A rigid-flexible coupling type rehabilitation and wake-up exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients and application thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a rigid-flexible coupling type rehabilitation and wake-up promoting exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients and application thereof, which comprises a lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module, an upper limb flexible rope driving module and a chest power supply central control module; the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module is composed of a rigid structure and a flexible rehabilitation auxiliary tool, the rigid structure is used for providing overall stability, the flexible rehabilitation auxiliary tool is worn on the human body and is connected through structural coupling; the chest power supply central control module and the upper limb flexible rope driving module are combined through a connecting device and are installed on a base provided by the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module. The rigid-flexible coupling structure design is adopted, the flexible unit is in line with the human body anatomical form, the adaptation capability of the device to different body types and postures is improved, the local pressure is significantly reduced, the comfort of the patient in the wearing process is improved, the device is suitable for long-time continuous use and is particularly suitable for early intervention and wake-up intervention in the neural rehabilitation scene.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical or rehabilitation products, specifically relating to a rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients and its application. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, tens of millions of new brain injury patients are diagnosed worldwide each year. These patients often live with long-term consciousness-motor impairment or a vegetative state, placing a huge burden on families and society due to prolonged bed rest. Exoskeletons can assist patients in raising their arms and legs, promoting awakening and rehabilitation. Common rehabilitation exoskeletons mainly have three configurations: traditional bedridden rehabilitation training exoskeletons, purely rigid exoskeletons, and purely flexible exoskeletons. Considering the differences in body shape and rehabilitation needs of different hemiplegic patients, and the need for bedridden wear, a single exoskeleton configuration is difficult to meet the rehabilitation needs of different patients. Specialized exoskeletons need to be designed for hemiplegic patients. Traditional rehabilitation exoskeleton devices suffer from poor physiological compatibility, bulkiness, and low integration, which may lead to discomfort, reduced effectiveness, or even secondary injury. Therefore, how to design a lightweight, personalized, stable, and reliable rehabilitation exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients has become an urgent technical problem to be solved in the field of rehabilitation and awakening.

[0003] Traditional exoskeletons for bedridden rehabilitation training come in two types: integrated with the bed frame and unilaterally deployed. The former can achieve full-body awakening, but its drawback is that the exoskeleton must be supported by the hospital bed, resulting in bulky equipment. The latter has low integration and cannot achieve full-body awakening. Furthermore, while purely rigid exoskeletons offer good rigidity and strong support for the patient, their rigid structure leads to poor biocompatibility, easily causing joint misalignment and injury. Purely flexible exoskeletons offer higher biocompatibility, but their insufficient limb support poses certain safety risks during patient use and cannot meet the strength requirements for motor assistance in hemiplegic patients. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients and its application, which solves the problems of bulkiness, poor physiological adaptability, low equipment integration and insufficient personalized adaptation of common configurations in the prior art.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients includes a lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module, an upper limb flexible rope-driven module, and a chest power supply control module. The lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module consists of a rigid structure and flexible rehabilitation aids. The rigid structure provides overall stability, while the flexible rehabilitation aids fit the human body and are connected through structural coupling. The chest power supply control module and the upper limb flexible rope-driven module are combined by a connecting device and installed together on a base provided by the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module. The base is provided with an electrical connection interface that matches the power supply control module.

[0007] The lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module includes a hip joint support, a stepper servo motor, a hip motor connector, a joint motor bracket, a joint motor, a knee joint link, a lower limb Bowden rope, a calf brace, an ankle joint link, and a foot brace. The hip joint support serves as a base, with the stepper servo motor, hip motor connector, joint motor bracket, joint motor, knee joint link, lower limb Bowden rope, calf brace, ankle joint link, and foot brace symmetrically connected from top to bottom at both ends. All motors are connected to the electrical connection interface via built-in wires.

[0008] The upper limb rigid-flexible coupling module includes a symmetrically arranged chest-loaded rigid support, a flexible back strap, pulleys, a servo motor, a Bowden rope, a flexible sleeve, and a quick-connect interface. The chest-loaded rigid support is a rigid frame that conforms to the human chest. The servo motor is positioned slightly below the rigid frame, and its output shaft is connected to a positioning pulley. A second pulley is located in the upper middle part of the rigid frame. One end of the Bowden rope is fixed to the positioning pulley, and the other end passes over the second pulley and connects to the flexible sleeve. The quick-connect interface is connected to an electrical connection interface on the base below, and a support rod is located behind the quick-connect interface, forming four fulcrums with the upper end of the chest-loaded rigid support.

[0009] The chest-mounted power supply control module is installed in the middle of the lower part of the two chest-mounted rigid supports, and provides power to all devices through internal leads.

[0010] The chest power supply control module has a built-in battery power supply unit and an exoskeleton control unit.

