Rehabilitation Equipment

Abstract

To improve versatility so as to cope with two forms of paralysis with one device for a case where the left hand is paralyzed and the right hand is not paralyzed, and for the case where the right hand is paralyzed and the left hand is not paralyzed.SOLUTION: A rehabilitation device includes: a right movable part Ka linked to the right hand Ha; a left movable part Kb linked to the left hand Hb; a right motor Ma for rotating the right movable part Ka; a left motor Mb for rotating the left movable part Kb; and a control part having motor control means for controlling the right motor Ma and the left motor Mb. When the right motor Ma is rotated by external force of the right hand Ha or the left motor Mb is rotated by external force of the left hand Hb, the motor control means executes bilateral control for, by following one motor rotated by the external force, causing the other motor to execute similarity rotation electrically in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the one motor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for the rehabilitation of patients who have become partially paralyzed due to aftereffects of a stroke or the like, and in particular to a rehabilitation device for training a patient whose paralyzed hand is able to move in the same way as the able-bodied hand when one of the hands is a healthy hand and the other is a paralyzed hand that is disabled due to paralysis. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of rehabilitation device, for example, the technology described in Japanese Patent No. 5928851 (Patent Document 1) is known. This rehabilitation device is a rehabilitation device for training the paralyzed hand to move in the same way as the healthy hand when one of the left and right hands is a healthy hand and the other hand is a paralyzed and disabled paralyzed hand, and is equipped with a paralyzed hand moving part moved by the paralyzed hand, a healthy hand moving part moved by the healthy hand, a motion detection part that detects the motion of the healthy hand, an assistance providing part that provides assistance to the paralyzed hand moving part so that the paralyzed hand moving part performs a motion approximately equivalent to the motion of the healthy hand detected by the motion detection part, and a display that displays a normal image of the motion of the healthy hand and an inverted image obtained by mirror-symmetrically inverting the normal image. The motion detection part is composed of a camera that captures a predetermined motion of the healthy hand, and the assistance providing part is controlled while displaying a required image on the display based on image data captured by the camera.

[0003] As a result, when training the paralyzed hand, the patient connects the paralyzed hand to the paralyzed hand moving part and the healthy hand to the healthy hand moving part, and performs the exercise by moving the healthy hand and the paralyzed hand in the same way while viewing the normal image and the inverted image displayed on the display. At this time, the paralyzed hand is given assistance by the assistance providing part, so that the patient can reliably perform the movement of the paralyzed hand. In addition, the patient sees an image in which both the healthy hand and the paralyzed hand are moving smoothly, and this visual input stimulates the brain, giving the patient the sensation that he or she is moving the paralyzed hand smoothly, which creates an effect of supporting the movement of the paralyzed hand, and a high rehabilitation effect can be obtained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5928851 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By the way, there are two types of paralysis: the left hand is paralyzed and the right hand is healthy, and the right hand is paralyzed and the left hand is healthy. In the above conventional rehabilitation device, the paralyzed hand moving part is dedicated to the paralyzed hand, and the healthy hand moving part is also dedicated to the healthy hand. Therefore, when the left hand is paralyzed and the right hand is healthy, a device for left hand paralysis must be prepared in which the paralyzed hand moving part is installed on the left side and the healthy hand moving part is installed on the right side. Conversely, when the right hand is paralyzed and the left hand is healthy, a device for right hand paralysis must be prepared in which the paralyzed hand moving part is installed on the right side and the healthy hand moving part is installed on the left side. Therefore, in order to respond to these two types of paralysis, two devices, one for left hand paralysis and one for right hand paralysis, are required, which causes a problem of poor efficiency.

[0006] In addition, since the assistance unit is controlled based on image data captured by the camera, the movement of the healthy hand cannot be faithfully transmitted to the paralyzed hand, and there is a slight time lag in transmitting the movement of the healthy hand to the paralyzed hand, resulting in poor responsiveness.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a rehabilitation device that can handle two types of paralysis with a single device, thereby improving versatility, and that can faithfully transmit the movements of the healthy hand to the paralyzed hand, while also improving responsiveness, performance, and reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve this object, the rehabilitation device of the present invention is a rehabilitation device for training a patient, when one of the left and right hands is a healthy hand and the other hand is a paralyzed and disabled hand, to move the paralyzed hand in the same manner as the healthy hand, and is provided with a right movable part linked to the right hand, a left movable part linked to the left hand, a right motor that electrically rotates the right movable part, a left motor that electrically rotates the left movable part, and a control unit having motor control means for controlling the right motor and the left motor, The motor control means is configured to include right motor driving means for driving the right motor, left motor driving means for driving the left motor, and drive control means for causing the right motor driving means and the left motor driving means to perform bilateral control such that, when the right motor is rotated by an external force from the right hand via the right movable part or the left motor is rotated by an external force from the left hand via the left movable part, the other motor is electrically rotated in a similar manner in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the one motor, following the one motor rotated by the external force.

[0009] As a result, when training the paralyzed hand, the patient, whether the paralyzed hand is the right hand or the left hand, links the right hand to the right movable part and links the left hand to the left movable part, so that the left and right hands are moved in the same way. In this case, when the right motor is rotated via the right movable part by an external force of the right hand, or the left motor is rotated via the left movable part by an external force of the left hand, the drive control means performs bilateral control to electrically rotate the other motor in a similar manner in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the one motor, following the one motor rotated by the external force. In general, since the movement of the movable part on the healthy hand side is smooth, the movable part on the paralyzed hand side is moved following the movement of the healthy hand side. Therefore, whether the right hand or the left hand is paralyzed, the paralyzed hand can be moved in the same way as the healthy hand, and therefore, one device can be used to deal with two types of paralysis, when the left hand is paralyzed and the right hand is healthy, and when the right hand is paralyzed and the left hand is healthy, and the versatility can be improved accordingly.

[0010] In addition, since the drive control means performs bilateral control, it is possible to faithfully transmit the movement of the healthy hand to the paralyzed hand, and since the responsiveness is also good, it is possible to improve performance and reliability compared to the conventional technology.

[0011] In this case, a right rotation angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the right motor and a left rotation angle detector that detects the rotation angle of the left motor are provided, The drive control means is preferably configured to control the right motor drive means and the left motor drive means based on the rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector and the rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector, and can compare the detected rotation angles and control the motors to rotate in the reverse direction so as to reduce the difference between the angles.

[0012] and, as necessary, the control unit includes right movable angle range setting means for setting a right movable angle range based on a starting point position of the right movable part based on an input from an input unit, left movable angle range setting means for setting a left movable angle range based on a starting point position of the left movable part based on an input from the input unit, and storage means for storing a right motor rotation angle range of the right motor corresponding to the right movable angle range set by the right movable angle range setting means and a left motor rotation angle range of the left motor corresponding to the left movable angle range set by the left movable angle range setting means, The motor control means is configured to include right rotation angle limiting means which allows electric driving of the right motor by the right motor drive means when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector is within the right motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means, and restricts electric driving of the right motor by the right motor drive means when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector is within the right motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means, and left rotation angle limiting means which allows electric driving of the left motor by the left motor drive means when the left rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector is within the left motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means, and restricts electric driving of the left motor by the left motor drive means when the left rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector is within the left motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means.

