Ankle joint exerciser with muscle tension detecting function

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of medical apparatus and instruments, and mainly relates to an ankle joint training device with muscle tension detection function, which comprises mutually hinged leg fixing parts and foot fixing parts, and a driving part for transmitting and connecting the foot fixing parts is fixed on the leg fixing parts; pressure sensors are arranged on the leg fixing parts and the foot fixing parts; the ankle joint training device further comprises a main control panel, which is used for receiving and displaying the data of the pressure sensors to assist in judging the ankle joint rehabilitation condition. The leg fixing parts are attached to the calf muscle groups, the coordinated force state of the leg muscles during ankle joint flexion and extension is monitored, the foot fixing parts cover the plantar and dorsal foot muscle groups, the muscle tension changes during active / passive movement of the ankle joint are directly captured, the main control panel screen synchronously displays the dynamic waveform diagram of the leg / foot muscle tension, the horizontal axis is time / joint angle, and the vertical axis is tension value, and doctors or patients can directly observe the tension changes in the movement process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of medical device technology, and mainly relates to an ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function. Background Technology

[0002] Ankle injuries require surgery, rehabilitation, and treatment. Rehabilitation for ankle injuries includes passive movement using devices and active movement by the patient's own efforts.

[0003] Patent application CN118178152A discloses an ankle rehabilitation device, an ankle rehabilitation system, and an ankle rehabilitation training method. The ankle rehabilitation device includes an ankle rehabilitation apparatus, an angle detection mechanism mounted on the ankle rehabilitation apparatus for detecting rotation angles, and a controller for receiving detection signals from the angle detection mechanism and controlling the operation of the ankle rehabilitation apparatus. The ankle rehabilitation apparatus includes a leg fixation part and a foot plate part. The ankle rehabilitation system includes two ankle rehabilitation devices as described above, one of which is a main rehabilitation apparatus and the other is an auxiliary rehabilitation apparatus. The main rehabilitation apparatus is worn on a normal ankle, and the auxiliary rehabilitation apparatus is worn on an ankle with limited mobility.

[0004] The aforementioned devices can only be used for rehabilitation training, but they cannot effectively communicate with stroke or cerebral palsy patients, and doctors cannot directly know the effectiveness of the rehabilitation training through the devices. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides an ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function to solve the problem that the existing technology cannot determine the effect of ankle joint rehabilitation training.

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function includes a leg fixation component and a foot fixation component that are hinged to each other. A drive component that is connected to the foot fixation component is fixed on the leg fixation component. The drive component is used to drive the foot fixation component to rotate so as to drive the patient's ankle joint to repeatedly flex and extend.

[0008] Both the leg fixation device and the foot fixation device are equipped with pressure sensors, which are used to detect muscle tension data in the patient's legs and feet;

[0009] The ankle joint trainer also includes a main control board, which receives and displays data from the pressure sensors to help assess the ankle joint rehabilitation progress.

[0010] It has the following beneficial effects: The leg fixation device fits the calf muscle group (such as the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior) to monitor the synergistic force exertion of the leg muscles during ankle flexion and extension. The foot fixation device covers the plantar and dorsolateral foot muscles (such as the flexor digitorum longus and extensor digitorum longus) to directly capture changes in muscle tension during active / passive ankle joint movements. The main control panel screen synchronously displays a dynamic waveform of leg / foot muscle tension, with the horizontal axis representing time / joint angle and the vertical axis representing tension values. Doctors or patients can intuitively observe tension changes during movement. At the same time, through simultaneous monitoring of multiple sites, a tension distribution map of the muscles around the ankle joint is constructed, avoiding the one-sidedness of data from a single site.

[0011] Furthermore, the ankle trainer includes a base, with a leg fixation member hinged to the base to adjust the tilt angle of the leg fixation member.

[0012] It has the following beneficial effects: the tilt angle of the leg fixation piece is adjustable, which can match the lower limb length, joint range of motion and muscle tension of different patients. In this way, the adaptability, functionality and comfort of the ankle joint trainer are significantly improved through dynamic adjustment of spatial posture.

[0013] During training, the leg tilt angle can be dynamically adjusted to change the muscle stress points, avoid overloading a single muscle group (such as hamstring tension caused by prolonged horizontal training), and reduce training fatigue.

