DE102022113232B4 - DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING MUSCLE TONE - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (10) for assessing muscle tone, comprising: a calf support unit (20) for supporting a lower leg (14), the calf support unit (20) comprising a pedal (26), the pedal (26) comprising a pedaling area (28), wherein the pedaling area (28) is used to support the foot (16);an actuation unit (30) which is suitable for causing the pedal (26) to rotate;a sensor unit (40) which has at least one front force sensor (41, 42 ) and at least one rear force sensor (43, 44), wherein the at least one front force sensor (41, 42) is embedded in the pedal (26) and arranged on a front relative to the pedaling area (28) in order to detect a front pedaling force and a corresponding front force signal (S3, S4), wherein the at least one rear force sensor (43, 44) is embedded in the pedal (26) and is arranged on an opposite rear side relative to the pedaling area (28) in order to detect a backpedal force and accordingly to send rear force signal (S1, S2); anda judgment unit (50) electrically connected to the sensor unit (40);wherein, before the actuation unit (30) drives the pedal (26), the judgment unit (50) determines a front force standard deviation and a rear force standard deviation, respectively, according to a plurality of force values of the front force signal (S3 , S4) and the rear force signal (S1, S2) in a first time interval and also calculates a first threshold and a second threshold according to the front force standard deviation and the rear force standard deviation; wherein after the actuation unit (30) drives the pedal (26), the assessment unit (50) calculates a front force deviation and a rear force deviation of the front force signal (S3, S4) and the rear force signal (S1, S2) in every second time interval relative to the first time interval , where the second time interval is smaller than the first time interval; wherein if the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold, this means that a state of high muscle tension of the lower leg (14) occurs.

Description

The present invention relates to the technique for assessing muscle tension, in particular to a device for assessing muscle tone and a method therefor.

Spasticity is a disorder of muscle movement usually caused by damage to the brain or spinal cord that controls voluntary movement, such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These injuries lead to changes in the balance of signals between the nervous system and the muscles and increase muscle tone. If the muscle tension is too high, the angle of movement of the joint may be restricted, which does not result in good rehabilitation success. Therefore, before the patient uses the lower limb exercise machine for rehabilitation, the physical therapist usually massages the affected limb with bare hands to reduce the muscle tension of the affected limb. However, the above procedures completely depend on the experience and subjective feeling of the physiotherapist, and it is difficult to accurately judge whether the patient is suitable for rehabilitation and what degree of rehabilitation can be carried out.

This in TW M311442 U The rehabilitation device described for the ankle joint uses, on the one hand, a rotating plate for fixing the foot and, on the other hand, a first support element and a second support element for fixing the thigh or calf. The torque value of the transmission shaft is detected by the torque sensor located between the turntable and the actuator to determine the maximum range of motion of the ankle and determine whether the muscle tension is too high. However, in the above-mentioned ankle rehabilitation device, the patient must remain in a sitting position during use, and the patient must be moved when using the lower limb exercise device for rehabilitation training, which is inconvenient and wastes rehabilitation time.

That in the CN 102614066 B The disclosed affected limb training device uses a controller to detect the current change of the motor drive unit, then estimates the voltage change of the affected limbs according to the detected current change, and at the same time adjusts the movement speed and range of motion. However, the distance between the ankle and the sole of the foot varies in different patients, so the change in current detected by the control unit may be inaccurate. In addition, the above-mentioned exerciser for the affected limbs can only keep the patient in a sitting or lying position when it is used. If the lower limb exercise machine is to be used continuously for rehabilitation training, the patient needs to be moved, which is inconvenient and takes up the rehabilitation time.

The DE 19718793 A1 discloses a measuring station for detecting the angle-dependent muscle tone on the legs or arms of a person, with two driven cranks with pedals at their ends, each with a sensor that detects the resistance caused by the leg or arm to the rotation of the crank, and with a sensor that detects the current angle of rotation of the cranks protractor that evaluates one revolution. The DE 102016104252 A1 discloses a foot shell for a movement therapy device with a receptacle for connecting to a rotation axis of a movement therapy device and with a support surface for a patient's foot. The support surface is formed in several parts and includes a heel segment for supporting the heel and a forefoot segment for supporting the forefoot of a patient, which are arranged to be movable relative to one another. The US 20080096724 A1 discloses an ankle rehabilitation device, having a base, a rotating plate, a drive, a control unit and a torque detector. The swivel plate is pivotally connected to the base to support a user's ankle. The drive includes a drive shaft for rotating the base. The control unit is electrically connected to the drive to drive the turntable to rotate. The torque detector is electrically connected to the control unit to detect torque applied to the drive shaft and output the torque signal corresponding to the torque to the control unit. The DE 19930406 B4 discloses a movement device with two actuators for a person's extremities and a load sensing device for each actuator. The load detection device has a sensor arrangement on a first actuating element for detecting a first parameter with which the torque or the force that the corresponding extremity exerts can be determined, and an arrangement for detecting a second parameter via which the entire torque or the total force can be determined for both actuating elements. The device calculates a third parameter for the load on the second actuating element by the other extremity from the first and second parameters.

