REHABILITATION DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a rehabilitation device.

[0002] WO 2015 / 048688 A1 discloses a rehabilitation device designed for operation in conjunction with one of the limbs of a user, wherein the user's limb in question has an endpoint. The rehabilitation device comprises a base, a robot arm attached to the base and having an endpoint, wherein the robot arm has at least two active degrees of freedom relative to the base and is configured such that, while the base is suitably positioned relative to a user, the reference frame of the robot is oriented substantially similarly to the user's reference frame. The movements of the endpoint of the user's limb in question are mimicked by movements of the endpoint of the robot arm.

[0003] WO 2018 / 086748 A2 discloses a robot arm with a logistics system that is mounted on a mobile platform by means of a lifting device. The robot arm is designed to transport a goods carrier and is used for transporting, loading, or unloading goods in the logistics sector.

[0004] WO 2017 / 216075 A1 discloses a patient positioning device with a medical workstation for the medical treatment of a patient, e.g., by means of radiotherapy. The patient is positioned on the designated patient couch, which is attached to the distal end element of a robot kinematic system. The robot arm then moves the patient couch into the medical workstation so that the medical treatment can be performed.

[0005] US 2012 / 0179075 A1 also describes a rehabilitation device consisting of a wearable, robotic exoskeleton that can also be attached to a tripod using a bracket. The user can use the exoskeleton for therapeutic purposes, with the exoskeleton performing active movements and transmitting these to the user to move their joints. In another application, the exoskeleton can be used to enhance the user's active strength to perform a task.

[0006] The object of the invention is to create a rehabilitation device which can be operated in a particularly safe manner despite its cost-effective construction.

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention by a rehabilitation device comprising a stand, a lifting column fastened to the stand, a lifting carriage mounted on the lifting column in a height-adjustable manner, which is automatically vertically movable by means of a first drive of the rehabilitation device, a base arm pivotably mounted on the lifting carriage about a first, vertical axis of rotation, which is automatically driven to pivot about the first, vertical axis of rotation by means of a second drive of the rehabilitation device, a forearm pivotably mounted on the base arm about a second, vertical axis of rotation, which is automatically driven to pivot about the second, vertical axis of rotation by means of a third drive of the rehabilitation device, a connecting piece mounted on the forearm freely rotatable about a third, vertical axis of rotation, and a connecting piece pivotable about a fourth,A body part support mounted tiltably about a horizontal axis of rotation, wherein the forearm is formed in two parts with a first, proximal forearm part and a second, distal forearm part, wherein the second, distal forearm part is mounted on the first, proximal forearm part in a detachable and repositionable manner such that the second, distal forearm part can be rigidly fastened to the first, proximal forearm part either in a first orientation or in a second orientation, which deviates from the first orientation, in particular is rotated by 180 degrees relative to the first orientation.

[0008] The connecting piece, which is freely rotatable about a third, vertical axis of rotation on the forearm, is thus mounted on the forearm in a freely rotatable manner without being driven.

[0009] Each drive of the rehabilitation device can be assigned to a single drivable joint of the rehabilitation device. For example, each drive can be located in a link immediately upstream of the joint to be driven in the kinematic chain, or in a link immediately downstream of the joint to be driven in the kinematic chain. If necessary, two or more drives for different joints can be arranged in the same link. In particular, the lifting carriage can have drives for moving both the base arm and the forearm.

[0010] All drives can be driven automatically, in particular program-controlled, by a common control device of the rehabilitation device.

[0011] The body part support forms a connecting link for coupling the rehabilitation device to a body part of a person to be treated. Coupling can be achieved simply by the person placing one of their body parts, such as the hand, forearm, or leg, on a support surface of the body part support. The body part support can have a fastening means, such as at least one lashing strap, designed to releasably attach the person's body part to the body part support.

[0012] The body part support can be tilted about the fourth horizontal axis of rotation by means of a spring body connecting the body part support to the connecting piece, wherein the spring body supports the body part support on the connecting piece in a spring-elastic manner in a predetermined basic position.

[0013] The spring element can, for example, be a spring coil. Tilting the body part support means that the support surface can be rotated from its generally horizontal base position, so that the support surface is oriented either downwards or upwards. A downward or upward orientation can be measured along the longitudinal extent of the body part support and can be directed from a proximal end to a distal end.

[0014] The body part support can be automatically driven to tilt about the fourth horizontal axis of rotation by means of a fourth drive of the rehabilitation device, in particular by means of a mechanically flexible element associated with the fourth drive, which elastically pre-tensions the body part support into a basic position.

[0015] The tilting of the body part support can be achieved by a control device of the rehabilitation device controlling the fourth drive.

[0016] The automatically driven movement of the body part support relative to the connecting piece can be coupled to the automatically driven height movement of the lifting carriage relative to the lifting column, in particular to the automatically driven height movement of the lifting carriage (4) and also to the pivoting movements of the base arm and the front arm.

[0017] Coupling the movement of the body part support relative to the connecting piece with the vertical movement of the lifting carriage means that the vertical movement of the lifting carriage forms an input variable for controlling the tilting movement of the body part support. This tilting movement of the body part support can occur synchronously with the vertical movement of the lifting carriage. Alternatively, the tilting movement of the body part support can also occur asynchronously with the vertical movement of the lifting carriage, but with a predetermined other dependency on the vertical movement of the lifting carriage.

[0018] The first drive can comprise a first motor arranged in the stand or in the lifting column, which is designed to raise and / or lower the lifting carriage on the lifting column in a motor-driven manner, and the rehabilitation device can have a mechanical coupling device which forms part of the fourth drive and which is designed to transmit a drive movement of the first motor to the body part support in such a way that during a lifting movement of the lifting carriage, driven by the first motor, the body part support executes a tilting movement synchronous to the lifting movement.

[0019] The mechanical coupling device can, in particular, be designed to accommodate a lifting movement of the lifting carriage and convert the lifting movement into a tilting movement of the body part support. Such conversion can also include a transmission, for example, implemented by a gear.

