A writing aid with adjustable pen and grip angle for patients with upper limb dysfunction

Abstract

To provide a writing aid that enables patients with upper limb dysfunction to use pencils, ballpoint pens, etc. [Solution] The writing aid is designed with a thick grip width because people with upper limb functional disabilities cannot hold thin pens due to motor paralysis or muscle weakness. The grip is designed to be hollow so that marbles or pachinko balls can be inserted to adjust the weight when muscle strength is low and writing pressure is insufficient. The distal part of the grip is bent 70 degrees to fix the pen to the tip, so that the position of the pen tip can be adjusted even when the tip is difficult to see due to motor paralysis or dexterity disorder, and the angle of the grip and pen can be changed. The pen is inserted into a hole with a diameter of 12.6 mm and fixed with a nut so that it can be used for pencils to three-color ballpoint pens. The grip is designed to have a band attached to the proximal end so that the pen can be easily picked up by moving the hand and elbow joints even if the grip strength is reduced.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The purpose of this invention is to create a writing aid that enables patients with upper limb dysfunction to use pencils, ballpoint pens, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] Patients with upper limb dysfunction due to stroke, head injury, spinal cord disease, cerebral palsy, dystonia, etc. often have difficulty using ordinary pencils or ballpoint pens due to motor disorders and muscle weakness.

[0003] JP 2002-362091 and JP 2016-221926 disclose writing aids that hook or band onto fingers, and JP 2018-176479 discloses writing aids that fix finger joints and allow pens to be placed on fingers, but these cannot be used if the paralysis is severe. JP 2012-240413 discloses writing aids that wrap around the palm, but cannot be used if the writing pressure is weak. JP 2009-083359 discloses writing aids that do not have a pen grip, such as a gun type and a mouse type, but these have problems such as the orientation of the wrist joint being different from normal, making them difficult to operate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-362091 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-221926 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2018-176479 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2012-240413 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2009-083359 A [Patent Document 6] JP 2016-215617 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Until now, writing aids for people with upper limb dysfunction have only been available in the market in which the pen is held in the aid and wrapped around the palm or wrist to prevent it from dropping, and the pen itself is held between the thumb and index finger in the normal way. In addition, there were problems such as limitations on the thickness of the pen when trying to fix the pen to the aid, the pen being too thin and difficult to grasp when trying to pinch it, or the pen being too light, which weakens the writing pressure and results in faint letters. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention solves these problems by designing a pen that incorporates the following features: (1) a thick grip that is easy to hold; (2) a weight adjustment system that adjusts the weight by inserting a weight inside the hollow grip; (3) a rotation system that allows the angle between the pen and the grip to be changed at the tip of the grip; (4) a pen fixing system that can fix pens of different thicknesses, from pencils to three-color ballpoint pens; and (5) a removable wrist joint fixing band that can be used to hold a pen stock. Effect of the Invention

[0007] By using the writing aid of this invention, patients with functional disabilities of the upper limbs may be able to write using a pen. In addition, due to the characteristics of the design, the following effects (1) to (5) can be expected. (1) Since people with upper limb dysfunction are often unable to hold thin pens due to motor paralysis or reduced muscle strength, designing the grip width to be wider makes it easier for them to hold the pen. (2) It is often thought that lighter pens are easier to write with, but writing requires pressure, so if you have poor muscle strength, you need the weight of the writing aid itself. If it is too heavy, it will be difficult to lift, so it is necessary to adjust the weight to suit the individual. The weight can be adjusted by designing the grip part to be hollow and designing a system that allows you to insert marbles or pachinko balls into it. (3) The grip and the part that holds the pen are designed separately. Specifically, the distal part of the grip is bent 70 degrees to fix the pen at the tip. At first glance, it seems difficult to write because the direction of the force is different from the direction of the pen, but when you actually use it, you will be surprised at how smoothly you can write. It has the effect of relieving tension in symptoms such as dystonia and Parkinson's symptoms, where tremors and involuntary movements appear when trying to write and you cannot write. In addition, the system is designed to change the angle of the grip and pen and rotate the axis so that the angle of the pen tip can be adjusted. Even if the pen tip is tilted significantly or is difficult to see due to motor paralysis or dexterity disorder, the angle can be adjusted so that the force is applied from above to the pen tip in a position that is easy to see. (4) The pen is fixed in place by applying the design of a compass, which is used to hold a pencil. The hole for the pen is large enough to fit anything from a pencil to a three-color ballpoint pen, and it is designed to be fixed at three points by tightening a large nut, so it can accommodate many different types of pens. (5) By attaching a band to the proximal end of the grip and designing it so that it can be held like a stock, it is possible to easily lift the pen by moving the wrist and elbow joints even if one's pinch and grip strength is reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view and an exploded view of a writing aid of the present invention, which allows the angle of the pen and grip to be changed for patients with upper limb dysfunction. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a grip body with a marble inserted therein. FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the grip and pen in a tilted state. [Diagram 5] This is a schematic diagram of a pencil and a three-color ballpoint pen inserted. [Figure 6] The hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the band part, and the pole is held in place. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Explain how to use it. Insert the pen you want to use into the hole in the pen insert part, and when the tip is 3-4 cm out, tighten the nut part to fix it. Hold the grip and rotate the pen insert part so that the pen tip is visible. Actually write with it, and if the writing pressure is not enough, remove the grip cap and insert marbles or pachinko balls to adjust the weight. Also, if you do not have enough strength to hold the grip, set the band part and use it like a stock. EXAMPLES

