Coordinated control system and method for an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device

Abstract

The application provides a synergic control system and method of an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device. The system comprises: a brain-spine interface device for collecting brain signals and sending the brain signals to a synergic controller after identifying an effective motion intention; the synergic controller for generating a shared intention event in response to the effective motion intention and sending the shared intention event to the spinal cord stimulation device and the exoskeleton device in parallel, and for determining an assist command sending time and sending the assist command sending time to the exoskeleton device; the spinal cord stimulation device for generating a corresponding stimulation in response to the shared intention event to induce corresponding muscle activity; and the exoskeleton device comprising an exoskeleton prediction controller and an executor, wherein: the exoskeleton prediction controller is used for entering an assist-ready state in response to the shared intention event, and sending an assist command to the executor at the assist command sending time; and the executor is used for establishing a target assist in response to the assist command. The scheme of the application can reduce assist lag caused by serial waiting of independent systems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of collaborative control technology, and in particular relates to a collaborative control system and method for an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device. Background Technology

[0002] Existing spinal cord stimulation systems and exoskeleton systems typically operate independently. Spinal cord stimulation, triggered by a button or brain signal, generates limb movement through stimulation output, nerve conduction, and muscle response. The exoskeleton, on the other hand, waits for joint angle or force sensors to detect the movement before recognizing the movement phase and providing assistance. This approach suffers from significant assistance lag. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a collaborative control system and method for an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device, which reduces assist lag caused by serial waiting of independent systems.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a collaborative control system for an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device. The collaborative control system includes: a brain-spinal interface device for acquiring brain signals and, upon recognizing a valid movement intention, sending the valid movement intention to a collaborative controller; a collaborative controller for generating a shared intention event in response to the valid movement intention and sending the shared intention event in parallel to the spinal cord stimulation device and the exoskeleton device, and for determining the timing of an assistance command and sending the timing of the assistance command to the exoskeleton device; a spinal cord stimulation device for generating a corresponding stimulus in response to the shared intention event to induce corresponding muscle activity; and an exoskeleton device including an exoskeleton prediction controller and an actuator, wherein: the exoskeleton prediction controller is used to enter a ready-to-assist state in response to the shared intention event and send an assistance command to the actuator at the timing of the assistance command; and the actuator is used to establish target assistance at the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time in response to the assistance command.

[0005] In some implementations, the collaborative control system includes an exoskeleton control path and a spinal cord stimulation drive path that run in parallel. The exoskeleton control path is used to control the movement of the exoskeleton, and the spinal cord stimulation drive path is used to induce proprioceptive movement of the human body.

[0006] In some implementations, the exoskeleton device further includes an exoskeleton motion detection module, which is used to determine the motion start timestamp and send the motion start timestamp, event number, and motion confirmation time back to the coordination controller; the coordination controller is also used to update the delay between the stimulus output of the same type of action and the expected stimulus-induced motion start time according to the motion start timestamp and the event number.

[0007] In some implementations, the delay between the stimulus output and the expected stimulus-induced initiation of movement is updated as follows:

[0008] ;

[0009] in, and These represent the delays between the output of the stimulus before and after the update and the expected onset of the stimulus-induced movement, respectively. This indicates the moment when the actual stimulus triggers the movement. Indicates the moment of stimulus output. This represents the update coefficient.

[0010] In some implementations, the coordinating controller is also used to calibrate the delay between the stimulation output and the expected stimulation-induced movement initiation time during the calibration phase based on the stimulation output time of the spinal cord stimulation device and the movement initiation timestamp, and to obtain the actuator response time based on the assist command sending time and assist establishment time.

[0011] In some implementations, the collaborative controller calculates the prediction lead based on the direct path delay and the neural modulation path delay, and determines the timing of sending the assist command based on the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time, the actuator response time, and the exoskeleton's motion preparation completion time; wherein, the prediction lead is... , To find the maximum value function, For the delay of neural regulatory pathways, For direct path delay, To confirm the timing of the movement, The moment of preparation for the exoskeleton's movement.