[0020] The first drive can comprise a first motor arranged in the stand or in the lifting column, which is designed to raise and / or lower the lifting carriage on the lifting column in a motor-driven manner, and the fourth drive can have a fourth motor which is designed to transmit its drive movement to the body part support in order to carry out a tilting movement of the body part support, wherein the fourth motor is mechanically and / or control-technically coupled to the first motor in such a way that when the first motor drives the lifting carriage relative to the lifting column, a simultaneously controlled movement of the fourth motor brings about a tilting movement of the body part support that is synchronous with the lifting movement.

[0021] A control-technical coupling of the fourth motor with the first motor can be achieved, for example, via the control device of the rehabilitation device, which also controls the other drives of the rehabilitation device.

[0022] In a further development, the control-technical coupling of the fourth motor can be configured so that it is not dependent solely on the first motor for moving the lifting carriage, but also dependent on a second motor for pivoting the base arm about a first axis of rotation and a third motor for pivoting the front arm about a second axis of rotation. This means that the fourth motor is controlled not only depending on the height position of the lifting carriage, but also depending on the pivot positions of the base arm and the front arm. In particular, it can be provided that the plane of the armrest, for example, always passes through the shoulder of a person who has placed their corresponding arm on the armrest.

[0023] The body part support can be pivotally mounted about a horizontal fourth axis of rotation by means of an additional drive. Instead of an active motor drive, or in addition to an active motor drive, the body part support can have a mechanically flexible element, such as a torsion and / or elastomer spring, which elastically preloads the body part support into a home position.

[0024] In a first embodiment, the rehabilitation device can have a cable pull to form a mechanical coupling of the tilting movement of the armrest to the height position of the lifting carriage. The cable pull has an automatically controllable motor and a spindle driven by the motor, which is designed to wind up a cable of the cable pull when the motor drives the spindle. A free end of the cable is connected to the body part support, and the rehabilitation device has a return spring designed to move the body part support into a basic position when the cable does not exert any tensile force on the body part support. Alternatively or in addition to a cable pull, at least one belt, a chain, or another coupling mechanism can also be provided to couple the tilting movement of the armrest to the height position of the lifting carriage.

[0025] In a second embodiment, the rehabilitation device can have a linear drive which has a linearly movable, automatically controllable actuator which is connected to the body part support, wherein the rehabilitation device also has a return spring which is designed to move the body part support into a basic position when the actuator does not exert any tensile force on the body part support.

[0026] In a third embodiment, the rehabilitation device can have a rotary drive which has a rotatable, automatically controllable shaft which is connected to the body part support, wherein the rehabilitation device also has a return spring which is designed to move the body part support into a basic position when the shaft does not exert any torque on the body part support.

[0027] The second drive may generally comprise a second motor, the third drive may comprise a third motor, wherein the first motor, the second motor and the third motor are controlled by a common control device of the rehabilitation device in a compliance control, in particular an impedance control or an admittance control.

[0028] Force- and / or torque-controlled operation of the drives or motors, i.e., compliance control, can be achieved, for example, using impedance control or admittance control. Admittance control is based on existing position control of the positions of the rehabilitation device at the joint level of the rehabilitation device. The generalized forces acting externally on the rehabilitation device are measured. Based on these forces, a movement of the rehabilitation device corresponding to the desired dynamic behavior is determined, which is then commanded to the drives or motors via inverse kinematics and the underlying position control. In contrast to admittance control, impedance control is based on existing torque control at the joint level.The deviation of the actual position from a defined target position is measured, and a desired generalized force, or forces and moments, is determined based on the desired dynamic behavior. This force can be mapped to corresponding joint torques using the known kinematics of the rehabilitation device. The torques can then be adjusted using the underlying torque control.

[0029] The rehabilitation device is in particular a so-called serial kinematics, in which the limbs and joints of the rehabilitation device are arranged alternately in series one after the other.

[0030] The second drive may comprise a second motor, the third drive may comprise a third motor, wherein the second motor and the third motor are controlled by a common control device of the rehabilitation device in a compliance control, in particular impedance control or admittance control, and the first motor is controlled in a position-controlled manner by the control device.

[0031] The rehabilitation device may comprise a stop device configured to limit both a maximum pivot angle of the base arm about the first vertical axis of rotation and a maximum pivot angle of the forearm about the second vertical axis of rotation, both with respect to the base arm and with respect to the lifting carriage.

[0032] As already described, the forearm can be coupled to the lifting carriage via mechanical or control-related couplings. For example, the forearm can be coupled to the lifting carriage via parallelogram links and / or belts. A movement limitation by means of a stop device can thus preferably be implemented via the mechanical or control-related coupling. This allows, for example, three limitations to be implemented in a subsystem with two degrees of freedom of the rehabilitation device.

[0033] The forearm can generally be mounted on the base arm by means of a second joint so as to be pivotable about the second axis of rotation, wherein the second joint is designed to mount the forearm above the base arm in all pivot positions of the forearm, and the connecting piece is mounted on the forearm so as to be pivotable about the third axis of rotation by means of a third joint, wherein the third joint is designed to mount the connecting piece above the forearm in all pivot positions of the connecting piece, and the body part support is mounted on the connecting piece so as to be tiltable about the fourth axis of rotation by means of a fourth joint, wherein the fourth joint is designed to mount the body part support above the forearm in all pivot positions of the body part support.

[0034] A distal end section of the base arm and / or a proximal end section of the forearm, on which the second axis of rotation is arranged, can be designed to be cranked in such a way that, in a superimposed relative position of the base arm and forearm, a gap acting as a clamping protection is formed between the base arm and forearm.

[0035] Additional anti-pinch protection can be achieved or improved by covering the surfaces of the base arm and the forearm facing each other in an overlapping position of the base arm and the forearm with an elastic layer.