[0013] Thus, the right movable angle range setting means sets the right movable angle range and the left movable angle range setting means sets the left movable angle range in response to an input from the input unit. The right motor rotation angle range of the right motor corresponding to the right movable angle range and the left motor rotation angle range of the left motor corresponding to the left movable angle range are stored in the storage means. In this state, when the left and right hands are moved in the same way, the right rotation angle detector detects the rotation angle of the right motor and the left rotation angle detector detects the rotation angle of the left motor, and the right rotation angle limiting means drives the right motor electrically when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector is within the right motor rotation angle range and limits the electric drive of the right motor by the right motor driving means when it reaches the upper or lower limit of the right motor rotation angle range. On the other hand, the left rotation angle limiting means drives the left motor electrically when the left rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector is within the left motor rotation angle range and limits the electric drive of the left motor by the left motor driving means when it reaches the upper or lower limit of the left motor rotation angle range. Therefore, the right motor or the left motor, the drive of which is restricted, does not forcibly rotate electrically, so that the electrically driven movement of the right movable part or the left movable part can be restricted and unnatural rotation can be suppressed.

[0014] For example, when the left hand is a paralyzed hand and the right hand is a healthy hand, the left movable angle range of the left movable part is set by the left movable angle range setting means by input from the input unit. The right movable angle range of the right movable part does not have to be set in particular. On the other hand, when the right hand is a paralyzed hand and the left hand is a healthy hand, the right movable angle range of the right movable part is set by the right movable angle range setting means by input from the input unit. The left movable angle range of the left movable part does not have to be set in particular. This makes it possible to limit the rotation range of the movable part on the paralyzed hand side, thereby preventing the paralyzed hand from performing unreasonable movements and ensuring the safety of the paralyzed hand. In other words, since it is known in advance which hand is the paralyzed hand, and it is known to some extent how much the paralyzed hand moves compared to the healthy hand, it becomes possible to perform training without putting a burden on the paralyzed hand.

[0015] Furthermore, as necessary, the control unit includes right upper limit speed setting means for setting a right upper limit speed, which is an upper limit of the rotation speed of the right movable part, based on an input from the input unit, left upper limit speed setting means for setting a left upper limit speed, which is an upper limit of the rotation speed of the left movable part, based on an input from the input unit, and storage means for storing a right motor upper limit speed of the right motor corresponding to the right upper limit speed set by the right upper limit speed setting means and a left motor upper limit speed of the left motor corresponding to the left upper limit speed set by the left upper limit speed setting means, The motor control means includes: The present invention is configured to include right rotation speed calculation means for calculating the rotation speed of the right motor, left rotation speed calculation means for calculating the rotation speed of the left motor, right rotation speed limiting means for allowing electric driving of the right motor by the right motor drive means when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means, and restricting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor drive means when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means, and left rotation speed limiting means for allowing electric driving of the left motor by the left motor drive means when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means, and restricting electric driving of the left motor by the left motor drive means when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means.

[0016] Thus, the right upper limit speed setting means sets the right upper limit speed based on an input from the input unit, and the left upper limit speed setting means sets the left upper limit speed. The storage means stores the right motor upper limit speed of the right motor corresponding to the right upper limit speed and the left motor upper limit speed of the left motor corresponding to the left upper limit speed. In this state, when the left and right hands are moved in the same way, the right rotation speed calculation means calculates the rotation speed of the right motor, and the left rotation speed calculation means calculates the rotation speed of the left motor, and the right rotation speed limiting means allows the right motor to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit speed, and restricts the right motor to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit speed. On the other hand, the left rotation speed limiting means allows the left motor to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit speed, and restricts the left motor to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit speed. Therefore, the right motor or the left motor, the drive of which is restricted, does not forcibly rotate electrically, so that the electrically driven movement of the right movable part or the left movable part can be restricted and unnatural rotation can be suppressed.

[0017] For example, when the left hand is a paralyzed hand and the right hand is a healthy hand, the left upper limit speed of the left moving part is set by the left upper limit speed setting means by input from the input unit. The right upper limit speed of the right moving part does not have to be set in particular. On the other hand, when the right hand is a paralyzed hand and the left hand is a healthy hand, the right upper limit speed of the right moving part is set by the right upper limit speed setting means by input from the input unit. The left upper limit speed of the left moving part does not have to be set in particular. This makes it possible to limit the rotation speed of the moving part on the paralyzed hand side, so that it is possible to prevent the paralyzed hand from performing an unreasonable movement and ensure the safety of the paralyzed hand. In other words, since it is known in advance which hand is the paralyzed hand, and it is known to some extent how much the paralyzed hand moves compared to the healthy hand, it becomes possible to perform training without putting a burden on the paralyzed hand.

[0018] Furthermore, as necessary, the control unit includes right upper limit force setting means for setting a right upper limit force that is an upper limit of the rotational force of the right movable part based on an input from an input unit, a left upper limit force setting means for setting a left upper limit force that is an upper limit of the rotational force of the left movable part based on an input from the input unit, and a storage means for storing a right motor upper limit load of the right motor corresponding to the right upper limit force set by the right upper limit force setting means and a left motor upper limit load of the left motor corresponding to the left upper limit force set by the left upper limit force setting means, The motor control means includes: The device is configured to include right load calculation means for calculating a load on the right motor, left load calculation means for calculating a load on the left motor, right rotational force limiting means for permitting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor drive means when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit load stored in the storage means, and restricting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor drive means when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit load stored in the storage means, and left rotational force limiting means for permitting electric driving of the left motor by the left motor drive means when the left load calculated by the left load calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit load stored in the storage means, and restricting electric driving of the left motor by the left motor drive means when the left load calculated by the left load calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit load stored in the storage means.

[0019] Thereby, the right upper limit force setting means sets the right upper limit force and the left upper limit force setting means sets the left upper limit force based on an input from the input unit. The storage means stores a right motor upper limit load of the right motor corresponding to the right upper limit force and a left motor upper limit load of the left motor corresponding to the left upper limit force. In this state, when the left and right hands are moved in the same way, the right load calculation means calculates the load of the right motor and the left load calculation means calculates the load of the left motor, and the right rotational force limiting means allows the right motor to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit load and restricts the right motor to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit load and restricts the left motor to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means when the left load calculated by the left load calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit load and restricts the left motor to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means when the left load calculated by the left load calculation means is less than the left motor upper limit load. Therefore, the right motor or the left motor, the drive of which is restricted, does not forcibly rotate electrically, so that the electrically driven movement of the right movable part or the left movable part can be restricted and unnatural rotation can be suppressed.

[0020] For example, when the left hand is a paralyzed hand and the right hand is a healthy hand, the left upper limit force of the left moving part is set by the left upper limit force setting means based on the input from the input unit. The right upper limit force of the right moving part does not have to be set in particular. On the other hand, when the right hand is a paralyzed hand and the left hand is a healthy hand, the right upper limit force of the right moving part is set by the right upper limit force setting means based on the input from the input unit. The left upper limit force of the left moving part does not have to be set in particular. This limits the rotational force of the moving part on the paralyzed hand side, so that the paralyzed hand is prevented from making an unreasonable movement, and the safety of the paralyzed hand can be ensured. In other words, since it is known in advance which hand is the paralyzed hand, and it is known to some extent how much the paralyzed hand moves compared to the healthy hand, training can be performed without putting a burden on the paralyzed hand.