[0011] The exoskeleton has six degrees of freedom. Two independent motors in the upper limbs change the length of the Bowden rope by rotating it forward and backward, and tightening the Bowden rope controls the arm raising action. The hip joint motor in the lower limbs drives the thigh joint assembly to perform rotational motion. The thigh joint assembly is fixed to the patient's thigh by straps. By adjusting the length of the knee joint linkage and the Bowden rope in the lower limbs, the exoskeleton and the wearer's limbs cooperate to form a four-bar linkage.

[0012] Adjust the distance from the center point of the joint motor to the center point of the knee joint to be approximately equal to the length of the lower limb Bowden rope, and adjust the distance from the connection point of the lower limb Bowden rope and the calf brace to the center point of the knee joint to be approximately equal to the length of the knee joint link.

[0013] The modules are connected by detachable combination interfaces, which supports the customization and combination configuration of each module as needed.

[0014] The rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients is made of lightweight materials.

[0015] Application of a rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients: The rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients is applied in various scenarios including wards and rehabilitation centers.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The present invention adopts a rigid-flexible coupling structure design. The flexible unit conforms to the human anatomical shape, which improves the device's adaptability to different body shapes and postures, significantly reduces local pressure, improves patient comfort during wear, and is suitable for long-term continuous use.

[0018] 2. By selecting lightweight materials and optimizing the structural layout, the overall weight of the device is reduced. Compared with traditional wake-up devices integrated with the bed, this invention is easier to transport, deploy, and store, making it suitable for flexible use in various application scenarios such as wards and rehabilitation centers.

[0019] 3. This invention supports the detachable combination of multiple functional modules, including a battery control module, an upper limb flexible rope drive module, and a lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module, which can be flexibly configured according to the patient's condition, intervention site, and treatment goal, thereby improving the clinical applicability and scalability of the system.

[0020] 4. The combined design of rope drive and four-bar linkage accurately simulates the natural joint movement path of the human body, effectively avoiding deviation of movement trajectory and joint displacement, ensuring the biomechanical rationality and operational safety of patients during training, and is particularly suitable for early intervention and awakening intervention in neurorehabilitation scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 These are some of the most common rehabilitation and arousal exoskeletons currently available. a is a unilateral arrangement, b is a purely rigid exoskeleton, and c is an integrated bed frame type.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the upper limb rigid-flexible coupling module structure of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of the exoskeleton traction system for patient movement according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the joint motor traction for knee joint rotation according to the present invention.

[0027] The labels in the diagram are as follows: 1-lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module, 2-upper limb flexible rope drive module, 3-chest power supply central control module, 101-hip joint support, 102-stepper servo motor, 103-hip motor connector, 104-joint motor bracket, 105-joint motor, 106-knee joint link, 107-lower limb Bowden rope, 108-lower leg brace, 109-ankle joint link, 110-foot brace, 211-chest-loaded rigid support, 212-flexible shoulder strap, 213-second pulley, 214-servo motor, 215-upper limb Bowden rope, 216-flexible sleeve, 217-quick interface. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The structure and working process of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The purpose of this invention is to provide a rigid-flexible coupling rehabilitation exoskeleton adapted for hemiplegic patients, assisting them in promoting awakening and rehabilitation. It features a compact and lightweight overall structure, good physiological adaptability, high device integration, easy assembly and disassembly, wide applicability to a wide range of patients and can be expanded to fit different rehabilitation areas, strong assistive effect, and good comfort. Therefore, this invention strives to find a new structure to solve the problems of bulkiness, poor physiological adaptability, low device integration, and insufficient personalized adaptation of the aforementioned common configurations.

[0030] A rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients is proposed, comprising a lower limb rigid-flexible coupled module, an upper limb flexible rope-driven module, and a chest power supply control module. The lower limb rigid-flexible coupled module consists of a rigid structure and flexible rehabilitation aids. The rigid structure provides overall stability, while the flexible rehabilitation aids fit the human body and are connected through structural coupling. The chest power supply control module and the upper limb flexible rope-driven module are combined by a connecting device and installed together on a base provided by the lower limb rigid-flexible coupled module. The base is provided with an electrical connection interface that matches the power supply control module.

[0031] Specific embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 6 As shown:

[0032] The rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients described in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 2The device shown consists of a lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module 1, an upper limb flexible rope drive module 2, and a chest power supply control module 3. The lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module is composed of a rigid motor-driven joint and a flexible rehabilitation aid. The chest power supply control module and the upper limb flexible rope drive module are combined through a connecting device and installed together on the base provided by the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module mainly consists of a hip joint support 101, a stepper servo motor 102, a hip motor connector 103, a joint motor bracket 104, a joint motor 105, a knee joint link 106, a lower limb Bowden rope 107, a calf protector 108, an ankle joint link 109, and a foot protector 110. The main body of the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module has a symmetrical structure, and all connectors and brackets have moderate thickness, balancing lightweight and structural strength. The hip joint support 101 serves as a base, with the stepper servo motor 102, hip motor connector 103, joint motor bracket 104, joint motor 105, knee joint link 106, lower limb Bowden rope 107, calf protector 108, ankle joint link 109, and foot protector 110 symmetrically connected from top to bottom at both ends. All motors are connected to the electrical connection interface via built-in wires.