[0014] Furthermore, the drive unit includes a motor and a reducer fixed to the leg fixation member. The reducer is connected to the foot fixation member, and the motor drives the reducer to rotate the foot fixation member.

[0015] It has the following beneficial effects: the motor enables precise speed control, avoiding fluctuations in training rhythm caused by uneven force applied by the operator when manually driving; at the same time, the reducer amplifies the torque, ensuring stable driving force at different angles.

[0016] The motor can drive the foot fixation device to reciprocate flexion and extension, replacing the traditional manual one-way lever, thus reducing the labor intensity of medical staff.

[0017] Furthermore, both the leg and foot fasteners are lined.

[0018] It has the following beneficial effects: the liner significantly improves the comfort, safety and clinical applicability of the ankle trainer.

[0019] Furthermore, the leg and foot fasteners are provided with ventilation holes to dissipate heat from the corresponding legs and feet.

[0020] It has the following benefits: the design of the ventilation holes significantly improves the thermal comfort, skin health and safety, and training sustainability of the ankle trainer during use.

[0021] Furthermore, the foot fixation device includes a foot orthosis, which is used to limit the lateral movement of the patient's foot during rehabilitation training.

[0022] It has the following beneficial effects: The orthotic device adopts a U-shaped rigid plastic frame and is designed to fit along the inner and outer edges of the foot to form a lateral constraint boundary. For patients with ankle instability, after adding the orthotic device, the abnormal lateral range of motion of the subtalar joint is reduced during training, so that the joint movement is concentrated in the flexion and extension plane of the ankle joint.

[0023] Furthermore, the ankle trainer also includes a remote control, which is used to control the operation of the drive components via the main control board.

[0024] Furthermore, the leg fixation component is equipped with an angle sensor, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the foot fixation component.

[0025] It has the following beneficial effects: when the preset safe angle is detected by the angle sensor, the motor brakes instantly to prevent the foot fixing part from rotating too much. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a left view of the present invention after the leg fixing component has been rotated.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1. Leg fixing parts; 2. Foot fixing parts; 3. Motor; 4. Reducer; 5. Base; 6. Ventilation holes. Detailed Implementation

[0030] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, an ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function includes a main control board, a leg fixation component and a foot fixation component hinged together. The leg fixation component is used to fix the lower leg, and the foot fixation component is used to fix the foot. A drive component that is connected to the foot fixation component is fixed on the leg fixation component. The drive component is used to drive the foot fixation component to rotate, thereby causing the patient's ankle joint to repeatedly flex and extend, thus realizing the patient's rehabilitation training.

[0031] Both the leg and foot immobilizers are equipped with pressure sensors to detect muscle tension data in the patient's legs and feet. The main control board receives and displays the data from the pressure sensors to assist doctors in assessing the ankle rehabilitation progress.

[0032] The leg fixation device conforms to the calf muscles (such as the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior) to monitor the synergistic force exertion of leg muscles during ankle flexion and extension. The foot fixation device covers the plantar and dorsolateral foot muscles (such as the flexor digitorum longus and extensor digitorum longus) to directly capture changes in muscle tension during active and passive ankle movements. By simultaneously monitoring multiple sites, a tension distribution map of the muscles surrounding the ankle joint is constructed, avoiding the limitations of data from a single site.

[0033] The main control board presets the normal range of muscle tension during ankle joint movement in healthy individuals. When real-time data exceeds this range, it triggers an abnormal alert (e.g., excessive muscle tension indicating a risk of spasticity). It stores historical data and generates periodic reports (e.g., weekly / monthly tension curve comparisons), visually displaying the improvement trend of muscle tension (e.g., the process from stiffness to flexibility). Furthermore, it uses machine learning algorithms to identify abnormal tension patterns (e.g., a sawtooth-shaped tension curve during flexion and extension indicating poor muscle coordination), assisting doctors in identifying rehabilitation bottlenecks (e.g., neurological control disorders or muscle adhesions).

