A device for measuring the range of motion of an animal joint

Abstract

The application relates to a five-degree-of-freedom animal joint activity measuring device, which comprises three main parts of a frame, a workbench and a measuring mechanism, the frame is composed of a hollow structure of a cube and a built-in double-shaft linear slide rail, and is matched with a multi-wheel lockable sliding block and a sleeve connector; the workbench is provided with a fixing table and limb, head and trunk fixing devices, so that the animal can be stabilized during the measuring process; the measuring mechanism is composed of three mutually perpendicular connecting rods, a stepping motor, a direction sensor and a torque sensor, so that three-direction rotation measurement can be realized; two lead screws and linear lead screw stepping motors and displacement sensors are matched, so that two-direction linear movement measurement can be realized. Compared with the prior art, the application provides an efficient and accurate measuring tool for scientific research on animal joint activity, and solves the problems of low measuring precision, insufficient degree of freedom and limited application range of the joint activity measuring tool.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical basic scientific research measuring equipment, in particular to an animal joint range of motion measuring device capable of achieving five degrees of freedom. BACKGROUND

[0002] Joint fibrosis is a pathological phenomenon of excessive scar tissue formation in the joint or surrounding soft tissue. This condition can occur in most joints, such as the knee joint, hip joint, ankle joint, foot joint, shoulder joint (frozen shoulder, adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder joint), elbow joint (stiff elbow), wrist joint and hand joint, and spinal vertebrae. Joint fibrosis can occur after injury or surgery, or it can occur without apparent cause. There is an urgent need to use common animals (such as rats, rabbits, dogs, etc.) as experimental carriers to construct animal models of joint fibrosis in the front or hind limbs, and to conduct in-depth research on the pathogenesis and treatment of joint fibrosis.

[0003] Joint range of motion (ROM) is also known as joint range of motion, which is the maximum arc that can be reached during joint movement, and is one of the indicators for assessing the range and degree of joint movement function impairment. The painful reduction of joint range of motion is the most significant clinical feature of joint fibrosis. Clinically, the measurement of joint range of motion is mostly done by visual method or protractor measurement, and the data obtained is relatively rough. In addition, the current known animal models for joint fibrosis research mostly use a simple platform to measure the joint range of motion of rats in one degree of freedom. In order to achieve the measurement of joint range of motion in five degrees of freedom for more types of common animals (such as rats, rabbits, dogs, etc.), it is necessary to develop an animal joint range of motion measuring device capable of achieving five degrees of freedom. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide an animal joint range of motion measuring device capable of achieving five degrees of freedom, to solve the problems of low measurement accuracy, insufficient degrees of freedom, limited application range, etc. in the prior art. The device aims to improve the accuracy and reliability of the measurement, and to expand the types of animals that can be used, thereby better supporting the research and treatment evaluation of joint fibrosis.

[0005] The purpose of the present application can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present application provides an animal joint range of motion measuring device capable of achieving five degrees of freedom, comprising a frame assembly, a workbench and a measuring mechanism, wherein specifically:

[0007] The frame assembly comprises a cuboid frame structure body, four groups of linear slide rails respectively arranged on four faces of the frame structure body, a multi-wheel lockable sliding block movably arranged on the linear slide rails, and a sleeve connector connected to three of the multi-wheel lockable sliding blocks.

[0008] A workbench is connected to the multi-wheel lockable sliding block on one face of the frame structure body, and the workbench is provided with an experimental animal fixing assembly and a heating unit.

[0009] The measuring mechanism comprises a stepper motor connected to the sleeve connectors on three orthogonal faces of the frame structure body, a connecting rod connected to an output shaft of the stepper motor, a direction sensor and a torque sensor arranged on the connecting rod, a four-axis connector detachably connected to the three orthogonal connecting rods, a first linear lead screw stepper motor detachably connected to a remaining interface of the four-axis connector, a linear displacement sensor arranged on a screw rod of the first linear lead screw stepper motor, and an experimental animal forelimb and hindlimb fixing shaft connected to the screw rod of the first linear lead screw stepper motor.

