through the second hinge. There is a certain gap between the second ends of the two variable stiffness actuators 22 and the second ends of the variable stiffness actuators 22 in the adjacent group.

[0066] The first hinge and the second hinge are both Hooke hinges. The variable stiffness actuator 22 is movably connected to the upper fixed ring 21 and the lower fixed ring 24 through the Hooke hinge. The variable stiffness actuator adjusts the movement of the adjustment component to adjust the correction parameters of the patient's affected limb.

[0067] In this embodiment, the end airbag of the patch-type flexible orthosis acts as a flexible hinge. The flexible hinge design has multiple degrees of freedom and fits perfectly with the human lower limb, greatly reducing the mutual repulsion between the human and the machine, improving human-machine compatibility, and ensuring the normal rotation of the patient's knee joint. It has positive significance for the prevention of secondary complications such as knee flexion and knee stiffness.

[0068] In this embodiment, the magnetic connector 14 can be attached to the upper fixing ring 21 or the lower fixing ring 24, which can ensure that the adhesive flexible orthodontic device 1 can be adapted to different variable stiffness external fixators 2, thereby enhancing the versatility and convenience of the orthodontic device.

[0069] In other embodiments, other detachable connection methods may also be used, and the specific connection method can be selected according to the specific treatment plan.

[0070] The lower limb deformity correction robot provided in this embodiment adopts a rigid structure (variable stiffness external fixator 2) in the skeletal correction part, a flexible material (muscle tape) in the muscle and soft tissue correction part, and a soft material (airbag) in the connection part of the rigid-flexible correction structure. It has a multi-level rigid-flexible structure feature, which is consistent with the rigid-flexible features of the human musculoskeletal system.

[0071] In this embodiment, the materials used to fabricate the lower limb deformity correction robot are not limited to alloy materials, but also include novel materials such as PEEK. The entire fixation frame is made of PEEK material, which can solve the problem of CT artifacts.

[0072] Example 2

[0073] In order to monitor and adjust the patient's orthopedic process in real time, this embodiment makes further settings based on embodiment 1.

[0074] In this embodiment, flexible circuits are provided in the inner thigh muscle patch 11 and the outer thigh muscle patch 12. The flexible circuits are used to acquire information such as stress and strain of the muscles at the patching site, heart rate, and blood pressure.

[0075] In this embodiment, the variable stiffness actuator 2 is equipped with sensors such as a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor, and a temperature and humidity sensor. The pressure sensor, displacement sensor, and temperature and humidity sensor of the variable stiffness external fixator 2 are all integrated in the sensor mounting part 22-1.

[0076] The sensors selected in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, pressure sensors, displacement sensors, and temperature and humidity sensors, to monitor various parameters of the variable stiffness external fixator 2 and other environmental parameters in real time, which can help physicians adjust treatment strategies in a timely manner.

[0077] The variable stiffness external fixator 2 can transmit information such as the support force, length, temperature and humidity of the strain stiffness actuator 22 during the treatment process to the intelligent air source and other PCs using communication technology, thereby realizing real-time monitoring and adjustment of the patient's orthopedic process.

[0078] In this embodiment, the air source 3 is an intelligent air source. The intelligent air source has a visual display electronic screen and a built-in inflation / deflation module. The inflation / deflation module is connected to the patch-type flexible orthosis 1 and the variable stiffness external fixator 2. The intelligent air source is equipped with an embedded communication module. The communication module can communicate with the orthosis robot and other electronic devices in real time, and can process and calculate data to accurately control the inflation / deflation volume, inflation / deflation rate, and internal air pressure parameters of the orthosis robot.

[0079] Among them, the intelligent air source is a movable air source used to adjust the patch-type flexible orthodontic device 1 and the variable stiffness external fixator 2.

[0080] The intelligent air source is equipped with a pneumatic circuit that can precisely control parameters such as the inflation and deflation volume, inflation and deflation rate, and internal air pressure of the correction robot.