[0036] The forearm is additionally formed in two parts with a first, proximal forearm part and a second, distal forearm part, wherein the second, distal forearm part is mounted on the first, proximal forearm part in a detachable and repositionable manner such that the second, distal forearm part can be rigidly fastened to the first, proximal forearm part either in a first orientation or in a second orientation to the first, proximal forearm part, which deviates from the first orientation, in particular is rotated by 180 degrees relative to the first orientation.

[0037] Reconnecting the second, distal forearm part to the first, proximal forearm part can be achieved by a snap / locking connection which, in a locked state, connects the second, distal forearm part to the first, proximal forearm part in a form-fitting and rigid manner, and in an unlocked state the second, distal forearm part can be manually removed from the first, proximal forearm part and reconnected in a different orientation.

[0038] In all embodiments, the body part support can also be mounted on the intermediate piece in a manner that allows it to be removed from the intermediate piece. For this purpose, the joint connecting the body part support to the intermediate piece can be designed to be detachable.

[0039] In all embodiments, the body part support can optionally be designed as an arm rest, a hand rest or a leg rest.

[0040] In the following, the invention is summarized again, possibly expressed in other words.

[0041] The aim of the invention is to present a novel robotic system for rehabilitation applications that is powerful, sensitive, and simultaneously safe. This robotic system should be significantly more cost-effective than comparable known solutions, making it economically viable not only for commercial users but also for private use.

[0042] The basic idea of ​​this invention is a novel, targeted combination of special kinematics with special drive distribution and structure, weight support and individually adjustable ranges of motion.

[0043] In an advantageous embodiment, the rehabilitation arm is designed to be movable in five degrees of freedom, with the end effector representing the connection to the patient's arm, in particular a person's forearm or hand, and being movable in all three translational and two rotational degrees of freedom. The two rotational degrees of freedom describe a rotation of, for example, the forearm around a spatially fixed vertical axis and a co-moving horizontal axis that is always perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forearm. In this embodiment, free or guided rotation of the forearm around its longitudinal axis is prevented by fixing the forearm in a shell support connected to the robot. A fixed position of the forearm or hand can be freely selected in advance and should correspond to the most ergonomic posture possible, appropriate for the respective therapy.

[0044] The five degrees of freedom of the specific variant of the rehabilitation arm described here are achieved by five serially arranged joints.

[0045] The first joint is spatially fixed and describes a vertical translation. It is actuated by a motion command from the controller.

[0046] The second joint is formed by a rotation axis, which describes an actuated controlled rotational movement around the vertical axis.

[0047] The third joint is also formed by a rotation axis. This is essentially parallel to the rotation axis of the second joint and spaced apart from it. It also describes an actuated, rotary movement around a vertical axis.

[0048] The fourth joint is also formed by a rotation axis. This, too, is essentially parallel to the second and third joints and spaced apart from them. It also describes rotational movement around the vertical axis, but is passive, i.e., executed without a drive. It is forced or predetermined by the position of the patient's arm.

[0049] The fifth joint is also formed by a rotation axis and is more of a tilting axis. This is essentially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the fourth joint and is oriented horizontally. The movement of the axis can be controlled by a control system or mechanically coupled, and can be designed as passively free or passively spring-supported.

[0050] The structure described here differs fundamentally from known designs of other rehabilitation arms or SCARA robots, as it reveals a serial joint structure that includes both active and at least one passive joint and is accordingly underdetermined in terms of kinematics and drive technology.

[0051] Furthermore, it is novel that at least one passive joint is located within the kinematic chain, i.e. not at the distal or proximal end of the kinematic chain.

[0052] The rehab robot, i.e. the rehabilitation device, can also be controlled in impedance mode, among other things. This mainly affects the base joints for moving the lifting carriage, the base arm and the forearm, which determine the position and forces on the patient's arm in space. The tilting joint is simpler in the basic design and is purely position-controlled. The tilting joint determines the inclination of the armrest, which is intended to support and guide the patient so that they cannot make any inadmissible balancing or compensating movements, for example with the forearm. The armrest is tilted downwards for hand positions above the shoulder and upwards for hand positions below the shoulder, so that a plane always passes through the patient's shoulder. This plane is spanned by the tilting joint and the longitudinal shape of the armrest and has its origin in the TCP, i.e. in the patient's hand.In addition to the height of the hand, the horizontal distance of the hand to the shoulder is also crucial for the inclination.

[0053] The inclination can be set either mechanically coupled or controlled in the tilting joint.

[0054] With mechanical coupling, the position and thus the movement of the lifting carriage in the vertical direction can be detected, converted, and transmitted to the tilting joint. This can be achieved, for example, via a traction mechanism structure, in particular a cable fixed on both sides in the linear axis, which drives a cable pulley mounted on the carriage when the lifting carriage moves. This rapid rotary movement can be reduced using a simple gear according to the transmission ratio and drive another pulley or lever on the output side, which, for example, actuates another traction mechanism, in particular a Bowden cable. This Bowden cable is guided forward via the joints and transmits the movement directly to the tilting joint via a lever or cable pulley.The tilt can be reset either actively, using a double structure for both directions of movement, or passively, with gravity or a spring always pulling the armrest in one direction and thus keeping the drive cable of the Bowden cable taut.

[0055] Since the shoulder height varies depending on the patient's height, a device is available that allows the zero tilt position to be adjusted. This can be done either by adjusting the Bowden cable or by readjusting one of the two cable pulleys on the gear mechanism. The disadvantage of this version, however, is that the tilt only determines the height of the hand, not the distance from the shoulder.

[0056] Another advantageous variant is the integration of a drive into the tilting joint. For this purpose, a drive can drive the tilting joint either directly as a geared motor or with spring assistance, be designed as a slider-crank kinematics including an actuating cylinder, or act on one side via a cable with a pulley. The latter can be achieved, for example, by placing a drive with a driving cable pulley in the forearm and guiding a cable through the third axis of rotation, which acts on the armrest via a lever arm. The armrest is constantly pushed downwards in the opposite direction by a spring. The cable pulls the support upwards against the weight of the patient's arm, ensuring the correct inclination.Such a one-sided structure is not only cost-effective, but also has advantages in terms of safe operation, since the support can be freely moved upwards by the patient or can simply fold away from below in the event of a collision.