[0012] In some implementations, the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time is ,in, Indicates the timing of spinal cord stimulation output. This indicates the delay between the stimulus output and the expected stimulus-induced initiation of movement; the assist command is sent at the time specified in the original text. , where is the function for finding the maximum value. Preparing for the completion of exoskeleton movements. This indicates the actuator response time.

[0013] In some implementations, the collaborative controller is further configured to instruct the exoskeleton prediction controller to cancel the pending assistance state when the shared intent event fails or no corresponding movement occurs within the expected time window; the exoskeleton prediction controller is further configured to perform follow control based on actual joint movement information when the movement is normal.

[0014] In some implementations, the collaborative controller is further configured to encode the shared intent event, the encoding result of which includes event number, motion type, target joint, motion direction, intent confidence, and timestamp of the shared intent event.

[0015] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for the coordinated control of an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device. The coordinated control method includes: acquiring brain signals and, upon recognizing a valid movement intention, sending the valid movement intention to a coordinated controller; the coordinated controller responding to the valid movement intention generating a shared intention event and sending the shared intention event in parallel to the spinal cord stimulation device and the exoskeleton device; the coordinated controller determining the timing of an assistance command and sending the assistance command timing to the exoskeleton device; the spinal cord stimulation device responding to the shared intention event generating a corresponding stimulus to induce corresponding muscle activity; the exoskeleton device's exoskeleton prediction controller responding to the shared intention event entering a ready-to-assist state and sending an assistance command to an actuator at the timing of the assistance command; and the actuator responding to the assistance command establishing target assistance.

[0016] As described above, the coordinated control system and method for the exoskeleton device and spinal cord stimulation device described in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0017] In this embodiment, the same effective movement intention is provided to the exoskeleton device and the spinal cord stimulation device in parallel. The exoskeleton device can complete the movement preparation before the stimulation-induced movement is detected, thereby reducing the assist lag caused by the serial waiting of independent systems.

[0018] In this embodiment, the time when the target assistance of the exoskeleton device is established is the same as or close to the time when the patient's actual stimulation induces the movement. This helps to reduce the feeling of pulling and asynchronous movement during training and improve the patient's participation in active stepping training.

[0019] In this embodiment, the shared intent event can automatically coordinate stimulation and exoskeleton, which helps reduce the operational burden on therapists to repeatedly trigger the two systems separately by pressing buttons, thereby improving training organization efficiency.

[0020] The embodiments of this application can add a collaborative controller and real-time communication connection between existing brain-spinal interface devices, spinal cord stimulation devices and exoskeleton devices. For example, events and timing data can be shared through the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. There is no need to redesign the stimulation electrodes or the mechanical body of the exoskeleton. The feedback of the actual stimulation-induced movement initiation time can continuously correct the delay between the stimulation output and the expected stimulation-induced movement initiation time, reducing the workload and integration cost of repeated parameter tuning of the entire system due to individual response changes. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the independent operation of the spinal cord stimulation system and the exoskeleton system in related technologies.

[0022] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the collaborative control system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 3 The diagram shows the parallel exoskeleton control path and spinal cord stimulation drive path in the embodiments of this application.

[0024] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the collaborative control system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 5 The diagram shows the communication connections between different structures in the embodiments of this application.

[0026] Figure 6 The diagram shows the timing relationship in the embodiments of this application.

[0027] Figure 7 The flowchart shown is a collaborative control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Component designation explanation

[0029] 1 Collaborative Control System 21 Brain-spinal interface device 211 Brain signal acquisition module 212 Motion Intent Decoding Module 22 Cooperative Controller 23 spinal cord stimulation device 231 Spinal cord stimulation controller 232 Stimulus output section 24 Exoskeleton Device 241 Exoskeleton Predictive Controller 242 Actuator 243 Exoskeleton motion detection module S71~S76 step Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0031] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. Therefore, the illustrations only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0032] In this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0033] In this application embodiment, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown in steps S11 to S15, in the related technology, the spinal cord stimulation system and the exoskeleton system operate independently. Spinal cord stimulation, triggered by a button or brain signal, generates limb movement through stimulation output, nerve conduction, and muscle response. The exoskeleton waits for the joint angle or force sensor to detect this movement before recognizing the movement stage and providing assistance. Even if a brain signal can directly trigger stimulation, as long as the brain's intention is not synchronously provided to the exoskeleton, the exoskeleton remains at the end of the "stimulation—muscle movement—sensor detection—control response" serial chain.

