Apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprising a stimulus delivery device (11,12) with a horizontal development substantially curved along an angular portion so as to outline a portion of a circle, comprising at least one panel (11) for the delivery of visual stimuli spatially distributed in an angular range substantially equal to the angular portion of horizontal development of the stimulus delivery device (11,12); at least one acoustic source (12) for the delivery of acoustic stimuli spatially distributed in an angular range substantially equal to the angular portion of horizontal development of the stimulus delivery device (11,12); and a local electronic processing unit configured to control the generation of visual and acoustic stimuli by means of the at least one panel (11) and the at least one acoustic source (12), and characterized in that it comprises at least one first acoustic detector (15) for detecting a reproduction of a verbal element produced by the patient, wherein the at least one first acoustic detector (15) is carried by the at least one panel (11) and positioned so as to detect acoustic signals generated in a space inside the portion of circle outlined by the stimulus delivery device (11,12).

Description

[0001] APPARATUS FOR THE SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF SPEECH DISORDERS

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders resulting, for example, from neurological damage.

[0004] STATE OF THE ART

[0005] Among the most common consequences for a neurological damage that usually occurs when the blood fails to access a certain area of the brain, for example due to an ischemic stroke, brain haemorrhage or head injury, is the weakening of the ability to express and understand language.

[0006] There are many forms of speech disorders that patients with neurological damage can suffer from, grouped under the general term of aphasia. All these conditions are compounded by a difficulty of the subject to express themselves adequately and in a functional way to personal needs.

[0007] Nowadays, it is known to rehabilitate patients with aphasia through speech therapies that require a therapist specialized in the treatment of communication and speech disorders to assess the person's language skills and set up an intervention program aimed at improving the communication-linguistic deficit. In particular, the speech therapy treatment of aphasia is currently carried out in rehabilitation sessions in the presence of the speech therapist, who, through specific exercises, guides the patient in the management of communicative-linguistic problems.

[0008] Apparatuses for the self-administration of rehabilitation therapies for the treatment of aphasia are not currently known. In general terms, the apparatuses for the self-administration of therapies are used in addition to the traditional rehabilitation therapies, to support and enhance the effects of the work done by the therapist. These apparatuses for the self-administration of therapies also have the advantage of allowing the therapy to be carried out remotely, allowing patients who may have also suffered a weakening of motor skills to access the therapy at their home.

[0009] The need is therefore felt for an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of aphasia.

[0010] OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In light of the foregoing, the task underlying the present invention is to obviate the problems of the prior art.

[0012] Within the scope of this task, it is an object of the present invention to devise an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to realize an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders that allows patients to independently perform rehabilitation treatment sessions in a simple and effective way and at the same time allows the healthcare professional to have adequate supervision over the administration of such sessions and to evaluate their results quickly and accurately without necessarily being involved during the execution of the rehabilitation sessions themselves.

[0014] Not least object of the present invention is to devise an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders having reduced dimensions, in particular in a folded configuration.

[0015] In accordance with a first aspect thereof, the invention therefore relates to an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprising: a stimulus delivery device with a horizontal development substantially curved along an angular portion, comprising

[0016] - at least one panel for the delivery of visual stimuli spatially distributed in an angular range substantially equal to or less than the angular portion of horizontal development of the stimulus delivery device;

[0017] - at least one acoustic source for the delivery of acoustic stimuli spatially distributed in an angular range substantially equal to or less than the angular portion of the horizontal development of the stimulus delivery device; and

[0018] - a local electronic processing unit configured to control the generation of visual and acoustic stimuli by the at least one panel and the at least one acoustic source.

[0019] In the context of the present description and in the appended claims, the expression "curved horizontal development" refers to the configuration in operation of the stimulus delivery device, wherein the panel defines a portion of a circle that develops in front of a station in which the patient can sit.

[0020] According to the present invention, the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprises at least one first acoustic detector for detecting a reproduction of a verbal element produced by the patient, wherein the at least one first acoustic detector is carried by the at least one panel and positioned so as to detect acoustic signals generated in a space inside the portion of a circle outlined by the stimulus delivery device.

[0021] Within the scope of the present description and in the appended claims, reference to a space "inside" the portion of a circle outlined by the stimulus delivery device is intended to indicate the space subtended by the portion of a circle outlined and extending towards the centre of the circle itself. In other therapeutic areas, the benefits deriving from bimodal stimulation, specifically from audiovisual stimulation, are known. Audiovisual stimulation is understood to mean a treatment that delivers a series of visual stimuli and acoustic stimuli according to frequencies and time sequences determined based on a specific pathology and adapted over time according to the patient's progress.