[0021] Furthermore, if necessary, the control section may be configured to include an emergency stop means for forcibly stopping the driving of the right motor and the left motor based on an abnormality signal.

[0022] and if necessary, a right hand imaging camera for imaging a right hand linked to the right movable portion, a left hand imaging camera for imaging a left hand linked to the left movable portion, and a display; The control unit is a camera control means for controlling the right hand imaging camera and the left hand imaging camera, a display means for controlling what is displayed on the display, and a mode setting means for switching to either a left hand training mode when the right hand is a healthy hand and the left hand is a paralyzed hand, or a right hand training mode when the right hand is a paralyzed hand and the left hand is a healthy hand, based on an input from the input unit; The camera control means includes: an image switching means for enabling the imaging data from the right hand imaging camera and disabling the imaging data from the left hand imaging camera when the mode setting means sets the left hand training mode, and disabling the imaging data from the right hand imaging camera and enabling the imaging data from the left hand imaging camera when the mode setting means sets the right hand training mode, and an inverted image generating means for generating an inverted image by mirror-inverting a normal image enabled by the image switching means, The display means has a function of displaying, on the display, the normal image enabled by the image switching means and the inverted image generated by the inverted image generating means.

[0023] This allows the patient to train by moving the hand corresponding to the other imaging camera side that has been disabled by the image switching means while viewing the normal image and the inverted image displayed on the display. That is, when training the paralyzed hand, first, the mode setting means sets the left hand training mode when the right hand is the healthy hand and the left hand is the paralyzed hand, and sets the right hand training mode when the right hand is the paralyzed hand and the left hand is the healthy hand. Then, when training, the patient moves the healthy hand and the paralyzed hand in the same way while viewing the normal image and the inverted image displayed on the display. In this case, the normal image of the healthy hand and its inverted image are displayed on the display, so the patient sees an image in which the paralyzed hand moves smoothly like the healthy hand, and this visual input stimulates the brain, giving the patient the sensation that he or she is moving the paralyzed hand smoothly, which creates an effect of supporting the movement of the paralyzed hand, and a high rehabilitation effect can be obtained.

[0024] In addition, if necessary, the movements of the healthy hand and the paralyzed hand are bending movements from the MP joints of the other four fingers except the thumb, The right and left movable parts are each mounted on a base, and are configured to include a support member that supports the little finger among the four fingers while the four fingers are positioned in the vertical direction, a pair of abutment plates that are erected on the support member and face the outside and inside of the four fingers against which the four fingers abut, and a rotating shaft whose axis is provided on the underside of the support member along the vertical direction and which rotates the support member relative to the base.

[0025] As a result, the movement of the healthy hand and the paralyzed hand is the movement of bending the other four fingers except the thumb from the MP joint, and the important movement of the paralyzed hand can be reliably supported. On the healthy hand side, when bending the four fingers inward from the MP joint, the inner abutment plate is pressed, and when extending the four fingers outward from the MP joint, the outer abutment plate is pressed. On the other hand, on the paralyzed hand side, the hand is pushed by the outer abutment plate to bend, and the hand is pushed by the inner abutment plate to extend. This movement is, for example, a so-called pinching movement in which the four fingers approach the thumb, and can promote the effect of promoting the motor ability to pinch (grasp) with the thumb and index finger.

[0026] In this case, it is effective to provide the base with wrist side holders that are provided in correspondence with the right and left movable parts and that hold the wrist side of the hand that supports the four fingers on the support member. By supporting the wrist side, the movements of the four fingers can be performed smoothly. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, one device can be used to handle two types of paralysis: a paralyzed left hand and a healthy right hand, and a paralyzed right hand and a healthy left hand, improving versatility. In addition, the movement of the healthy hand can be faithfully transmitted to the paralyzed hand, and the response is good, improving performance and improving reliability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use; [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a storage box for a rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of a storage box for the rehabilitation device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a rear perspective view showing the internal configuration of a storage box for a rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a rotation transmission mechanism of a movable part of a rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a plan view showing a movable portion of a rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention when the left and right hands are bent. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view showing a movable section of a rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention when the left and right hands are extended. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an input section and a control section of the rehabilitation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of a control unit of the rehabilitation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another main part of the control unit of the rehabilitation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of setting a movable angle range in the rehabilitation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of setting an upper limit speed in the rehabilitation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a graph showing an example of setting an upper limit force in the rehabilitation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B show examples of displays on a display of a rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A shows a state in which the left and right hands are bent, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the left and right hands are extended. [Figure 15] 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow of a control unit of the rehabilitation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A rehabilitation device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 10, the rehabilitation device S according to the embodiment of the present invention is for training the paralyzed hand to move in the same way as the healthy hand when one of the left and right hands of a target patient is a healthy hand and the other hand is a paralyzed and disabled hand. In the embodiment, the exercise of the healthy hand and the paralyzed hand is for the exercise of bending the other four fingers except the thumb from the MP joint. For example, this exercise includes a pinching motion (oppositional exercise) in which the four fingers approach the thumb.

[0030] The rehabilitation device S is equipped with a rectangular storage box 1 that is open at the front and placed on a table (not shown) at a height where a patient can sit in a chair (not shown) and comfortably stretch out his or her arms, including the healthy and paralyzed hands, from the elbows up, approximately parallel to each other, and for storing the healthy and paralyzed hands, and a display 2 that is placed on the storage box 1 and can be viewed by the patient.

[0031] A base 3 is provided in the storage box 1, and a right movable part Ka linked to the right hand Ha and a left movable part Kb linked to the left hand Hb are provided on the base 3. The right movable part Ka and the left movable part Kb are respectively arranged in a mirror-symmetrical positional relationship, and are configured to include a support member 4 that supports the little finger among the four fingers of the hand with the four fingers excluding the thumb positioned in the vertical direction, a pair of abutment plates 5 that are erected on the support member 4 and face the outer and inner sides of the four fingers to abut against these four fingers, and a rotation shaft 6 whose axis is provided on the lower side of the support member 4 along the vertical direction and supports the support member 4 rotatably relative to the base 3. In addition, the base 3 on the open side of the storage box 1 is provided with a wrist side holding part 7 that is provided corresponding to the right movable part Ka and the left movable part Kb, respectively, and holds the wrist side of the hand with the four fingers supported by the support member 4.

[0032] Further, on the base 3, there are provided a right motor Ma for electrically rotating the right movable part Ka, and a left motor Mb for electrically rotating the left movable part Kb. Each motor can be configured with, for example, a servo motor or a step-out-less stepping motor that has the same performance as each other. The right motor Ma is provided with a right rotation angle detector 10a consisting of an encoder that detects the rotation angle of the right motor Ma, and the left motor Mb is provided with a left rotation angle detector 10b consisting of an encoder that detects the rotation angle of the left motor Mb. On the back side of the base 3, there is provided a rotation transmission mechanism 11 that transmits the rotation of each of the motors Ma, Mb to the corresponding movable parts Ka, Kb. The rotation transmission mechanism 11 is composed of a toothed main pulley 12 provided on the motor shaft, a toothed driven pulley 13 provided on the rotation shaft 6 of the movable parts Ka, Kb, and an endless timing belt 14 stretched between the main pulley 12 and the driven pulley 13. In this embodiment, the rotation ratio is set to 1:1.

