Acupuncture point stimulation orthopedic device for hand function recovery after stroke

Abstract

The invention discloses an acupoint stimulation orthopedic device for hand function recovery after apoplexy, and particularly relates to the field of rehabilitation auxiliary instruments.The acupoint stimulation orthopedic device comprises a shell, a controller is installed on the portion, close to the front face, of the left side of the shell, an orthopedic mechanism is installed in the shell, and a fixing mechanism is arranged on the front face of the orthopedic mechanism; heating mechanisms are installed at the ends, close to the back face, of the left side and the right side of the shell, the shape correcting mechanism comprises an electric push rod, a lifting plate is installed at the output end of the electric push rod, a spring telescopic rod is installed at the bottom of the lifting plate, a mounting plate is installed at the bottom end of the spring telescopic rod, and a rubber pad is installed on one side of the mounting plate; an electrode point is installed on one side of the rubber pad, and a pressure sensor is installed in the rubber pad. According to the acupoint stimulation orthopedic device for hand function recovery after stroke, the rubber pad is used for wrapping the pressed hand, the pressure sensors installed in a matrix mode can recognize the size and shape of the hand, and the accuracy and effect of acupoint stimulation orthopedic are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rehabilitation assistive devices, and in particular to an acupoint stimulation orthotic device for the recovery of hand function after stroke. Background Technology

[0002] Approximately 80% of stroke patients experience residual upper limb motor dysfunction, with hand dysfunction being particularly common. This severely impacts patients' daily living abilities and quality of life. Acupoint stimulation combined with orthopedic training is a commonly used clinical rehabilitation method that can effectively activate neuroplasticity and promote hand function recovery. Existing acupoint stimulation orthopedic devices for post-stroke hand function recovery mostly employ a fixed structure design. They use electrode pads or stimulation probes to act on specific acupoints on the hand, assisting in correcting hand deformities and achieving acupoint stimulation to improve symptoms such as finger stiffness and flaccid paralysis.

[0003] However, existing technologies have significant shortcomings: due to significant individual differences in hand size, palm thickness, and finger shape among stroke patients, the locations of acupoints such as Hegu, Waiguan, and Laogong that need to be stimulated also vary from patient to patient. The stimulation components of existing devices are mostly fixed in place, making it impossible to flexibly adjust their positions according to the specific condition of the patient's hand, resulting in poor adaptability. This leads to insufficient precision in acupoint stimulation, making it difficult to achieve the desired rehabilitation effect, and may even cause discomfort due to incorrect stimulation location.

[0004] Therefore, we urgently need to provide an acupoint stimulation orthopedic device for the recovery of hand function after stroke. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide an acupoint stimulation orthopedic device for the recovery of hand function after stroke, which can effectively solve the problems mentioned above.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An acupoint stimulation orthotic device for hand function recovery after stroke includes a housing, a controller installed on the left side near the front of the housing, an orthotic mechanism installed inside the housing, a fixing mechanism on the front of the orthotic mechanism, and heating mechanisms installed on the left and right sides near the back of the housing. The orthopedic mechanism includes an electric push rod, a lifting plate is installed at the output end of the electric push rod, a spring telescopic rod is installed at the bottom of the lifting plate, an mounting plate is installed at the bottom end of the spring telescopic rod and on the bottom surface inside the housing, a rubber pad is installed on the side of the mounting plate away from the spring telescopic rod and the bottom surface inside the housing, an electrode point is installed on the side of the two rubber pads close to each other, and a pressure sensor is installed inside the rubber pad.

[0007] Preferably, the electric push rod is detachably installed in the middle of the top surface of the housing, the top mounting plate has protrusions on the left and right sides that are slidably connected to the convex grooves on the left and right sides inside the housing, and the bottom mounting plate is fixedly connected to the bottom surface inside the housing.

[0008] Preferably, the pressure sensor is installed in a matrix inside a rectangular cavity on the side of the rubber pad away from the electrode point, and the electrode point is embedded in two rubber pads on a side close to each other. Several electrode points are embedded in several slots formed on the side of two rubber pads close to each other, and the rubber pad is a medical-grade rubber pad.

[0009] Preferably, the fixing mechanism includes an adjusting rod, a connector is installed at the bottom end of the adjusting rod, a connecting seat is connected to the outer surface of the connector, a pressure ring is installed at the bottom end of the connecting seat, a protective pad is installed in the middle of the bottom surface of the pressure ring, a placement block is provided at the bottom of the protective pad, and a placement pad is installed in the middle of the top surface of the placement block.

