TWI850162B - Apparatus and system for quantifying joint accessory motion - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for quantifying joint accessory motion is provided and includes a reference module, a measuring module, a sliding module, a motor, a displacement sensing module, a gripping portion, and an angle correction module. The sliding module is coupled to the reference module, the measuring module, the sliding module, the motor, the displacement sensing module, and the gripping portion. The motor is capable of maintaining the force to the reference module and enabling the reference module to generate an instant thrust that loosens the joints of the subject. The displacement sensing module is configured to sense the relative displacement between the reference module and the measuring module. The angle correction module is configured to provide the user with an angle reference for applying force to the gripping portion, and configured to calculate the component of the preset force direction as the measured stress value. A system for quantification of joint accessory motion is also provided and includes the apparatus for quantifying joint accessory motion and an augmented reality device.

Description

Joint accessory movement quantification device and system

This disclosure relates to physical therapy or testing techniques, and more particularly to techniques for measuring and quantifying joint-related movements.

Joint pain is one of the common sports injuries. It may be caused by trauma, sprains, incorrect training methods, overuse of muscles or poor posture, which may cause subsequent joint relaxation, joint restriction or arthritis, and then cause joint pain. Joint pain can affect an individual's sports performance, mobility, muscle strength and accuracy of precision movements, and even compensate for the exercise. In the long run, joint pain will reduce the fun and motivation of people or athletes to exercise, and even cause permanent damage. Therefore, the fields of medicine, fitness and sports are paying more and more attention to the impact of joint pain, and seeking effective prevention and treatment methods to restore normal joint mobility and stability, thereby reducing joint pain and improving the quality of exercise and health maintenance. Physical therapy is a common prevention and treatment method that evaluates joint problems by testing the range of motion of joint attachments, and restores normal mobility to restricted joints through joint release surgery and/or improves joint stability through stabilization exercise training to loose joints, thereby solving joint pain problems.

Manual therapy is the most effective treatment for decreased joint mobility. Manual therapy needs to be based on accurate assessment. Only through assessment and clinical decision-making can a complete treatment prescription be given to the patient, and it can also be used as a discussion on the prognosis and effect of treatment intervention. Among the various assessment methods of physical therapy manual therapy, the most commonly used is the assessment of the range of motion of the joint attachments. It is to assess whether the joint and the surrounding tissues are normal by applying force parallel to the joint surface to cause joint movement. In addition, similar but different techniques can also be used as a treatment for joint loosening, such as using different force sizes, depths and frequencies to relieve the patient's pain and increase joint mobility, but currently it still relies on the experience of physical therapists in clinical practice. The main method of clinically evaluating the range of motion of joint attachments is manual measurement. Due to the large error of manual measurement, scholars have tried to use sensors to quantify the movement of joint attachments for treatment, and have designed a spinal stiffness measurement instrument based on this.

However, the above-mentioned instruments contain high-torque motors, which make them bulky and difficult to carry, making them inconvenient to use clinically and may also cause anxiety in the subjects. The handheld devices currently on the market also have the problem of insufficient stability and are single-probe and cannot measure the displacement of relative inter-joints. In addition, the instrument applies force with one hand, and the force point falls on the outside of the base of the palm. When the force is applied downward, a rotational torque will be generated, causing the instrument to fall over, so that the tester cannot apply force stably. In addition, the force direction during the test is limited to the direction parallel to the gravity line. However, the measurement positions and angles of the subjects' joints are not the same. Therefore, the subject's posture must be adjusted several times during the measurement to ensure that the angle of the tested joint surface is parallel to the gravity line, which makes it very inconvenient to use, and it cannot be effectively used for other joints, let alone on the sidelines of sports fields.

Therefore, developing a portable joint-attached motion quantification device and system with angle guidance function to facilitate the detection of each joint displacement has become one of the issues that urgently need to be solved in this field.