[0022] In particular, bimodal stimulation facilitates rehabilitation and / or improvement of specific sensory functions such as vision.

[0023] The Applicant considered realizing an apparatus that would allow a similar bimodal stimulation to be applied also in the field of speech therapy rehabilitation. To this end, he studied an apparatus that, in addition to being able to deliver visual and acoustic stimuli, would allow the reproduction of the verbal element produced by the patient to be collected in response to the detection of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus delivered by the apparatus.

[0024] Further characteristics of the preferred embodiments of the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders according to the present invention are the subject-matter of the dependent claims.

[0025] In a variant of the invention, the at least one panel is made of sound-absorbing material.

[0026] In this way, the quality of the verbal reproduction produced by the patient is greatly increased, allowing for more accurate quality analyses.

[0027] In a variant of the invention, the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprises at least one second acoustic detector configured to detect a background noise, wherein the at least one second acoustic detector is positioned so as to detect acoustic signals generated in a space outside the portion of the circle outlined by the stimulus delivery device.

[0028] Advantageously, it is thus possible to subtract the background noise from the signal corresponding to the verbal reproduction produced by the patient, further increasing the quality of this signal and therefore of the subsequent relative analyses.

[0029] In a variant of the invention, the stimulus delivery device comprises a plurality of modules, wherein at least two modules of the plurality of modules comprise each at least one source of visual stimuli and / or at least one source of acoustic stimuli arranged at a face of the module facing internally to a circle of which the stimulus delivery device outlines a portion.

[0030] Preferably, the at least one first acoustic detector is integrated in a central module of the plurality of modules and is arranged so as to face the centre of a circle of which the stimulus delivery device outlines a portion.

[0031] Preferably, the at least one second acoustic detector is integrated in a module of the plurality of modules and is arranged at an outer face of the module, opposite to the internally facing face.

[0032] In a variant of the invention, the local electronic processing unit is configured to receive acoustic signals detected by the at least one first and at least one second acoustic detector and generate an acoustic signal purified from the background noise of the environment.

[0033] In a variant of the invention, the local electronic processing unit is configured to receive acoustic signals detected by the at least one first acoustic detector and recognize and isolate a portion of the acoustic signal corresponding to a reproduction of the verbal element produced by the patient in response to the detection of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus delivered by the stimulus delivery device.

[0034] In a variant of the invention, the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprises an electronic management unit telematically connected to the local electronic processing unit, the electronic management unit preferably comprising software means configured to generate at least one scoring data item of a signal corresponding to the reproduction of the verbal element produced by the patient in response to the detection of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus delivered by the stimulus delivery device.

[0035] Preferably, the electronic management unit is a smart device.

[0036] Advantageously, in this way it is possible to realize an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders at a greatly reduced cost. It is also possible to minimize the overall dimensions of the apparatus, in particular in a folded configuration.

[0037] In a variant of the invention, the stimulus delivery device comprises an image acquisition means facing the centre of a circle of which the stimulus delivery device outlines a portion, wherein the image acquisition means is a stereoscopic camera or a simple camera.

[0038] Alternatively, the stimulus delivery device comprises an image acquisition means facing the centre of a circle of which the stimulus delivery device outlines a portion, wherein the image acquisition means is at least one camera also sensitive to infrared radiation.

[0039] Advantageously, this variant of the invention can also be easily and effectively used by patients with motor disabilities of the hand and / or parts thereof, because it is capable of capturing a plurality of body movements to be understood as feedback to stimulation.

[0040] In a variant of the invention, the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprises a support device configured to house an electronic management unit comprising at least one touch screen and at least one sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement. In particular, the support device comprises a casing defining a housing compartment of the electronic management unit, wherein the casing comprises an upper portion movable relative to the housing compartment and connected to an actuator element configured to be moved to reach the housing compartment, in addition to a lower portion having a curved shape with a convexity facing the outside of the casing.

[0041] Preferably, the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprises an electronic management unit housed in the housing compartment, wherein the electronic management unit comprises at least one touch screen and at least one sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement, preferably a gyroscope.

[0042] Preferably, the electronic management unit is removably housed in the housing compartment.

[0043] The Applicant has devised a particular support device to be used in the apparatus for the self- administration of audiovisual stimulation therapies according to the invention that allows the use of an electronic management unit provided with a touch screen and a sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement to detect the signals generated by the patient in response to a perceived stimulus.