[0057] The inclination of the support serves purely as ergonomic support for the forearm, relieving strain on the patient and guiding them toward correct execution of the movement. Therefore, in addition to the described design, targeted flexibility in the drive train of the tilting joint or integrated downstream into the support can advantageously contribute to natural movement behavior.

[0058] The lifting carriage and the base arm serve the main movement in the plane and are driven, for example, by stepper motors with a low-ratio belt drive, for example, less than 1:10, especially 1:5. This results in a very direct control behavior, in which the drive is loaded directly with external torques with virtually no loss.

[0059] A previously determined static and dynamic model of the motor with respect to its torque curve, which includes at least the motor currents and armature position or rotor angle, can be used to estimate the torque acting on the motor side at each joint. Disturbing influences such as cogging torques, temperature, belt influences, and friction, etc., can also be modeled. These measured joint torques can be used to calculate the input force acting on the armrest in the robot's dynamics equations. These external forces can be calculated using, for example, the Newton-Euler method.

[0060] Additional force-measuring sensors are not generally necessary for planar movement in this embodiment. In addition to these forces, the vertical force can also be used, analyzed, and evaluated for therapeutic purposes and as movement input. Analogous to the movements of the lifting carriage and the base arm, the motor current and the armature position can also be used for this purpose. Alternatively or additionally, a simple one-dimensional force sensor can be integrated distally in the area of ​​the armrest in order to improve measurement accuracy in this direction through shorter force paths. This sensor can, for example, be installed in the joint between the forearm and the connecting piece in such a way that the entire axial bearing force, i.e. in particular tension and compression, is transmitted via the sensor. If the sensor can only measure a compressive force, the measuring point must be preloaded accordingly using a spring.

[0061] Another important feature of the rehabilitation robot, i.e. the rehabilitation device of this invention, relates to the drive train for the joint between the base arm and forearm. Here, the drive can be mounted in the lifting carriage. A first belt stage can be provided; this translates the drive movement, in particular at a ratio of less than 1:10 or 1:5, to a pulley that is coaxial with the first axis of rotation between the lifting carriage and base arm. A further belt with a 1:1 ratio transmits the rotary movement to the joint between the base arm and forearm. This has various advantages over a direct drive and support of the drive torque via the base arm. Firstly, from a kinematic point of view, the belt forms a closed partial chain, which significantly reduces the drive torque on the swivel drive between the lifting carriage and base arm and increases the accuracy of the arm.In other cases, heavy components such as drives are shifted proximally, thereby reducing the moving mass. This also has a positive impact on drive performance and safety aspects. Furthermore, such a setup allows for the implementation of a targeted concept of specifically set movement limits. This is possible because the described belt setup allows the following movement limits to be set as fixed but adjustable stops. The movement limits can limit the base arm relative to the lifting carriage, limit the front arm relative to the base arm, and simultaneously limit the front arm relative to the lifting carriage.

[0062] Since the lifting carriage only has one translational degree of freedom and the base arm and forearm are moved by rotary joints, it can also be said that the absolute movement of the base arm can be limited, and for the forearm both the relative and absolute movement can be limited. This allows not only the range of motion of the tool center point (TCP), i.e. the patient's hand, to be limited in a very targeted manner, but also that of the robot limbs. This keeps the robot away from the patient and prevents unwanted collisions. These axis limits can be easily adjusted depending on the therapy configuration (left or right), the therapy movement range, the patient size and / or the patient's position in relation to the robot, i.e. the rehabilitation device.

[0063] Should an unwanted collision between the robot and the patient, another person or an object occur, a number of very cost-effective safety functions and / or safety features are activated.

[0064] The drive power built into the robot is very low, meaning the robot cannot cause any harm to a human. This is possible because the main drives, due to their vertically aligned rotation axes, are not subject to gravitational influence, meaning that only process forces (i.e., therapy forces) are at work here, along with only a small amount of inertial and friction forces. The lifting drive, however, must be designed to be significantly more powerful, as it is subject to process, friction, and inertial forces, as well as the weight of the patient's arm and the robot. The latter make up by far the largest portion of the drive load, but have the property that they are independent of the robot position and remain constant throughout the therapy.A balancing system can absorb this weight force completely or partially via an energy storage device, in particular a spring-based energy storage device, thus enabling the use of a smaller, less powerful drive for the lifting column.

[0065] By layering and offsetting adjacent links, shearing points are avoided; body parts the size of a hand can be held between two robot links without clamping.

[0066] The lifting carriage can be designed with a stable fork bearing. The resulting critical clamping point between the base arm and the lifting carriage can be protected by an elastomer cover.

[0067] All movable robot limbs, in particular the base arm and the forearm, can be covered completely or partially, in particular laterally and / or on the underside or top side, with a flexible shock-absorbing material.

[0068] In addition, the robot arm can be equipped with a linear contact or non-contact sensor, particularly a safety edge, on the underside of the base arm and the front arm, and possibly on the lifting carriage. This sensor detects when the entire arm is lowered, for example, it has collided with the patient or an object such as a table. Appropriate control settings can be used to respond to this in a safety-related manner.

[0069] The special layering of the links, which ascends towards the body part support (corresponds to TCP), has the advantage that no links are located or moving directly next to the patient's head, which has a more favorable psychological effect, and allows the overall height of the lifting column to be reduced. Thus, even with the patient's hand held high, for example, overhead, only a lower upper carriage position and thus a lower lifting column are necessary. Since the total stroke of the arm and thus of the carriage remains the same, the range of motion of the lifting column is shifted by the amount of the layering to the lower, structurally non-critical range.

[0070] A smaller lifting column offers advantages not only in terms of design, transport, and cost, but also in terms of stability. To ensure stability, the lifting column, for example, has several feet at the bottom, which can be further stabilized with removable weights in one version. These removable weights can be designed as hollow bodies filled with water or sand, which can be refilled after transport. They are connected to the feet or the column and, as counterweights, increase the stability of the structure.