The present invention has been completed under the circumstances. It is the main objective of the present invention to provide a muscle tone assessment device that can accurately determine whether a patient's muscles are in a state of high tension and can perform subsequent walking training without moving the patient.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the muscle tone assessment apparatus of the present invention includes a calf support unit, an actuation unit, a sensor unit and an assessment unit. The calf support unit is used to support a lower leg. The calf support unit includes a pedal. The pedal includes a pedaling area. The pedaling area is used to support the foot. The actuation unit is suitable for rotating the pedal. The sensor unit includes at least one front force sensor and at least one rear force sensor. The at least one front force sensor is embedded in the pedal and is located on a front side relative to the pedaling area in order to detect a front pedal force and accordingly send a front force signal. The at least one rear force sensor is embedded in the pedal and is located on an opposite rear side with respect to the pedaling area to detect a rear pedal force and send a rear force signal accordingly. The assessment unit is electrically connected to the sensor unit. Before the operation unit drives the pedal, the judgment unit calculates a front force standard deviation and a rear force standard deviation corresponding to a plurality of force values of the front force signal and the rear force signal in a first time interval, and also calculates a first threshold value and a second threshold value corresponding to the front force standard deviation and the rear force standard deviation. After the operation unit drives the pedal, the judgment unit calculates a front force deviation and a rear force deviation of the front force signal and the rear force signals in every second time interval relative to the first time interval, the second time interval being smaller than the first time interval; wherein if the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold, this means that a state of high muscle tension of the lower leg occurs.

From this, it can be seen that the muscle tone evaluation device of the present invention depends on whether the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and whether the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold value to determine whether the high muscle tension condition of the lower leg occurs.

When the judging unit determines that the front force signal is greater than the rear force signal and the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold, it preferably indicates that the high muscle tension state of the lower leg occurs during dorsiflexion of the foot ; and when the judging unit determines that the front force signal is smaller than the rear force signal and the front force deviation is larger than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is larger than the second threshold, it indicates that the high muscle tension condition of the lower leg occurs during plantar flexion of the foot .

ist die Hinterkraftstandardabweichung definiert als ${\delta }_{back},{\delta }_{back}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{bi}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

wobei N die Anzahl der im ersten Zeitintervall gesammelten Daten ist, wobei f_fi der Kraftwert der i^th-Daten des Vorderkraftsignals im ersten Zeitintervall ist, µ_f der Durchschnittswert von N Zahlen ist, f_fi, f_bi der Kraftwert der i^th-Daten des Hinterkraftsignals in dem ersten Zeitintervall ist, µ_b der Durchschnittswert von N Zahlen von f_bi ist, die Vorderkraftabweichung definiert ist als ${\delta }_{tf},{\delta }_{tf}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{f}_i}-{\mu }_f\right)}^2}},$

die Hinterkraftabweichung definiert ist als ${\delta }_{tb},{\delta }_{tb}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{b}_i}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},N_t$

die Anzahl der im zweiten Zeitintervall gesammelten Daten ist, f_tfi der Kraftwert der i^th-Daten des Vorderkraftsignals im zweiten Zeitintervall 1 ist, und f_tbi der Kraftwert der i^th-Daten des Hinterkraftsignals im zweiten Zeitintervall ist.Preferably the front force standard deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{frOnt},{\delta }_{frOnt}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{fi}-{\mu }_f\right)}^2}},$

is the hind force standard deviation defined as ${\delta }_{back},{\delta }_{back}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{bi}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

where N is the number of data collected in the first time interval, where f _fi is the force value of the i ^th data of the front force signal in the first time interval, µ _f is the average value of N numbers, f _fi , f _bi the force value of the ^ith data of the rear force signal in the first time interval, µ _b is the average value of N numbers of f _bi , the front force deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{tf},{\delta }_{tf}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{f}_i}-{\mu }_f\right)}^2}},$

the hind force deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{tb},{\delta }_{tb}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{b}_i}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},N_t$

is the number of data collected in the second time interval, f _tfi is the force value of the i ^th data of the front force signal in the second time interval is 1, and f _tbi is the force value of the i ^th data of the rear force signal in the second time interval.

Preferably, the first threshold is defined as δ _f , δ _f = 2 * δ _front * δ _factor , the second threshold is defined as δ _b , δ _b = 2 * δ _back -* δ _factor , δ _factor is the sensitivity; where, when δ _factor = 1, the first threshold is 2 times the front force standard deviation, and the second threshold is 2 times the rear force standard deviation. In other words, when the sensitivity is less than 1, the first threshold and the second threshold become smaller, indicating that it is easier to determine the high muscle tension state. If the sensitivity is greater than 1, the first threshold and the second threshold become greater, indicating that it is not It is easy to determine the state of high muscle tension.

L₁ ist die direkte Entfernung zwischen der Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze und der Schwenkachse des Zylinders, L₂ ist die direkte Entfernung zwischen der Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze und der Schwenkachse der Kolbenstange, L₃ ist die direkte Entfernung zwischen der Schwenkachse des Zylinders und der Schwenkachse der Kolbenstange, θ₂ ist der Winkel, der zwischen A₂ und L₂ gebildet wird, A₂ ist die Achse, die durch die Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze geht und ist senkrecht zu dem Pedal, θ₃ ist der Winkel, der zwischen A₁ und L₁ gebildet wird, A₁ ist die Achse, die durch die feste Achse der oberen Stütze und die Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze geht. Mit den vorstehend erwähnten technischen Merkmalen, nachdem der Zustand der hohen Spannung aufgehoben ist, wird der Fuß allmählich in den Zielwinkel gefahren, wobei ein bestimmter Winkel entsprechend dem vorstehend erwähnten Drehwinkel vergrößert wird.Preferably, the calf support unit further comprises an upper support and a lower support. The lower support has its upper end pivotally connected to the lower end of the upper support. The pedal is attached to an opposite bottom of the lower support. The actuation unit includes a cylinder and a piston rod. An upper end of the cylinder is pivotally connected to the upper support. The piston rod can be moved linearly on the cylinder and its lower end is pivotally connected to the pedal. The swing angle of the lower support is defined as θ ₁ , θ ₁ = 180° - θ _t - θ ₂ - θ ₃ , θ _t is the angle formed between L ₁ and L ₂ , ${\theta }_t={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\left({\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="1"\; label="L"\; filenames="DE102022113232B4\_0021.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">L</figure-callout>}}_1{}^3+{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="L"\; filenames="DE102022113232B4\_0021.png,DE102022113232B4\_0023.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">L</figure-callout>}}_3{}^3\right)-{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="L"\; filenames="DE102022113232B4\_0021.png,DE102022113232B4\_0023.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">L</figure-callout>}}_3{}^3\right)}{2\times {\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="1"\; label="L"\; filenames="DE102022113232B4\_0021.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">L</figure-callout>}}_1\times L_3}\right),$