[0010] Further, the linear slide rail is an internal double-axis linear slide rail.

[0011] Further, a limiting groove is symmetrically arranged on an inner wall of a slide rail groove of the internal double-axis linear slide rail.

[0012] Further, a group of sliding wheels is arranged on each side of the multi-wheel lockable sliding block, and each group of the sliding wheels is movably limited in the limiting groove.

[0013] Further, a screw locking handle is screwed on the multi-wheel lockable sliding block, and when the screw locking handle is twisted, the screw locking handle is pressed against the linear slide rail, and the multi-wheel lockable sliding block is locked.

[0014] Further, at least one slide rod is arranged on each of the three orthogonal faces of the frame structure body, and the linear slide rail is arranged on the slide rod.

[0015] Further, the first linear lead screw stepper motor and the second linear lead screw stepper motor are in the form that a rotor with an internal thread is arranged in a motor body, and the linear motion is realized by the engagement of the internal thread of the rotor and a screw rod.

[0016] Further, the experimental animal fixing assembly comprises a fixing table, four sliding grooves arranged on the fixing table, four limb fixing units arranged on the four sliding grooves, a head fixing unit arranged on the fixing table, and a torso fixing unit.

[0017] Further, the lower surface of the fixing table is connected with one of the plurality of wheel-locked sliding blocks.

[0018] The lower surface of the fixing table is connected with an electric heating unit.

[0019] Further, the four limb fixing units comprise four adjustable position supports arranged in the four sliding grooves respectively.

[0020] A fastening screw is arranged on the adjustable position support and passes through the lower surface of the fixing table and is screwed into the adjustable position support, and the position of the adjustable position support can be locked by tightening the fastening screw.

[0021] Further, the four limb fixing units further comprise an elastic fixing belt connected with the adjustable position support, and the elastic fixing belt is used for fixing the limbs of the experimental animal.

[0022] The head fixing unit and the torso fixing unit are both elastic fixing belts arranged on the fixing table and are used for limiting the head and the torso of the experimental animal respectively.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following technical advantages:

[0024] 1) The movable and fixable sliding rail and sliding block system and the detachable sleeve connector designed in the present application significantly improve the adaptability and flexibility of the equipment. Users can easily adjust the spatial position of the workbench and the motor according to the experimental requirements, so that the equipment can adapt to different types and sizes of animals. This high adjustability not only improves the accuracy of the experiment, but also enables the equipment to serve a wider range of research fields, thereby providing a more universal and efficient tool for animal kinematics research.

[0025] 2) The present application significantly enhances the fixing ability of the experimental animal by arranging adjustable animal limb, head and torso fixing devices. These fixing devices can be adjusted according to the size of the animal to ensure that the animal remains stable during measurement, reducing errors caused by animal movement. Not only does it improve the repeatability and reliability of the experiment, but also makes the present application applicable to more types of animal research.

[0026] 3)The present application can realize the accurate measurement of five degrees of freedom of animal forelimb or hindlimb joint by innovative detachable fixing sleeve connector and four-axis connecting joint, combined with stepping motor arranged in three orthogonal directions and linear lead screw stepping motor in two directions. This comprehensive freedom coverage enables the present application to capture the subtle differences of animal joint movement, providing researchers with the possibility of in-depth understanding of animal movement mechanism. In addition, this multi-dimensional measurement capability also provides important technical support for developing new rehabilitation training methods and evaluating animal movement function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the animal joint activity measurement device capable of realizing five degrees of freedom in the present application.