[0034] During installation, the hip motor connector 103 is fixed to the stepper servo motor 102 with screws through the positioning holes. Then, the stepper servo motor 102 is fixed to the hip joint support 101 through the positioning holes of the motor output shaft. Next, the joint motor 105 is fitted into the joint motor bracket 104, rotated to the positioning hole, and the screws are tightened. Then, the protruding boss of the hip motor connector 103 is inserted into the joint motor bracket 104 and fixed by screws. The knee joint link 106 is fixed to the output shaft of the joint motor 105 with screws through the positioning holes. The lower limb Bowden rope 107 is connected to the knee joint link 106 and the calf brace 108. The calf brace 108 is connected to the foot brace 110 through the ankle joint link 109. The ankle joint link 109 can effectively prevent the position of the calf brace 108 from shifting during wearing.

[0035] like Figure 4As shown, the upper limb rigid-flexible coupling module includes a symmetrically arranged chest-mounted rigid support 211, a flexible back strap 212, a positioning pulley, a second pulley 213, a servo motor 214, an upper limb Bowden rope 215, a flexible sleeve 216, and a quick-connect interface 217. The chest-mounted rigid support 211 is primarily a rigid frame that conforms to the human chest. A through-hole is located in the lower part of the chest, and the servo motor 214 is placed within this through-hole, providing a smooth transition fit. The outer ring of the servo motor 214 is fixed to the chest-mounted rigid support 211 by screws. The servo motor 214 is connected to the positioning pulley via a positioning hole on its output shaft and secured with screws. The upper limb Bowden rope 215 is wound around the positioning pulley connected to the servo motor 214, and then pulled around the second pulley 213 (upper part) to connect to the flexible sleeve 216. The quick-access interface 217 has two functions. Its lower interface can connect to the hip joint support 101 to combine the upper and lower limb modules into a whole. Its rear support rod can form four fulcrums together with the chest-loaded rigid support 211, thereby reducing the weight of the equipment and reducing pressure on the patient's chest cavity when the patient is in bed. The upper limb rigid-flexible coupling module is completely symmetrical on both sides, and the middle part is connected to the devices on both sides through the chest power supply control module 3 to form the complete set of equipment.

[0036] In this embodiment, the upper limb rigid-flexible coupling module and the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module are assembled independently. After assembly according to the aforementioned operation, the two are connected to the hip joint support 101 via the quick-connect interface 217. The entire rigid-flexible coupling type rehabilitation and awakening exoskeleton device for hemiplegic patients has a total of six degrees of freedom. The two independent motors of the upper limb can change the length of the Bowden rope by rotating it forward and backward. Tightening the Bowden rope can assist the patient in performing arm raising movements, such as... Figure 5 As shown. The lower limb hip joint motor drives the thigh joint assembly to rotate. The thigh joint assembly is fixed to the patient's thigh by straps. When the hip joint motor rotates, it also lifts the patient's thigh. Figure 5 As shown. When the hip joint motor is working, the joint motor 105 controls the knee joint linkage 106 to rotate, thereby tractioning the patient's lower leg to move as the thigh is raised. In designing the traction mechanism for knee joint rotation, the lengths of the knee joint linkage 106 and the lower limb Bowden rope 107 are adjusted so that the distance from the center point of the joint motor to the center point of the knee joint is approximately equal to the length of the Bowden rope, and the distance from the connection point of the Bowden rope and the lower limb brace to the center point of the knee joint is approximately equal to the length of the knee joint linkage. This allows the exoskeleton and the wearer's limb to cooperate in forming a near-parallelogram four-bar linkage mechanism, as shown. Figure 6 As shown, this design helps to precisely control the rotation angle of the human knee joint by adjusting the rotation angle of the joint motor output shaft.

[0037] The movement control of the exoskeleton can be controlled by the control unit in the chest power supply central control module. It can be automatically controlled according to a preset program or manually operated, and different control schemes can be selected according to the different needs of the patient.

[0038] In summary, the key points and effects of this invention are as follows:

[0039] The device employs a combination of a rigid support structure and a flexible adaptation unit. The rigid structure provides overall stability, while the flexible unit conforms to the human body. Through structural coupling, the device can achieve good deformation compliance while ensuring sufficient load-bearing capacity. This improves the physiological adaptability during use, enhances the device's adaptability to different body shapes and postures, reduces local pressure, and improves wearing comfort. It is suitable for long-term continuous use by patients of different body types.