L ₁ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the lower support and the pivot axis of the cylinder, L ₂ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the lower support and the pivot axis of the piston rod, L ₃ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the cylinder and the pivot axis the piston rod, θ ₂ is the angle formed between A ₂ and L ₂ , A ₂ is the axis that passes through the pivot axis of the lower support and is perpendicular to the pedal, θ ₃ is the angle formed between A ₁ and L ₁ is formed, A ₁ is the axis passing through the fixed axis of the upper support and the pivot axis of the lower support. With the above-mentioned technical features, after the high tension state is released, the foot is gradually moved to the target angle, increasing a certain angle corresponding to the above-mentioned rotation angle.

The sensor unit preferably comprises two front force sensors and two rear force sensors. The two front force sensors are located on the left and right corners of the front in relation to the pedaling area. The two rear force sensors are located on the left and right corners of the opposite rear in relation to the pedaling surface.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a muscle tone evaluation method suitable for the above-mentioned muscle tone evaluation apparatus. The method for assessing muscle tone includes the steps: a) before the actuation unit drives the pedal, the assessment unit calculates a front force standard deviation and a rear force standard deviation corresponding to a plurality of force values of the front force signal and the rear force signal within a first time interval and calculates a first threshold value and a second threshold value corresponding to the front force standard deviation and the rear force standard deviation; b) the actuation unit drives the pedal so that the pedal drives the foot to move within a target angle and c) during the movement of the foot, the assessment unit calculates a front force deviation and a rear force deviation of the front force signal and the rear force signal, respectively, relative to the first time interval at every second time interval, the second time interval being smaller than the first time interval, a state of high muscle tension of the lower leg occurring and the actuation unit stopping the drive of the pedal when the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold value is.

Preferably, in step c), if the assessment unit determines that the front force signal is greater than the rear force signal and the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold value, it is indicated that the state of high muscle tension of the lower leg during the Dorsiflexion of the foot occurs and the actuator stops driving the pedal; when the judgment unit determines that the front force signal is smaller than the rear force signal and the front force deviation is larger than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is larger than the second threshold, it indicates that the high muscle tension state of the lower leg occurs during plantar flexion of the foot, whereupon the actuation unit stops driving the pedal.

If the pedal stops moving until the high tension condition is released, the actuator preferably continues to drive the pedal so that the pedal drives the foot to the target angle.

Preferably, after stopping the pedal movement, the pivot angle of the lower support is calculated. When the muscles of the lower leg are released from the state of high tension, the foot is gradually brought to the target angle by increasing a certain angle according to the rotation angle of the lower support.

• 1 ist eine schräge Draufsicht, die zeigt, dass die Muskeltonus-Bewertungsvorrichtung der vorliegenden Erfindung mit dem Gangtrainingsgerät zusammenarbeitet.
• 2 ist eine schräge Draufsicht auf die Muskeltonus-Bewertungsvorrichtung der vorliegenden Erfindung.
• 3 ist eine Seitenansicht der Muskeltonus-Bewertungsvorrichtung der vorliegenden Erfindung.
• 4 ist die Draufsicht auf das Pedal der Muskeltonus-Bewertungsvorrichtung der vorliegenden Erfindung.
• 5 ist ähnlich wie 3, zeigt aber hauptsächlich die Dorsalflexionsbewegung des Fußes.
• 6 ist ein Diagramm der Signale für die Vorderkraft und die Hinterkraft, das von der Vorrichtung zur Bewertung des Muskeltonus der vorliegenden Erfindung bereitgestellt wird und hauptsächlich zeigt, dass ein Zustand hoher Spannung auftritt, wenn der Fuß eine Dorsalflexionsbewegung ausführt.
• 7 ist ähnlich wie 5 und zeigt hauptsächlich die Plantarflexionsbewegung des Fußes.
• 8 ist ähnlich wie 6 und zeigt hauptsächlich, dass der Zustand hoher Spannung auftritt, wenn der Fuß eine Plantarflexionsbewegung ausführt.
• 9 ist das Flussdiagramm des Verfahrens zur Bewertung des Muskeltonus im Sinne der vorliegenden Erfindung.
• 10 ist ein weiteres Flussdiagramm des Verfahrens zur Bewertung des Muskeltonus im Sinne der vorliegenden Erfindung.

The detailed structure, characteristics, assembly or use of the muscle tone evaluation device and the evaluation method provided by the present invention are detailed in the Description of the preferred embodiment described below.

