Gait training system

Abstract

To provide a gait training system that allows gait training to be performed appropriately.SOLUTION: A gait training system 1 includes: a treadmill 131 having a belt 132 on which a user lands; and a vertical handrail 400 having a grip part 420 arranged inside right and left ends of the belt 132, which is provided along a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gait training system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a walking training machine for patients with walking disabilities to undergo walking training. This walking training machine is equipped with a triangular framework. The triangular framework is formed by a support column and a center column. Two sets of frames are connected by a connecting column. A lifting device is attached to the framework. The lifting device is provided with a rope to prevent the patient from falling. The walking training machine is equipped with a moving or rotating walking platform. The walking training machine is equipped with handrails. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3169175 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such a walking training device, the user relies on the horizontal handrail during walking training, which reduces the training load. When using the handrail, it is difficult to support the trunk.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and provides a walking training system for performing appropriate walking training. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The walking training system in this embodiment comprises a treadmill having a belt on which the user stands, and a vertical handrail arranged along the vertical direction and having gripping portions positioned inside the left and right ends of the belt. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides a walking training system for performing appropriate walking training. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a walking training system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] This is a rear view of the main components of the walking training device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the main parts of the walking training device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means for solving the problems.

[0010] (System Configuration) 1 is an overall conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a rehabilitation support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rehabilitation support system (walking training system 1) according to this embodiment is mainly composed of a walking training device 100 and a leg brace 120.

[0011] The walking training device 100 is a specific example of a rehabilitation support device that supports the rehabilitation of a trainee (user) 900. The walking training device 100 is a device that allows the trainee 900, who is a hemiplegic patient suffering from paralysis in one leg, to perform walking training under the guidance of a training staff member 901. Here, the training staff member 901 can be a therapist (physiotherapist) or a doctor, and can also be called a training instructor, training assistant, training assistant, etc., since the training staff member supports the trainee's training by providing guidance or assistance.

[0012] The walking training device 100 mainly comprises a control panel 133 attached to a frame 130 forming the overall skeleton, and a treadmill 131 on which the trainee 900 walks. Furthermore, the leg brace 120 is attached to the affected leg, which is the paralyzed leg of the trainee 900. In FIG. 1, the leg brace 120 is attached to the right leg of the trainee 900.

[0013] The frame 130 is erected on a treadmill 131 that is installed on the floor. The treadmill 131 rotates a ring-shaped belt 132 by a motor (not shown). The treadmill 131 is a device that encourages the trainee 900 to walk, and the trainee 900 who is undergoing walking training gets on the belt 132 and tries to walk in accordance with the movement of the belt 132. Note that the training staff 901 can, for example, stand on the belt 132 behind the trainee 900 as shown in FIG. 1 and walk together with the trainee, but it is usually preferable for the training staff 901 to be in a position that makes it easy to assist the trainee 900, such as standing astride the belt 132.

[0014] The frame 130 supports a control panel 133 and a training monitor 138. The control panel 133 houses an overall control unit 210 that controls the motors and sensors. The training monitor 138 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays the progress of training and the like to the trainee 900. The frame 130 also supports a front pulling unit 135 near the front of the upper part of the trainee 900's head, a harness pulling unit 112 near the upper part of the head, and a rear pulling unit 137 near the rear of the upper part of the head. The frame 130 also includes a handrail 130a for the trainee 900 to grasp.

[0015] The handrails 130a are arranged on both the left and right sides of the trainee 900. The handrails 130a are provided along the front-rear direction in a horizontal plane. Each handrail 130a is arranged in a direction parallel to the walking direction of the trainee 900. The handrails 130a are adjustable in vertical and horizontal positions. In other words, the handrails 130a can include a mechanism for changing their height and width. Furthermore, the handrails 130a can be configured so that their inclination angle can be changed, for example, by adjusting the height to be different between the front side and the rear side in the walking direction. For example, the handrails 130a can be given an inclination angle that gradually increases along the walking direction.

[0016] The handrail 130a is also provided with a handrail sensor 218 that detects the load received from the trainee 900. For example, the handrail sensor 218 can be a resistance change detection type load detection sheet in which electrodes are arranged in a matrix. The handrail sensor 218 can also be a six-axis sensor that combines a three-axis acceleration sensor (x, y, z) and a three-axis gyro sensor (roll, pitch, yaw). However, the type and installation position of the handrail sensor 218 are not important.

[0017] Furthermore, the walking training device 100 is equipped with a vertical handrail 400 that is provided along the vertical direction. The vertical handrail 400 extends vertically upward from the treadmill 131. The vertical handrail 400 is provided near the belt 132. The trainee 900 walking on the treadmill 131 can hold onto the vertical handrail 400.