[0035] The aforementioned sequential approach accumulates the time of nerve conduction, muscle contraction, mechanical motion manifestation, sensor detection, and exoskeleton calculation segment by segment, which can easily cause exoskeleton assistance to lag behind the patient's proprioceptive movement. While the brain's intention itself possesses temporal information preceding muscle movement, this information cannot be directly utilized by the exoskeleton in the two independent systems (spinal cord stimulation system and exoskeleton system). Furthermore, the lack of a unified event identifier and time reference between the two independent systems makes it difficult to determine whether a particular stimulus, muscle movement, and exoskeleton action belong to the same motor intention.

[0036] In response to at least the above-mentioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a collaborative control system. Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the collaborative control system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, the collaborative control system 2 includes a brain-spinal interface device 21, a collaborative controller 22, a spinal cord stimulation device 23, and an exoskeleton device 24.

[0037] The brain-spinal interface device 21 is used to collect brain signals and, after recognizing a valid motor intention, sends the valid motor intention to the coordinating controller 22.

[0038] The collaborative controller 22 is used to generate a shared intent event in response to a valid motion intent, and sends the shared intent event to the spinal cord stimulation device and the exoskeleton device in parallel. It is also used to determine the timing of the assistance command and send the timing of the assistance command to the exoskeleton device 24.

[0039] The spinal cord stimulation device 23 is used to generate corresponding stimuli in response to a shared intention event in order to induce corresponding muscle activity.

[0040] The exoskeleton device 24 includes an exoskeleton prediction controller 241 and an actuator 242. The exoskeleton prediction controller 241 is used to enter a ready-to-assist state in response to a shared intent event and sends an assist command to the actuator 242 at the time of the assist command transmission. The actuator 242 is used to establish target assist in response to the assist command. The timing of the assist command transmission is determined according to the timing relationship described later, so that the target assist is established at the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time, or as soon as possible after the expected time if the exoskeleton movement preparation is not completed in time.

[0041] Figure 3 The diagram shows an example of the parallel exoskeleton control path and spinal cord stimulation drive path in this embodiment. The exoskeleton control path (including S31, S32, S33a, and S34a) is used to achieve motion control of the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton device 24 can pre-select motion modes, enable actuators, and schedule assist establishment times according to this path. The spinal cord stimulation drive path (including S31, S32, S33b, S34b, and S35b) is used to induce proprioceptive movements of the human body.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the control information that is serially propagated along the stimulation-muscle movement-exoskeleton detection path is instead distributed in parallel from the same valid movement intention to the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 and the spinal cord stimulation device 23. The exoskeleton device 24 can complete the action preparation before the stimulation-induced movement is detected, thereby reducing the assist lag caused by the serial waiting of independent systems.

[0043] In some implementations, the exoskeleton device 24 can enter a ready state in advance using a prediction lead time, and the target assist of the actuator 242 can be established at or near the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time, rather than only after movement is detected. The direct path delay from the generation of the shared intent event to the completion of preparation by the exoskeleton device 24 is called the first delay. The neural modulation path delay from the generation of the shared intent event to the occurrence and detection of muscle movement is called the second delay. The difference between the first and second delays forms the prediction lead time.

[0044] Please see Figure 4 In some implementations, the brain-spinal interface device 21 includes a brain signal acquisition module 211 and a motion intention decoding module 212. The brain signal acquisition module 211 is used to acquire brain signals, and the motion intention decoding module 212 is used to identify valid motion intentions based on the brain signals.

[0045] Specifically, the motion intention decoding module 212 inputs the preprocessed brain signal into a motion intention classifier trained by individual calibration according to continuous time windows. The motion intention classifier outputs the motion type and the corresponding intention confidence. When the same motion type is identified within a preset number of consecutive time windows, and the corresponding intention confidence is not lower than a preset confidence threshold, the motion intention decoding module 212 determines the motion intention as a valid motion intention; otherwise, it does not send a valid motion intention to the coordination controller 22.