[0028] In the figure:

[0029] Frame assembly-1;

[0030] Frame structure main body-11;

[0031] Linear slide rail-12;

[0032] Multi-wheel lockable slider-13;

[0033] Spiral locking handle-14;

[0034] Slide rod-15;

[0035] Sleeve connector-16;

[0036] Workbench-2;

[0037] Fixing table-21;

[0038] Sliding groove-22;

[0039] Adjustable position support-23;

[0040] Elastic fixing belt-24;

[0041] Stepping motor-31;

[0042] Connecting rod-32;

[0043] Four-axis connector-33;

[0044] First linear lead screw stepping motor-34;

[0045] Linear displacement sensor-35;

[0046] Experimental animal forelimb and hindlimb fixing shaft-36;

[0047] Second linear lead screw stepping motor-37. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. In this technical solution, if the component model, material name, connection structure, control method, algorithm, and other features are not explicitly described, they are considered as common technical features disclosed in the prior art.

[0049] Embodiment 1

[0050] In this embodiment, a five-degree-of-freedom animal joint range of motion measuring device can be realized, which includes a frame assembly 1, a workbench 2, and a measuring mechanism. For details, see Figure 1 .

[0051] In specific implementation, the frame assembly 1 includes a cuboid frame structure main body 11, four groups of linear slide rails 12 respectively arranged on four faces of the frame structure main body 11, a multi-wheel lockable sliding block 13 movably arranged on the linear slide rail 12, and a sleeve connector 16 connected to three multi-wheel lockable sliding blocks 13. In specific implementation, the linear slide rail 12 is a built-in double-shaft linear slide rail.

[0052] In specific implementation, a limiting groove is symmetrically arranged on the inner wall of the slide rail groove of the built-in double-shaft linear slide rail. Each side of the multi-wheel lockable sliding block 13 is provided with a group of sliding wheels, and each group of sliding wheels is movably limited in the limiting groove. A screw locking handle 14 is screwed on the multi-wheel lockable sliding block 13, and when the screw locking handle 14 is twisted, the screw locking handle 14 can be pressed against the linear slide rail 12 to lock the multi-wheel lockable sliding block 13.

[0053] In specific implementation, the workbench 2 is connected to the multi-wheel lockable sliding block 13 on one face of the frame structure main body 11, and the workbench 2 is provided with an experimental animal fixing assembly and a heating unit. The experimental animal fixing assembly includes a fixing table 21, four sliding grooves 22 arranged on the fixing table 21, a four-limb fixing unit arranged on the four sliding grooves, a head fixing unit, and a trunk fixing unit arranged on the fixing table 21. The lower surface of the fixing table 21 is connected to one multi-wheel lockable sliding block 13. An electric heating unit is connected to the lower surface of the fixing table 21. The electric heating unit can be a constant temperature heating pad purchased on the market.

[0054] In specific implementation, the four-limb fixing unit includes four adjustable position supports 23 arranged in the four sliding grooves, respectively. A fastening screw is matched and arranged on the adjustable position support 23, the fastening screw passes through the lower surface of the fixing table 21 and is screwed into the adjustable position support 23, and the position of the adjustable position support 23 can be locked by tightening the fastening screw.

[0055] In specific implementation, the four-limb fixing unit further comprises an elastic fixing belt 24 connected with the adjustable position bracket 23, which is used for binding and fixing the four limbs of the experimental animal; the head fixing unit and the torso fixing unit are both elastic fixing belts arranged on the fixing table 21, which respectively realize the head limiting and the torso limiting of the experimental animal. The two ends of the elastic fixing belt of the head fixing unit and the torso fixing unit are detachably buckled on the fixing table 21 through buckles.

[0056] In specific implementation, the measuring mechanism comprises a stepping motor 31 connected to the sleeve connector 16 on the three orthogonal surfaces of the frame structure body 11, a connecting rod 32 connected with the output shaft of the stepping motor 31, a direction sensor and a torque sensor arranged on the connecting rod 32, a four-axis connector 33 detachably connected with the three orthogonal connecting rods 32, a first linear lead screw stepping motor 34 detachably connected with the remaining one interface of the four-axis connector 33, a linear displacement sensor 35 arranged on the lead screw of the first linear lead screw stepping motor 34, and an experimental animal fore and hind limb fixing shaft 36 connected with the lead screw of the first linear lead screw stepping motor 34. Among the three orthogonal surfaces of the frame structure body 11, two parallel linear sliding rails 12 are arranged. The measuring mechanism further comprises a second linear lead screw stepping motor 37 arranged in parallel with the first linear lead screw stepping motor 34, the lead screw of the second linear lead screw stepping motor 37 is connected with the experimental animal fore and hind limb fixing shaft 36, and the experimental animal fore and hind limb fixing shaft 36 is used for connecting with the forelimb or hindlimb of the experimental animal to realize the five-degree-of-freedom joint range of motion measurement of the animal.