[0010] Preferably, the outer surface of the adjusting rod is threaded to the middle of the top surface of the housing near the front end, and the outer surface of the connector is rotatably limited to the middle of the top surface of the connector seat by a limiting groove.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom surface of the pressure ring has an arc-shaped groove in the middle, and the protective pad is bonded to the inside of the arc-shaped groove. The placement block is fixedly installed inside the housing, at the middle of the bottom surface near the front end. The top surface of the placement block has an arc-shaped groove in the middle, which is bonded to the placement pad. Both the protective pad and the placement pad are made of medical-grade rubber and are bonded to the pressure ring and the placement block on opposite sides by adhesive backing.

[0012] Preferably, the heating mechanism includes a heating box, an electric heating tube installed inside the heating box, a fan installed on one side of the two heating boxes close to each other, and a retainer installed on one side of the two heating boxes far from each other, with a filter plate installed inside the retainer.

[0013] Preferably, the heating chamber is installed inside rectangular holes on the left and right sides of the housing near the back end. The fan is installed inside rectangular mounting holes on the side of the two heating chambers that are close to each other. The filter plate is slidably engaged with the sleeve. The two heating chambers have strip-shaped holes on the side that is far apart from each other. The filter plate has a solid frame with multiple layers of filter screens installed inside. The filter plate is slidably connected to the side of the heating chamber that is far away from the housing.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This device uses a designed orthopedic mechanism to wrap the pressure-bearing hand with rubber pads. The matrix-installed pressure sensors can identify the size and shape of the hand, thereby using electrode points at the wrapped acupoints to discharge and stimulate the acupoints, improving the accuracy and effect of acupoint stimulation orthopedic correction.

[0015] 2. This device, through its designed fixing mechanism, can limit and fix the arm, preventing excessive movement or displacement of the patient during the orthopedic process, which would affect the effect of acupoint stimulation and orthopedic treatment.

[0016] 3. This device uses a designed heating mechanism to heat the two rubber pads and the patient's palms and arms during the orthopedic process by heating the interior of the shell with an electric heating tube and blowing heat into the shell with a fan. This promotes blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms, reduces muscle tension, and improves comfort. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an enlarged view of the orthopedic mechanism of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the internal structure of the orthopedic mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the fixing mechanism of the present invention; Figure 5 This is an enlarged view of the heating mechanism of the present invention; Figure 6 This is an enlarged view of the internal structure of the heating mechanism of the present invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Housing; 2. Controller; 3. Orthopedic mechanism; 31. Electric push rod; 32. Lifting plate; 33. Spring telescopic rod; 34. Mounting plate; 35. Rubber pad; 36. Electrode point; 37. Pressure sensor; 4. Fixing mechanism; 41. Adjusting rod; 42. Connector; 43. Connecting seat; 44. Pressure ring; 45. Protective pad; 46. Placement block; 47. Placement pad; 5. Heating mechanism; 51. Heating box; 52. Electric heating tube; 53. Fan; 54. Sleeve; 55. Filter plate. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0020] Example 1, as Figures 1-6 As shown, an acupoint stimulation orthotic device for hand function recovery after stroke includes a housing 1, a controller 2 installed on the left side of the housing 1 near the front, an orthotic mechanism 3 installed inside the housing 1, a fixing mechanism 4 on the front of the orthotic mechanism 3, and a heating mechanism 5 installed on the left and right sides of the housing 1 near the back end. The orthopedic mechanism 3 includes an electric push rod 31, a lifting plate 32 is installed at the output end of the electric push rod 31, a spring telescopic rod 33 is installed at the bottom of the lifting plate 32, an mounting plate 34 is installed at the bottom end of the spring telescopic rod 33 and the bottom surface inside the housing 1, a rubber pad 35 is installed on the side of the mounting plate 34 away from the spring telescopic rod 33 and the bottom surface inside the housing 1, an electrode point 36 is installed on the side of the two rubber pads 35 that are close to each other, and a pressure sensor 37 is installed inside the rubber pad 35.

[0021] The electric push rod 31 is detachably installed in the middle of the top surface of the housing 1. The top mounting plate 34 has protrusions on both sides that slide in the convex grooves on the left and right sides inside the housing 1. The bottom mounting plate 34 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface inside the housing 1. The pressure sensor 37 is installed in a matrix inside the rubber pad 35 in a rectangular cavity on the side away from the electrode point 36. The electrode point 36 is embedded in two rubber pads 35 close to each other on one side.