• 1 is an oblique plan view showing that the muscle tone assessment device of the present invention cooperates with the gait training device.
• 2 is an oblique top view of the muscle tone assessment device of the present invention.
• 3 is a side view of the muscle tone assessment device of the present invention.
• 4 is the top view of the pedal of the muscle tone assessment device of the present invention.
• 5 is similar to 3 , but mainly shows the dorsiflexion movement of the foot.
• 6 is a diagram of the front force and rear force signals provided by the muscle tone assessment device of the present invention, primarily showing that a high tension condition occurs when the foot performs a dorsiflexion movement.
• 7 is similar to 5 and mainly shows the plantar flexion movement of the foot.
• 8th is similar to 6 and mainly shows that the high tension condition occurs when the foot performs a plantar flexion movement.
• 9 is the flowchart of the method for assessing muscle tone in accordance with the present invention.
• 10 is a further flowchart of the method for assessing muscle tone in accordance with the present invention.

Applicant hereby first declares that throughout the description, including the embodiments described below and the claims within the scope of the patent application, the expressions of motion refer to the directions in the drawings. In addition, in the embodiments and drawings explained below, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or their structural features.

In 1 The muscle tone assessment device 10 of the present invention is mainly used in conjunction with the gait training device 12, so that the patient uses the muscle tone assessment device 10 of the present invention to relieve the muscle strength of the lower limbs to reduce the risk of training injuries before he uses the gait training device 12 for gait training.

Like in the 2 , 4 and 6 recognizable, the muscle tone assessment device 10 of the present invention includes a calf support unit 20, an actuation unit 30, a sensor unit 40 and an assessment unit 50.

Like in the 2 and 3 shown, the calf support unit 20 includes an upper support 22, a lower support 24 and a pedal 26. The upper support 22 is attached to the gait training machine 12 with a first shaft P1. The top of the lower support 24 is articulated to the underside of the upper support 22 via a second shaft P2. The upper support 22 and the lower support 24 are used together to support the lower leg 14 (as in 5 and 7 shown). The pedal 26 is attached to the lower end of the lower support 24, the pedal 26 having a pedaling area 28 for supporting the foot 16 (as in 5 and 7 shown).

The actuator 30 of this embodiment is a linear actuator (but not limited to) including a cylinder 32 and a piston rod 34. The upper part of the cylinder 32 is rotatably mounted on the upper support 22 via a third shaft P3. The piston rod 34 can be moved linearly on the cylinder 32. The lower end of the piston rod 34 is articulated on the pedal 26 with a fourth shaft P4.

As in 4 shown, the sensor unit 40 includes two front force sensors 41, 42 (at least one is sufficient) and two rear force sensors 43, 44 (at least one is sufficient). The front force sensors 41, 42 are embedded in the pedal 26 and are located at the left and right corners in front of the pedaling area 28 to detect the front pedal force and accordingly send two front force signals S4, S3 (as in 6 and 8th shown). The rear force sensors 43 and 44 are embedded in the pedal 26 and are located at the left and right corners behind the pedaling area 28 to detect the rear pedal force and accordingly send two rear force signals S1 and S2 (as in 6 and 8th shown).

die Hinterkraftstandardabweichung definiert ist als ${\delta }_{back},{\delta }_{back}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{bi}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

wobei N die Anzahl der in dem ersten Zeitintervall gesammelten Daten ist, f_fi der Kraftwert der i^th-Daten des Vorderkraftsignale S3, S4 in dem ersten Zeitintervall ist, µ_f der Mittelwert der NThe assessment unit 50 is electrically connected to the sensor unit 40. Before the operation unit 30 drives the pedal 26, the judgment unit 50 calculates a front force standard deviation and a rear force standard deviation corresponding to the different force values of the front force signals S4, S3 and the rear force signals S1, S2 in a first time interval. After the actuation unit 30 drives the pedal 26, the assessment unit 50 calculates a front force deviation and a rear force deviation of the front force signals S4, S3 and the rear force signals S1, S2 in every second time interval relative to the first time interval, the second time interval being smaller than the first time interval, where the front force standard deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{frOnt},{\delta }_{frOnt}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{fi}-{\mu }_f\right)}^2}},$

the hind force standard deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{back},{\delta }_{back}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{bi}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

where N is the number of data collected in the first time interval, f _fi is the force value of the i ^th data of the front force signals S3, S4 in the first time interval, µ _{f is} the mean value of the N

die Hinterkraftabweichung definiert ist als ${\delta }_{tb},{\delta }_{tb}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{b}_i}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

N_t die Anzahl der im zweiten Zeitintervall gesammelten Daten ist, f_tfi die im zweiten Zeitintervall gesammelten Kraftwerte der i^th-Daten des Vorderkraftsignale S3, S4 ist, f_tbi der Kraftwert der im zweiten Zeitintervall gesammelten i^th-Daten der Hinterkraftsignale S1, S2 ist.number of f _fi , f _bi is the force value of the i ^th data of the rear force signals S1, S2 in the first time interval, µ _b is the mean of the N numbers of f _bi , where the front force deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{tf},{\delta }_{tf}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{f}_i}-{\mu }_f\right)}^2}},$

the hind force deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{tb},{\delta }_{tb}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{b}_i}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

N _t is the number of data collected in the second time interval, f _tfi is the force values of the i ^th data of the front force signals S3, S4 collected in the second time interval, f _tbi is the force value of ^{the i th} data of the rear force signals S1, S2 collected in the second time interval is.