[0034] The main control panel screen synchronously displays a dynamic waveform of leg / foot muscle tension. The horizontal axis represents time / joint angle, and the vertical axis represents tension value. Doctors or patients can intuitively observe tension changes during exercise. Through numerical and graphical data of muscle tension, rehabilitation progress can be accurately assessed.

[0035] In this embodiment, the ankle joint trainer includes a base, with a leg fixation member hinged to the base to adjust the tilt angle of the leg fixation member. The adjustable tilt angle of the leg fixation member can match the lower limb length, joint range of motion, and muscle tension of different patients. This dynamic adjustment of spatial posture significantly improves the adaptability, functionality, and comfort of the ankle joint trainer.

[0036] The leg fixation device has an adjustable tilt angle (e.g., stepless adjustment within the range of 0° to 45°) to match the lower limb length, joint range of motion, and muscle tension of different patients. For shorter patients: reduce the tilt angle to avoid compensatory force caused by the leg being suspended in the air. For patients with muscle spasms: use a small angle for passive training initially, gradually increasing the angle as the spasm subsides to achieve progressive stretching.

[0037] When the tilt angle is 0° (leg placed horizontally): focus on pure ankle flexion and extension training (such as plantar flexion / dorsiflexion), suitable for patients with simple ankle injuries.

[0038] When the tilt angle increases (leg raised): Gravity-assisted / resistance elements are introduced, and the ankle joint needs to simultaneously resist gravity to complete the flexion and extension movements, which can strengthen the active force exertion ability of the calf muscles (such as the gastrocnemius muscle), and is suitable for patients in the middle and late stages of rehabilitation.

[0039] By adjusting the leg tilt angle, the ankle joint is placed in a biomechanically neutral position, ensuring that the force line is transmitted along the tibia and fibula-ankle-foot during training, avoiding the involvement of the hip and knee joints in force generation, and precisely activating the target muscle groups (such as the tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus).

[0040] In this embodiment, the leg tilt angle can be dynamically adjusted during training to change the muscle stress points, avoid overloading of a single muscle group (such as hamstring tension caused by prolonged horizontal training), and reduce training fatigue.

[0041] A limiting device is installed on the leg fixation piece, with a maximum tilt angle set to prevent excessive dorsiflexion / plantar flexion of the ankle joint due to excessive angle, thus preventing ligament or tendon strain. For patients who have undergone internal fixation surgery for ankle fractures, the tilt angle can be initially limited to a small angle, gradually increasing as the fracture heals to achieve a safe and controllable rehabilitation process.

[0042] In this embodiment, the driving component includes a motor and a reducer fixed to the leg anchor. The reducer is connected to the foot anchor, and the motor drives the reducer to rotate the foot anchor. The motor can be a servo motor or a stepper motor. The motor enables precise speed control, avoiding fluctuations in training rhythm caused by uneven force applied by the operator during manual driving. Simultaneously, the reducer amplifies torque, ensuring stable driving force at different angles.

[0043] The motor can drive the foot fixation device to reciprocate flexion and extension, replacing the traditional manual one-way lever, thus reducing the labor intensity of medical staff.

[0044] When the patient actively flexes and extends their ankle joint, the motor can generate reverse resistance through current control, which, together with the torque transmission of the reducer, enables standardized resistance training.

[0045] During normal training, when the training resistance exceeds the set threshold, the motor current increases sharply, and the main control board will trigger an emergency shutdown procedure to avoid joint damage caused by sudden muscle spasms in the patient or equipment jamming.

[0046] In this embodiment, both the leg and foot fixation components are lined. The lining significantly improves the comfort, safety, and clinical applicability of the ankle trainer.

[0047] In this embodiment, the lining is made of low-density memory foam (such as polyurethane slow rebound foam) or silicone gel pad. Its soft deformation properties can conform to the concave and convex contours of the legs (such as the anterior crest of the tibia and the head of the fibula) and the feet (such as the arch of the foot and the medial and lateral malleoli), avoiding direct pressure from hard plastic on the bony protrusions.

[0048] Thick linings can be used in areas with abundant muscle (such as the front of the thigh), while thin linings can be used in areas with superficial bone (such as the inner and outer ankles), thus balancing support and comfort through differentiated cushioning.