In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a joint-attached motion quantification device, including a reference end module, a measuring end module, a sliding module, a motor, a displacement sensing module and a gripping portion. The reference end module includes a first probe and a first force sensing element connected to the first probe, and the first probe is used to abut against a first bone of an individual in need. The measuring end module includes a second probe and a second force sensing element connected to the second probe, and the second probe is used to abut against a second bone of the individual. The sliding module includes a first sliding element and a second sliding element, wherein the first sliding element is connected to the measuring end module, and the second force sensing element is disposed between the first sliding element and the second probe; the second sliding element is connected to the reference end module, and the first force sensing element is disposed between the second sliding element and the first probe. The motor is connected to the first sliding element and the second sliding element to drive the second sliding element to move relative to the first sliding element. The displacement sensing module is connected to the first sliding element and/or the second sliding element to sense the relative movement value between the reference end module and the measuring end module. The grip is connected to the first sliding element.

The present disclosure also provides a joint-attached motion quantification system, including the joint-attached motion quantification device of the present disclosure and an augmented reality device, for providing a position and/or angle reference of the force applied to the grip portion, and/or providing information measured by the joint-attached motion quantification device.

100: Joint accessory movement quantification device

1: Reference end module

11: First probe

12: First force sensing element

2: Measurement end module

21: Second probe

22: Second force sensing element

3: Sliding module

31: First sliding element

32: Second sliding element

4: Motor

5: Displacement sensing module

51: First end

52: Second end

6: Grip

61:Handle

7: Spacing adjustment mechanism

8: Angle correction module

81: Force angle guiding element

82: Angle compensation element

200: Joint-attached motion quantification system

9: Augmented reality device

10: Network server

13: Electronic devices

F1: First Force

F2: Second force

F3: The third force

S10~S90: Steps

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the appearance of a joint-attached motion quantification device of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the force of the joint-attached motion quantification device of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG3 shows an exploded view of a joint-attached motion quantification device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG4 shows a side perspective view of a joint-attached motion quantification device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figures 5 and 6 show the internal motion patterns of the joint-attached motion quantification device of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a joint-attached motion quantification system of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG8 shows an augmented reality of a joint-attached motion quantification system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG9 shows a flowchart of the operation of the joint-attached motion quantification system of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The following is a specific embodiment to illustrate the implementation of the present disclosure. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs can easily understand the spirit, advantages and effects of the present disclosure based on the content contained in this article. However, the specific embodiments contained in this article are not used to limit the present disclosure. The present disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different implementation methods. The details contained in this article can also be given different changes or modifications based on different viewpoints and applications without deviating from the spirit of the present disclosure.

The proportions, structures, sizes and other features shown in the attached figures are only used to match the content disclosed in this article, so that people with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this disclosure belongs can read and understand this disclosure, and are not used to limit the scope of implementation of this disclosure. Therefore, any changes in the proportion relationship, modifications in the structure, or adjustments in the size should be within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this article without affecting the purpose and effect that can be achieved by this disclosure.

When "includes", "comprising" or "having" a specific element is mentioned in this article, unless otherwise stated, other elements, components, structures, regions, parts, devices, systems, steps or connection relationships may be included, rather than excluding such other elements.

The terms "first", "second" and "third" described herein are only used to facilitate description or distinction of elements, components, vectors, structures, parts and other elements, and are not used to limit the scope of implementation of the present disclosure, nor are they used to limit the spatial order of these elements. In addition, unless otherwise expressly stated herein, the singular forms "one" and "the" described herein also include plural forms, and the "or" described herein can be used interchangeably with "and/or" or "and/or".

This article uses the term "on" to describe the relative position and relationship between components only for the convenience of explaining the implementation of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any adjustment, exchange or change of the relative position and relationship, provided that it does not substantially change the technical content of the present disclosure, shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

The term "connection" herein refers to the direct or indirect connection of multiple elements. "Direct connection" refers to the connection of multiple elements by direct contact; "indirect connection" refers to the connection of multiple elements by at least one connector. The means of achieving the "connection" described herein include tight magnetic attraction, mortise and tenon joint, connection, hinge, series connection, sewing, joining, bonding, embedding, screwing, buckling, nailing, clamping, attaching, penetrating, clamping, placing, integral forming or a combination of two or more thereof. In at least one specific embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple elements are "detachably" connected, that is, the multiple elements can be disassembled and separated from each other after being connected to each other. In addition, the term "connector" herein refers to an element that can achieve the above-mentioned "connection" means.