[0033] Also provided in the storage box 1 are a right hand imaging camera 15a that images the right hand Ha linked to the right movable part Ka, a left hand imaging camera 15b that images the left hand Hb linked to the left movable part Kb, a right LED lamp 16a (FIG. 8) that illuminates the right movable part Ka, and a left LED lamp 16b (FIG. 8) that illuminates the left movable part Kb. Also provided in the storage box 1 is a control unit 40 that performs various controls based on input from the input unit 20.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 8, the input unit 20 is provided with a mounting unit 22 to which an external memory 21 for storing control data is detachably mounted. The input unit 20 is also provided with switches, buttons and volumes for performing various settings, etc., which include a "power switch 23", a pair of "emergency stop buttons 24", a "training start button 25", a "training end button 26", a "left paralysis / right paralysis changeover switch 27", a "training mode / setting mode changeover switch 28", an "angle limit volume (extension) 30", an "angle limit volume (flexion) 31", a "speed limit volume 32", and a "force limit volume 33". As shown in Fig. 2, the "angle limit volume (extension) 30", the "angle limit volume (flexion) 31", the "speed limit volume 32", and the "force limit volume 33" are realized by the functions of a touch panel 34. These functions will be described later.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the control unit 40 includes a power supply control means 41 that controls the supply and stop of power from the AC adapter 35 to each unit, including a right motor drive means 51a and a left motor drive means 51b described below, by turning on and off the "power switch 23". The control unit 40 also includes an execution means 42 that sets control conditions for various control means in the control unit 40 and executes their functions. The "training mode / setting mode changeover switch 28" of the input unit 20 switches between a setting mode in which various settings are made from the input unit 20 to the execution means 42, and a training mode in which the device is operated after settings are made to carry out training. The "training start button 25" instructs the start of operation of the device in the training mode, and the "training end button 26" instructs the end of operation.

[0036] The control unit 40 also has a motor control means 50 for controlling the right motor Ma and the left motor Mb. The motor control means 50 is configured to include a right motor drive means 51a that receives power to drive the right motor Ma, a left motor drive means 51b that receives power to drive the left motor Mb, and a drive control means 52 for the right motor drive means 51a and the left motor drive means 51b. When the right motor Ma is rotated by an external force from the right hand Ha via the right movable part Ka, or the left motor Mb is rotated by an external force from the left hand Hb via the left movable part Kb, the drive control means 52 performs bilateral control to electrically rotate one motor similarly in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the other motor by following the one motor rotated by the external force.

[0037] In this embodiment, the drive control means 52 controls the right motor drive means 51a and the left motor drive means 51b to rotate in the reverse direction so that the difference between the angles detected by the right rotation angle detector 10a and the left rotation angle detector 10b is reduced, and controls the right motor drive means 51a and the left motor drive means 51b to rotate in the reverse direction so that the difference between the angles is reduced. That is, the drive control means 52 detects that one of the right motor Ma and the left motor Mb has been rotated by an external force more than the other motor while the right motor Ma and the left motor Mb are stopped or rotating, and rotates the other motor.

[0038] The execution means 42 also includes a right movable angle range setting means 53a for setting a right movable angle range based on the starting point position of the right movable part Ka according to an input from the input unit 20, and a left movable angle range setting means 53b for setting a left movable angle range based on the starting point position of the left movable part Kb according to an input from the input unit 20. In detail, as shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the rotation position (mechanical limit in the bending direction) of the movable parts Ka and Kb in a state where the four fingers are bent is set as the starting point position (0°), and the angle range can be set within the range of the rotation position (mechanical limit in the extension direction) of the movable parts Ka and Kb in a state where the four fingers are straightened by rotating 75° from this starting point position. Here, the movable parts Ka and Kb are stopped by a stopper (not shown), and the mechanical limit refers to the stop angle position. The angle from the starting point position at the flexed position is set by operating the "angle limiting volume (flexion) 31" provided in the input unit 20, and the angle from the starting point position at the extended position is set by operating the "angle limiting volume (extension) 30". For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the left hand Hb is a paralyzed hand and the right hand Ha is a healthy hand, the angle on the paralyzed hand side of the left hand Hb is set to 25° (flexed position) to 65° (extended position). The angle on the healthy hand side of the right hand Ha is set to 3° (flexed position) to 70° (extended position). When the power is turned on or the "training end button 26" is pressed, the motor control means 50 positions the right motor Ma and the left motor Mb at their initial positions and stops them by the right motor driving means 51a and the left motor driving means 51b so that the movable parts Ka and Kb are positioned at the flexed positions.

[0039] The execution means 42 includes a mode setting means 54 (FIG. 10) for switching between a left hand training mode when the right hand Ha is a healthy hand and the left hand Hb is a paralyzed hand and a right hand training mode when the right hand Ha is a paralyzed hand and the left hand Hb is a healthy hand, and a right hand training mode when the right hand Ha is a paralyzed hand and the left hand Hb is a healthy hand, in response to an input from the "left paralyzed / right paralyzed changeover switch 27" of the input unit 20. Therefore, when the mode setting means 54 sets the left hand training mode, the input to the right movable angle range setting means 53a is the right movable angle range setting on the healthy hand side, and the input to the left movable angle range setting means 53b is the left movable angle range setting on the paralyzed hand side. The right movable angle range of the right movable part Ka does not need to be set in particular. On the other hand, when the mode setting means 54 sets the right hand training mode, the input to the right movable angle range setting means 53a is the right movable angle range setting on the paralyzed hand side, and the input to the left movable angle range setting means 53b is the left movable angle range setting on the healthy hand side. The left movable angle range of the left movable part Kb does not need to be particularly set.

[0040] The control unit 40 also has a storage means 55, which stores a right motor rotation angle range of the right motor Ma corresponding to the right movable angle range set by the right movable angle range setting means 53a and a left motor rotation angle range of the left motor Mb corresponding to the left movable angle range set by the left movable angle range setting means 53b. In this case, since the rotation ratio between the motors Ma, Mb and the movable parts Ka, Kb is 1:1 in this embodiment, the rotation angle range of the motors Ma, Mb is the same as the movable angle range of the movable parts Ka, Kb.

[0041] The motor control means 50 is also configured to include a right rotation angle limiting means 56a that allows the right motor Ma to be driven electrically by the right motor driving means 51a when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector 10a is within the right motor rotation angle range stored in the memory means 55, and restricts the right motor Ma to be driven electrically by the right motor driving means 51a when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector 10a is within the right motor rotation angle range stored in the memory means 55, and a left rotation angle limiting means 56b that allows the left motor Mb to be driven electrically by the left motor driving means 51b when the left rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector 10b is within the left motor rotation angle range stored in the memory means 55, and restricts ....