[0022] Controller 2 is a programmable microcontroller, model STM32F103C8T6, which is electrically connected to the electric actuator 31, pressure sensor 37, electrode 36, heating element 52, and fan 53 via shielded wires. Controller 2 has a touchscreen display, power button, mode adjustment button, and intensity adjustment button on its surface. Electrode 36 is a medical-grade conductive silicone electrode with constant current output. A signal amplification module is installed between pressure sensor 37 and controller 2, and the stimulation signal from electrode 36 is individually encoded and output by controller 2. Electric actuator 31 is a miniature electric actuator with a rated voltage of 24V and a thrust of 50-100N. Pressure sensor 37 is a thin-film pressure sensor, model FSR402, with a 10×8 array matrix, a center-to-center spacing of 5mm between adjacent sensors, a rectangular cavity depth of 3mm, and a cavity wall made of medical-grade silicone. Electrode 36 has a diameter of 3mm, protrudes 1mm from the surface of rubber pad 35, and has an embedded mounting slot depth of 2mm. The spring of the spring telescopic rod 33 is made of stainless steel 304 with a compression rebound coefficient of 0.5N / mm. The telescopic rod is made of stainless steel hollow tube with a fitting clearance of 0.1mm. All electrical connection wires are medical shielded wires with tinned copper wire cores, copper mesh shielding, and medical PVC outer sheath, with a temperature range of -20℃ to 80℃.

[0023] The pressure sensor 37 acquires force signals at a frequency of 10Hz. The controller 2 has a built-in hand contour recognition algorithm that can fit the three-dimensional contour of the palm based on the force values ​​of each sensor and automatically match the preset acupoint coordinate database to achieve precise selection of electrode points 36. The descent speed of the electric push rod 31 is controlled by the controller 2 in stages: low speed 0.5cm / s, medium speed 1cm / s, and high speed 2cm / s. If the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor 37 exceeds 50N during descent, the controller 2 will automatically control the electric push rod 31 to stop descent to prevent excessive pressure on the hand. The discharge stimulation modes of the electrode points 36 are divided into continuous stimulation and intermittent stimulation. The current intensity of continuous stimulation is 0.5-2mA, and the current intensity of intermittent stimulation is 1-3mA with an on / off ratio of 1:1. The stimulation duration can be set by the controller 2, ranging from 5-30 minutes. The controller 2 has a built-in storage module that can store hand contour data, acupoint stimulation parameters, and rehabilitation training records for 100 patients, supporting data export and import. The signal from the pressure sensor 37 is amplified by the signal amplification module and then converted into a digital signal by the controller 2's A / D conversion module, with a conversion accuracy of 12 bits. The selection of electrode points 36 is controlled by a multi-channel relay, model SRD-05VDC-SL-C, which is individually controlled by the controller 2's I / O port, enabling combined stimulation of single or multiple electrode points. Electrode points 36 are equipped with overcurrent protection; when the output current exceeds 5mA, the controller 2 will automatically cut off the power supply to electrode points 36 and issue an audible and visual alarm. The device is powered by an AC 220V to DC 24V / 5V switching power supply with overvoltage, overcurrent, and short-circuit protection functions, and the output voltage accuracy is ±0.5V.

[0024] The orthopedic mechanism 3 is designed to wrap the pressure-bearing hand with rubber pads 35. The matrix-installed pressure sensors 37 can identify the size and shape of the hand, thereby using the electrode points 36 at the wrapped acupoints to discharge and stimulate the acupoints, improving the accuracy and effect of acupoint stimulation orthopedic treatment.

[0025] When orthopedically treating a patient's hand, the patient places their palm on the top surface of the bottom rubber pad 35. The fixing mechanism 4 is used to limit and fix the patient's forearm. Then, the electric push rod 31 is activated to drive the lifting plate 32 to rise and fall, thereby driving the top mounting plate 34 and the rubber pad 35 to rise and fall. During the rising and falling process, the top mounting plate 34 has protrusions on its left and right sides that are connected to the convex grooves on the left and right sides of the housing 1 for limiting sliding connection, ensuring stability during displacement. This allows the top rubber pad 35 and the bottom rubber pad 35 to wrap around the patient's palm. The pressure sensor 37 is subjected to force by the compression and rebound force provided by the mounting plate 34 installed between the top mounting plate 34 and the lifting plate 32, as well as the weight of the patient's palm. Since multiple pressure sensors 37 are installed in a matrix, the magnitude and direction of the force on each pressure sensor 37 are different, thereby analyzing the size and shape of the patient's palm. Then, the electrode points 36 of the acupoints on the palm are used to discharge and stimulate, thereby achieving the therapeutic effect of stimulating the acupoints on the patient's hand.