The term "substantially" in this article means that slight deviations may or may not exist. For example, "substantially parallel" means that the angle between the two axes can be less than or equal to a specific angle value, such as 0 degrees, 1 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees or 15 degrees.

FIG1 and FIG2 show a joint-attached motion quantification device 100 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, which can be used to measure the relative movement between two bones of an individual joint due to the force difference. As shown in FIG1 to FIG6 , the joint-attached motion quantification device 100 includes a reference end module 1, a measuring end module 2, a sliding module 3, a motor 4, a displacement sensing module 5, a gripping portion 6, a distance adjustment mechanism 7, and an angle correction module 8. The reference end module 1 includes a first probe 11 and a first force sensing element 12; the measuring end module 2 includes a second probe 21 and a second force sensing element 22; the sliding module 3 includes a first sliding element 31 and a second sliding element 32; the displacement sensing module 5 has a first end 51 and a second end 52; the gripping portion 6 has a handle 61; the angle correction module 8 includes a force angle guiding element 81 and an angle compensation element 82.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first force sensing element 12 and/or the second force sensing element 22 is a load cell, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the motor 4 can maintain the force of the reference end module 1 according to the second force F2 measured by the first force sensing element 12.

As shown in FIG4 , the first sliding element 31 is connected to the measuring end module 2; the second force sensing element 22 can be disposed between the first sliding element 31 and the second probe 21. The second sliding element 32 is connected to the reference end module 1; the first force sensing element 12 can be disposed between the second sliding element 32 and the first probe 11.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, when the subject is tested, the tester can apply the first force F1 through the grip 6, and the first force sensing element 12 is used to measure the second force F2 of the first probe 11, that is, the force applied by the first probe 11 to the first bone of the individual in need. The second force sensing element 22 is used to measure the third force F3 of the second probe 21, that is, the force applied by the second probe 21 to the second bone of the individual in need. Therefore, the joint-attached motion quantification device 100 disclosed in the present invention can not only measure the force of the first probe 11 and the force of the second probe 21, but also clearly know the difference in force between the reference end module 1 and the measurement end module 2.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, when the second sliding element 32 is inserted into the first sliding element 31, the reference end module 1 can be driven by the motor 4 to reciprocate relative to the measuring end module 2. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first sliding element 31 can be a slide rail and the second sliding element 32 can be a slider, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the grip portion 6 has a double handle 61, and the grip portion 6 can rotate relative to the first sliding element 31. In some embodiments, the direction of the reciprocating motion of the second sliding element 32 on the first sliding element 31 is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the rotation of the grip portion 6 relative to the first sliding element 31, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the displacement sensing module 5 has a first end 51 connected to the first sliding element 31 and a second end 52 connected to the second sliding element 32. When the first sliding element 31 moves relative to the second sliding element 32, the first end 51 and the second end 52 also move relative to each other to measure the relative movement value between the reference end module 1 and the measuring end module 2, and the relative movement value is the displacement change value caused by the force difference between the first bone and the second bone applied to the joint. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first end 51 can be an optical encoder and the second end 52 can be an optical ruler, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG3 , the distance adjustment mechanism 7 is connected to the reference end module 1, and the distance adjustment mechanism 7 can adjust the distance between the reference end module 1 and the measuring end module 2 according to the size of the individual joints. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance adjustment mechanism 7 has an adjustment bolt, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the angle correction module 8 is disposed on the grip portion 6, wherein the force angle guide element 81 can provide the tester with an angle reference for the force applied to the grip portion 6, and the angle compensation element 82 can calculate the component of the preset force direction as the measured stress value. When the tester applies force to the subject, the tester can adjust the angle between the first probe 11 and the second probe 21 relative to the individual joint through the grip portion 6 according to the force angle guide element 81, and obtain the measured stress values of different preset force directions according to the angle compensation element 82. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the angle correction module 8 can measure the spatial location of the preset force direction and the current real-time spatial location, and display them on the display of the instrument as a reference, so that the tester can adjust the force direction to fall on the preset spatial location. During the test, the angle compensation element 82 can calculate the angle difference with the preset location, and then calculate the component of the preset force direction as the measured stress value, and provide the tester with an angle reference for the force applied to the gripping portion 6 through the force angle guidance element 81.