[0042] Furthermore, the execution means 42 includes a right upper limit speed setting means 57a for setting a right upper limit speed, which is the upper limit of the rotation speed of the right movable part Ka, based on an input from the "speed limit volume 32" of the input unit 20, and a left upper limit speed setting means 57b for setting a left upper limit speed, which is the upper limit of the rotation speed of the left movable part Kb, based on an input from the input unit 20. The storage means 55 of the control unit 40 stores the right motor upper limit speed of the right motor Ma corresponding to the right upper limit speed set by the right upper limit speed setting means 57a, and the left motor upper limit speed of the left motor Mb corresponding to the left upper limit speed set by the left upper limit speed setting means 57b. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 12, the upper limit speed setting is performed by making the upper limit of the rated angular velocity (deg / sec) of the motor constant in each of the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction.

[0043] The motor control means 50 is configured to include right rotation speed calculation means 58a which calculates the rotation speed of the right motor Ma, left rotation speed calculation means 58b which calculates the rotation speed of the left motor Mb, right rotation speed limiting means 59a which allows the electric driving of the right motor Ma by the right motor drive means 51a when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculation means 58a is less than the right motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means 55, and restricts the electric driving of the right motor Ma by the right motor drive means 51a when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculation means 58a is less than the right motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means 55, and left rotation speed limiting means 59b which allows the electric driving of the left motor Mb by the left motor drive means 51b when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculation means 58b is less than the left motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means 55, and restricts ....

[0044] When the mode setting means 54 sets the left hand training mode, the input to the right upper limit speed setting means 57a is the right upper limit speed setting of the healthy hand side, and the input to the left upper limit speed setting means 57b is the left upper limit speed setting of the paralyzed hand side. The right upper limit speed of the right moving part Ka does not have to be set in particular. On the other hand, when the mode setting means 54 sets the right hand training mode, the input to the right upper limit speed setting means 57a is the right upper limit speed setting of the paralyzed hand side, and the input to the left upper limit speed setting means 57b is the left upper limit speed setting of the healthy hand side. The left upper limit speed of the left moving part Kb does not have to be set in particular.

[0045] Furthermore, the execution means 42 includes a right upper limit force setting means 60a for setting a right upper limit force, which is the upper limit of the rotational force of the right movable part Ka, based on an input from the "force limit volume 33" of the input unit 20, and a left upper limit force setting means 60b for setting a left upper limit force, which is the upper limit of the rotational force of the left movable part Kb, based on an input from the input unit 20. The storage means 55 stores a right motor upper limit load of the right motor Ma corresponding to the right upper limit force set by the right upper limit force setting means 60a, and a left motor upper limit load of the left motor Mb corresponding to the left upper limit force set by the left upper limit force setting means 60b. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 13, in this embodiment, an upper limit current value determined by limiting the upper limit of the rated current value of the motors Ma and Mb is stored as the upper limit load. The current value as the load corresponds to the torque of the motor.

[0046] The motor control means 50 is configured to include right load calculation means 61a which calculates the load (current value) of the right motor Ma, left load calculation means 61b which calculates the load (current value) of the left motor Mb, right rotational force limiting means 62a which allows the electric driving of the right motor Ma by the right motor driving means 51a when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means 61a is less than the right motor upper limit load stored in the storage means 55, and restricts the electric driving of the right motor Ma by the right motor driving means 51a when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means 61a is less than the right motor upper limit load stored in the storage means 55, and left rotational force limiting means 62b which allows the electric driving of the left motor Mb by the left motor driving means 51b when the left load calculated by the left load calculation means 61b is less than the left motor upper limit load stored in the storage means 55, and restricts the electric driving of the left motor Mb by the left motor driving means 51b when the left load calculated by the left load calculation means 61b is less than the left motor upper limit load stored in the storage means 55.

[0047] When the mode setting means 54 sets the left hand training mode, the input to the right upper limit force setting means 60a is the right upper limit force setting of the healthy hand side, and the input to the left upper limit force setting means 60b is the left upper limit force setting of the paralyzed hand side. The right upper limit force of the right moving part Ka does not have to be set in particular. On the other hand, when the mode setting means 54 sets the right hand training mode, the input to the right upper limit force setting means 60a is the right upper limit force setting of the paralyzed hand side, and the input to the left upper limit force setting means 60b is the left upper limit force setting of the healthy hand side. The left upper limit force of the left moving part Kb does not have to be set in particular.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8, the motor control means 50 has a controller 63 which is operated by a command from the execution means 42, and the controller 63 has the functions performed by the above-mentioned drive control means 52, right rotation angle limiting means 56a, left rotation angle limiting means 56b, right rotation speed calculation means 58a, left rotation speed calculation means 58b, right rotation speed limiting means 59a, left rotation speed limiting means 59b, right load calculation means 61a, left load calculation means 61b, right rotational force limiting means 62a and left rotational force limiting means 62b.

[0049] The control unit 40 also has a timer (not shown) that is activated by pressing the "training start button 25", and when the timer's set time has elapsed, it stops driving the right motor Ma and left motor Mb to stop the training. The timer's set time is set to, for example, three minutes. The control unit 40 also has emergency stop means 64 that sends an abnormality signal in response to an input from the "emergency stop button 24" of the input unit 20, and forcibly stops the driving of the right motor Ma and left motor Mb via the power supply control means 41 based on this abnormality signal.

[0050] 8 and 10, the control unit 40 further includes an illumination control means 65 for controlling the right LED lamp 16a and the left LED lamp 16b, a camera control means 66 for controlling the right hand imaging camera 15a and the left hand imaging camera 15b, and a display display means 67 for controlling the display 2. The illumination control means 65 controls the illuminance of the right LED lamp 16a and the left LED lamp 16b. The right LED lamp 16a and the left LED lamp 16b are turned on to illuminate the hands and make the images captured by the imaging cameras 15a and 15b clear.

[0051] The camera control means 66 comprises image switching means 68 which, when the mode setting means 54 sets the left hand training mode, enables the imaging data from right hand imaging camera 15a and disables the imaging data from left hand imaging camera 15b, and, when the mode setting means 54 sets the right hand training mode, disables the imaging data from right hand imaging camera 15a and enables the imaging data from left hand imaging camera 15b, and inverted image generating means 69 which generates an inverted image by mirror-inverting the normal image enabled by the image switching means 68.

[0052] 14, the display means 67 has a function of displaying on the display 2 a normal image enabled by the image switching means 68 and an inverted image generated by the inverted image generating means 69. This allows the subject to practice moving the hand corresponding to the other imaging camera disabled by the image switching means 68 while viewing the normal image and inverted image displayed on the display 2. The display means 67 also has a function of displaying an initial setting screen (not shown) when the setting mode is entered by inputting the "training mode / setting mode changeover switch 28" of the input unit 20.

[0053] Therefore, when a patient uses the rehabilitation device S according to the embodiment for rehabilitation, the following process takes place: The patient's assistant or the like turns on the "power switch 23", switches to the setting mode by inputting the "training mode / setting mode changeover switch 28" in advance, and performs initial settings. Here, a case will be described in which the patient's right hand Ha is the healthy hand and the left hand Hb is the paralyzed hand.