[0044] Thanks to the specific conformation of the support device devised by the Applicant, it is possible to detect both a pressure exerted by the patient, as in the case of a traditional button, and a different movement imparted to the device. In this way, it is also possible to detect response signals generated by patients with motor disabilities of the upper limbs and, in particular, of the hand.

[0045] To this end, the patient can use their own smart device as a central management unit, as smart devices usually being provided with both a touch screen and a sensor for detecting a three- dimensional movement, in particular a gyroscope.

[0046] Preferably, the electronic management unit is an electronic device provided with at least:

[0047] - an electronic computing unit for running software applications, and / or

[0048] - a wireless interface module to a telematic network, and / or

[0049] - a peer-to-peer wireless connection module, such as a Bluetooth module.

[0050] Preferably, wherein the support device comprises a lower cover defining a flat surface and configured to couple with the casing to cover the curved lower portion underneath, defining a flat support surface underneath the support device.

[0051] Preferably, the actuator element and the upper portion are made of conductive material and electrically connected to each other.

[0052] Preferably, the electronic management unit is configured to establish a wireless connection with the local electronic processing unit to transmit activation data of the at least one panel and of the at least one acoustic source for the delivery of the visual and / or acoustic stimuli.

[0053] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more evident from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments thereof made with reference to the appended drawings.

[0054] The different characteristics in the individual configurations can be combined with each other at will according to the previous description, if the advantages resulting specifically from a particular combination were to be used.

[0055] In such drawings,

[0056] - figure l is a plan view of the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in exercise configuration;

[0057] - figure 2 is a perspective view in partially folded configuration of the apparatus for the selfadministration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders of figure 1;

[0058] - figure 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders of figure 1;

[0059] - figures 4a - 4c are front views of three types of modules of the plurality of modules constituting the curved panel of the embodiment of figure 1;

[0060] - figure 5 is a functional schematic representation of an electronic management unit usable in association with the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders of figure 1;

[0061] - figure 6 is a perspective view of a device for supporting an electronic management unit used in the apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] - figure 7 is a sectional view of the support device of figure 6;

[0063] - figure 8 is a plan view of the support device of figure 6 with an electronic management unit inserted therein.

[0064] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0065] For the illustration of the drawings, use is made in the following description of identical numerals or symbols to indicate construction elements with the same function. Moreover, for clarity of illustration, certain references may not be repeated in all figures.

[0066] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings and are described hereinbelow in detail. It must in any case be understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, but, on the contrary, the invention intends covering all the modifications, alternative and equivalent constructions that fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0067] The use of "for example", "etc.", "or" indicates non-exclusive alternatives without limitation, unless otherwise indicated. The use of "comprises" and "includes" means "comprises or includes, but not limited to", unless otherwise indicated.

[0068] With reference to figures 1-3, an apparatus for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated, overall indicated with 10.

[0069] The apparatus 10 for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprises a stimulus delivery device 11,12 and, preferably, a device for the display of verbal elements 13,20, such as words, phrases or portions thereof.

[0070] The therapy deliverable through the apparatus 10 according to the invention provides for sharing with the patient a series of words and / or groups of words that the patient must reproduce once a stimulus delivered through the stimulus delivery device 11,12 is detected. Through audiovisual stimulation substantially synchronous in time and space, a particular brain area of the patient is activated, that is, the area occupied by the audiovisual multisensory neurons placed in the superior colliculus. The activation of this area of the brain favours, together with the attention required to detect the audio / visual stimulus, speech therapy rehabilitation as it positively reinforces the patient's memory and attention functions, accelerating rehabilitation times.

[0071] The sharing of verbal elements can take place by providing the patient with a list of them or, in a digitized manner, by displaying the verbal elements sequentially through the display device 13,20.

[0072] The stimulus delivery device 11,12 comprises a panel 11 with a substantially curved development, optionally provided with light sources 18, for example of the LED type, and configured to display visual stimuli spatially distributed and a plurality of acoustic sources 12 for the delivery of acoustic stimuli spatially distributed which, in the embodiment of figure 1, are directly integrated into the panel 11.

[0073] In the embodiment of figure 3, there is a device for displaying verbal elements 13 integrated in the panel 11 and in particular integrated in a central position thereof.

[0074] From the spatial point of view, the curved panel 11 is configured to display visual stimuli in an angular range substantially defined by an angular portion of development of the curved panel 11 itself, which represents the field of administration of the therapy. The visual stimuli may be displayed in an angular range substantially coincident or comprised in the angular portion of development of the curved panel 11.