[0046] In some implementations, the spinal cord stimulation device 23 includes a spinal cord stimulation controller 231 and a stimulation output unit 232. The spinal cord stimulation controller 231 is used to generate corresponding stimuli based on shared intention events, and the stimulation output unit 232 is used to output the stimuli generated by the spinal cord stimulation controller 231.

[0047] In some implementations, the exoskeleton device 24 also includes an exoskeleton motion detection module 243. The exoskeleton motion detection module 243 is used to determine the motion start timestamp and send the motion start timestamp, event number, and motion confirmation time back to the coordination controller 22.

[0048] It should be understood that the above control functions can be implemented by independent control units, or in actual engineering, the collaborative controller 22 can be integrated with the processor of the brain-spinal interface device 21 or the exoskeleton device 24. Regardless of the physical integration method, the collaborative controller 22 sends the same intent event to the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 and the spinal cord stimulation controller 231 under a unified clock.

[0049] Please see Figure 5In some implementations, the brain-spinal interface device 21 sends first data representing a shared movement intention to the exoskeleton device 24 via the coordinating controller 22. The first data includes at least an event number, a movement tag, and an intention tag. The exoskeleton device 24 returns second data representing the execution state and third data representing the movement result to the coordinating controller 22. The second data includes at least the readiness state of the actuator 242, and the third data includes at least the actual stimulus-induced movement initiation time determined by the exoskeleton movement detection module 243. The second and third data can be used to confirm whether the exoskeleton device 24 can execute the currently valid movement intention, and to enable the coordinating controller 22 to update the delay between the stimulus output of similar movements and the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time based on the time relationship between the stimulus output and the actual movement. The coordinating controller 22 and the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 can communicate bidirectionally in real time via a CAN bus, but this application is not limited to this.

[0050] In some implementations, the collaborative controller 22 can also be used to encode shared intent events. For example, the first... Shared intent event corresponding to the first valid motion intent The encoding result can include the event number. Types of sports Target joint Direction of movement Intent confidence And the timestamp recorded according to a unified clock when the shared intent event is generated. Among them, the event number It can be used to map stimulus commands, exoskeleton device readiness status, and subsequently detected actual movement to the same valid movement intent. Intent confidence. This can be obtained through statistical methods, but this application is not limited to this. If the exoskeleton device can enter... If the corresponding motion mode is met and the actuator 242 is in an enabled state, then the current state of the exoskeleton device 24 is determined to be permissible for execution. .

[0051] Specifically, after receiving a valid motion intention, the collaborative controller 22 assigns a unique event number to this valid motion intention and records the event generation timestamp according to a unified clock. Based on the motion type in the valid motion intention, the collaborative controller 22 queries a preset action mapping relationship to determine the corresponding target joint and motion direction, and encodes the event number, motion type, target joint, motion direction, intention confidence, and event generation timestamp into a shared intention event. The collaborative controller 22 sends shared intention events with the same event number and timestamp in parallel to the spinal cord stimulation device 23 and the exoskeleton device 24.

[0052] For example, the confidence level of intent can be... Perform normalization to convert the value to a value between 0 and 1. If Then the cooperative controller 22 can control the same Parallel distribution is executed to generate exoskeleton prediction commands in the exoskeleton control path, causing the exoskeleton to select the target motion mode and enter a ready-to-assist state. Simultaneously, spinal cord stimulation trigger commands are generated in the spinal cord stimulation drive path to induce... Corresponding lower limb muscle activity. Both of the above commands are retained. and Therefore, it is no longer necessary to deduce the source from the results of muscle movement. Among them, The confidence threshold can be set according to actual needs or experience, and this application does not impose any restrictions on it.