[0054] The left hand training mode is set by input from the "left paralysis / right paralysis changeover switch 27" of the input unit 20. Then, the angle from the starting point position at the flexed position is set by operating the "angle limit volume (flexion) 31" provided in the input unit 20, and the angle from the starting point position at the extended position is set by operating the "angle limit volume (extension) 30". In this case, the input to the right movable angle range setting means 53a is the right movable angle range setting on the healthy hand side (generally a larger angle range), and the input to the left movable angle range setting means 53b is the left movable angle range setting on the paralyzed hand side (generally a smaller angle range than the right). As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the right motor rotation angle range of the right motor Ma corresponding to the right movable angle range set by the right movable angle range setting means 53a and the left motor rotation angle range of the left motor Mb corresponding to the left movable angle range set by the left movable angle range setting means 53b are stored in the storage means 55.

[0055] In addition, a right upper limit speed, which is the upper limit of the rotation speed of the right moving part Ka, is set by input from the "speed limit volume 32" of the input unit 20, and a left upper limit speed, which is the upper limit of the rotation speed of the left moving part Kb, is set. In this case, since the mode setting means 54 is set to the left hand training mode, the input to the right upper limit speed setting means 57a is the right upper limit speed setting of the healthy hand side (generally a higher upper limit speed), and the input to the left upper limit speed setting means 57b is the left upper limit speed setting of the paralyzed hand side (generally a lower upper limit speed than the right). As shown in FIG. 12, the right motor upper limit speed of the right motor Ma corresponding to the right upper limit speed and the left motor upper limit speed of the left motor Mb corresponding to the left upper limit speed set by the left upper limit speed setting means 57b are set and stored in the storage means 55.

[0056] Furthermore, a right upper limit force, which is the upper limit of the rotational force of the right moving part Ka, is set by input from the "force limit volume 33" of the input unit 20, and a left upper limit force, which is the upper limit of the rotational force of the left moving part Kb, is set. In this case, since the mode setting means 54 is set to the left hand training mode, the input to the right upper limit force setting means 60a is the right upper limit force setting of the healthy hand side (generally a larger upper limit force), and the input to the left upper limit force setting means 60b is the left upper limit force setting of the paralyzed hand side (generally a smaller upper limit force than the right). As shown in FIG. 13, the right motor upper limit load of the right motor Ma corresponding to the right upper limit force set by the right upper limit force setting means 60a and the left motor upper limit load of the left motor Mb corresponding to the left upper limit force set by the left upper limit force setting means 60b are stored in the storage means 55.

[0057] Once the settings in the input unit 20 are complete, switch to training mode using the "training mode / setting mode changeover switch 28." Then, as shown in Fig. 6, the healthy right hand Ha is placed on the support member 4 of the right movable part Ka, and the paralyzed left hand Hb is placed on the support part of the left movable part Kb. In this case, the wrist side of the hand is held by the wrist side holding part 7, so that the four fingers are securely supported.

[0058] Then, referring to the flow chart shown in Fig. 15, the "training start button 25" is pressed to start training. When training starts, the right LED lamp 16a and the left LED lamp 16b are turned on by the illumination control means 65, the image data of the right hand imaging camera 15a is enabled by the image switching means 68 of the camera control means 66, and an inverted image is generated by mirror-inverting the normal image of the imaging data by the inverted image generating means 69. As shown in Fig. 14, on the display 2, the display display means 67 displays the normal image enabled by the image switching means 68 and the inverted image generated by the inverted image generating means 69 side by side in correspondence with the positions of the right hand Ha and the left hand Hb (S1).

[0059] In addition, in the motor control means 50, the drive control means 52 detects the rotation of the right motor Ma and the left motor Mb due to external forces (S2), and when the right motor Ma is rotated via the right movable part Ka by the external force of the right hand Ha, or the left motor Mb is rotated via the left movable part Kb by the external force of the left hand Hb (S2 Yes), bilateral control is performed to electrically rotate the other motor in a similar manner in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the one motor, following the one motor rotated by the external force (S3).

[0060] Generally, since the movement of the movable part on the healthy hand side is smooth, the movable part on the paralyzed hand side is moved following the movement of the healthy hand side, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Therefore, the paralyzed hand of the left hand Hb linked to the left movable part Kb can be moved in the same way as the healthy hand of the right hand Ha linked to the right movable part Ka. That is, when the right hand Ha is bent to move the right movable part Ka, the left hand Hb is also moved in the bending direction by the left movable part Kb, and when the right hand Ha is extended to move the right movable part Ka, the left hand Hb is also moved in the extension direction by the left movable part Kb. These operations can be repeated. In this case, the drive control means 52 performs bilateral control, so that the movement of the healthy hand can be faithfully transmitted to the paralyzed hand, and the responsiveness is also good, so that the performance can be improved and the reliability can be improved compared to the conventional art.

[0061] Also, the patient can train to move his / her hand while viewing the normal image and the inverted image displayed on the display 2. In this case, as shown in Fig. 14, the normal image of the healthy right hand Ha and its inverted image are displayed on the display 2, so that the patient sees an image of the paralyzed left hand Hb moving as smoothly as the healthy right hand Ha, and therefore this visual input stimulates the brain, giving the patient the sensation that he / she is moving the paralyzed hand smoothly, which produces an effect of supporting the movement of the paralyzed hand, and thus a high rehabilitation effect can be obtained.

[0062] In the process of this bilateral control, the right rotation angle detector 10a detects the rotation angle of the right motor Ma, and the left rotation angle detector 10b detects the rotation angle of the left motor Mb (S4), and the right rotation angle limiting means 56a drives the right motor Ma electrically when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector 10a is within the right motor rotation angle range (S4 Yes), and limits the electric driving of the right motor Ma by the right motor driving means 51a when it reaches the upper or lower limit of the right motor rotation angle range (S4 No) (S5). On the other hand, the left rotation angle limiting means 56b drives the left motor Mb electrically when the left rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector 10b is within the left motor rotation angle range (S4 Yes), and limits the electric driving of the left motor Mb by the left motor driving means 51b when it reaches the upper or lower limit of the left motor rotation angle range (S4 No) (S5).

[0063] Therefore, the right motor Ma or the left motor Mb, the drive of which is limited, does not perform forced rotation by electricity, so that the electric movement of the right movable part Ka or the left movable part Kb can be limited, and unreasonable rotation can be suppressed. That is, in this example where the left hand Hb is a paralyzed hand and the right hand Ha is a healthy hand, if the right movable angle range on the healthy hand side of the right hand Ha is larger than the left movable angle range on the paralyzed hand side of the left hand Hb, the right movable part Ka rotates beyond the angle range of the left movable part Kb, but the left movable part Kb is not forced to move because no power acts at the upper or lower limit of the left movable angle, so that unreasonable movement of the paralyzed hand of the left hand Hb can be prevented, and the safety of the paralyzed hand of the left hand Hb can be ensured.

[0064] In addition, in the process of this bilateral control, the right rotation speed calculation means 58a calculates the rotation speed of the right motor Ma, and the left rotation speed calculation means 58b calculates the rotation speed of the left motor Mb, and the right rotation speed limiting means 59a allows the right motor Ma to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means 51a when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculation means 58a is less than the right motor upper limit speed (S6No), and limits the right motor Ma to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means 51a when the right rotation speed is equal to or greater than the right motor upper limit speed (S6Yes). On the other hand, the left rotation speed limiting means 59b allows the left motor Mb to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means 51b when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculation means 58b is less than the left motor upper limit speed (S6No), and limits the left motor Mb to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means 51b when the left rotation speed is equal to or greater than the left motor upper limit speed (S6Yes) (S7).