Reference is made to 6 and 8th . When the patient stands on the gait training device 12, the lower leg 14 and the foot 16 are supported by the calf support unit 20 before the operation unit 30 drives the pedal 26, and 0-5 seconds is set as the first time interval. The judgment unit 50 calculates the front force standard deviation and the rear force standard deviation in the first time interval. For example, when the operation unit 30 starts to drive the pedal 26 (ie, it starts to drive the patient's feet), the judgment unit 50 calculates the front force deviation and the rear force deviation every other time interval starting from the 6th second, for example. Here, the second time interval is set to 1 second, which means that the judging unit 50 calculates a set of front force deviation and rear force deviation every 1 second. The aforementioned first time interval and the second time interval can be adjusted according to actual needs and are not limited to those in 6 and 8th limited to the time intervals shown. In addition, it should be added that the in 6 and 8th The data shown is identified as the amount of data collected during the assessment process. Due to the large number of data, in this embodiment, one out of 10 pieces of data is marked for convenience, in fact, the number of data collected is much larger than the marks shown on the drawing.

The judgment unit 50 further calculates a first threshold value and a second threshold value corresponding to the front force standard deviation and the rear force standard deviation, respectively. When the judgment unit 50 determines that the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold, it means that a high muscle tension state of the lower leg 14 occurs, that is, the muscles of the lower leg 14 are in one High voltage state. In this embodiment, the first threshold is defined as δ _f , δ _f = 2 * δ _front * δ _factor , the second threshold is defined as δ _b , δ _b = 2 * δ _back * δ _factor , δ _factor is the sensitivity. If δ _factor = 1, the first threshold is 2 times the front force standard deviation, and the second threshold is 2 times the rear force standard deviation. But actually the sensitivity can be adjusted according to your needs. When the sensitivity is less than 1, the first threshold and the second threshold become smaller, which means that it is easier to determine the high voltage state. On the other hand, when the sensitivity is greater than 1, the first threshold and the second threshold become larger, which means that it is difficult to determine the high voltage state. If the judgment unit 50 determines that, as in 5 and 6 shown that the front force signals S3, S4 are larger than the rear force signals S1, S2, and the front force deviation is larger than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is larger than the second threshold, it is shown that the front force signals S3 and S4 in the interval of 10~ 11 seconds increase sharply and the hind force signals S1 and S2 fall sharply in the interval of 10-11 seconds. This means that the force values of the front force signals S3, S4 and the rear force signals S1, S2 in the interval from the 10th - 11th second are far from the force values from the 0th - 5th second (that is, the first time interval). It indicates that the muscles of the lower leg 14 are hypertonic during dorsiflexion of the foot 16. If the judgment unit 50 determines that, as in 7 and 8th shown that the front force signals S3, S4 are smaller than the rear force signals S1, S2, and the front force deviation is larger than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is larger than the second threshold, it is shown that the rear force signals S1 and S2 in the interval of 10-11 Seconds increase sharply, and the front force signals S3 and S4 in the interval of 10-11 seconds fall sharply. This also means that the force values of the front force signals S3, S4 and the rear force signals S1, S2 from the 10th - 11th seconds are far from the force values of the 0th - 5th seconds (i.e. the first time interval). This suggests that the muscles of the lower leg 14 are hypertonic during plantar flexion of the foot 16.

1. a) Bevor die Betätigungseinheit 30 das Pedal 26 antreibt, berechnet die Beurteilungseinheit 50 eine Vorderkraftstandardabweichung bzw. eine Hinterkraftstandardabweichung nach mehreren Kraftwerten der Vorderkraftsignale S3, S4 und der Hinterkraftsignale S1, S2 innerhalb eines ersten Zeitintervalls und berechnet einen ersten Schwellenwert und einen zweiten Schwellenwert nach der Vorderkraftstandardabweichung bzw. der Hinterkraftstandardabweichung.
2. b) Die Betätigungseinheit 30 treibt das Pedal 26 mit der Kolbenstange 34 an, so dass das Pedal 26 den Fuß 16 zu einer Plantarflexions- oder Dorsalflexionsbewegung innerhalb eines eingestellten Zielwinkels antreibt. Dabei ist zu beachten, dass der Patient entweder zuerst die Plantarflexionsbewegung und dann die Dorsalflexionsbewegung oder zuerst die Dorsalflexionsbewegung und dann die Plantarflexionsbewegung ausführen kann, wobei es keine bestimmte Reihenfolge gibt.
3. c) Während der Bewegung des Fußes berechnet die Beurteilungseinheit 50 jeweils eine Vorderkraftabweichung und eine Hinterkraftabweichung der Vorderkraftsignale S3, S4 und der Hinterkraftsignale S1, S2 relativ zum ersten Zeitintervall bei jedem zweiten Zeitintervall, wobei das zweite Zeitintervall kleiner als das erste Zeitintervall ist. Unabhängig davon, ob die Dorsalflexion oder die Plantarflexion zuerst ausgeführt wird, zeigt die Beurteilungseinheit 50 während der Dorsalflexionsbewegung des Fußes 16 an, dass die Muskeln des Unterschenkels 14 während der Dorsalflexion des Fußes 16 hypertonisch sind, wenn sie feststellt, dass die Vorderkraftsignale S3, S4 größer sind als die Hinterkraftsignale S1, S2 und die Vorderkraftabweichung größer ist als der erste Schwellenwert und die Hinterkraftabweichung größer ist als der zweite Schwellenwert. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt stoppt die Betätigungseinheit 30 den Antrieb des Pedals 26. Wenn die Beurteilungseinheit 50 andererseits feststellt, dass die Vorderkraftsignale S3 und S4 kleiner sind als die Hinterkraftsignale S1 und S2, und die Vorderkraftabweichung größer ist als der erste Schwellenwert und die Hinterkraftabweichung größer ist als der zweite Schwellenwert, zeigt sie an, dass die Muskeln des Unterschenkels 14 während der Plantarflexion des Fußes 16 hyperton sind. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt stellt die Betätigungseinheit 30 den Antrieb des Pedals 26 ein.
4. d) Nachdem die Bewegung des Pedals 26 gestoppt wurde, wird der aktuelle Drehwinkel der unteren Stütze 24 berechnet, wie in 5 und 7 gezeigt. Der Drehwinkel der unteren Stütze 24 (d. h. der Winkel des Fußgelenks) ist definiert als θ₁, θ₁ = 180° - θ_t - θ₂ - θ₃, θ_t ist der Winkel, der zwischen L₁ und L₂ gebildet wird. Nach dem Kosinusgesetz kann θ, berechnet werden, wenn L₁, L₂, L₃ bekannte Längen sind. ${\theta }_t={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\left(L_1{}^3+L_3{}^3\right)-L_3{}^3\right)}{2\times L_1\times L_3}\right),$
   