[0010] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Each part was designed as a prototype using 3D-CAD and printed using a 3D printer. Design: 1 Grip cap 2 Band part 3 Grip 4 Bending part 5 Pen insertion part 6 Nut part 7 Pen. The band part is for cases of reduced pinch strength or cases where lifting with fingers alone is difficult, and is designed to be removed and the grip cap closed when not in use. The pen insertion part has a 12.6mm hole and is designed to allow pens of various thicknesses, from pencils to three-color ballpoint pens, to be inserted and fixed. The nut part is large, and when tightened, the pen can be firmly fixed at three points: the top and bottom of the nut and the wall of the hole. The bending part is designed to be basically 70 degrees, and is fixed to the grip with adhesive. In addition, the pen insertion part is designed to fit into the bending part, so it can be angled relative to the grip. The grip part is 3cm thick and 2mm thick, and is designed to allow weight adjustment by inserting a weight into the hollow part inside. Output results from the 3D printer: Print time was 160 minutes / unit, running costs were 70 yen / unit, and weight was 25g / unit (excluding pens). We inserted a pencil, mechanical pencil, and three-color ballpoint pen and tightened the nuts, and found that everything was securely fixed. The band is used by inserting your hand into the loop from below and gripping the band together with the grip, like holding a walking stick. The integrated lightweight type is lightweight at 16g, while the type with a hollow grip weighs 25g when left hollow, 49g when four marbles are inserted, and 80g when ten pachinko balls are inserted. For dystonia patients, the four marbles version was the easiest to write with and allowed for the shortest writing time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0011] 1 Grip Cap 2 Band parts 3 Grip 4 Bending parts 5 Pen insert parts 6 Nut parts 7 Pen

Claims

1. (i) A hollow grip body with a cylindrical shape (diameter 3 cm x length 6 cm) for use in a normal grip. (b) A bending part that is connected to the distal end of the grip body and bends the direction by 70 degrees. (c) A pen insertion part that combines a hole for inserting a pen and a screw part, and is inserted into the bending part so that it can rotate on an axis. (ii) A nut part used for the threaded part of the insertion part to secure the pen. (e) Band parts that can be used to attach hook-and-loop fasteners. (f) A screw-type grip cap for fixing the band part to the proximal end of the grip body. A writing aid for people with upper limb dysfunction comprising the above-mentioned components.

2. 2. The writing aid according to claim 1, wherein a normal pen is fixed to the distal portion of the thick grip, and the writing aid is used by holding the grip instead of the pen.

3. 2. The grip body according to claim 1, which has a hollow structure and allows weights such as marbles or pachinko balls to be placed inside to adjust the weight.

4. 2. The bent part and pen insert part according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the grip and the pen can be changed, thereby making it possible to adjust the angle of the pen tip.

5. The pen insert part and nut part of claim 1 of a pen fixing system that can fix a wide range of pens from pencils to three-color ballpoint pens.

6. 2. The band part and grip cap according to claim 1, wherein the hand can be passed through the band to hold the pen so that the pen can be lifted without muscle strength.

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