[0075] Within the scope of the present description and in the claims, the expression "field of administration" is intended to indicate the angular range within which the stimulation signals are delivered, generally arranged straddling a central position called "fixation position" and extending horizontally on the sides of this point, respectively of approximately 90°. The field of administration therefore assumes an overall angular extension typically equal to about 180°.

[0076] In detail, the panel 11 is configured to display the visual stimuli in a plurality of positions distributed on the panel 11 of said stimulus delivery device 11,12.

[0077] Furthermore, the acoustic sources 12 are spatially distributed in an angular range substantially equal to or less than the angular portion of development of the curved panel 11 and consequently in an angular range substantially coincident with or comprised in the angular range of spatial distribution of the visual stimuli, in such a way as to emit acoustic stimuli that can come from the entire field of administration.

[0078] The visual and acoustic stimuli are delivered according to pre-established sequences defined by a therapeutic plan determined for the specific patient that establish both the position and the time instant in which the visual stimulus and the acoustic stimulus are delivered.

[0079] In use, the stimulus delivery device 11,12 is arranged symmetrically in front of a positioning station 50 of a patient according to a horizontal development in a portion of a circle, such as a semi-circle.

[0080] Typically the stimulus delivery device 11,12 is positioned on a surface 60 in order to be at the height of the visual field of a patient sitting on a chair or the like arranged at the positioning station 50. The stimulus delivery device 11,12 is positioned such that the central position (fixation position) of the portion of a circle along which it develops, indicated in figure 3 by means of line B-B, is arranged in front of the positioning station 50 of the patient, as illustrated in figure 1.

[0081] As best shown in figures 2 and 3, the stimulus delivery device 11,12 of the embodiment of figure 1 is composed of a plurality of modules 14 each comprising at least one light source 18, for example of the LED type, and at least one acoustic source 12, for example a loud-speaker. In this way it is obtained that the light and acoustic stimuli can be delivered with a spatial distribution substantially coincident with the angular portion of horizontal development of the stimulus delivery device 11, 12. The light source 18 and the acoustic source are placed at an inner face of the module 14 which contributes to defining a surface of the panel 11 facing internally to the portion of circle that the panel 11 outlines in use.

[0082] As shown in figures 4a-4c, the modules 14 that make up the stimulus delivery device 11,12 preferably have a substantially rectangular planar conformation, and are constrained to each other in such a way as to allow a relative rotation with respect to an axis A coincident with a common major side between two adjacent modules. In this way, in addition to the semicircle- shaped operating configuration, the stimulus delivery device 11,12 can also assume a folded configuration with reduced footprint, shown in figure 2.

[0083] The stimulus delivery device 11,12 further comprises a local electronic processing unit (not illustrated) configured to control the generation in terms of position and time instant of the visual and acoustic stimuli by the light sources 18 and the acoustic sources 12. The local electronic processing unit is preferably integrated in the panel 11, for example in a module of the plurality of modules 14.

[0084] In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the panel 11 is configured to provide a visual signalling to guide the gaze of the patient in such a way as to bring it into a condition in which it faces centrally with respect to the curved horizontal development of the panel 11, thus correctly facing the fixation point.

[0085] In particular, a central module 14a illustrated in figure 4c of the plurality of modules 14 comprises two visual fixation indicators 17. A first visual fixation indicator is arranged in the upper portion of the central module 14a and a second visual fixation indicator is arranged in the lower portion of the central module 14a.

[0086] The apparatus 10 for the self-administration of therapies further comprises a group 19a, 19b for detecting the head position and / or the gaze direction of the patient which is connected to electronic means for interrupting the delivery of the therapy (not illustrated) in case the detected head position and / or gaze direction of the patient does not correspond to predefined positions and directions. In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic means for interrupting the delivery of the therapy are implemented in the local electronic processing unit.

[0087] The group for detecting the head position and / or the gaze direction of the patient comprises at least one image acquisition means 19a facing the centre of a circle of which the stimulus delivery device outlines a portion, i.e. facing, in use, the patient's face. This image acquisition means is associated with means for electronic processing of the acquired images suitable for implementing eye- and / or face-tracking algorithms.

[0088] In the illustrated embodiment, the image acquisition means 19a is an infrared camera integrated in the central module 14a and the group for detecting the head position and / or the gaze direction of the patient additionally comprises two pairs of LED-type infrared illuminators 19b integrated into the modules 14b, arranged symmetrically with respect to the central module 14a, illustrated in figure 4b.