[0071] To ensure that the entire robot can be moved passively, the feet are designed with rollers, for example, so that these can either be blocked at the destination or the base can be lowered.

[0072] Alternatively or additionally, the patient seat can also be used to increase the stability of the robot base by placing the seat, chair or block on an area of ​​the base or mechanically connecting it to it, for example by means of a locking mechanism.

[0073] The rehabilitation arm setup presented here offers maximum flexibility and versatility in therapy. For example, the patient can sit directly next to the arm, at a distance from it, or directly in front of it. All other patient positions are also possible. This setup can also be used for both right and left arm therapy without any modifications, with the possible exception of adjusting the axis stops.

[0074] A detachable and rotatable connection within the forearm allows the orientation to be changed by 180°, for example, so that the armrest can face either downwards or upwards. This also allows for other exercises in a different range of motion.

[0075] Furthermore, the armrest can be modified and / or adapted, for example as a modular system, and can also include additional mobility or arm support depending on the design.

[0076] In a special embodiment, the body part support can be designed in at least two parts with at least one arm rest and at least one hand rest, wherein both the arm rest has a first coupling device that interacts magnetically with a first body part cuff through magnetic adhesive force, and the hand rest has a second coupling device that interacts magnetically with a second body part cuff through magnetic adhesive force. To achieve a firm connection of the person's arm to the body part support, i.e. to achieve a firm connection of the first body part cuff to the arm rest and the second body part cuff to the hand rest, the first body part cuff can have a first counter-coupling device and the second body part cuff can have a second counter-coupling device.The pair of first coupling device and first negative feedback device, or the pair of second coupling device and second negative feedback device, can each be at least a pairing of a magnet with a ferromagnetic piece of iron or a pairing of two magnets interacting with opposite poles. Accordingly, the first coupling device, the second coupling device, the first negative feedback device, and / or the second negative feedback device can optionally comprise a magnet and / or a ferromagnetic piece of iron.

[0077] This technical solution for connecting body part cuffs to the armrest consists in particular of a double magnetic coupling of the forearm or hand with the armrest or handrest. To do this, the patient puts on one or two bandages, i.e. the cuffs, on the wrist and / or forearm before the exercise, depending on the therapy. These cuffs are individually designed and remain with the patient even after the exercise. Both bandages or cuffs each contain at least one magnetic element, i.e. counter-coupling devices, which can be connected to a coupling partner / counterpart (metal or also a magnet), i.e. the coupling devices on the armrest and / or handrest, by simply bringing them closer together using magnetic force.

[0078] The armrest or hand rest can be designed to have a handle that can be freely rotated around an axis essentially parallel to the main extension of the armrest. This allows for individual adjustment of an ergonomic hand orientation and forearm posture and expands the degrees of freedom of the rehabilitation arm to six. In addition to the magnetic surface on the hand rest, the handle can also have a sensor, such as a simple photodiode or a button, to detect the patient's resting hand. If the hand is released from the handle, the rehabilitation device stops. When the hand is reattached, the movement is resumed after an acknowledgement, a signal, or a defined period of time.

[0079] Furthermore, the armrest can feature a forearm support, which also offers the option of magnetic coupling. For lateral guidance of the forearm, it can be designed, for example, as a semicircular, open shell. In this case, a single pair of magnets is sufficient and does not restrict wrist mobility. In other words, regardless of the grip position (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°) assumed by the patient, the alignment of the coupling point between the forearm and the forearm support remains constant, so that all grip positions can be achieved with just one forearm coupling point.

[0080] The magnetic connections can, for example, be designed as flat surfaces of the coupling partners (first / second coupling device, first / second counter-coupling device) and / or have certain shaped elements that interlock in order to better absorb lateral forces.

[0081] As a complementary embodiment, the supports can also include sensors for measuring and monitoring vital functions. When coupled to the armrest, these sensors are powered via an electrical interface and transmit data to a control unit of the rehabilitation device, allowing targeted responses to the patient's physical condition. Furthermore, these vital function measurements can also be stored with the movement data and transmitted to a therapist for evaluation.

[0082] The sensors can also be equipped with batteries that are charged via the interface to the armrest and continue to record further measurements even after active therapy.

[0083] Furthermore, the bandages (i.e., the cuffs) can also contain an NFC element, such as an RFID tag, on which all important patient data is stored. If the rehabilitation device is used by many patients, as is the case in a rehabilitation center, for example, it is sufficient for the patient to connect to the armrest. This transfers all relevant data for the individual therapy to the control system, allowing training to begin immediately.

[0084] If the patient wishes to move away from the rehabilitation device or release it, they simply need to pull their arm out of the armrest. This can be done either by the arm itself or with the help of the other arm. A movement against the magnetic force, for example, along the normal direction, or by twisting or sliding the magnets can easily release the device.

[0085] The entire armrest can be separated by simply pulling it out axially and changed for other therapy applications.

[0086] As an alternative to magnetic connections, mechanical locking mechanisms, hook-and-loop fasteners, or vacuum-based connections such as suction cups can also be used as coupling elements. However, according to the invention, magnetic coupling is preferred in a specific embodiment.

[0087] In summary, it can be stated that the novel robot system for rehabilitation applications presented here, despite sufficient performance, especially with regard to a therapy force, can be constructed very safely and yet extremely cost-effectively compared to known solutions and is suitable for a variety of rehabilitation, training and therapy measures.

[0088] Specific embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying figures. Regardless of the specific context in which they are mentioned, specific features of these exemplary embodiments may represent general features of the invention, even when considered individually or in further combinations.