[0026] Example 2: An acupoint stimulation orthotic device for hand function recovery after stroke. The fixing mechanism 4 includes an adjusting rod 41, a connector 42 installed at the bottom of the adjusting rod 41, a connector 43 connected to the outer surface of the connector 42, a pressure ring 44 installed at the bottom of the connector 43, a protective pad 45 installed in the middle of the bottom surface of the pressure ring 44, a placement block 46 provided at the bottom of the protective pad 45, and a placement pad 47 installed in the middle of the top surface of the placement block 46.

[0027] The outer surface of the adjusting rod 41 is threaded into the center of the top surface of the housing 1 near the front end, and the outer surface of the connector 42 is threaded into the center of the top surface of the connector 43, and the connector 44 is rotatably limited by a limiting groove. The bottom surface of the pressure ring 44 has an arc-shaped groove in the center, and the protective pad 45 is bonded to the inside of the arc-shaped groove. The placement block 46 is fixedly installed inside the bottom surface of the housing 1 near the front end, and the top surface of the placement block 46 has an arc-shaped groove in the center, which is bonded to the placement pad 47.

[0028] A silicone sealing ring is provided at the mating point between the connector 42 and the limiting groove, with a rotational damping of 0.8 N·m. The arc groove of the pressure ring 44 has an arc radius of 120° and a surface roughness Ra≤1.6μm; the adhesive connection uses medical-grade epoxy resin with a bonding strength ≥10MPa. The arc groove of the placement block 46 has an arc radius of 150°, which is adapted to the ergonomic curvature of the human forearm. The top of the adjusting rod 41 is equipped with an anti-slip knob with a knurled texture. The downward distance of one rotation is 1.5mm, which can realize the micro-adjustment of the pressure ring 44 to adapt to forearms of different thicknesses. The clamping force of the pressure ring 44 on the forearm can be indirectly detected by the controller 2. If the clamping force changes by more than 10N due to the movement of the patient's limb, the controller 2 will issue a buzzer alarm.

[0029] The designed fixing mechanism 4 can limit and fix the arm, preventing the patient from moving or shifting too much during the orthopedic process, which would affect the effect of acupoint stimulation and orthopedic treatment.

[0030] After the patient places their palm on the top surface of the bottom rubber pad 35, the patient places their arm on the middle of the top surface of the placement block 46 and the placement pad 47. By rotating the knob at the top of the adjusting rod 41, the adjusting rod 41 is rotated. The outer surface of the adjusting rod 41 is connected to the inner thread of the threaded hole at the middle of the top surface of the housing 1 near the front. The bottom end of the adjusting rod 41 is connected to the inner limit groove at the top center of the connecting seat 43 through the connecting head 42, thereby driving the pressure ring 44 to move downward. The pressure ring 44 cooperates with the placement block 46 to limit and fix the patient's arm. The placement pad 47 and the protective pad 45 can effectively prevent the patient's arm from being cushioned and protected, and increase the friction with the patient's arm to ensure stability during the orthopedic process and prevent excessive displacement from affecting the orthopedic effect.

[0031] Example 2: An acupoint stimulation orthotic device for hand function recovery after stroke. The heating mechanism 5 includes a heating box 51, with an electric heating tube 52 installed inside. A fan 53 is installed on one side of the two heating boxes 51 close to each other, and a retaining sleeve 54 is installed on the other side of the two heating boxes 51 far apart. A filter plate 55 is installed inside the retaining sleeve 54. The heating boxes 51 are installed inside rectangular holes on the left and right sides of the housing 1 near the back. The fan 53 is installed inside rectangular mounting holes on the side of the two heating boxes 51 close to each other. The filter plate 55 is slidably engaged with the retaining sleeve 54. A strip-shaped hole is provided on the side of the two heating boxes 51 far apart.

[0032] The heating element 52 is a stainless steel finned heating element with a rated voltage of 220V, a power of 200W, and a maximum surface operating temperature of 60℃. The fan 53 is a miniature axial flow fan with a rated voltage of 24V, an air volume of 50m³ / h, and a speed of 1500r / min. The filter plate 55 has a three-layer filter structure: a nylon pre-filter, a meltblown fabric intermediate filter, and an activated carbon filter. The retainer 54 is made of ABS material and fits the filter plate 55 with an interference fit of 0.2mm. The operating temperature of the heating element 52 is monitored in real time by a temperature sensor installed inside the heating chamber 51. The temperature sensor is model DS18B20 and has a temperature control accuracy of ±1℃. When the temperature exceeds 60℃, the controller 2 will automatically cut off the power to the heating element 52 to achieve over-temperature protection. The fan 53 is linked to the heating element 52. After the heating element 52 is turned on, the fan 53 will start after a 5-second delay to prevent cold air from blowing out.