[0053] For ease of explanation, the time-related parameters involved in the embodiments of this application will be described below. Please refer to... Figure 6 According to Table 1, the unified timestamp for shared intent events is... The exoskeleton's motion preparation completion time is... This refers to the moment when the exoskeleton predictive controller has completed target motion mode selection, control parameter loading, and actuator enabling, but has not yet output target assistance. Direct path delay. The exoskeleton motion detection module 243 determines the motion start timestamp based on the synchronously acquired joint motion signals. The moment when the motion initiation determination is completed (i.e., the motion confirmation moment) is ,generally However, it is not limited to this. The time delay of the neural modulation pathway is... This includes the transmission and output of stimulus commands, neuromuscular response, and motor confirmation time. The spinal cord stimulation output time is... It should be understood that the exoskeleton control pathway and the spinal cord stimulation drive pathway in this application run in parallel. and There is no definite sequential relationship between them. Figure 6 middle This is just one example, showing a typical timing sequence when the neural modulation pathway is slow and the exoskeleton's motion preparation is completed in a timely manner.

[0054] The system calculates the prediction lead of the detection benchmark. , This is the function for finding the maximum value. A value greater than 0 indicates that the exoskeleton device has completed its motion preparation before the motion confirmation time relied upon by traditional control. This lead time is the preparation window available to the exoskeleton device; it does not indicate premature delivery of full assist, nor does it alter the patient's nerve conduction or muscle response time.

[0055] It should be noted that the predicted stimulus-induced movement initiation time described in this application refers to the predicted initiation time when the muscle contraction induced by the spinal cord stimulation device 23 further forms a limb movement that can be recognized by the exoskeleton motion detection module 243 after the stimulation is output. The actual stimulus-induced movement initiation time refers to the actual limb movement initiation time determined by the exoskeleton motion detection module 243 based on the synchronously acquired joint motion signals. The delay between the stimulus output and the predicted stimulus-induced movement initiation time is used to calculate the predicted stimulus-induced movement initiation time based on the stimulus output time.

[0056] The delay between the stimulus output obtained from calibration and the expected stimulus-induced initiation time of movement is The predicted moment when the stimulus induces the start of movement is... Let the time required for actuator 242 to establish the target assist from receiving the assist command (i.e., the actuator response time) be... The assist command is sent at the following time. This ensures that the command is not given before the action preparation is completed, and that the target assist is given as early as possible at the moment the expected stimulus induces the start of the movement. Establish.

[0057] The aforementioned assistance establishment sequence is as follows: the coordination controller 22 determines the assistance command sending time based on the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time, the actuator response time, and the exoskeleton movement preparation completion time; the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 sends the assistance command at the assistance command sending time, and the actuator 242 establishes the target assistance after the actuator response time. When the exoskeleton movement preparation is completed in a timely manner, the target assistance is established at the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time; when the exoskeleton movement preparation is completed late, the target assistance is established as soon as possible after the movement preparation is completed.

[0058] Table 1. Time series variables, their acquisition methods, and examples of their functions

[0059] The collaborative controller records the shared intent event when it generates the event; specifically, it records the unified clock value when the collaborative controller completes the encoding of the shared intent event. As the common starting point of both paths The recording is initiated when the spinal cord stimulation device actually starts outputting, with the first stimulation pulse output by the stimulation output unit 232 serving as the recording trigger condition. As the starting point for stimulation to the expected motor delay Exoskeleton preparation completion time recording Calculated The exoskeleton motion preparation completion moment is recorded when the target motion mode selection, control parameter loading, actuator enabling, and preparation completion state generation are completed. Characterize the time required for the direct path to complete preparation. Obtained from actuator response calibration. The calculation shows that the moment the assist command is sent is recorded when the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 actually sends the assist command to the actuator 242. The actuator response time is obtained according to the following calibration method. Ensure that the command is not given earlier than preparation is complete, and establish the target's assistance in approaching the expected moment of motion. Obtained from stimulus-response calibration. The calculated delay between the stimulus output and the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time can be obtained using the following calibration method: the statistical value of the difference between the actual stimulus-induced movement initiation time and the actual stimulus output time is used as its calibration value; the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time is calculated by the co-controller 22 based on the stimulus output time and the aforementioned delay. Give the expected stimulus-induced onset time of movement. The motion detection module determines from synchronous sensing data And record when completing the motion determination. When the joint angular velocity exceeds a preset motion threshold and continues for a preset number of sampling cycles, the actual stimulus-induced motion initiation time is determined by the sampling time at which the motion threshold is first exceeded, and the motion confirmation time is recorded upon completion of this determination. Representing the motion start timestamp and motion confirmation time respectively. The calculations were performed using recorded values ​​based on a unified clock reference. Determine the available motion preparation window relative to the motion confirmation time.