[0065] Therefore, the right motor Ma or the left motor Mb, the drive of which is limited, does not perform forced rotation by electricity, so that the electric movement of the right movable part Ka or the left movable part Kb can be limited, and unreasonable rotation can be suppressed. That is, in this example where the left hand Hb is a paralyzed hand and the right hand Ha is a healthy hand, if the right upper limit speed of the healthy hand side of the right hand Ha is greater than the left upper limit speed of the paralyzed hand side of the left hand Hb, the right movable part Ka rotates beyond the left upper limit speed of the left movable part Kb, but the left movable part Kb does not increase in speed beyond the left upper limit speed, so that it is possible to prevent the paralyzed hand of the left hand Hb from performing unreasonable movements, and to ensure the safety of the paralyzed hand of the left hand Hb.

[0066] Furthermore, in the process of this bilateral control, the right load calculation means 61a calculates the load of the right motor Ma, and the left load calculation means 61b calculates the load of the left motor Mb, and the right rotational force limiting means 62a allows the right motor Ma to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means 51a when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means 61a is less than the right motor upper limit load (S8No), and limits the right motor Ma to be driven electrically by the right motor drive means 51a when the right load is equal to or greater than the right motor upper limit load (S8Yes) (S9). On the other hand, the left rotational force limiting means 62b allows the left motor Mb to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means 51b when the left load calculated by the left load calculation means 61b is less than the left motor upper limit load (S8No), and limits the left motor Mb to be driven electrically by the left motor drive means 51b when the left load is equal to or greater than the left motor upper limit load (S8Yes) (S9).

[0067] Therefore, the right motor Ma or the left motor Mb, the drive of which is limited, does not perform forced rotation by electricity, so that the electric movement of the right movable part Ka or the left movable part Kb can be limited, and unreasonable rotation can be suppressed. That is, in this example where the left hand Hb is a paralyzed hand and the right hand Ha is a healthy hand, if the right upper limit force on the healthy hand side of the right hand Ha is greater than the left upper limit force on the paralyzed hand side of the left hand Hb, the right movable part Ka will rotate beyond the left upper limit force of the left movable part Kb, but since the left movable part Kb does not produce a force greater than the left upper limit force, unreasonable movement of the paralyzed hand of the left hand Hb can be prevented, and the safety of the paralyzed hand of the left hand Hb can be ensured.

[0068] Training using such bilateral control can be performed until the timer's set time has elapsed or until the "training end button 26" is pressed (S10 No). When the timer's set time has elapsed or the "training end button 26" is pressed, training ends (S10 Yes). If any malfunction occurs during training, the "emergency stop button 24" is pressed. This causes the emergency stop means 64 to forcibly stop the drive of the right motor Ma and the left motor Mb via the power supply control means 41, ensuring safety.

[0069] On the other hand, in the case of a patient whose right hand Ha is paralyzed and whose left hand Hb is healthy, the right hand training mode is set by inputting from the "left paralysis / right paralysis changeover switch 27" of the input unit 20. Then, in the same manner as above, the movable angle range is set by operating the "angle limit volume (flexion) 31" and the "angle limit volume (extension) 30" so that the left and right conditions are reversed, the upper limit speed of the movable parts Ka and Kb is set by inputting from the "speed limit volume 32", and the upper limit force of the rotational force of the movable parts Ka and Kb is set by inputting from the "force limit volume 33". After the settings in the input unit 20 are completed, the "training mode / setting mode changeover switch 28" is used to switch to the training mode. Then, the right hand Ha, which is the paralyzed hand, is placed on the support member 4 of the right movable part Ka, and the left hand Hb, which is the healthy hand, is placed on the support member of the left movable part Kb, and training is started. This allows the paralyzed right hand Ha to be trained in the same way as the paralyzed left hand Hb described above, and produces the same effects and actions as above.

[0070] That is, according to the present rehabilitation device S, when training the paralyzed hand, the patient links the right hand Ha to the right movable part Ka and the left hand Hb to the left movable part Kb, regardless of whether the paralyzed hand is the right hand Ha or the left hand Hb, so as to move the left and right hands in the same way. In this case, when the right motor Ma is rotated via the right movable part Ka by an external force of the right hand Ha, or the left motor Mb is rotated via the left movable part Kb by an external force of the left hand Hb, the drive control means 52 performs bilateral control to electrically rotate one motor in a similar manner in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the other motor, following the one motor rotated by the external force.

[0071] In general, the movement of the movable part on the healthy hand side is smooth, so the movable part on the paralyzed hand side is moved following the movement of the healthy hand side. Therefore, whether the right hand Ha or the left hand Hb is paralyzed, the paralyzed hand can be moved in the same way as the healthy hand, so that one device can deal with two types of paralysis, when the left hand Hb is paralyzed and the right hand Ha is a healthy hand, and when the right hand Ha is a paralyzed hand and the left hand Hb is a healthy hand, and thus versatility can be improved accordingly.

[0072] In addition, since the drive control means 52 performs bilateral control, it is possible to faithfully transmit the movement of the healthy hand to the paralyzed hand, and since the responsiveness is also good, it is possible to improve performance and reliability compared to the conventional technology.

[0073] In the above embodiment, each of the motors Ma, Mb is configured to transmit rotation to the movable parts Ka, Kb via the rotation transmission mechanism 11 having the timing belt 14, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and may be configured with a gear transmission mechanism, and the rotation ratio may be appropriately determined and may be changed appropriately. Also, each of the motors Ma, Mb may be configured to be directly connected to the movable parts Ka, Kb. Also, the movable parts Ka, Kb are configured to correspond to bending motions from the MP joints of the other four fingers except the thumb, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and may be configured to correspond to bending from other joints, and may be changed appropriately. Furthermore, the configurations of the input unit 20 and the control unit 40 are not limited to the above-mentioned configurations, and may be changed appropriately. In short, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, and a person skilled in the art can easily make many modifications to these exemplary embodiments without substantially departing from the novel teachings and effects of the present invention, and these many modifications are included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] S Rehabilitation Equipment Ha Right hand Hb left hand 1 Storage Box 2. Display 3. Foundation Ka Right moving part Kb Left moving part 4 Support members 5 Contact plate 6 Rotating Axis 7 Wrist side holding part Ma Right Motor Mb Left Motor 10a Right rotation angle detector 10b Left rotation angle detector 11 Rotational transmission mechanism 12 Main pulley 13 Follower pulley 14 Timing belt 15a Right-hand imaging camera 15b Left-hand imaging camera 16a Right LED lamp 16b Left LED lamp 20 Input section 21 External Memory 22 Mounting part 23 Power Switch 24 Emergency stop button 25 Training start button 26 End training button 27 Left / Right Paralysis Switch 28 Training mode / setting mode switch 30 Angle limit volume (extension) 31 Angle restriction volume (bending) 32 Speed ​​Limit Volume 33 Force-Limiting Volume 34 Touch Panel 35 AC adapter 40 Control section 41 Power supply control means 42 Means of Execution 50 Motor control means 51a Right motor driving means 51b Left motor driving means 52 Drive control means 53a Right movable angle range setting means 53b Left movable angle range setting means 54 Mode setting means 55 Memory means 56a Right rotation angle limiting means 56b Left rotation angle limiting means 57a Right upper limit speed setting means 57b Left upper limit speed setting means 58a Right rotation speed calculation means 58b Left rotation speed calculation means 59a Right rotation speed limiting means 59b Left rotation speed limiting means 60a Right upper limit force setting means 60b Left upper limit force setting means 61a Right load calculation means 61b Left load calculation means 62a Right rotation force limiting means 62b Left rotation force limiting means 63 Controller 64 Emergency stop means 65 Lighting control means 66 Camera Control Means 67 Display means 68 Image switching means 69 Reverse image generation means

