Elbow joint double-drive auxiliary movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton

Abstract

The invention relates to an elbow joint double-drive auxiliary movement system based on electrical stimulation and a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, which comprises a control bag, the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, an electrode patch, an air pipe, a lead and a fixing piece, and is characterized in that the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton is connected with the control bag through one air pipe, and the electrode patch is connected with the control bag through an output lead; the control bag outputs an air source to the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton and outputs stimulation pulses to the electrode patches. The control bag is worn on the body of a user, and a micro pump and an electric stimulator are arranged in the control bag. The electrical stimulator is connected with a wire to output stimulation pulses to the electrode patch 3 pasted to the biceps brachii muscle of the upper arm, and the biceps brachii muscle is stimulated to contract to generate arm movement. The micro pump is connected with an air pipe to output an air source to the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton fixed on the outer side of the elbow joint, so that the arm is flexibly supported by the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton. A switch of the electrical stimulator is adjusted to output stimulation pulse width, and the air pressure of the proportional valve is adjusted to change the inflation volume of the micro pump to inflate and expand the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, so that the elbow joint completes bending motion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an assistive movement system for the elbow joint, specifically a dual-drive assistive movement system for the elbow joint based on electrical stimulation and a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton. Background Technology

[0002] Upper limb movement, especially elbow joint movement, plays a vital role in daily life, undertaking many actions and functions such as lifting, pushing, and pulling. The flexibility and stability of the elbow joint directly affect the completion and quality of many daily activities. Traditional elbow joint actuation systems are mostly rigid exoskeletons, affecting wearing comfort. Existing elbow joint assistive systems often rely on a single actuation method, such as using only functional electrical stimulation or pneumatic muscle exoskeletons. These systems may not provide sufficient flexibility and adaptability to meet the needs of different patients or different stages of rehabilitation. In addition, a single actuation method may lead to muscle fatigue or over-reliance after prolonged use. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings in the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, which can simultaneously perform functional electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton assistance to achieve more natural and effective elbow joint movement and stimulate muscle contraction, while meeting the needs of safety, portability and wearability in daily life activities.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this invention is: a dual-drive assisted movement system for the elbow joint based on electrical stimulation and a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, comprising: a control pack, a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, electrode patches, a trachea, wires, and a fixing component, wherein the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton is connected to the control pack through a trachea, and the electrode patches are connected to the control pack through output wires. The control pack outputs an air source to the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton and outputs stimulation pulses to the electrode patches.

[0005] The control pack is worn by the user and contains a micro-pump and an electrical stimulator. The micro-pump is connected to a trachea to output air, and the electrical stimulator is connected to wires to output stimulation pulses.

[0006] The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton includes: a fabric base and a triangular retainer and multiple driving airbags disposed thereon. The multiple driving airbags form an airbag array. The triangular retainer is located on both sides of the airbag array. Each driving airbag and two triangular retainers are sequentially connected and connected to one of the air tubes. After the multiple driving airbags and two triangular retainers are filled with air, they expand to support the human upper limb.

[0007] The triangular retainer takes on a triangular structure after inflation; the drive airbag expands from the center to both sides after inflation.

[0008] The airbag array is arranged along the length of the fabric substrate in a denser middle and sparser sides manner, and the top of the driving airbags in the sparser sides is provided with a curvature limiting layer.

[0009] The fabric base of the denser middle driving airbag is made of non-elastic fabric, while the fabric base of the sparser sides of the driving airbag is made of elastic fabric, and the restraint layer is made of elastic fabric.

[0010] The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton is fixed to the outside of the elbow by a fastener, and expands flexibly to support the human upper limb after an air source is introduced.

[0011] The fastener is a ring-shaped strap or Velcro.

[0012] The electrode patch is attached to the surface of the upper arm biceps brachii muscle. After receiving the stimulation pulse from the control packet, it outputs an electrode pulse signal to stimulate the biceps brachii muscle to contract and cause upper limb movement.