[0081] The intelligent air source access quick-connect air port can control the gas parameters in the variable stiffness external fixator airbag and the patch-type flexible orthosis airbag, and can realize the control of airbag inflation and deflation, airbag internal gas pressure and inflation and deflation rate.

[0082] The technical solutions of the present invention have been fully described above. It should be noted that the specific embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above description. All technical solutions formed by those skilled in the art based on the spirit and essence of the present invention through equivalent or equivalent transformations in structure, method or function are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lower extremity deformity correction robot characterized by, The flexible corrector and the variable stiffness external fixator are driven synchronously and are used for the correction of lower limb soft tissue and bone hard tissue. The gas source is also provided, which intermittently drives the flexible corrector and the variable stiffness external fixator synchronously to adjust the correction parameters of the flexible corrector and the variable stiffness external fixator. The flexible corrector comprises: A muscle patch is attached to the thigh muscle. A first flexible air bag is located on the side of the muscle patch away from the thigh muscle, and the first end of the first flexible air bag is connected to the muscle patch. A magnetic joint is arranged at the second end of the first flexible air bag and is adsorbed on the variable stiffness external fixator. The variable stiffness external fixator comprises: An upper fixing ring and a lower fixing ring are arranged in a vertical manner. At least one bone needle is inserted into the leg bone, and the other end is detachably connected to the upper fixing ring. A variable stiffness actuator with adjustable length is arranged between the upper fixing ring and the lower fixing ring and is detachably connected to the upper fixing ring and the lower fixing ring.

2. The lower extremity deformity correcting robot according to claim 1, wherein The muscle patch comprises a medial thigh muscle patch and a lateral thigh muscle patch, which are attached to the medial thigh muscle and the lateral thigh muscle respectively. The first flexible air bag is a double-cavity auxiliary traction air bag, which can be inflated and deflated individually. The double-cavity auxiliary traction air bag is arranged in two groups and corresponds to the medial thigh muscle patch and the lateral thigh muscle patch respectively to assist in traction of the muscle soft tissue and realize muscle-bone coordinated traction correction and assist in rotation of the knee joint.

3. The lower extremity deformity correcting robot according to claim 2, wherein The double-cavity auxiliary traction air bag is in communication with the gas source through a first quick inflation port.

4. The lower extremity deformity correcting robot according to claim 1, wherein The medial thigh muscle patch and the lateral thigh muscle patch are provided with a flexible circuit, which is used to obtain stress and strain, heart rate, and blood pressure related information of the muscle at the attachment site. The variable stiffness actuator comprises: An upper support rod and a lower support rod, the first end of the upper support rod is hinged to the upper fixing ring through a first hinge, and the first end of the lower support rod is hinged to the lower fixing ring through a second hinge. A gas cylinder body is located between the upper support rod and the lower support rod.

5. The lower extremity deformity correcting robot according to claim 4, characterized by, A second flexible air bag is arranged in the gas cylinder body, and the second end of the upper support rod and the second end of the lower support rod extend into the gas cylinder body and abut against the second flexible air bag. The variable stiffness actuator is arranged in a ring array between the upper fixing ring and the lower fixing ring.

6. The lower extremity deformity correcting robot according to claim 5, wherein, The variable stiffness actuator is provided with a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor and a temperature and humidity sensor to monitor various parameters of the variable stiffness external fixator and other environmental parameters in real time, which can help the physician to timely adjust the treatment strategy.

7. The lower extremity deformity correcting robot according to claim 1, wherein, The air source is an intelligent air source, which has a visual display electronic screen and a built-in inflation and deflation module connected with the application type flexible corrector and the variable stiffness external fixator; an embedded communication module is arranged in the intelligent air source, which can communicate with the correction robot and other electronic devices in real time, and can process and calculate data to accurately control the inflation and deflation amount, inflation and deflation rate and internal air pressure parameters of the correction robot.

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