   L₁ ist die direkte Entfernung zwischen der Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze 24 (d.h. der zweiten Welle P2) und der Schwenkachse des Zylinders 32 (d.h. der dritten Welle P3), L₂ ist die direkte Entfernung zwischen der Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze 24 (d.h. der zweiten Welle P2) und der Schwenkachse der Kolbenstange 34 (d.h. der vierten Welle P4), L₃ ist die direkte Entfernung zwischen der Schwenkachse des Zylinders 32 (d.h. der dritten Welle P3) und der Schwenkachse der Kolbenstange 34 (d.h. der vierten Welle P4), θ₂ ist der Winkel, der zwischen A₂ und L₂ gebildet wird, A₂ ist die Achse, die durch die Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze 24 (d.h. die zweite Welle P2) geht und ist senkrecht zu dem Pedal 26, θ₃ ist der Winkel, der zwischen A₁ und L₁ gebildet wird, A₁ ist die Achse, die durch die feste Achse der oberen Stütze 22 (d.h. die erste Welle P1) und die Schwenkachse der unteren Stütze 24 (d.h. die zweite Welle P2) geht. Nach Erhalten des vorstehend genannten Winkels θ₁, wartet die Beurteilungseinheit 50 für einen Zeitraum (etwa 30 Sekunden), um zu bestätigen, ob die Muskeln des Unterschenkels 14 aus dem Zustand hoher Spannung freigegeben wurden. Wenn der Zustand hoher Spannung beendet wurde, bedeutet dies, dass der Unterschenkel 14 abnormal ist. Die Operation muss zunächst abgebrochen werden, und der Patient muss an einen geeigneten Ort gebracht werden, um den körperlichen Zustand zu bestätigen. Im Gegenteil, wenn der Zustand der hohen Spannung gelöst ist, wird der Fuß 16 entsprechend dem Schwenkwinkel θ₁ der unteren Stütze 24 allmählich in den Zielwinkel gebracht, indem ein bestimmter Winkel erhöht wird (in dieser Ausführungsform beträgt der bestimmte Winkel 1 Grad, ist aber in der Praxis nicht auf 1 Grad beschränkt). Anschließend wird der Fuß 16 dazu gebracht, wiederholt Plantarflexions- und Dorsalflexionsbewegungen gemäß den vorstehend genannten Schritten auszuführen. Bis bestätigt wird, dass sich die Muskeln des Unterschenkels 14 während der Plantarflexions- und Dorsalflexionsbewegungen des Fußes 16 innerhalb des Zielwinkels nicht im Zustand hoher Spannung befinden, kann der Fuß 16 dann innerhalb des Zielwinkels hin und her bewegt werden, um die Entlastung der Muskeln zu vervollständigen.

The above has listed the structural features of the muscle tone assessment device 10 of the present invention. The following is the method for assessing muscle tone of the present invention as set forth in 9 and 10 is described in more detail, which includes the following steps:

1. a) Before the actuation unit 30 drives the pedal 26, the assessment unit 50 calculates a front force standard deviation or a rear force standard deviation according to several force values of the front force signals S3, S4 and the rear force signals S1, S2 within a first time interval and calculates a first threshold value and a second threshold value according to the Front force standard deviation or the rear force standard deviation.
2. b) The actuation unit 30 drives the pedal 26 with the piston rod 34, so that the pedal 26 drives the foot 16 to a plantarflexion or dorsiflexion movement within a set target angle. It should be noted that the patient can either do the plantarflexion movement first and then the dorsiflexion movement or the dorsiflexion movement first and then the plantarflexion movement, although there is no particular order.
3. c) During the movement of the foot, the assessment unit 50 calculates a front force deviation and a rear force deviation of the front force signals S3, S4 and the rear force signals S1, S2 relative to the first time interval at every second time interval, the second time interval being smaller than the first time interval. Regardless of whether dorsiflexion or plantarflexion is performed first, during the dorsiflexion movement of the foot 16, the judging unit 50 indicates that the muscles of the lower leg 14 are hypertonic during the dorsiflexion of the foot 16 when it determines that the front force signals S3, S4 are greater than the rear force signals S1, S2 and the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold value. At this time, the operation unit 30 stops driving the pedal 26. On the other hand, when the judgment unit 50 determines that the front force signals S3 and S4 are smaller than the rear force signals S1 and S2, and the front force deviation is larger than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is larger than the second threshold, it indicates that the muscles of the lower leg 14 are hypertonic during plantar flexion of the foot 16. At this time, the operating unit 30 stops driving the pedal 26.
4. d) After the movement of the pedal 26 is stopped, the current angle of rotation of the lower support 24 is calculated as in 5 and 7 shown. The angle of rotation of the lower support 24 (ie, the angle of the ankle joint) is defined as θ ₁ , θ ₁ = 180° - θ _t - θ ₂ - θ ₃ , θ _t is the angle formed between L ₁ and L ₂ . According to the law of cosines, θ, can be calculated if L ₁ , L ₂ , L ₃ are known lengths. ${\theta }_t={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\left(L_1{}^3+L_3{}^3\right)-L_3{}^3\right)}{2\times L_1\times L_3}\right),$
   