[0057] In specific implementation, the first linear lead screw stepping motor 34 and the second linear lead screw stepping motor 37 are both in the form of: a rotor with internal threads is built-in the motor body, and the internal threads of the rotor and the screw rod are engaged to realize linear motion.

[0058] At least one slide rod 15 is arranged on each of the three orthogonal surfaces of the frame structure body 11, and the linear sliding rail 12 is arranged on the slide rod 15.

[0059] In the actual application of the device in this embodiment for measuring the joint range of motion, the following steps are mainly implemented:

[0060] Animal fixation: first, place the experimental animal on the workbench. Use the four-limb fixing unit, the head fixing unit and the torso fixing unit on the fixing table 21, and fix the four limbs, the head and the torso of the animal at appropriate positions through the adjustable position bracket 23 and the elastic fixing belt 24, to ensure that the animal remains stable during the measurement process.

[0061] Device adjustment: According to the size of the experimental animals and the need for joint movement measurement, adjust the position of the multi-wheel locking slider 13 on the linear slide rail 12 through the screw locking handle 14, to realize the spatial position adjustment of the workbench 2 and the measurement mechanism.

[0062] Measurement mechanism positioning: Install the measurement mechanism, including the stepper motor 31, connecting rod 32, direction sensor, torque sensor, four-axis connector 33, etc., in the appropriate position of the frame 1 through the sleeve connector 16. Utilize the precise control of the stepper motor to fine-tune the measurement mechanism to adapt to different measurement angles and ranges.

[0063] The measurement mechanism used in this embodiment works as follows:

[0064] Connecting rods: The device uses three mutually perpendicular connecting rods to achieve rotational motion in three-dimensional space. Each connecting rod is connected to a stepper motor, which controls the rotation of the connecting rod, thereby driving the rotation of the animal's forelimbs or hindlimbs in the corresponding direction. The connecting rod also integrates a direction sensor and a torque sensor to collect the direction changes and force conditions during joint movement.

[0065] Stepper motors: A total of three stepper motors are required in the device, each responsible for controlling the rotational motion in one direction. The precise control capability of the stepper motor ensures the accuracy and repeatability of the animal joint rotation angle.

[0066] Direction sensor and torque sensor: Each stepper motor in a direction is equipped with a corresponding direction sensor and torque sensor. These sensors are integrated into small cylinders and installed on the connecting rod to monitor and record relevant data in real time.

[0067] Lead screws: The device uses two lead screws to achieve linear movement in the current direction. Each lead screw is connected to a linear lead screw stepper motor, which controls the linear movement of the lead screw, thereby achieving the extension or contraction of the animal's forelimbs or hindlimbs in a specific direction.

[0068] Linear lead screw stepper motor: Each motor controls the linear motion of a lead screw. This design in the embodiment allows the animal's forelimbs or hindlimbs to move accurately in three mutually perpendicular directions.

[0069] Displacement sensor: The displacement sensor is installed on the lead screw to record the displacement data of the animal's forelimbs or hindlimbs in the linear motion direction, ensuring the accuracy of the measurement.

[0070] Four-axis connection joint: The four-axis connection joint is used to connect three connecting rods and a lead screw, and is designed as a detachable sleeve structure. This design allows the step motors in different directions to work independently, avoiding mutual interference. For example, when the step motor in one direction works, the step motors in the other two directions and their connecting rods need to be detached to ensure the realization of the rotation function.