[0089] They show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of an exemplary rehabilitation device according to the invention in use on a person, Fig. 2 a perspective view of an exemplary rehabilitation device according to the invention in isolation, Fig. 3 a side view of the rehabilitation device according to Fig.2 , Fig. 4the rehabilitation device according to Fig.2 with a schematic representation of three different tilting positions of the body part support, Fig. 5 a schematic representation of an exemplary drive for the tilting positions of the body part support with a cable pull and spindle, Fig. 6 a first embodiment of a drive, with a cable pull for executing the tilting movement of the body part support, Fig. 7 a second embodiment of a drive, with a linear drive for executing the tilting movement of the body part support, Fig. 8 a third embodiment of a drive, with a rotary drive for executing the tilting movement of the body part support, Fig. 9 a perspective representation of the rehabilitation device according to Fig.1 in a configuration on the left side of a person, Fig. 10 a perspective view of the rehabilitation device according to Fig.1 in a configuration on the right side of a person, Fig. 11 a perspective partial view of the forearm of the rehabilitation device in a two-part design with a first, proximal forearm part and a second, distal forearm part, in an upward-facing configuration of the body part support, Fig. 12 a perspective partial view of the forearm of the rehabilitation device in a two-part design with a first, proximal forearm part and a second, distal forearm part, in a downward-facing configuration of the body part support, and Figs. 13 to 19 various additional representations of a further developed embodiment of the rehabilitation device according to the invention.

[0090] The Fig. 1 shows an exemplary basic embodiment of a rehabilitation device 1 according to the invention.The rehabilitation device 1 comprises a stand 2, a lifting column 3 attached to the stand 2, a lifting carriage 4 mounted on the lifting column 3 for height adjustment, which can be moved automatically in height by means of a first drive of the rehabilitation device 1, a base arm 5 pivotably mounted on the lifting carriage 4 about a first, vertical axis of rotation D1, which can be pivoted about the first, vertical axis of rotation D1 by means of a second drive of the rehabilitation device 1, a forearm 6 pivotably mounted on the base arm 5 about a second, vertical axis of rotation D2, which can be pivoted about the second, vertical axis of rotation D2 by means of a third drive of the rehabilitation device 1, a connecting piece 7 mounted on the forearm 6 for free rotation about a third, vertical axis of rotation D3, and a body part support 8 mounted on the connecting piece 7 for tilting about a fourth, horizontal axis of rotation D4.

[0091] The stand 2 has legs 9, in the case of the present embodiment four legs 9. As shown, weights 10 can be attached to the legs 9 in order to increase the stability, ie the stability of the rehabilitation device 1. The legs 9 can optionally, as in Fig. 2 shown, be provided with feet 11. Instead of feet 11, casters can also be provided, which allow easy manual movement of the rehabilitation device 1. The casters can be designed with brakes.

[0092] In the case of the present embodiment, the body part support 8 is designed as a forearm support to which a forearm of a person 12 is strapped.

[0093] The Fig. 2 shows, in a slightly modified embodiment of the rehabilitation device 1, the degrees of freedom of the rehabilitation device 1. Here too, the rehabilitation device 1 comprises a tripod 2, a lifting column 3 fastened to the tripod 2, a lifting carriage 4 which is mounted on the lifting column 3 in a height-adjustable manner and which is automatically vertically movable by means of a first drive of the rehabilitation device 1, a base arm 5 which is pivotably mounted on the lifting carriage 4 about a first, vertical axis of rotation D1 and which is automatically driven to pivot about the first, vertical axis of rotation D1 by means of a second drive of the rehabilitation device 1, a forearm 6 which is pivotably mounted on the base arm 5 about a second, vertical axis of rotation D2 and which is automatically driven to pivot about the second, vertical axis of rotation D2 by means of a third drive of the rehabilitation device 1, a forearm 6 which is mounted on the forearm 6 about a third,vertical axis of rotation D3, a connecting piece 7 which is freely rotatable and not driven, and a body part support 8 which is tiltably mounted on the connecting piece 7 about a fourth, horizontal axis of rotation D4. As can be seen in particular from , Fig. 3 As can be seen, the forearm 6 is pivotally mounted on the base arm 5 by means of a second joint G2 about the second axis of rotation D2, wherein the second joint G2 is designed to mount the forearm 6 in all pivot positions of the forearm 6 above the base arm 5, wherein the connecting piece 7 is pivotally mounted on the forearm 6 by means of a third joint G3 about the third axis of rotation D3, wherein the third joint G3 is designed to mount the connecting piece 7 in all pivot positions of the connecting piece 7 above the forearm 6, wherein the body part support 8 is tiltably mounted on the connecting piece 7 by means of a fourth joint G4 about the fourth axis of rotation D4 (arrow P1), wherein the fourth joint G4 is designed to mount the body part support 8 in all pivot positions of the body part support 8 above the forearm 6. The three possible basic pivot positions of the body part support 8 are shown in Fig. 4 In a first basic pivoting position of the body part support 8, the body part support 8 can be Fig. 4 shown above, with its support surface sloping towards the forearm 6. In a second basic pivoting position of the body part support 8, the body part support 8 can be Fig. 4 shown in the middle, with its support surface horizontally aligned. In a third basic pivoting position of the body part support 8, the body part support 8 can be Fig. 4 shown below, with its support surface pointing away from the forearm 6, ie oriented upwards.

[0094] The Fig.3 also shows how a distal end section E1 of the base arm 5 and / or a proximal end section E2 of the forearm 6, at which transition the end sections E1 and E2 the second rotation axis D2 is arranged, are designed to be cranked, such that in a superimposed relative position of the base arm 5 and forearm 6, as in Fig. 3 shown, a gap S acting as a pinch protection is formed between the base arm 5 and the folded-in front arm 6 shown in dashed lines.

[0095] In Fig. 5 bis Fig. 8 In each case, it is shown how the body part support 8 is to be tilted about the fourth, horizontal axis of rotation D4 by means of a spring body 13 connecting the body part support 8 to the connecting piece 7, wherein the spring body 13 supports the body part support 8 in a predetermined basic position, as shown, in a spring-elastic manner on the connecting piece 7.