FIG7 shows a joint-attached motion quantification system 200 of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes a joint-attached motion quantification device 100 and an augmented reality device 9. The joint-attached motion quantification device 100 and/or the augmented reality device 9 can be connected to a network server 10 and/or an electronic device 13 in a wired or wireless manner. The electronic device 13 may include but is not limited to a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a wearable device (such as a watch or glasses), a personal computer (such as a laptop), or an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The augmented reality device 9 can provide the user with a reference to the position and/or angle of the force applied to the grip 6, and/or provide information measured by the joint accessory motion quantification device 100, such as the values of the first probe 11 and the second probe 21, the value of the motor 4, the value of the displacement sensing module 5, and the value of the angle correction module 8, so that medical personnel can easily use it clinically, and through the prompt system, prompt the medical personnel of the force application speed, joint displacement prompt (starting point, end point), and individual pain warning, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, medical personnel can perform joint loosening surgery by using the joint-attached motion quantification device 100 provided by the present disclosure. For example, after fixing the second probe 21 of the measuring end module 2 on the affected part of the individual, the medical personnel repeatedly applies force and/or once applies force to the grip portion 6, so that the first probe 11 of the reference end module 1 adjusts the force through the motor 4, so that the reference end module 1 generates an instantaneous thrust to loosen the joint of the individual, thereby achieving the purpose of loosening the joint. In some embodiments, the reference end module 1 is connected to the motor 4 with adjustable power to perform the action of repeatedly applying force. In some embodiments, the motor 4 can cooperate with the medical staff's movements, and give thrust at the moment when the medical staff's force is fully applied and the joint-attached action quantification device 100 is lifted by hand, so as to speed up the lifting effect of the medical staff. The thrust added by the motor 4 will reduce the relative displacement and relative force between the joints. In some embodiments, the motor 4 can be a server motor or a voice coil motor, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation flow of the joint accessory motion quantification system 200 is shown in FIG9. First, before measuring the joint accessory motion of the subject, the subject adjusts the first force F1 and the angle applied to the grip portion 6. The grip portion 6 can rotate relative to the first sliding element 31 to obtain an angle that is easy to apply force, and the first force F1 does not affect the reference end module 1. Therefore, the rigidity of the soft tissue is measured at the non-joint bone protrusion of the subject first. At this time, the second probe 21 of the measuring end module 2 is attached to the subject's skin to continuously increase the force applied, and the reference end module 1 is adjusted. The test end module 1 controls and maintains a fixed second force F2 through the motor 4 to follow the fluctuation of the other reference side of the joint. Therefore, during the entire measurement process, the second force F2 applied to the reference end module 1 will not change. The third force F3 of the measuring end module 2 will cause the joint surface of the subject to produce a relative displacement until the displacement no longer changes significantly, indicating that the tissue surrounding the joint has been tightened, which is the maximum joint accessory activity.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the examiner uses the joint accessory motion quantification system 200, the joint accessory motion quantification device 100 is moved to the two ends of the joint to be measured by the examinee, the first probe 11 is pressed against the first bone of the examinee, and the second probe 21 is used to press against the second bone of the individual, and then the grip portion 6 is pressed down by the angle correction module 8 to guide the examinee to apply force and compensate the angle, and the augmented reality device 9 can provide the examinee with the position of applying force on the grip portion 6. The first force sensing element 12 and the second force sensing element 22 provide force values, and the displacement sensing module 5 senses the relative movement value between the measuring end module 2 and the reference end module 1. The measured data is converted into digital signals through the augmented reality device 9 and transmitted to the network server 10 for analysis. Finally, it is displayed on the electronic device 13 to obtain the information measured by the joint attachment movement quantification device 100.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the joint-attached motion quantification device 100 and the joint-attached motion quantification system 200 provided by the present disclosure are used for the spinal joints of the subject, the adjacent spine is used as a dynamic reference point to measure the relative motion change between the joints, and the first probe 11 and the second probe 21 are used to directly measure the displacement change caused by the difference in force applied between the two points by crossing the joint.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the joint accessory motion quantification device 100 and the joint accessory motion quantification system 200 assist medical personnel in objectively quantifying the joint accessory motion clinically by measuring the displacement between the two bones of the subject's joint caused by external force and the pain sensation during the process, and can be used as a clinical evaluation tool, recording, prognosis and joint loosening treatment and medical personnel training auxiliary instrument.