[0071] Front and rear limb fixation shaft: The front and rear limb fixation shaft is used to fix the front or rear limbs of the animal being tested. In the embodiment, two detachable structures are designed on the front and rear limb fixation shaft 36 of the experimental animal, which can be two sleeve type interfaces, respectively used to connect two lead screws in mutually perpendicular directions, such as directly using the axial direction of the first linear lead screw step motor 34, or directly using the axial direction of the second linear lead screw step motor 37. This design allows linear motion measurement in different directions, and the corresponding lead screw is detached as needed to ensure that the step motor can rotate normally.

[0072] Joint range of motion measurement: Start the step motor and linear lead screw step motor, drive the animal's front or rear limb through the connecting rod and lead screw to perform a predetermined activity. The direction sensor and torque sensor monitor and record the direction change and force during the joint activity in real time, and the displacement sensor 35 measures the linear movement distance of the animal's front and rear limb fixation shaft 36.

[0073] Data recording and analysis: During the measurement process, data recorded by the sensor is collected, including the angle, speed, torque, etc. of joint activity. These data can be used to analyze the range of motion, flexibility of animal joints and possible movement disorders.

[0074] Temperature control: During the measurement process, the constant temperature heating pad can maintain the body temperature of the animal, avoiding the influence of temperature change on the measurement results.

[0075] Result evaluation: According to the collected data, the range of motion of the animal's joint is evaluated, and the health status or rehabilitation progress of the joint is determined. These data have important value for studying the treatment effect of joint fibrosis and other diseases and animal kinematics.

[0076] The various motors and sensors in the device are in communication with the user's computer, forming a feedback control system that allows the user to preset the required force or torque value. During the experiment, the computer terminal will control the stepper motor and linear screw stepper motor to apply the corresponding force or torque to the animal's forelimb joint according to these preset values and the feedback from the various sensors. Not only are the normal mechanical parameters of the animal's joint recorded, but the device's feedback function is also used to set a specific force / torque, simulating the joint's force under physiological conditions. The device accurately controls joint movement, and when the preset test conditions are reached, the machine automatically stops rotating and records the joint angle, providing accurate baseline data for subsequent fibrosis induction and treatment evaluation. In the treatment evaluation stage, the device's feedback function can be used again to test the treated joint under the same conditions, evaluate the treatment effect, and ensure the comparability of the experiment and the scientificity of the results.

[0077] The large amount of mechanical parameter data recorded by the computer terminal is analyzed in real time by existing software, including not only the drawing of force-displacement curves and the calculation of stiffness coefficients, but also the accurate measurement and analysis of joint angles under set force / torque conditions. The computer terminal automatically compares and analyzes the mechanical parameter changes of experimental animals at different time points through existing software, generating quantitative evaluation results, thus accurately reflecting the development of joint fibrosis and treatment effect. In addition, the data processing system also verifies the applicability of the device in different anatomical positions by comparing the measurements of different experimental animals' joints, ensuring the wide applicability and accuracy of the measurement results. Through this comprehensive data collection and processing, the biomechanical properties of the joint can be fully evaluated, providing strong data support for the research and treatment of joint fibrosis in animals.