[0013] The electrode patch is a self-adhesive pin patch that connects to the wire through a 2.0 mm socket.

[0014] The advantages of the above technical solution adopted in this invention are as follows:

[0015] 1. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton described in this invention can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual movement situation, so as to realize that electrical stimulation and exoskeleton simultaneously assist elbow joint movement, stimulate muscle contraction and provide stable support.

[0016] 2. The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton described in this invention is made of TPU and fabric materials, achieving complete flexibility and featuring lightweight and low cost.

[0017] 3. The functional electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton described in this invention can be used in a modular or combined manner, and is easy to put on and take off, meeting the needs of different users while achieving sufficient comfort. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a front view of the device of the present invention after it has been worn by a user.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a rear view of a dual-drive elbow joint system based on functional electrical stimulation and a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton in this invention;

[0021] In the diagram: 1-Control pack, 2-Pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, 3-Electrode patch, 4-Trachea, 5-Wire, 6-Fixture, 7-Curvature limiting layer, 8-Triangle retainer, 9-Drive airbag, 10-Elastic fabric base, 11-Non-elastic fabric base. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0023] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the user wears this device. A dual-drive assisted movement system for the elbow joint based on electrical stimulation and a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton consists of a control pack 1, a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton 2, electrode patches 3, an air tube 4, wires 5, and a fixing device 6. The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton 2 is connected to the control pack 1 via the air tube 4, and the electrode patches 3 are connected to the control pack 1 via the wires 5. The control pack 1 provides an air source to the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton 2 and provides stimulation pulses to the electrode patches 3. The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton 2 is fixed to the outside of the elbow joint by the fixing device 6. The control pack 1 is worn around the user's waist and contains a micro-pump and an electrical stimulator. The micro-pump is connected to the air tube 4 to output an air source, and the electrical stimulator is connected to the wires 5 to output stimulation pulses. The electrode patches 3 are attached to the biceps brachii muscle of the upper arm, stimulating the biceps brachii muscle to contract upon receiving stimulation pulses. Upon the introduction of an air source, the patches expand, flexibly supporting the upper limb.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton 2 includes a fabric base, multiple driving airbags 9 arrayed on the fabric base, and triangular retainers 8 located on both sides of the multiple driving airbags 9. Each driving airbag 9 and the two triangular retainers 8 are sequentially connected and connected to an air tube 4. After being inflated by an air source, the multiple driving airbags 9 and the two triangular retainers 8 expand, thereby flexibly supporting the human upper limb. The multiple driving airbags 9 are arranged along the length of the fabric base in a denser middle and sparser side manner, and the top of the driving airbags 9 in the sparser side parts is provided with a curvature limiting layer 7. The triangular retainers form a triangular structure after inflation; the driving airbags expand from the middle to both sides after inflation. The fabric base below the denser driving airbags 9 in the middle is made of a non-elastic fabric base 11, and the fabric base below the sparser driving airbags 9 on both sides is made of an elastic fabric base 10.

[0025] The elastic fabric base 10 and the restrictive layer 7 are made of spandex elastic textile. The non-elastic fabric base 11 is made of nylon Oxford cloth.

[0026] Both the drive airbag and the triangle retainer are primarily made of fabric and TPU film to ensure flexible support and sealing performance.

[0027] The electrode patches are self-adhesive pin patches that connect to wire 5 via 2.0 mm sockets. This limits the output of the electrical stimulator to ensure safe use.

[0028] The fastener 6 uses a ring-shaped strap or Velcro.

[0029] The miniature pump in control package 1 is a Kamer KZP12, and the electrical stimulator is a Sichary dual-channel electrical stimulation module.