[0060] In some implementations, the co-controller 22 is also used during the calibration phase to calibrate the delay between the stimulus output and the expected stimulus-induced motor initiation time based on the stimulus output time and the motor initiation timestamp of the spinal cord stimulation device. And obtain the actuator response time based on the time the assist command is sent and the time the assist is established. .

[0061] Specifically, multiple stimulus-induced movement tests are conducted for each preset movement type. During the test, the exoskeleton device 24 is in motion detection mode and does not output target assistance, while the spinal cord stimulation device 23 records the actual output time of the stimulus. The exoskeleton motion detection module 243 synchronously acquires the motion signal of the target joint. When the joint angular velocity exceeds a preset motion threshold and continues for a preset number of sampling cycles, the sampling time that first exceeds the motion threshold is determined as the actual stimulus-induced movement start time. The coordinating controller 22 calculates the difference between the actual stimulus-induced movement start time and the actual stimulus output time in each valid test, and uses the median of multiple valid test results as the initial delay for the corresponding movement type.

[0062] During actuator response time calibration, the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 sends a test assist command to the actuator 242 after completing motion preparation and records the timing of the assist command transmission. When the actual assist feedback from the actuator 242 reaches the preset proportion of the target assist, the assist establishment time is recorded. The coordination controller 22 calculates the difference between the assist establishment time and the assist command transmission time, and uses the median of multiple valid test results as the actuator response time.

[0063] In some implementations, the cooperative controller 22 is also used to determine the motion start timestamp. Event Number and the moment of stimulus output Updates and The delay between the output of a stimulus of the same type of action and the expected moment of stimulus-induced initiation of movement. .

[0064] In some implementations, the delay between the stimulus output and the expected stimulus-induced initiation of movement... The update method is as follows:

[0065] ;

[0066] in, and These represent the delays between the output of the stimulus before and after the update and the expected onset of the stimulus-induced movement, respectively. This indicates the actual moment when the movement was induced by the stimulus, obtained from the movement initiation timestamp. Indicates the moment of stimulus output. This represents the update coefficient, whose value range is, for example, from 0 to 1. The specific value can be set according to actual needs or experience, and this application does not impose any restrictions on it. Through the analysis of... Updating allows the predicted onset time of the next identical action to be gradually corrected as the patient's condition changes.

[0067] For example, after assistance begins, the exoskeleton device 24 can use its own joint angles and force information for routine motion tracking. Brain intention and predictive lead time are responsible for determining "preparation in advance and when to start," while actual motion sensing is responsible for determining "how to follow after starting," avoiding the long-term substitution of predicted results for real motion feedback.

[0068] In some implementations, the collaborative controller 22 is also used to instruct the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 to cancel the pending assistance state when the shared intent event fails or no corresponding movement occurs within the predicted time window. The exoskeleton prediction controller 241 is also used to perform follow control based on actual joint movement information when the movement is normal.

[0069] Specifically, to avoid erroneous intentions directly triggering full assistance, the exoskeleton prediction controller 241, upon receiving a shared intention event, first enters a wait-for-assist state, only completing motion mode selection, actuator enabling, or low-level preloading. When the assistance command is sent... While the shared intent event is still valid, the exoskeleton prediction controller 241 issues an assist command, causing the actuator 242 to establish target assistance after the actuator response time following the sending of the assist command. If the intent confidence is insufficient, the exoskeleton returns a state that does not allow execution, communication is interrupted, or no actual movement in the corresponding direction is detected within the predicted time window, the current pending assistance state is canceled and output continues according to the event.

[0070] The following is an exemplary description of the collaborative control system provided in this application through a specific example. This example scenario involves lower limb walking rehabilitation training, where the brain-spinal interface device, collaborative controller, spinal cord stimulation device, and lower limb exoskeleton device all utilize a unified time reference. Several stimulation-induced walking movements are performed before training: the spinal cord stimulation device records the timing of stimulation output. The exoskeleton motion detection module determines the motion start timestamp based on the target joint motion signal. The collaborative controller, based on multiple - Get the initial state of the action Simultaneously, record the time from the start of the assistance command to the establishment of the target assistance, and obtain... .