[0089] In this specific embodiment, the apparatus is therefore able to recognize anomalies in the positioning of the patient's face and / or in directing the gaze and therefore to provide indications in order to restore an acceptable condition for a correct delivery of the therapy.

[0090] For this purpose, as illustrated in figure 4c, the fixation indicators 17 comprise both a central indicator light 17a, and a plurality of lateral indicator lights 17b arranged around the central indicator light and shaped as an arrow to guide the patient in correctly repositioning the face and / or the gaze.

[0091] Alternatively, the image acquisition means 19a is at least one stereoscopic camera capable of recreating a three-dimensional image of the face, and preferably also of the torso and arms of the patient and thus determining the position of the head and / or the direction of the gaze.

[0092] In alternative embodiments (not illustrated), the stimulus delivery device 11,12 comprises a panel 11 consisting of a plurality of modules 14 made as an OLED screen, and a plurality of acoustic sources arranged behind the screen itself. Also in these embodiments, the stimulus delivery device 11,12 is preferably of the type that can be rolled up around the vertical axis A in order to assume a folded configuration with reduced footprint.

[0093] The local electronic processing unit of the stimulus delivery device 11,12 may be of the type connectable wirelessly for example via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi module, to an electronic management unit 20 illustrated in functional terms in figure 5.

[0094] To this end, the electronic management unit 20 preferably comprises a wireless connection interface 23 and is configured to establish a connection with the local electronic processing unit of the stimulus delivery device 11,12 and to transmit thereto the specific stimulus activation sequence according to the therapeutic plan of the particular patient.

[0095] Alternatively, the local electronic processing unit of the stimulus delivery device 11,12 may be physically connected to or integrated into the electronic management unit 20.

[0096] The electronic management unit 20 may further be configured to transmit to the local electronic processing unit also the sequence of verbal elements to be displayed through the display device 13.

[0097] In particular, the electronic management unit 20 may comprise memory means 22 in which the activation sequences and the sequences of verbal elements to be displayed are stored and / or to download the activation sequences and the sequences of verbal elements from a remote server are stored. To this end, the electronic management unit 20 is configured to connect to the remote server via a telematic network, preferably the Internet via wireless or wired connection.

[0098] In an alternative, also preferred embodiment, the electronic management unit 20 incorporates the device for displaying verbal elements, which is therefore not integrated in the central module 14a of the plurality of modules 14. In this configuration, the electronic management unit 20 comprises at least one screen 21 for displaying verbal elements (shown in figure 8).

[0099] The apparatus 10 for the self-administration of therapies further comprises at least a first acoustic detector 15, such as a microphone, for detecting and recording a reproduction of the verbal element produced by the patient. In particular, the first acoustic detector 15 is carried by the at least one panel and positioned so as to detect the acoustic signals reproduced internally to the portion of a circle outlined by the panel 11. For example, the first acoustic detector 15 is integrated in the central module 14a of the plurality of modules 14 that make up the curved panel 11 and is arranged so as to face the centre of a circle of which the curved panel outlines a portion.

[0100] Preferably, the curved panel 11 is made of sound-absorbing material, at least around the position where the first acoustic detector 15 is installed in order to reduce the noise of the surrounding environment.

[0101] The apparatus 10 for the self-administration of therapies also comprises at least one second acoustic detector 16, such as a microphone, for detecting and recording background noise reproduced in an environment in which the apparatus 10 is installed and operated. In particular, the second acoustic detector 16 is positioned so as to detect the acoustic signals reproduced externally to the portion of the circle outlined by the panel 11. For example, the second acoustic detector 16 is integrated in any module 14 of the plurality of modules 14 that make up the curved panel 11 and is arranged at an outer face of the module 14, opposite to the inner face, such that the second acoustic detector 16 faces externally to the circle of which the curved panel 11 outlines a portion.

[0102] The local electronic processing unit is configured to receive the acoustic signals detected by the first and second acoustic detector 15,16 and generate an acoustic signal purified from the background noise of the environment.

[0103] The local electronic processing unit is also configured to recognize and isolate a portion of the acoustic signal corresponding to a reproduction of the displayed verbal element, operated by the patient in response to a detection of a delivered stimulus, hereinafter also "relevant portion of the acoustic signal". Preferably, the recognition and isolation of the portion of the acoustic signal corresponding to the reproduction of the displayed verbal element is carried out on the purified signal.

[0104] The electronic management unit 20 is configured to receive, through the local electronic processing unit of the stimulus delivery device 11,12, the relevant portion of the acoustic signal, preferably of the purified acoustic signal, together with a response time data.