[0018] By using the vertical handrail 400, the trainee 900 can raise his / her body. The trainee 900 can support his / her trunk with his / her own muscle strength. Therefore, the training load can be increased. This allows the trainee 900 to train efficiently. The detailed configuration of the vertical handrail 400 will be described later.

[0019] The camera 140 functions as an imaging unit for observing the entire body of the trainee 900. The camera 140 is installed near the training monitor 138 so as to face the trainee. The camera 140 takes still images and videos of the trainee 900 during training. The camera 140 includes a lens and imaging element set that provides an angle of view sufficient to capture the entire body of the trainee 900. The imaging element is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor, and converts an optical image formed on an imaging surface into an image signal.

[0020] The coordinated action of the front pulling section 135 and the rear pulling section 137 offsets the load of the leg brace 120 so that it does not become a burden on the affected leg, and further assists the swinging motion of the affected leg according to the set degree.

[0021] One end of the front wire 134 is connected to a winding mechanism of the front pulling unit 135, and the other end is connected to the leg brace 120. The winding mechanism of the front pulling unit 135 turns on / off a motor (not shown) to wind or unwind the front wire 134 in response to the movement of the affected leg. Similarly, one end of the rear wire 136 is connected to a winding mechanism of the rear pulling unit 137, and the other end is connected to the leg brace 120. The winding mechanism of the rear pulling unit 137 turns on / off a motor (not shown) to wind or unwind the rear wire 136 in response to the movement of the affected leg. Such coordinated operation of the front pulling unit 135 and the rear pulling unit 137 offsets the load of the leg brace 120 so that the load does not become a burden on the affected leg, and further assists the swinging motion of the affected leg according to the set degree.

[0022] The front wire 134 and the front pulling unit 135 constitute a first pulling means for pulling the legs of the trainee 900 upward and forward. The rear wire 136 and the rear pulling unit 137 constitute a second pulling means for pulling the legs of the trainee 900 upward and backward. The front pulling unit 135 and the rear pulling unit 137 pull the front wire 134 and the rear wire 136 with a pulling force according to the walking phase, as described below. Also, a pulling force operation pattern may be set according to the walking phase.

[0023] For example, the training staff 901, as an operator, sets a high assist level for a trainee with severe paralysis. When the assist level is set high, the front pulling unit 135 winds up the front wire 134 with a relatively large force in accordance with the timing of the swing of the affected leg. As the training progresses and assistance is no longer necessary, the training staff 901 sets the assist level to the minimum. When the assist level is set to the minimum, the front pulling unit 135 winds up the front wire 134 with just enough force to cancel the weight of the leg orthosis 120 in accordance with the timing of the swing of the affected leg.

[0024] The walking training device 100 is equipped with a fall prevention harness device as a safety device, the main components of which are an orthosis 110, a harness wire 111, and a harness tensioning part 112. The orthosis 110 is a belt that is wrapped around the abdomen of the trainee 900 and is fixed to the waist by, for example, a hook and loop fastener. The orthosis 110 is equipped with a connecting hook 110a that connects one end of the harness wire 111, which is a hanging device, and can also be called a hanger belt. The trainee 900 wears the orthosis 110 so that the connecting hook 110a is located at the rear of the trainee.

[0025] One end of the harness wire 111 is connected to a connecting hook 110a of the harness 110, and the other end is connected to a winding mechanism of the harness tensioning unit 112. The winding mechanism of the harness tensioning unit 112 winds and unwinds the harness wire 111 by turning on and off a motor (not shown). With this configuration, when the trainee 900 is about to fall, the fall prevention harness device winds up the harness wire 111 according to an instruction from the overall control unit 210 that detects the movement, and the harness 110 supports the upper body of the trainee 900, preventing the trainee 900 from falling.

[0026] The orthosis 110 includes a posture sensor 217 for detecting the posture of the trainee 900. The posture sensor 217 is, for example, a combination of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and outputs the inclination angle of the abdomen on which the orthosis 110 is worn with respect to the direction of gravity.

[0027] The management monitor 139 is attached to the frame 130, and is a display input device mainly used for monitoring and operation by the training staff 901. The management monitor 139 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and a touch panel is provided on its surface. The management monitor 139 displays various menu items related to training settings, various parameter values ​​during training, training results, etc. In addition, an emergency stop button 232 is provided near the management monitor 139. When the training staff 901 presses the emergency stop button 232, the walking training device 100 is brought to an emergency stop.

[0028] The overall control unit 210 generates rehabilitation data that may include setting parameters related to training settings, various data related to leg movements output from the leg brace 120 as training results, etc. This rehabilitation data may include data indicating the training staff 901 or their years of experience and level of proficiency, data indicating the symptoms, walking ability, recovery level, etc. of the trainee 900, various data output from sensors provided outside the leg brace 120, etc.