[0078] The above description of the embodiments is to facilitate the understanding and use of the invention by those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications to these embodiments and apply the general principles described herein to other embodiments without having to go through creative labor. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An animal joint range of motion measuring device that can achieve five degrees of freedom, characterized by, The utility model relates to a kind of experimental animal joint activity measurement device, including: Frame assembly (1), the frame assembly (1) includes cuboid frame structure body (11), 4 groups of linear slide rail (12) respectively on 4 faces of frame structure body (11), multiple-wheel lockable slider (13) movably disposed on the linear slide rail (12), sleeve connector (16) connected to three multiple-wheel lockable sliders (13); Workbench (2), connected to the multiple-wheel lockable slider (13) on the face of frame structure body (11), the workbench (2) is equipped with experimental animal fixing assembly and heating unit; Measuring mechanism, including step motor (31) connected to sleeve connector (16) on three orthogonal faces of frame structure body (11), connecting rod (32) connected with the output shaft of the step motor (31), direction sensor and torque sensor disposed on the connecting rod (32), four-axis connector (33) simultaneously with three orthogonal connecting rods (32) detachably connected, first linear lead screw step motor (34) detachably connected with the remaining one interface of four-axis connector (33), linear displacement sensor (35) disposed on the screw rod of the first linear lead screw step motor (34), experimental animal fore and hind limbs fixing shaft (36) connected with the screw rod of the first linear lead screw step motor (34), among three orthogonal faces of frame structure body (11), two parallel linear slide rails (12) are provided, the measuring mechanism further includes second linear lead screw step motor (37) arranged in parallel with the first linear lead screw step motor (34), the screw rod of the second linear lead screw step motor (37) is connected with the experimental animal fore and hind limbs fixing shaft (36), and the experimental animal fore and hind limbs fixing shaft (36) is used to be connected with the forelimb or hind limb of experimental animal, to realize five degrees of freedom animal joint activity measurement.

2. The animal joint range of motion measurement device capable of five degrees of freedom according to claim 1, wherein, The linear slide rail (12) is a built-in double-axis linear slide rail; The inner wall of the slide rail groove of the built-in double-axis linear slide rail is also symmetrically provided with a limiting groove.

3. The animal joint range of motion measurement device capable of five degrees of freedom according to claim 2, wherein, Each of the two sides of the multiple-wheel lockable slider (13) is provided with a group of sliding wheels, and each group of sliding wheels is movably limited in the limiting groove.

4. The animal joint range of motion measurement device capable of five degrees of freedom according to claim 3, wherein, The multiple-wheel lockable slider (13) is screwed with a spiral locking handle (14), and when the spiral locking handle (14) is twisted, the spiral locking handle (14) can be pressed on the linear slide rail (12), to realize the locking of the multiple-wheel lockable slider (13).

5. The animal joint range of motion measurement device capable of five degrees of freedom according to claim 1, wherein, At least one slide rod (15) is provided on each of the three orthogonal faces of the frame structure body (11), and the linear slide rail (12) is provided on the slide rod (15).

6. The animal joint range of motion measurement device capable of five degrees of freedom according to claim 1, wherein, The first linear lead screw step motor (34) and the second linear lead screw step motor (37) are both in the form of a motor body built-in a rotor with internal threads, and the internal threads of the rotor are engaged with the screw rod to realize linear motion.

7. The animal joint range of motion measurement device of claim 1, wherein, The experimental animal fixing assembly includes a fixing table (21), four sliding grooves (22) provided on the fixing table (21), four-limb fixing units provided on the four sliding grooves, a head fixing unit and a torso fixing unit provided on the fixing table (21).

8. The animal joint range of motion measurement device capable of five degrees of freedom according to claim 7, wherein, The lower surface of the fixed table (21) is connected with one of the multi-wheel lockable sliders (13); The lower surface of the fixed table (21) is connected with an electric heating unit.

9. The animal joint range of motion measurement device of claim 7, wherein, The four-limb fixing unit comprises four adjustable position supports (23) arranged in four sliding grooves respectively; A fastening screw is matched arranged on the adjustable position support (23), the fastening screw passes through the lower surface of the fixed table (21) and is screwed into the adjustable position support (23), by tightening the fastening screw, the position locking of the adjustable position support (23) can be realized.

10. The animal joint range of motion measurement device of claim 9, wherein, The four-limb fixing unit further comprises an elastic fixing belt (24) connected with the adjustable position support (23), the elastic fixing belt (24) is used for fixing the four limbs of the experimental animal; The head fixing unit and the trunk fixing unit are both elastic fixing belts arranged on the fixed table (21), which realize the head limiting and the trunk limiting of the experimental animal respectively.

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