[0071] During operation, the brain-spinal interface device recognized the intention to step to the right and At that time, the collaborative controller generates shared events. The signals are sent in parallel to the exoskeleton prediction controller and the spinal cord stimulation controller. The exoskeleton prediction controller selects the right-side stepping mode, completes parameter loading and actuator activation, and enters the ready-to-assist state; the spinal cord stimulation device outputs the corresponding stimulus based on the same event.

[0072] The collaborative controller outputs information based on the timing of the stimulus. and the already calibrated The expected stimulus induces the start of movement at the time when and in accordance with The timing of the assistance command is determined. Thus, the exoskeleton prepares during neural conduction and muscle response, ensuring that the target assistance is established as close as possible to the moment the anticipated stimulus triggers the movement.

[0073] After the exoskeleton motion detection module confirms that the target joint on the right side has started to move, , and The data is then transmitted back to the coordination controller. The coordination controller confirms that the motion is consistent with... Correspond and update the next right-side step. If the expected movement does not occur within the predicted time window, the corresponding assist arrangement for that event will be cancelled; if the movement occurs normally, the exoskeleton prediction controller will switch to follow control based on actual joint movement information.

[0074] This application also provides a collaborative control method, which can be implemented by the collaborative controller provided in this application. Figure 7 The flowchart shown is a collaborative control method provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the method includes the following steps S71 to S76.

[0075] S71 collects brain signals and sends valid motor intentions to the coordinating controller after recognizing them.

[0076] S72, the coordinating controller responds to valid motion intentions, generates shared intention events, and sends the shared intention events in parallel to the spinal cord stimulation device and the exoskeleton device.

[0077] S73, the coordination controller determines the timing of the assist command and sends the timing of the assist command to the exoskeleton device.

[0078] S74, the spinal cord stimulation device generates corresponding stimuli in response to a shared intention event to induce corresponding muscle activity.

[0079] S75, the exoskeleton prediction controller of the exoskeleton device responds to the shared intent event and enters the ready-to-assist state, and sends an assist command to the actuator at the time of assist command sending.

[0080] S76, the actuator responds to the assist command to establish target assist.

[0081] It should be understood that the specific process of each module performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above system embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0082] The terms “component,” “module,” “system,” etc., used in this specification are used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. As illustrated, applications running on computing devices and computing devices can both be components. One or more components may reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and components may be located on a single computer and / or distributed among two or more computers. Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media on which various data structures are stored. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0083] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0084] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0085] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0086] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0087] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means.

[0088] If a function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0089] In summary, as described above, the embodiments of this application provide a collaborative control system and method. In these embodiments, the same effective movement intention is provided in parallel to the exoskeleton device and the spinal cord stimulation device. The exoskeleton device can complete action preparation before the stimulus-induced movement is detected, thereby reducing the assistance lag caused by the sequential waiting of independent systems. Furthermore, in these embodiments, the target assistance establishment time of the exoskeleton device is the same as or close to the actual stimulus-induced movement start time of the patient, which helps reduce the feeling of strain and asynchronous movement during training, increasing the patient's participation in active stepping training. Moreover, in these embodiments, the shared intention event can automatically coordinate the stimulus and the exoskeleton, which helps reduce the operational burden on therapists who repeatedly trigger the two systems separately by pressing buttons, improving training organization efficiency. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application can add a collaborative controller and real-time communication connection between existing brain-spinal interface devices, spinal cord stimulation devices, and exoskeleton devices. For example, event and timing data can be shared via a CAN bus, eliminating the need to redesign the stimulation electrodes or the main body of the exoskeleton. The feedback from the actual stimulation-induced movement initiation moment can continuously correct the delay between the stimulation output and the expected stimulation-induced movement initiation moment, reducing the workload and integration cost of repeatedly adjusting the entire system parameters due to individual response variations. Therefore, this application effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of the prior art and has high industrial application value.