   L ₁ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the lower support 24 (ie the second shaft P2) and the pivot axis of the cylinder 32 (ie the third shaft P3), L ₂ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the lower support 24 (ie the second shaft P2) and the pivot axis of the piston rod 34 (ie the fourth shaft P4), L ₃ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the cylinder 32 (ie the third shaft P3) and the pivot axis of the piston rod 34 (ie the fourth shaft P4) , θ ₂ is the angle formed between A ₂ and L ₂ , A ₂ is the axis passing through the pivot axis of the lower support 24 (ie the second shaft P2) and is perpendicular to the pedal 26, θ ₃ is is the angle formed between A ₁ and L ₁ , A ₁ is the axis passing through the fixed axis of the upper support 22 (ie, the first shaft P1) and the pivot axis of the lower support 24 (ie, the second shaft P2). . After obtaining the above-mentioned angle θ ₁ , the judging unit 50 waits for a period of time (about 30 seconds) to confirm whether the muscles of the lower leg 14 have been released from the high tension state. If the high voltage condition has ended, it means that the lower leg 14 is abnormal. The operation must first be stopped and the patient must be taken to a suitable location to confirm the physical condition. On the contrary, when the high tension state is released, the foot 16 is gradually brought to the target angle according to the swing angle θ ₁ of the lower support 24 by increasing a certain angle (in this embodiment, the certain angle is 1 degree, but is in practice not to 1 degree limited). The foot 16 is then caused to repeatedly perform plantarflexion and dorsiflexion movements according to the steps mentioned above. Until it is confirmed that the muscles of the lower leg 14 are not in a state of high tension during the plantarflexion and dorsiflexion movements of the foot 16 within the target angle, the foot 16 may then be moved back and forth within the target angle to relieve the tension on the muscles to complete.

In summary, the muscle tone assessment device 10 of the present invention depends on whether the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold and whether the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold to determine whether the muscles of the lower leg 14 are in the state of high voltage. Once the high voltage condition occurs, the actuator stops driving the pedal to reduce the risk of injury. After the muscles of the lower leg 14 are relieved, the following walking training can be carried out immediately. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the patient and make additional efforts by physiotherapists or trainers to release the muscle tension of the patient's lower leg 14 so as to improve training efficiency.

Claims (10)

Device (10) for assessing muscle tone, comprising: a calf support unit (20) for supporting a lower leg (14), the calf support unit (20) comprising a pedal (26), the pedal (26) comprising a pedaling area (28), the pedaling area (28) for supporting the foot ( 16) is used; an actuator unit (30) suitable for rotating the pedal (26); a sensor unit (40) which comprises at least one front force sensor (41, 42) and at least one rear force sensor (43, 44), wherein the at least one front force sensor (41, 42) is embedded in the pedal (26) and on a front side relative to the Pedaling area (28) is arranged to detect a front pedaling force and a corresponding front force signal (S3, S4), the at least one rear force sensor (43, 44) being embedded in the pedal (26) and on an opposite rear side relative to the pedaling area (28) is arranged to detect a backpedal force and to send a rear force signal (S1, S2) accordingly; and a judgment unit (50) electrically connected to the sensor unit (40); wherein, before the actuation unit (30) drives the pedal (26), the assessment unit (50) calculates a front force standard deviation and a rear force standard deviation each according to a plurality of force values of the front force signal (S3, S4) and the rear force signal (S1, S2) in a first time interval and also calculates a first threshold and a second threshold according to the front force standard deviation and the rear force standard deviation; wherein after the actuation unit (30) drives the pedal (26), the assessment unit (50) calculates a front force deviation and a rear force deviation of the front force signal (S3, S4) and the rear force signal (S1, S2) in every second time interval relative to the first time interval , where the second time interval is smaller than the first time interval; wherein if the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold, this means that a state of high muscle tension of the lower leg (14) occurs. Muscle tone assessment device (10). Claim 1 , wherein if the assessment unit (50) determines that the front force signal (S3, S4) is greater than the rear force signal (S1, S2) and the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold, it displays this that the state of high muscle tension of the lower leg (14) occurs during dorsiflexion of the foot (16); wherein if the assessment unit (50) determines that the front force signal (S3, S4) is smaller than the rear force signal (S1, S2) and the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold value, this indicates, that the state of high muscle tension of the lower leg (14) occurs during plantar flexion of the foot (16). Muscle tone assessment device (10). Claim 1 , where the front force standard deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{frOnt},{\delta }_{frOnt}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{fi}-{\mu }_f\right)}^2}},$

the hind force standard deviation is defined as ${\delta }_{back},{\delta }_{back}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^N{\left(f_{bi}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

N is the number of data collected in the first time interval, f _fi is the force value of the i ^th data of the front force signals (S3, S4) in the first time interval, µ _f is the mean of N numbers of f _fi , f _bi is the force value of the i ^th data of the rear force signal (S1, S2) in the first time interval, µ _b is the mean of N numbers of f _bi , the front force deviation is defined $\text{as}{\delta }_{tf},{\delta }_{tf}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{f}_i}-{\mu }_f\right)}^2}},$

the rear force softening is defined as ${\delta }_{tb},{\delta }_{tb}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{N_t}{\displaystyle {\sum }_{i=1}^{N_t}{\left(f_{t{b}_i}-{\mu }_b\right)}^2}},$