Claims

1. A rehabilitation device for training a patient to move a paralyzed hand in the same manner as a normal hand when one of the hands is a normal hand and the other hand is a paralyzed hand that is disabled due to paralysis, comprising: a right movable part linked to a right hand, a left movable part linked to a left hand, a right motor for electrically rotating the right movable part, a left motor for electrically rotating the left movable part, a right hand imaging camera for imaging the right hand linked to the right movable part, a left hand imaging camera for imaging the left hand linked to the left movable part, a display, and a control part having motor control means for controlling the right motor and the left motor, The motor control means includes: a right motor driving means for driving the right motor; a left motor driving means for driving the left motor; a drive control means for causing the right motor drive means and the left motor drive means to perform bilateral control for electrically rotating one motor in a similar manner in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the other motor, the bilateral control being performed when the right motor is rotated via the right movable part by an external force from the right hand or the left motor is rotated via the left movable part by an external force from the left hand, The control unit is a camera control means for controlling the right-hand imaging camera and the left-hand imaging camera; A display display means for controlling the display of the display; a mode setting means for switching and setting a left hand training mode when the right hand is a healthy hand and the left hand is a paralyzed hand, or a right hand training mode when the right hand is a paralyzed hand and the left hand is a healthy hand, according to an input from an input unit; The camera control means includes: an image switching means for enabling the imaging data from the right hand imaging camera and disabling the imaging data from the left hand imaging camera when the mode setting means sets the left hand training mode, and disabling the imaging data from the right hand imaging camera and enabling the imaging data from the left hand imaging camera when the mode setting means sets the right hand training mode; a reverse image generating means for generating a reverse image by mirror-inverting the normal image enabled by the image switching means, The rehabilitation device according to the present invention, wherein the display means has a function of displaying on the display a normal image enabled by the image switching means and an inverted image generated by the inverted image generating means.

2. a right rotation angle detector that detects a rotation angle of the right motor; a left rotation angle detector that detects a rotation angle of the left motor, 2. The rehabilitation device according to claim 1, wherein the drive control means controls the right motor drive means and the left motor drive means based on the rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector and the rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector.

3. The control unit is a right movable angle range setting means for setting a right movable angle range based on a starting position of the right movable part based on an input from the input unit; a left movable angle range setting means for setting a left movable angle range based on a starting position of the left movable part based on an input from the input unit; a storage means for storing a right motor rotation angle range of a right motor corresponding to the right movable angle range set by the right movable angle range setting means and a left motor rotation angle range of a left motor corresponding to the left movable angle range set by the left movable angle range setting means, The motor control means includes: a right rotation angle limiting means for permitting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor driving means when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector is within a right motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means, and for restricting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor driving means when the right rotation angle detected by the right rotation angle detector is within an upper limit or lower limit of the right motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means; a left rotation angle limiting means for permitting the electric driving of the left motor by the left motor driving means when the left rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector is within the left motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means, and for restricting the electric driving of the left motor by the left motor driving means when the left rotation angle detected by the left rotation angle detector is within the left motor rotation angle range stored in the storage means; 3. The rehabilitation device according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The control unit is a right upper limit speed setting means for setting a right upper limit speed, which is an upper limit of the rotation speed of the right movable part, based on an input from the input unit; a left upper limit speed setting means for setting a left upper limit speed, which is an upper limit of the rotation speed of the left movable part, based on an input from the input unit; a storage means for storing a right motor upper limit speed of a right motor corresponding to the right upper limit speed set by the right upper limit speed setting means and a left motor upper limit speed of a left motor corresponding to the left upper limit speed set by the left upper limit speed setting means, The motor control means includes: a right rotation speed calculation means for calculating a rotation speed of the right motor; a left rotation speed calculation means for calculating a rotation speed of the left motor; a right rotation speed limiting means for permitting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor driving means when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculating means is less than the right motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means, and for restricting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor driving means when the right rotation speed calculated by the right rotation speed calculating means is equal to or greater than the right motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means; a left rotation speed limiting means for permitting electric driving of the left motor by the left motor driving means when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculating means is less than the left motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means, and for restricting electric driving of the left motor by the left motor driving means when the left rotation speed calculated by the left rotation speed calculating means is equal to or greater than the left motor upper limit speed stored in the storage means; 4. The rehabilitation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. The control unit is a right upper limit force setting means for setting a right upper limit force, which is an upper limit of the rotational force of the right movable part, based on an input from the input unit; a left upper limit force setting means for setting a left upper limit force, which is an upper limit of the rotational force of the left movable part, based on an input from the input unit; a storage means for storing a right motor upper limit load of a right motor corresponding to the right upper limit force set by the right upper limit force setting means and a left motor upper limit load of a left motor corresponding to the left upper limit force set by the left upper limit force setting means, The motor control means includes: a right load calculation means for calculating a load on the right motor; a left load calculation means for calculating a load on the left motor; a right rotational force limiting means for permitting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor driving means when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means is less than the right motor upper limit load stored in the storage means, and for restricting electric driving of the right motor by the right motor driving means when the right load calculated by the right load calculation means is equal to or greater than the right motor upper limit load stored in the storage means; a left rotational force limiting means for permitting the electric driving of the left motor by the left motor driving means when the left load calculated by the left load calculating means is less than the left motor upper limit load stored in the storage means, and for restricting the electric driving of the left motor by the left motor driving means when the left load calculated by the left load calculating means is equal to or greater than the left motor upper limit load stored in the storage means; 5. The rehabilitation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The control unit is 6. The rehabilitation device according to claim 1, further comprising an emergency stop means for forcibly stopping the driving of the right motor and the left motor based on an abnormality signal.

7. The movements of the healthy hand and the paralyzed hand are bending movements from the MP joints of the four fingers other than the thumb. A rehabilitation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the right and left movable parts are each provided on a base, and are configured to include a support member that supports the little finger among the four fingers while the four fingers are positioned in the vertical direction, a pair of abutment plates that are erected on the support member and face the outside and inside of the four fingers against which the four fingers abut, and a rotating shaft whose axis is provided on the underside of the support member along the vertical direction and which rotates the support member relative to the base.

8. 8. The rehabilitation device according to claim 7, further comprising wrist side holding sections provided on the base in correspondence with the right and left movable sections, respectively, for holding the wrist side of a hand having four fingers supported by the support member.

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