[0029] The leg brace 120 is attached to the affected leg of the trainee 900. As described above, the front wire 134 and the rear wire 136 are connected to the leg brace 120. The front wire 134 and the rear wire 136 pull the leg brace 120, thereby providing an assist force to the affected leg. The leg brace 120 may include an actuator or the like that assists the joint movement of the trainee 900. For example, the leg brace 120 includes a motor for bending or extending the knee joint.

[0030] Furthermore, the leg orthosis 120 may have a sensor for detecting leg movements. For example, the leg orthosis 120 may be provided with a sensor for detecting the load received from the sole of the foot. Of course, the leg orthosis 120 may not have an actuator or a sensor. When no pulling force is applied by the wire, the leg orthosis 120 may be omitted. In this case, the trainee 900 can perform walking training on the treadmill 131 by himself.

[0031] The overall control unit 210 controls the actuators of the leg brace 120, the front puller 135, and the rear puller 137 according to the outputs of various sensors. For example, the overall control unit 210 detects a walking cycle and its timing according to the detection results of the posture sensor 217, the sensor of the leg brace 120, the camera 140, etc. The overall control unit 210 outputs a command value for applying a driving force according to the timing of the walking cycle to each actuator. This causes each actuator to operate according to the walking cycle and walking pattern. For example, a driving force is applied according to the stance phase and the timing at which the swing mechanism is switched.

[0032] Next, the vertical handrail 400 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are diagrams showing the main parts of the vertical handrail 400. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the device configuration as seen from the front on the treadmill 131. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the device as seen from the right side. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the configuration other than the vertical handrail 400 is appropriately simplified.

[0033] In the following description, the left-right direction and the front-back direction will be described based on the trainee 900 who is walking. For example, the front-back direction is the moving direction of the belt 132 of the treadmill 131. The trainee 900 performs walking training by landing on the belt 132 which moves backwards. In Figs. 2 and 3, a configuration in which the handrail 400 is disposed on the right side of the trainee 900 is shown. Therefore, the trainee 900 can grasp the vertical handrail 400 with his / her right hand. Of course, the vertical handrail 400 may be disposed on the left side of the trainee, or on both the left and right sides. In other words, the vertical handrail 400 only needs to be disposed on at least one of the left and right sides.

[0034] 2, the vertical handrail 400 includes a variable mechanism 410, a holding portion 420, a support 430, a joint 450, a holding portion 460, and a grip 480. The vertical handrail 400 is disposed in front of the trainee 900.

[0035] A support pole 430 extends upward from the treadmill 131. The support pole 430 is a cylindrical rod-like member. The support pole 430 is attached to the treadmill 131 on the outer side of the belt 132 in the left-right direction. Specifically, the support pole 430 is disposed to the right of the right end of the belt 132. The support pole 430 is disposed along the vertical up-down direction.

[0036] The variable mechanism 410 is attached to the support 430 via a joint 450. The grip part 420 is attached to the variable mechanism 410 via a holder 460. The grip part 420 is provided at a position higher than the handrail 130a, but a part of it may be provided below the handrail 130a. The grip part 420 is a rod-shaped member provided along the vertical direction. The grip part 420 is a handle that is held by the trainee 900. The grip part 420 is provided on the inside of the left and right ends of the belt 132. In other words, the grip part 420 is provided directly above the belt 132.

[0037] The support pole 430 and the grip part 420 are provided on the inside of the handrail 130a. In the left-right direction, the variable mechanism 410 is disposed between the grip part 420 and the support pole 430. In the left-right direction, the support pole 430, the variable mechanism 410, and the grip part 420 are disposed in this order from the outside. The trainee 900 can walk on the treadmill 131 while gripping the grip part 420.

[0038] The variable mechanism 410 is provided to change the left-right position of the gripping part 420. Specifically, the variable mechanism 410 has two rod-shaped members, one of which extends obliquely upward from a support pillar, and the other of which extends obliquely downward from a support pillar 430. Hereinafter, the end of the variable mechanism 410 on the support pillar 430 side will be referred to as the base end, and the end of the variable mechanism 410 on the gripping part 420 side will be referred to as the tip end.

[0039] A joint 450 is provided at the base end of the variable mechanism 410. The joint 450 is fixed to the support 430. The joint 450 rotatably holds the variable mechanism 410. The joint 450 connects the support 430 and the variable mechanism 410. The joint 450 is a rotary joint that rotates around an axis in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the variable mechanism 410 rotates around an axis in the front-rear direction relative to the support 430. This changes the oblique inclination of the variable mechanism 410, and therefore changes the left-right position of the tip side of the variable mechanism 410.

[0040] A holding portion 460 is attached to the tip of the variable mechanism 410. The holding portion 460 connects the variable mechanism 410 and the gripping portion 420. The holding portion 460 holds the gripping portion 420 in a slidable manner. The position of the holding portion 460 changes along the gripping portion 420. Therefore, the two holding portions 460 can move closer to each other or farther apart.

