Stepper With Foot-Hand Swinging Set for Rehabilitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with paralysis or incoordination, such as those with stroke or Parkinsonism, face challenges in engaging in aerobic exercise due to mobility restrictions, leading to muscular atrophy, cardiopulmonary deconditioning, and increased risk of stroke recurrence, as conventional methods like using a cane or wheelchair are ergonomically inefficient and may cause shoulder injury.
Innovation Solution
A stepper device equipped with a direction controller, rear wheel transmission, supporting shaft, and foot-hand swinging set, allowing users to operate it with their hands and feet, mimicking walking motions to facilitate aerobic exercise while reducing the risk of injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If paralyzed patients use a cane or wheelchair for mobility, then they can move around, but the movements are slow and may cause shoulder injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized mobility device with hand and foot controls as an intermediary between the user and the ground. This device transfers the propulsion force from the user's limbs to the ground through wheels, eliminating the need for arm-based support that causes shoulder injury while providing efficient mobility assistance.
2Ease of operation
If paralyzed patients use a wheelchair for mobility, then they can move forward or backward, but the operations are not ergonomic and cause learned non-use in the hemi-paretic limbs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a multi-functional control system that accepts input from both hands and feet, allowing the device to respond to various limb movements. This universal control approach enables patients to use whichever limbs remain functional while preventing learned non-use by actively engaging both sides of the body in the operation.
3Reliability
If paralyzed patients engage in aerobic exercise like brisk walking, jogging, biking, or swimming, then they can maintain muscle function, but their mobility restrictions prevent them from partaking in these exercises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a self-powered exercise mechanism where the user's own limb movements directly drive the vehicle's motion. The hand and foot controls are mechanically linked to the wheel propulsion system, so that the act of exercising the limbs naturally propels the vehicle forward, combining transportation with rehabilitation exercise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables paralyzed patients to engage in aerobic exercise safely and ergonomically, promoting rehabilitation and reducing the risk of further health complications by allowing controlled movement and exercise, thereby improving muscle function and overall health.
Implementation Method 1
The gear transmission has an active gear, a chain, and a passive gear, and the active gear is connected to the passive gear via the chain for rotating the passive gear when being rotated
Implementation Method 2
The gear transmission has an active gear, a chain, and a passive gear, and the active gear is connected to the passive gear via the chain for rotating the passive gear when being rotated
Implementation Method 3
The supporting shaft is connected to the direction controller and the rear wheel transmission for driving rotation of the front wheel set when the rear wheel set is rotated so that the stepper moves
Implementation Method 4
The pedal is mounted on two sides of the supporting shaft, and one end of the pedal is connected to the active gear for rotating the active gear when the pedal is rotated
Data Source
AI summary
A stepper comprising: a direction controller having a front wheel set and a steering wheel connected to the front wheel set; a rear wheel transmission having a gear transmission and a rear wheel shaft, the gear transmission having an active gear, a chain and a passive gear, the active gear connected to the passive gear via the chain, the rear wheel shaft having a rear wheel set and connected to the passive gear; a supporting shaft connected to the direction controller and the rear wheel transmission; and a foot-hand swinging set having a pedal and a joystick having a handle, the pedal mounted on two sides of the supporting shaft, one end of the pedal connected to the active gear, the joystick connected to another end of the pedal. The present invention can be propelled by only single leg, and can be rehabilitation and locomotion apparatus.