[0090] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this application should still be covered by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A coordinated control system for an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device, characterized in that, The collaborative control system includes: A brain-spinal interface device is used to collect brain signals and, after recognizing a valid motor intention, send the valid motor intention to a collaborative controller; A collaborative controller is configured to generate a shared intent event in response to the valid motion intent and send the shared intent event in parallel to the spinal cord stimulation device and the exoskeleton device, and to determine the timing of the assistance command and send the timing of the assistance command to the exoskeleton device. A spinal cord stimulation device is used to generate corresponding stimuli in response to the shared intention event in order to induce corresponding muscle activity; The exoskeleton device includes an exoskeleton prediction controller and an actuator, wherein: The exoskeleton prediction controller is used to enter the waiting-for-assistance state in response to the shared intent event, and to send an assistance command to the actuator at the moment the assistance command is sent. The executor is used to establish a target assist in response to the assist command.

2. The collaborative control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The collaborative control system includes an exoskeleton control path and a spinal cord stimulation drive path that run in parallel. The exoskeleton control path is used to control the movement of the exoskeleton, and the spinal cord stimulation drive path is used to induce the body's proprioceptive movements.

3. The collaborative control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exoskeleton device also includes an exoskeleton motion detection module, which is used to determine the motion start timestamp and send the motion start timestamp, event number and motion confirmation time back to the collaborative controller. The collaborative controller is also used to update the delay between the stimulus output of the same type of action and the expected stimulus-induced start time of the action based on the motion start timestamp and the event number.

4. The collaborative control system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The update method for the delay between stimulus output and the expected stimulus-induced motor initiation time is as follows: ； in, and These represent the delays between the output of the stimulus before and after the update and the expected onset of the stimulus-induced movement, respectively. This indicates the moment when the actual stimulus triggers the movement. Indicates the moment of stimulus output. This represents the update coefficient.

5. The collaborative control system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The coordinating controller is also used to calibrate the delay between the stimulation output and the expected stimulation-induced movement initiation time during the calibration phase based on the stimulation output time of the spinal cord stimulation device and the movement initiation timestamp, and to obtain the actuator response time based on the assist command sending time and assist establishment time.

6. The collaborative control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The collaborative controller calculates the lead time based on the direct path delay and the neural modulation path delay, and determines the timing of sending the assist command based on the expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time, the actuator response time, and the exoskeleton movement preparation completion time. Wherein, the predicted lead time is , To find the maximum value function, For the delay of neural regulatory pathways, For direct path delay, To confirm the timing of the movement, The moment of preparation for the exoskeleton's movement.

7. The cooperative control system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The expected stimulus-induced movement initiation time is ,in, Indicates the timing of spinal cord stimulation output. This indicates the delay between the output of the stimulus and the expected moment when the stimulus induces the start of movement; The time when the assist command is sent is , where is the function for finding the maximum value. Preparing for the completion of exoskeleton movements. This indicates the actuator response time.

8. The collaborative control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The collaborative controller is also used to instruct the exoskeleton prediction controller to cancel the pending assistance state when the shared intent event fails or no corresponding movement occurs within the expected time window; The exoskeleton prediction controller is also used to perform follow control based on actual joint movement information when the movement is normal.

9. The collaborative control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The collaborative controller is also used to encode the shared intent event, and the encoding result of the shared intent event includes event number, motion type, target joint, motion direction, intent confidence and timestamp of the shared intent event.

10. A method for the coordinated control of an exoskeleton device and a spinal cord stimulation device, characterized in that, The collaborative control method includes: Brain signals are collected, and after a valid movement intention is identified, the valid movement intention is sent to the collaborative controller; The collaborative controller responds to the valid motion intention by generating a shared intention event and sends the shared intention event in parallel to the spinal cord stimulation device and the exoskeleton device; The collaborative controller determines the timing of the assistance command and sends the timing of the assistance command to the exoskeleton device. The spinal cord stimulation device generates a corresponding stimulus in response to the shared intention event to induce corresponding muscle activity; The exoskeleton device’s exoskeleton prediction controller responds to the shared intent event and enters a ready-to-assist state, and sends an assist command to the actuator at the moment the assist command is sent. The actuator responds to the assist command to establish the target assist.

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