[0033] The heating mechanism 5 is designed to heat the two rubber pads 35 and the patient's palms and arms during the orthopedic process by using the electric heating tube 52 and the fan 53 to blow the heat into the housing 1. This promotes blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms, reduces muscle tension, and improves comfort.

[0034] Before and during orthopedic treatment, the heating element 52 can be activated for heating, and the fan 53 can be turned on to blow the heat radiated by the heating element 52 into the housing 1 to preheat the contact surface between the rubber pad 35 and the palm. The heat diffusion inside the housing 1 can heat the patient's palm during the treatment, accelerate blood circulation in the patient's palm, prevent cold stimulation and improve the patient's comfort. During the orthopedic process, it can effectively relieve the patient's muscle spasms, reduce the muscle tension in the patient's palm and improve the orthopedic effect. At the same time, the setting of the sleeve 54 and the filter plate 55 can effectively filter dust and impurities in the incoming air when the external air enters the heating box 51 through the strip hole.

[0035] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An acupoint stimulation orthotic device for hand function recovery after stroke, comprising a housing (1), characterized in that: A controller (2) is installed on the left side of the housing (1) near the front. An orthotic mechanism (3) is installed inside the housing (1). A fixing mechanism (4) is provided on the front of the orthotic mechanism (3). A heating mechanism (5) is installed on the left and right sides of the housing (1) near the back. The orthopedic mechanism (3) includes an electric push rod (31), a lifting plate (32) is installed at the output end of the electric push rod (31), a spring telescopic rod (33) is installed at the bottom of the lifting plate (32), an mounting plate (34) is installed at the bottom end of the spring telescopic rod (33) and the bottom surface inside the housing (1), a rubber pad (35) is installed on the side of the mounting plate (34) away from the spring telescopic rod (33) and the bottom surface inside the housing (1), an electrode point (36) is installed on the side of the two rubber pads (35) close to each other, and a pressure sensor (37) is installed inside the rubber pad (35).

2. The acupoint stimulation orthotic device for post-stroke hand function recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electric push rod (31) is detachably installed in the middle of the top surface of the housing (1). The top mounting plate (34) has protrusions on the left and right sides and slides in the convex grooves on the left and right sides inside the housing (1). The bottom mounting plate (34) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface inside the housing (1).

3. The acupoint stimulation orthotic device for post-stroke hand function recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure sensor (37) is installed in a matrix inside the rubber pad (35) on the side away from the electrode point (36) with a rectangular cavity. The electrode point (36) is embedded in the two rubber pads (35) on the side close to each other.

4. The acupoint stimulation orthotic device for post-stroke hand function recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing mechanism (4) includes an adjusting rod (41), a connector (42) is installed at the bottom end of the adjusting rod (41), a connecting seat (43) is connected to the outer surface of the connector (42), a pressure ring (44) is installed at the bottom end of the connecting seat (43), a protective pad (45) is installed in the middle of the bottom surface of the pressure ring (44), a placement block (46) is provided at the bottom of the protective pad (45), and a placement pad (47) is installed in the middle of the top surface of the placement block (46).

5. The acupoint stimulation orthotic device for post-stroke hand function recovery according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer surface of the adjusting rod (41) is threaded to the middle of the top surface of the housing (1) near the front end, and the outer surface of the connector (42) is threaded to the middle of the top surface of the connector (43), and the connector is rotatably limited by a limiting groove.

6. The acupoint stimulation orthotic device for post-stroke hand function recovery according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pressure ring (44) has an arc-shaped groove in the middle of its bottom surface. The protective pad (45) is bonded to the inside of the arc-shaped groove. The placement block (46) is fixedly installed in the middle of the bottom surface of the housing (1) near the front end. The placement block (46) has an arc-shaped groove in the middle of its top surface that is bonded to the placement pad (47).

7. The acupoint stimulation orthotic device for post-stroke hand function recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating mechanism (5) includes a heating box (51), an electric heating tube (52) is installed inside the heating box (51), a fan (53) is installed on one side of the two heating boxes (51) close to each other, and a sleeve (54) is installed on one side of the two heating boxes (51) far from each other, and a filter plate (55) is installed inside the sleeve (54).

8. The acupoint stimulation orthotic device for post-stroke hand function recovery according to claim 7, characterized in that: The heating box (51) is installed inside a rectangular hole on the left and right sides of the housing (1) near the back. The fan (53) is installed inside a rectangular mounting hole on the side of the two heating boxes (51) that are close to each other. The filter plate (55) is slidably engaged with the sleeve (54). The two heating boxes (51) have a strip hole on the side that is far away from each other.

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