[0096] The body part support 8 can be automatically driven by a fourth drive of the rehabilitation device 1 to tilt about the fourth, horizontal axis of rotation D4.

[0097] The automatically driven movement of the body part support 8 relative to the connecting piece 7 can be coupled to the automatically driven height movement of the lifting carriage 4 relative to the lifting column 3.

[0098] As the Fig. 5 schematically shows, the first drive can comprise a first motor M1 arranged in the stand 2 or in the lifting column 3, which is designed to raise and / or lower the lifting carriage 4 on the lifting column 3 in a motor-driven manner, wherein the rehabilitation device 1 can have a mechanical coupling device 14 which forms part of the fourth drive and which is designed to transmit a drive movement of the first motor M1 to the body part support 8 in such a way that during a lifting movement (arrow P2) of the lifting carriage 4, driven by the first motor M1, the body part support 8 executes a synchronous tilting movement (arrow P3).

[0099] In a variant compared to the embodiment according to Fig. 5 modified embodiment can be Fig. 6 bis Fig. 8 In each case, the first drive can comprise a first motor arranged in the stand 2 or in the lifting column 3, which is designed to raise and / or lower the lifting carriage 4 on the lifting column 3 in a motor-driven manner, and a fourth drive can have a fourth motor M4, which is designed to transmit its drive movement to the body part support 8 in order to carry out a tilting movement of the body part support 8, wherein the fourth motor M4 is control-technically coupled to the first motor in such a way that when the first motor drives the lifting carriage 4 relative to the lifting column 3, a simultaneously controlled movement of the fourth motor M4 brings about a tilting movement of the body part support 8 that is synchronous with the lifting movement.

[0100] In the version according to Fig. 6 the rehabilitation device 1 has a cable pull 15 which has an automatically controllable motor M4 and a spindle 16 driven by the motor M4, which is designed to wind up a cable 17 of the cable pull 15 when the motor M4 drives the spindle 16, wherein a free end of the cable 17 is connected to the body part support 8, and having a return spring 13 which is designed to move the body part support 8 into a basic position when the cable 17 does not exert any tensile force on the body part support 8.

[0101] In the version according to Fig. 7 the rehabilitation device 1 has a linear drive 18 which has a linearly movable, automatically controllable actuator 19 which is connected to the body part support 8, and having a return spring 13 which is designed to move the body part support 8 into a basic position when the actuator 19 does not exert any tensile force on the body part support 8.

[0102] In the version according to Fig. 8 the rehabilitation device 1 has a rotary drive 20 which has a rotatable, automatically controllable shaft which is connected to the body part support 8, and having a return spring 13 which is designed to move the body part support 8 into a basic position when the shaft does not exert any torque on the body part support 8.

[0103] The Fig. 9 shows the rehabilitation device 1 according to Fig.1 in a configuration to the left of person 12.

[0104] The Fig. 10 shows the rehabilitation device 1 according to Fig.1 in a configuration to the right of person 12.

[0105] The Fig. 11 und Fig. 12 show how the forearm 6 is formed in two parts with a first, proximal forearm part 6.1 and a second, distal forearm part 6.2, wherein the second, distal forearm part 6.2 is mounted on the first, proximal forearm part 6.1 in a detachable and repositionable manner such that the second, distal forearm part 6.2 can be selectively positioned in a first orientation, as in Fig. 11 shown, is to be rigidly attached to the first, proximal forearm part 6.1 or in a second orientation, as shown in Fig. 12 shown, is to be rigidly attached to the first, proximal forearm part 6.1, which deviates from the first orientation, in particular is rotated by 180 degrees compared to the first orientation.

[0106] The Fig. 16a und Fig. 16billustrate how the body part support 8 is designed at least in two parts with at least one arm support 8.1 and at least one hand support 8.2, wherein both the arm support 8.1 has a first coupling device 23.1 which interacts magnetically with a first body part cuff 21 by magnetic adhesive force, and the hand support 8.2 has a second coupling device 23.2 which interacts magnetically with a second body part cuff 22 by magnetic adhesive force. To achieve a firm connection of the arm of the person 12 to the body part support 8, ie to achieve a firm connection of the first body part cuff 21 to the arm support 8.1 and the second body part cuff 22 to the hand support 8.2, as shown, the first body part cuff 21 can have a first counter-coupling device 24.1 and the second body part cuff 22 can have a second counter-coupling device 24.2.The pair of first coupling device 23.1 and first negative feedback device 24.1, or the pair of second coupling device 23.2 and second negative feedback device 24.2, can be at least a pairing of a magnet with a ferromagnetic piece of iron or a pairing of two magnets interacting with opposite polarity. Accordingly, the first coupling device 23.1, the second coupling device 23.2, the first negative feedback device 24.1, and / or the second negative feedback device 24.2 can optionally comprise a magnet and / or a ferromagnetic piece of iron.

Claims

1. Rehabilitation apparatus, having a stand (2), a lifting column (3) which is fastened to the stand (2), a lifting carriage (4) which is mounted in a vertically displaceable manner on the lifting column (3) and, by means of a first drive of the rehabilitation apparatus (1), is automatically vertically movable, a base arm (5) which is mounted on the lifting carriage (4) so as to be pivotable about a first, vertical axis of rotation (D1) and, by means of a second drive of the rehabilitation apparatus (1), can be pivoted about the first, vertical axis of rotation (D1) in an automatically driven manner, a front arm (6) which is mounted on the base arm (5) so as to be pivotable about a second, vertical axis of rotation (D2) and, by means of a third drive of the rehabilitation apparatus (1), can be pivoted about the second, vertical axis of rotation (D2) in an automatically driven manner, a connecting piece (7) which is mounted on the front arm (6) so as to be freely rotatable about a third, vertical axis of rotation (D3), and a body-part support (8) which is mounted on the connecting piece (7) so as to be tiltable about a fourth, horizontal axis of rotation (D4), characterized in that the front arm (6) is formed in two parts with a first, proximal front-arm part (6.1) and a second, distal front-arm part (6.2), wherein the second, distal front-arm part (6.2) is mounted on the first, proximal front-arm part (6.1) in a releasable manner and so as to be re-connectable in such a way that the second, distal front-arm part (6.2) can selectively be fixed rigidly with a first orientation to the first, proximal front-arm part (6.1) or fixed rigidly with a second orientation to the first, proximal front-arm part (6.1), said second orientation differing from the first orientation, in particular being rotated through 180 degrees in relation to the first orientation.