[0105] The electronic management unit 20 preferably comprises software means 24 configured to generate at least one scoring data item of the patient’s response that takes into account on the one hand the delay with respect to the delivered stimulus (reaction time of the patient), and on the other hand, the correspondence of the relevant portion of the acoustic signal with a reference acoustic signal corresponding to the displayed verbal element, for example stored in the memory means 22 (quality of the patient’s response). The at least one scoring data item may therefore be a response speed, a parameter representative of the pronunciation fluency, a parameter representative of the number of pronunciation errors, and so on.

[0106] In a preferred embodiment, the management unit 20 is a smart device.

[0107] Within the scope of the present description and in the appended claims with "smart device" it is generically understood an electronic device provided with at least one electronic computing unit for running software applications, a wireless interface module to a telematic network, for example the Internet, a wireless peer-to-peer connection module, such as a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi module, a sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement, such as for example a gyroscope and / or an accelerometer and / or a magnetometer, as well as a panel capable of acting both as an output interface, and as an input interface such as for example a touch panel or touch screen. A typical example of smart device are smartphones or PC tablets.

[0108] According to this embodiment, the patient installs on his or her smart device 20 at least one software application configured to communicate with the local electronic processing unit of the stimulus delivery device 11,12, for example through a Bluetooth connection, in order to provide it with the data relating to the therapy to be delivered, for example in the form of a sequence according to which to activate the visual and / or acoustic stimuli in the different positions, possibly, in addition to a sequence of verbal elements, if these are displayed by means of a device for displaying verbal elements 13 integrated in the panel 11.

[0109] The software application preferably also allows the connection to a remote server, for example through the Internet telematic network, in order to transmit the scoring data collected during the delivery of the therapy and deriving from the acoustic signals generated by the patient. In this way it is also possible to obtain, through the remote server, any therapy updates defined by the therapist and, therefore, to update the data sent to the local electronic processing unit of the stimulus delivery device 11,12.

[0110] Furthermore, the electronic management unit 20 is preferably configured to store the data relating to the activation of the visual and / or acoustic stimuli, as well as the acoustic signals generated by the patient.

[0111] Still, the electronic management unit 20 is configured to act as a communication interface between the patient and the therapist, making available, for example through special software applications, information relating to the patient's clinical status and related therapy, which can possibly be displayed through the device for displaying verbal elements 13 integrated into the panel 11.

[0112] In a preferred embodiment, the therapy deliverable through the apparatus 10 according to the invention additionally provides that the patient provides a motor response upon detection of a stimulus delivered through the stimulus delivery device 11,12.

[0113] The request for a motor response, in addition to audiovisual stimulation, can provide an additional learning reinforcement mechanism, aimed at further reducing the times of speech therapy rehabilitation.

[0114] To this end, in the embodiment in which the image acquisition means 19a is at least one stereoscopic camera, such camera is employed to detect any movement of the patient in response to the delivery of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus.

[0115] Otherwise, the device for displaying verbal elements 13 is preferably provided with a touch screen 21 for detecting a touch from the patient.

[0116] According to a further variant, the electronic management unit 20 is preferably provided with a touch screen 21 for detecting a touch from the patient and / or with a sensor for detecting a three- dimensional movement, made for example as a gyroscope or group of accelerometers, for detecting a movement in space of the electronic management unit 20 itself and / or of a support device 30 configured to house it.

[0117] The support device 30 comprises a housing 31,32 in which there is defined a housing compartment 33 accessible from the outside of the housing 31,32 and configured to at least partially accommodate the electronic management unit 20. In one embodiment, the housing compartment 33 is configured to accommodate the electronic management unit 20 in a removable manner.

[0118] The casing 31,32 comprises at least one upper portion 31 movable relative to the housing compartment 33 and connected to an actuator element 34 configured to be moved to reach the housing compartment 33 and come into contact with the electronic management unit 20, in particular with the touch screen 21 of the electronic management unit 20, when this is arranged inside the housing compartment 33.

[0119] Specifically, the actuator element 34 is made of elastic and conductive material and is mechanically connected to the upper portion 31, also made of conductive material, in such a way as to allow the touch screen 21 of the management unit 20 positioned in the housing compartment 33 to detect an electrical connection with the patient's hand, when the patient exerts pressure on the upper portion 31 and the actuator element 34 touches the touch screen 21.