[0030] When the user wears the device, firstly, the control pack 1 is worn around the user's waist. The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton 2 is fixed to the outside of the elbow joint via the fastener 6, and the electrode patch 3 is attached to the biceps brachii muscle of the upper arm. Then, the switch of the micro-pump and electrical stimulator inside the control pack 1 is pressed. The micro-pump outputs air through the air tube 4, and the electrical stimulator outputs stimulation pulses. At this time, the electrode patch 3 attached to the biceps brachii muscle receives the stimulation pulses and stimulates the biceps brachii muscle to contract, generating arm movement. Simultaneously, the triangular retainer inflates into a triangular structure, and the drive airbag expands to both sides after inflation, providing support to the user's arm. The fabric base of the densely packed drive airbag 9 in the middle is made of non-elastic fabric 11, and the drive airbag 9 in this part provides stress support against the elbow after inflation. Since the fabric base of the sparsely packed drive airbags 9 on both sides is made of elastic fabric 10, the drive airbag 9 in this part can bend and extend to both sides after inflation to adapt to the radius of curvature of the elbow movement, forming flexible support on both sides of the elbow.

[0031] This scheme adjusts the output pulse width of the electrical stimulator switch and changes the inflation volume of the micro-pump by adjusting the proportional valve air pressure, so that the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton 2 can complete bending movements of different speeds and ranges with the elbow joint.

[0032] The above description is merely a few embodiments of this application and is not intended to limit this application in any way. Although this application discloses preferred embodiments as described above, it is not intended to limit this application. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application using the disclosed technical content are equivalent to equivalent implementation cases and fall within the scope of the technical solution.

Claims

1. A dual-drive assisted movement system for the elbow joint based on electrical stimulation and a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton, characterized in that, include: The control package (1), pneumatic muscle exoskeleton (2), electrode patch (3), trachea (4), wire (5), and fastener (6) are provided. The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton is connected to the control package (1) through a trachea (4), and the electrode patch (3) is connected to the control package (1) through an output wire (5). The control package (1) outputs an air source to the pneumatic muscle exoskeleton and outputs stimulation pulses to the electrode patch.

2. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control package (1) is worn by the user and contains a micro pump and an electrical stimulator. The micro pump is connected to a trachea (4) to output air, and the electrical stimulator is connected to a wire (5) to output stimulation pulses.

3. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton (2) includes: a fabric base and a triangular retainer (8) and multiple driving airbags (9) disposed thereon. The multiple driving airbags (9) form an airbag array. The triangular retainer (8) is located on both sides of the airbag array. Each driving airbag (9) and two triangular retainers (8) are sequentially connected and connected to one of the air tubes (4). After the multiple driving airbags (9) and two triangular retainers (8) are filled with air, they expand to support the human upper limb.

4. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 3, characterized in that, The triangular retainer takes on a triangular structure after inflation; the drive airbag expands from the center to both sides after inflation.

5. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 3, characterized in that, The airbag array is arranged along the length of the fabric substrate in a dense middle and sparse side manner, and the top of the driving airbag (9) of the sparse side part is provided with a curvature limiting layer (7).

6. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 5, characterized in that, The fabric base of the dense middle driving airbag (9) is made of non-elastic fabric base (11), the fabric base of the sparse driving airbags (9) on both sides is made of elastic fabric base (10), and the limiting layer (7) is made of elastic fabric base (10).

7. A dual-drive assisted movement system for the elbow joint based on electrical stimulation and a pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to any one of claims 3-6, characterized in that, The pneumatic muscle exoskeleton (2) is fixed to the outside of the elbow by a fastener, and expands to flexibly support the upper limb of the human body after an air source is introduced.

8. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 7, characterized in that, The fastener (6) is a ring-shaped strap or Velcro.

9. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode patch (3) is attached to the surface of the upper arm biceps brachii muscle. After receiving the stimulation pulse from the control packet (1), it outputs an electrode pulse signal to stimulate the biceps brachii muscle to contract and cause upper limb movement.

10. The elbow joint dual-drive assisted movement system based on electrical stimulation and pneumatic muscle exoskeleton according to claim 9, characterized in that, The electrode patch is a self-adhesive pin patch, which is connected to the wire (5) through a 2.0 mm socket.

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