_Nt . is the number of data collected in the second time interval, f _tfi is the force value of the i ^th data of the front force signal (S3, S4) in the second time interval, and f _tbi is the force value of the ^ith data of the rear force signal (S1, S2) is in the second time interval. Muscle tone assessment device (10). Claim 3 , where the first threshold is defined as δ _f , δ _f = 2 * δ _front * δ _factor , where the second threshold is defined as δ _b , δ _b = 2 * δ _back * δ _factor , δ _factor is the sensitivity; where, if δ _factor = 1, the first threshold is 2 times the front force standard deviation, and the second threshold is 2 times the rear force standard deviation. Muscle tone assessment device (10). Claim 1 , wherein the calf support unit (20) further comprises an upper support (22) and a lower support (24), an upper end of the lower support (24) being pivotally connected to a lower end of the upper support (22); the pedal (26) is attached to an opposite bottom of the lower support (24); the actuation unit (30) comprises a cylinder (32) and a piston rod (34), an upper end of the cylinder (32) being pivotally connected to the upper support (22), the piston rod (34) linearly on the cylinder (32) is displaceable and its lower end is pivotally mounted on the pedal (26); the pivot angle of the lower support (24) is defined as θ ₁ , θ ₁ = 180° - θ _t - θ ₂ - θ ₃ , θ _t is the angle formed between L ₁ and L ₂ , ${\theta }_t={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\left(L_1{}^3+L_3{}^3\right)-L_3{}^3\right)}{2\times L_1\times L_3}\right),$

L ₁ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the lower support (24) and the pivot axis of the cylinder (32), L ₂ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the lower supports (24) and the pivot axis of the piston rod (34), L ₃ is the direct distance between the pivot axis of the cylinder (32) and the pivot axis of the piston rod (34), θ ₂ is the angle formed between A ₂ and L ₂ , A ₂ is the axis passing through the pivot axis of the lower support (24) and is perpendicular to the pedal (26), θ ₃ is the angle formed between A ₁ and L ₁ , A ₁ is the axis passing through the fixed axis of the upper support (22) and the pivot axis the lower support (24). Muscle tone assessment device (10). Claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit (40) comprises two front force sensors (41, 42) and two rear force sensors (43, 44), the two front force sensors (41, 42) being arranged at left and right corners on the front in relation to the pedaling area (28). and the two rear force sensors (43, 44) are arranged at left and right corners on the opposite back in relation to the pedaling area (28). Method for assessing muscle tone, which is suitable for a muscle tone assessment device (10), the device (10) for assessing muscle tone comprising a calf support unit (20), an actuation unit (30), a sensor unit (40) and an assessment unit (50 ), wherein the calf support unit (20) is used to support a lower leg (14), wherein the calf support unit (20) comprises a pedal (26) which is used to support the foot (16), wherein the actuation unit (30) is suitable is to rotate the pedal (26), the sensor unit (40) being adjusted to the pedal (26) to send a front force signal (S3, S4) and a rear force signal (S1, S2), the assessment unit ( 50) is electrically connected to the sensor unit (40), the method for assessing muscle tone comprising the following steps: a) before the actuation unit (30) drives the pedal (26), the assessment unit (50) calculates a front force standard deviation or a rear force standard deviation according to several force values of the front force signal (S3, S4) and the rear force signal (S1, S2) within a first time interval, and calculates a first threshold and a second threshold according to the front force standard deviation and the rear force standard deviation, respectively; b) the actuation unit (30) drives the pedal (26) so that the pedal (26) drives the foot (16) to move within a target angle; and c) the assessment unit (50) calculates a front force deviation and a rear force deviation of the front force signal (S3, S4) and the rear force signal (S1, S2) relative to the first time interval at every second time interval during the movement of the foot (16), the second Time interval is smaller than the first time interval, a state of high muscle tension of the lower leg (14) occurring, and the actuation unit (30) stops the drive of the pedal (26) when the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and the rear force deviation is greater than that second threshold is. Procedure for assessing muscle tone Claim 7 , whereby if in step c) the assessment unit (50) determines that the front force signal (S3, S4) is greater than the rear force signal (S1, S2) and the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and the rear force softening is greater than the second threshold value, this indicates that the state of high muscle tension of the lower leg (14) is present during dorsiflexion of the foot (16), and the actuation unit (30) stops the drive of the pedal (26); wherein if the assessment unit (50) determines that the front force signal (S3, S4) is smaller than the rear force signal (S1, S2) and the front force deviation is greater than the first threshold value and the rear force deviation is greater than the second threshold value, it indicates this, that the state of high muscle tension of the lower leg (14) occurs during plantar flexion of the foot (16), whereupon the actuation unit (30) stops the drive of the pedal (26). Procedure for assessing muscle tone Claim 7 , which further comprises step d), wherein the actuation unit (30) continues to drive the pedal (26) when the pedal (26) stops its movement until the high tension state is released, so that the pedal (26) the foot (16) drives to reach the target angle. Procedure for assessing muscle tone Claim 7 , wherein the calf support unit (20) further comprises an upper support (22) and a lower support (24), an upper end of the lower support (24) being pivotally connected to a lower end of the upper support (22); the pedal (26) is attached to an opposite bottom of the lower support (24); after the pedal (26) stops moving, the angle of rotation of the lower support (24) is calculated; and wherein when the high tension condition is released, the foot (16) is gradually driven to reach the target angle by increasing a specific angle corresponding to the rotation angle of the lower support (24).

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