[0120] The casing 31,32 further comprises at least one lower portion 32 with a curved shape or, preferably, shaped as a spherical shell with a convexity facing the outside of the casing 31,32. In this way, when the lower portion 32 rests on the surface 60, the support device 30 can oscillate around two axes X,Y orthogonal to each other that define the support surface 60, as well as around an axis Z orthogonal to the support surface 60.

[0121] The lower portion 32 of the casing is preferably made of rigid material capable of supporting the weight of the patient's hand without deformations. In this way, a patient with motor disabilities of the hand such as to prevent him or her from pressing on the upper portion 31 can the same signal the detection of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus by oscillating the support device 30 and with it the electronic management unit 20 inserted in the housing compartment 33. Such oscillation or rotation is detectable through the sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement comprised in the electronic management unit 20.

[0122] Preferably, the lower portion of the casing 32 is made of high friction coefficient material in order to avoid slipping on the surface on which the casing rests. For example, the lower portion of the casing 32 may have a surface finish such as a knurled texture or be coated with a high friction coefficient material, such as rubber. Still, the lower surface may be coated with a silicone paint.

[0123] In the embodiment illustrated in figures 6 and 7, the support device 30 additionally comprises a lower cover 35 defining a flat surface and configured to couple with the casing 31,32 in such a way as to cover the curved lower portion 32 underneath. By way of example, the lower cover 35 can be coupled to the casing 31,32 by means of a bayonet coupling, for example with three coupling points, preferably equidistant. Advantageously, in the case of three equidistant coupling points, the rotation necessary to lock the cover is about 60°, making the operation to assemble and disassemble the cover 35 easier.

[0124] When the lower cover 35 is coupled to the casing 31,32, the lower cover 35 defines underneath the support device 30 a flat support surface that allows the patient to signal the detection of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus in a traditional manner, solely through a pressure exerted on the upper portion 31.

[0125] The casing 31,32 and preferably the lower cover 35 are made of or coated in a material resistant to the chemical action of common disinfectants, such as for example silicone or epoxy paints.

[0126] In case the electronic management unit 20 is a smart device, this can be inserted into the housing compartment 33 as shown in figure 8.

[0127] In this case, the collection of the patient's motor responses takes place by means of the touch screen 21 and / or the sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement, depending on whether the detection signal is generated by the pressure of the upper portion 31 of the casing or by the movement of the entire support device 30 through an oscillation around at least one of the axes X and Y or a rotation around the axis Z.

[0128] In an alternative embodiment, the electronic management unit 20 is a dedicated device fixedly housed in the housing compartment 33 or, according to a further alternative, the management unit 20 is integrated in the support device 30.

[0129] In the case of an integrated management unit 20, the housing compartment 33 is internal to the casing 31,32 and is not accessible from the outside. Furthermore, instead of the touch screen 21, the management unit 20 may comprise a plurality of switches (not illustrated) on which the actuator element 34 acts directly. In this embodiment of the management unit 20, both the actuator element 34 and the upper portion 31 of the casing 31,32 can be made of any material, even not necessarily conductive.

[0130] According to a further embodiment (not illustrated) the therapy deliverable through the apparatus 10 according to the invention additionally provides that the patient provides a plurality of diversified motor responses as a function of the stimulus delivered through the stimulus delivery device 11,12.

[0131] To this end, the apparatus 10 for the self-administration of therapies comprises at least two of: a stereoscopic camera 19a, a device for displaying verbal elements provided with a touch screen 21 for detecting a touch from the patient; an electronic management unit 20 provided with a touch screen 21 for detecting a touch from the patient and / or a sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement, preferably associated with a support device 30 of the type described above; and at least one signalling interface that can be operated by pressure by the patient, such as for example a button, preferably connected wirelessly to the local electronic processing unit.

[0132] The use of a plurality of interfaces of the same or different types to signal the detection of an audio-visual stimulus through a motor response provides an additional learning reinforcement mechanism, aimed at further reducing rehabilitation times, also allowing the response to be diversified as a function of the position and / or nature of the stimulus detected. For example, in the case of a plurality of signalling interfaces operable by pressure, the response may be diversified by operating each time the interface closest to the stimulus delivery position.