[0049] The outer layer of the lining is made of mesh fabric (such as 3D air layer fabric), and the inner layer is made of hydrophilic polyurethane film, which enables one-way conduction of sweat (from the skin surface → lining → outer layer evaporation) to keep the contact surface dry.

[0050] In other embodiments, the liner is made of a polyester fiber and spandex blend material, which stretches synchronously with the deformation of the limb during ankle flexion and extension movements, avoiding force transmission loss caused by slippage between the fixation device and the limb. Silicone anti-slip strips are embedded in the edge of the liner to increase the friction of the contact surface and prevent the limb from slipping out of the fixation device during training.

[0051] In this embodiment, the leg and foot fixation components are equipped with ventilation holes to dissipate heat from the corresponding legs and feet. This ventilation design significantly improves the thermal comfort, skin health and safety, and training sustainability of the ankle trainer during use.

[0052] In this embodiment, the ventilation holes are circular or elliptical, arranged according to human anatomy. Leg support: 2-3 rows of holes are provided along both sides of the anterior tibial crest and behind the fibular head, spaced 20-25mm apart, utilizing the swinging force of the lower limbs to create forced convection. Foot support: 1-2 rows of holes are provided in the dorsum of the foot and metatarsal interosseous region, working in conjunction with the "piston effect" generated by ankle flexion and extension movements to promote air circulation within the shoe.

[0053] In other embodiments, the vents are irregularly shaped.

[0054] In this embodiment, the ventilation holes reduce the physical weight of the device, and the lightweight design reduces the extra load during active movement, thus more accurately reflecting the patient's actual muscle strength level.

[0055] The foot fixation device includes a foot orthosis, which is used to limit the lateral swaying of the patient's foot during rehabilitation training. In this embodiment, the orthosis uses a U-shaped rigid plastic frame, designed to fit along the inner and outer edges of the foot to form a lateral constraint boundary. For patients with ankle instability, the addition of the orthosis reduces the abnormal lateral range of motion of the subtalar joint during training, concentrating joint movement in the flexion-extension plane of the ankle joint.

[0056] In this embodiment, the ankle joint trainer also includes a remote control. The remote control can be held by the patient or the doctor and is used to control the operation of the drive components via the main control board. An angle sensor is installed on the leg fixation component to detect the rotation angle of the foot fixation component and transmit this angle to the main control board. When the angle sensor detects that a preset safe angle has been reached, the main control board controls the motor to brake instantaneously to prevent the foot fixation component from rotating too much.

[0057] The working process of this utility model is as follows:

[0058] The patient needs to insert their foot into a foot fixation device for immobilization and their lower leg into a leg fixation device for immobilization. Then, the drive mechanism is activated via remote control, causing the foot fixation device to rotate. During the rehabilitation training process, pressure and angle sensors record various data in real time, which are then transmitted to the main control board for display.

Claims

1. An ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function, characterized in that, It includes a leg fixation component and a foot fixation component that are hinged to each other. The leg fixation component is fixed with a drive component that is connected to the foot fixation component. The drive component is used to drive the foot fixation component to rotate so as to drive the patient's ankle joint to repeatedly flex and extend. Both the leg fixation device and the foot fixation device are equipped with pressure sensors, which are used to detect muscle tension data in the patient's legs and feet; The ankle joint trainer also includes a main control board, which receives and displays data from the pressure sensors to help assess the ankle joint rehabilitation progress.

2. The ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ankle trainer includes a base, with a leg anchor hinged to the base to adjust the tilt angle of the leg anchor.

3. The ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit includes a motor and a reducer fixed to the leg fixation member. The reducer is connected to the foot fixation member, and the motor drives the reducer to rotate the foot fixation member.

4. The ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the leg and foot fasteners have inner linings.

5. The ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The leg and foot fasteners are equipped with ventilation holes to dissipate heat from the corresponding legs and feet.

6. The ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foot fixation device contains a foot orthosis, which is used to limit the lateral movement of the patient's foot during rehabilitation training.

7. The ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ankle trainer also includes a remote control, which is used to control the operation of the drive components via the main control board.

8. The ankle joint trainer with muscle tension detection function according to claim 1, characterized in that, An angle sensor is installed on the leg fixation component to detect the rotation angle of the foot fixation component.

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