[0040] This invention employs lightweight materials and optimized structural design, resulting in a lightweight overall device. Compared to existing wake-up devices with an integrated bed structure, this invention features a more compact structure, lighter weight, and easier transport and deployment, making it particularly suitable for mobile applications in various scenarios such as wards and rehabilitation centers, significantly improving operational flexibility and clinical adaptability.

[0041] The specific structural components are all manufactured using 3D printing. The rigid support parts are made of nylon and carbon fiber, while the outer shell is made of PLA. A well-designed flexible binding system and Bowden rope drive arrangement also ensure the device's lightweight nature. The specific lightweight materials and manufacturing processes can be flexibly configured according to specific circumstances, and those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments.

[0042] This invention consists of multiple functional modules, including but not limited to a battery control module, an upper limb flexible rope drive module, and a lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module. The modules are connected by detachable combination interfaces, supporting customized and combined configurations as needed, thereby enabling personalized applications for different patient conditions, intervention sites, and treatment goals, and improving system scalability and clinical applicability.

[0043] The motion execution structure of this invention employs a combined design of rope drive and a four-bar linkage. The rope drive simulates the traction of human tendons, while the four-bar linkage is designed according to the movement trajectory of human joints, highly matching the natural movement path of the limbs. This enables automatic joint coordination during limb movement, avoiding deviations in movement trajectories and joint displacement, ensuring biomechanical rationality and training safety during use. It is particularly suitable for early intervention and awakening intervention in neurorehabilitation settings.

[0044] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0045] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0046] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0047] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," "linking," and "socketing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients, characterized in that: This includes a lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module, an upper limb flexible rope drive module, and a chest power supply control module; The lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module consists of a rigid structure and a flexible rehabilitation aid. The rigid structure provides overall stability, while the flexible rehabilitation aid fits the human body and is connected through structural coupling. The chest power supply control module and the upper limb flexible rope drive module are combined via a connecting device and installed together on the base provided by the lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module. The base is equipped with an electrical connection interface that matches the power supply control module. The lower limb rigid-flexible coupling module includes a hip joint support, a stepper servo motor, a hip motor connector, a joint motor bracket, a joint motor, a knee joint link, a Bowden rope for the lower limb, calf protection, an ankle joint link, and foot protection. The hip joint support serves as the base, with stepper servo motors, hip motor connectors, joint motor brackets, joint motors, knee joint links, Bowden ropes for the lower limb, calf protection, ankle joint link, and foot protection symmetrically connected from top to bottom at both ends. All motors are connected to the electrical connection interface via built-in wires. The upper limb rigid-flexible coupling module includes a symmetrically arranged chest-mounted rigid support and a flexible back strap. The system comprises pulleys, a servo motor, Bowden ropes, flexible sleeves, and quick-connect interfaces. The chest-mounted rigid support is a rigid frame that conforms to the wearer's chest. The servo motor is positioned slightly below the rigid frame, and its output shaft connects to a positioning pulley. A second pulley is located in the upper middle part of the rigid frame. One end of the Bowden rope is fixed to the positioning pulley, and the other end passes over the second pulley and connects to the flexible sleeve. The quick-connect interface is connected to an electrical connection interface on the base. A support rod is located behind the quick-connect interface, forming four fulcrums with the upper end of the chest-mounted rigid support. The distance from the center point of the joint motor to the center point of the knee joint is adjusted to be equal to the length of the lower limb Bowden rope. The distance from the connection point of the lower limb Bowden rope and the calf brace to the center point of the knee joint is equal to the length of the knee joint linkage, thus coordinating the exoskeleton with the wearer's limbs to form a four-bar linkage.

2. The rigid-flexible coupled rehabilitative exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chest-mounted power supply control module is installed in the middle of the lower part of the two chest-mounted rigid supports, and provides power to all devices through internal leads.

3. The rigid-flexible coupled rehabilitative exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients according to claim 2, characterized in that: The chest power supply control module has a built-in battery power supply unit and an exoskeleton control unit.

4. The rigid-flexible coupled rehabilitative exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exoskeleton has six degrees of freedom. Two independent motors in the upper limbs change the length of the Bowden rope by rotating it forward and backward, and tightening the Bowden rope controls the arm raising motion. The hip joint motor in the lower limbs drives the thigh joint assembly to perform rotational motion, and the thigh joint assembly is fixed to the patient's thigh by straps.

5. The rigid-flexible coupled rehabilitative exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients according to claim 1, characterized in that: The modules are connected by detachable combination interfaces, which supports the customization and combination configuration of each module as needed.

6. The rigid-flexible coupled rehabilitative exoskeleton for hemiplegic patients according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton for rehabilitation and awakening of hemiplegic patients is made of lightweight materials.

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