Claims

1. CLAIMS1. Apparatus (10) for the self-administration of therapies for the treatment of speech disorders comprising a stimulus delivery device (11,12) with a horizontal development substantially curved along an angular portion so as to outline a portion of a circle, comprising at least one panel (11) for the delivery of visual stimuli spatially distributed in an angular range substantially equal to or less than the angular portion of the horizontal development of the stimulus delivery device (11,12); at least one acoustic source (12) for the delivery of acoustic stimuli spatially distributed in an angular range substantially equal to or less than the angular portion of the horizontal development of the stimulus delivery device (11,12); and a local electronic processing unit configured to control the generation of visual and acoustic stimuli by the at least one panel (11) and the at least one acoustic source (12), characterized in that it comprises at least one first acoustic detector (15) for detecting a reproduction of a verbal element produced by the patient in response to a detection of a visual stimulus delivered by the at least one panel (11) and / or an acoustic stimulus delivered by the at least one acoustic source (12), wherein the at least one first acoustic detector (15) is carried by the at least one panel (11) and positioned so as to detect acoustic signals generated in a space inside the portion of the circle outlined by the stimulus delivery device (11,12).

2. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one panel (11) is made of sound-absorbing material.

3. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at least one second acoustic detector (16) configured to detect a background noise, wherein the at least one second acoustic detector (16) is positioned so as to detect acoustic signals generated in a space outside the portion of the circle outlined by the stimulus delivery device (11,12).

4. Apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stimulus delivery device (11,12) comprises a plurality of modules (14), wherein at least two modules of the plurality of modules (14) comprise each at least one source of visual stimuli (18) and / or at least one source of acoustic stimuli (12) arranged at a face of the module (14) facing internally to a circle of which the stimulus delivery device (11,12) outlines a portion.

5. Apparatus (10) according to claim 4, wherein the at least one first acoustic detector (15) is integrated in at least one module of the plurality of modules (14), preferably in a central module (14a) of the plurality of modules (14), and is arranged so as to face the centre of a circle of which the stimulus delivery device (11,12) outlines a portion.

6. Apparatus (10) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the at least one second acoustic detector (16) is integrated in at least one module (14) of the plurality of modules (14) and isarranged at an outer face of the module (14), opposite to the internally facing face.

7. Apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the local electronic processing unit is configured to receive acoustic signals detected by the at least one first (15) and at least one second (16) acoustic detector and generate an acoustic signal purified from the background noise of the environment.

8. Apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the local electronic processing unit is configured to receive acoustic signals detected by the at least one first acoustic detector (15) and recognize and isolate a portion of the acoustic signal corresponding to a reproduction of the verbal element produced by the patient in response to the detection of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus delivered by the stimulus delivery device (11,12).

9. Apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, the stimulus delivery device (11,12) comprises an image acquisition means (19a) facing the centre of a circle of which the stimulus delivery device (11,12) outlines a portion, wherein preferably the image acquisition means (19a) is at least a stereoscopic camera, a camera also sensitive to infrared radiation or a simple camera.

10. Apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an electronic management unit (20) telematically connected to the local electronic processing unit, the electronic management unit (20) preferably comprising software means (24) configured to generate at least one scoring data item of a signal corresponding to the reproduction of the verbal element produced by the patient in response to the detection of a visual and / or acoustic stimulus delivered by the stimulus delivery device (11,12).

11. Apparatus (10) according to claim 10, wherein the electronic management unit (20) is configured to establish a wireless connection with the local electronic processing unit to transmit activation data of the at least one panel (11) and of the at least one acoustic source (12) for the delivery of visual and / or acoustic stimuli.

12. Apparatus (10) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the electronic management unit (20) is a smart device.

13. Apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the electronic management unit (20) comprises at least one touch screen (21) and at least one sensor for detecting a three-dimensional movement, preferably a gyroscope.

14. Apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, comprising a support device (30) configured to house the electronic management unit (20), preferably the support device (30) is configured to removably house the electronic management unit (20).

15. Apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein the support device (30) comprises a casing (31,32) defining a housing compartment (33) configured to house the electronicmanagement unit (20), wherein the casing (31,32) comprises an upper portion (31) movable relative to the housing compartment (33) and connected to an actuator element (34) configured to be moved to reach the housing compartment (33), in addition to a lower portion (32) having a curved shape with a convexity facing the outside of the casing (31,32).

16. Apparatus (10) according to claim 15, wherein the support device (30) comprises a lower cover (35) defining a flat surface and configured to couple with the casing (31,32) to cover the curved lower portion (32) underneath, defining a flat support surface underneath the support device.

17. Apparatus (10) according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the actuator element (34) and the upper portion (31) are made of conductive material and electrically connected to each other.

18. Apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the electronic management unit (20) is an electronic device provided with at least:- an electronic computing unit for running software applications, and / or- a wireless interface module to a telematic network, and / or- a peer-to-peer wireless connection module, such as a Bluetooth module.

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