2. Rehabilitation apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the body-part support (8) can be tilted about the fourth, horizontal axis of rotation (D4) by means of a spring body (13) which connects the body-part support (8) to the connecting piece (7), wherein the spring body (13) supports the body-part support (8) on the connecting piece (7) in a resiliently elastically restorable manner at a predefined basic position.

3. Rehabilitation apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the body-part support (8) can be tilted about the fourth, horizontal axis of rotation (D4) in an automatically driven manner by means of a fourth drive of the rehabilitation apparatus (1), in particular can be tilted by means of a mechanically compliant element associated with the fourth drive that elastically preloads the body-part support (8) into a basic position.

4. Rehabilitation apparatus according to Claim 3, characterized in that the automatically driven movement of the body-part support (8) relative to the connecting piece (7) is coupled to the automatically driven vertical movement of the lifting carriage (4) relative to the lifting column (3), in particular to the automatically driven vertical movement of the lifting carriage (4) and also to the pivoting movements of the base arm and the front arm.

5. Rehabilitation apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized in that the first drive comprises a first motor (M1) which is arranged in the stand (2) or in the lifting column (3) and which is configured to raise and / or lower the lifting carriage (4) on the lifting column (3) in a motor-driven manner, and the rehabilitation apparatus (1) has a mechanical coupling device (14) which forms a part of the fourth drive and which is configured to transmit a drive movement of the first motor (M1) to the body-part support (8) in such a way that, during a vertical movement of the lifting carriage (4), driven by the first motor (M1), the body-part support (8) performs a tilting movement that is synchronous with the vertical movement.

6. Rehabilitation apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized in that the first drive comprises a first motor (M1) which is arranged in the stand (2) or in the lifting column (3) and which is configured to raise and / or lower the lifting carriage (4) on the lifting column (3) in a motor-driven manner, and the fourth drive has a fourth motor (M4) which is configured to transmit its drive movement to the body-part support (8) for execution of a tilting movement of the body-part support (8), wherein the fourth motor (M4) is coupled mechanically and / or in terms of control to the first motor (M1) in such a way that, during a drive movement of the first motor (M1), for moving the lifting carriage (4) relative to the lifting column (3), a simultaneously activated movement of the fourth motor (M4) gives rise to a tilting movement of the body-part support (8) that is synchronous with the vertical movement.

7. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 3 to 6, having a cable pull (15) which has an automatically activatable motor and has a spindle (16) driven by the motor, this being configured to wind a cable (17) of the cable pull (15) when the motor drives the spindle (16), wherein a free end of the cable (17) is connected to the body-part support (8), and having a restoring spring (13) which is configured to move the body-part support (8) into a basic position when the cable (17) does not exert a tensile force on the body-part support (8).

8. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 3 to 6, having a linear drive (18) which has a linearly movable, automatically activatable actuating member (19) which is connected to the body-part support (8), and having a restoring spring (13) which is configured to move the body-part support (8) into a basic position when the actuating member (19) does not exert a tensile force on the body-part support (8).

9. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 3 to 6, having a rotary drive (20) which has a rotatable, automatically activatable shaft which is connected to the body-part support (8), and having a restoring spring (13) which is configured to move the body-part support (8) into a basic position when the shaft does not exert a torque on the body-part support (8).

10. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the second drive comprises a second motor, the third drive comprises a third motor, and the second motor and the third motor are activated by a common control device of the rehabilitation apparatus (1) under compliance control, in particular impedance control or admittance control, and the first motor is activated by the common control device of the rehabilitation apparatus (1) in a position-controlled manner or under compliance control, in particular impedance control or admittance control.

11. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 10, having a stop apparatus which is configured to limit both a maximum pivoting angle of the base arm (5) about the first, vertical axis of rotation (D1) and a maximum pivoting angle of the front arm (6) about the second, vertical axis of rotation (D2), specifically both in relation to the base arm (5) and in relation to the lifting carriage (4).

12. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the front arm (6) is mounted on the base arm (5) so as to be pivotable about the second axis of rotation (D2) by means of a second joint (G2), wherein the second joint (G2) is configured to support the front arm (6) above the base arm (5) in all pivoting positions of the front arm (6), and the connecting piece (7) is mounted on the front arm (6) so as to be pivotable about the third axis of rotation (D3) by means of a third joint (G3), wherein the third joint (G3) is configured to support the connecting piece (7) above the front arm (6) in all pivoting positions of the connecting piece (7), and the body-part support (8) is mounted on the connecting piece (7) so as to be tiltable about the fourth axis of rotation (D4) by means of a fourth joint (G4), wherein the fourth joint (G4) is configured to support the body-part support (8) above the front arm (6) in all pivoting positions of the body-part support (8).

13. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a distal end portion (E1) of the base arm (5) and / or a proximal end portion (E2) of the front arm (6), at which the second axis of rotation (D2) is positioned, are / is of cranked form in such a way that, in a relative position of the base arm (5) and the front arm (6) with one above the other, a gap space (S) acting as clamping protection is formed between the base arm (5) and the front arm (6).

14. Rehabilitation apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the body-part support (8) is formed in at least two parts with at least one arm support (8.1) and at least one hand support (8.2), wherein both the arm support (8.1) has a first coupling device (23.1) which interacts in a magnetic-force-fitting manner with a first body-part sleeve (21) by way of a magnetic adhesion force and the hand support (8.2) has a second coupling device (23.2) which interacts in a magnetic-force-fitting manner with a second body-part sleeve (22) by way of a magnetic adhesion force.