[0041] The tilt angle of variable mechanism 410 is changed so that two holding parts 460 approach each other. In other words, by tilting two variable mechanisms 410 so as to approach the horizontal direction, grip part 420 moves away from support 430. This allows the left-right position of grip part 420 to approach the left-right center of belt 132.

[0042] The inclination angle of the variable mechanism 410 is changed so that the two holding parts 460 are separated. In other words, by inclining the two variable mechanisms 410 so as to approach the vertical direction, the grip part 420 approaches the support 430. This makes it possible to move the left-right position of the grip part 420 away from the left-right center of the belt 132.

[0043] In this way, the vertical handrail 400 has a variable mechanism 410 for changing the left-right position of the gripping part 420. Therefore, the left-right position of the gripping part 420 can be appropriately adjusted. The gripping part 420 can be adjusted to a position that is easy for the trainee 900 to grasp. The trainee 900 can train in a position suitable for the trainee 900. This enables appropriate training. The variable mechanism 410 may have a locking mechanism for fixing the position of the gripping part 420 during training.

[0044] The grip portion 420 is disposed on the inside of the left and right ends of the belt 132. In other words, the variable mechanism 410 is disposed so as to cross directly above the left and right ends of the belt 132. For example, in FIG. 2, the grip portion 420 is disposed on the left side of the right end of the belt 132. In this way, the grip portion 420 can be disposed at a position that is easy for the trainee 900 to grasp. This allows for more appropriate training.

[0045] Variable mechanism 410 is provided with joint 450 and holding portion 460. In this way, even if the left-right position of gripping portion 420 is changed, the direction of gripping portion 420 can be set to a direction along the vertical direction. In addition, even if the left-right position of gripping portion 420 is changed, the height of gripping portion 420 can be kept constant. Note that the direction of gripping portion 420 is not limited to a direction parallel to the vertical direction. Grip portion 420 may be inclined in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction.

[0046] The vertical handrail 400 is, for example, cylindrical with a diameter of 30 mm to 35 mm. Furthermore, a grip 480 may be provided on the holding portion 420 of the vertical handrail 400. The grip 480 can be formed from rubber or resin with a high coefficient of friction. This allows the trainee 900 to hold the holding portion 420 without slipping.

[0047] The variable mechanism 410 can change the left-right position by 200 mm or more. For example, the left-right distance from the left and right ends of the belt 132 to the grip part 420 can be adjusted in the range of 130 mm to 370 mm. More specifically, the position of the grip part 420 can be varied in the left-right direction in the range of 240 mm from the end of the belt 132. When the grip part 420 is moved closest to the left-right center of the belt 132, it is located 240 mm from the left and right ends of the belt 132.

[0048] The height from belt 132 to the lower end of grip portion 420 can be approximately 900 mm. The length of grip portion 420 is 800 mm. The left-right width of belt 132 can be approximately 650 mm. The front-rear distance D from harness pulling portion 112 to grip portion 420 can be approximately 550 mm. Of course, the configuration of this embodiment is not limited to the above values.

[0049] Moreover, it is preferable that the vertical handrails 400 are provided so as to be removable. By attaching or removing the vertical handrails 400, the difficulty of the training can be adjusted. For example, the vertical handrails 400 can be attached to only one of the left and right sides, or neither of the left and right sides can be provided. Furthermore, it is also possible to attach vertical handrails 400 to both the left and right sides. Since training can be performed at a difficulty level appropriate for each trainee 900, training can be performed more efficiently.

[0050] It is preferable that the vertical handrail 400 is provided on the side opposite to the affected leg. In other words, the vertical handrail 400 can be used only on the healthy leg side. If the affected leg is the left leg, the vertical handrail 400 may be provided only on the right side. In order for the trainee 900 to grasp the vertical handrail 400, a force is applied to pull the trainee 900 towards the vertical handrail 400. Since the center of gravity of the trainee 900 is on the healthy leg side, the trainee 900 can perform walking training in a well-balanced manner. This allows the trainee 900 to train efficiently.

[0051] The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on an embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. Walking training system 100 Walking training device 110 Orthotics 110a Connecting hook 111 Harness wire 112 Harness tension section 120 Leg braces 130 frames 130a Handrail 131 Treadmill 132 Belt 210 Overall Control Unit 218 Handrail Sensor 232 Emergency stop button 400 Vertical handrail 410 Variable Mechanism 420 Gripping part 430 Post 450 Joint 460 Holding part 480 Grip 900 Trainee 901 Training Staff

Claims

[Claim 1] a treadmill having a belt on which a user stands; A walking training system comprising: a vertical handrail arranged along the vertical direction and having a grip portion positioned inside the left and right ends of the belt.

Images