In summary, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: (1) The joint motion measuring instrument objectively quantifies the force applied to both ends of the joint and the displacement caused during the test; (2) The force stability of the first probe 11 can be adjusted; (3) The reliability of manual assessment of joint accessory motion tests is improved. Assessment and recording of joint ancillary movements; (4) Enhance communication and understanding between therapists about the patient's condition, and even the inheritance of clinical experience; (5) Quantification of force during treatment to improve the accuracy of therapists' treatment; (6) Analysis of the effectiveness before and after treatment intervention to improve the reliability and validity of treatment methods; (7) Can be used as a training platform for medical personnel to learn joint loosening surgery; (8) Through the Internet of Things platform, individual data can be efficiently stored, and the performance of different joint stiffness can be quickly compared and the differences before and after sports training intervention can be understood; (9) Accumulate and store a large amount of test data to facilitate the development of machine learning programs in the future.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of this disclosure. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of patent application of this disclosure should be within the scope of this disclosure.

100: Joint accessory movement quantification device

11: First probe

21: Second probe

6: Grip

61:Handle

F1: First Force

F2: Second force

F3: The third force

Claims (10)

A device for quantifying joint-attached motions includes: a reference end module, including: a first probe for abutting against a first bone of an individual in need; and a first force sensing element connected to the first probe; a measuring end module, including: a second probe for abutting against a second bone of the individual; and a second force sensing element connected to the second probe; a sliding module, including: a first sliding element connected to the measuring end module, and the second force sensing element is disposed between the first sliding element and the second probe; and a second sliding element connected to the reference end module, and the first force sensing element is disposed between the second sliding element and the first probe; and a motor connected to the first sliding element and the second sliding element to drive the second sliding element to move relative to the first sliding element; a displacement sensing module connected to the first sliding element and/or the second sliding element to sense the relative movement value between the reference end module and the measuring end module; and a gripping portion connected to the first sliding element. As described in item 1 of the patent application scope, the joint-attached motion quantification device, wherein the motor can maintain the force of the reference end module according to the force value measured by the first force sensing element. As described in item 1 of the patent application scope, the joint-attached motion quantification device, wherein the motor can cause the reference end module to generate an instantaneous thrust to loosen the joint of the individual. The joint-attached motion quantification device as described in claim 1, wherein the first sliding element is inserted into the second sliding element so that the second sliding element can reciprocate on the first sliding element. A device for quantifying joint-attached motions as described in claim 4, wherein the grip portion has a pair of handles, and the grip portion can rotate relative to the first sliding element. A device for quantifying joint-attached motion as described in claim 5, wherein the direction of the reciprocating motion is substantially parallel to the axis of the rotation. The joint-attached motion quantification device as described in claim 1, wherein the displacement sensing module includes a first end connected to the first sliding element and a second end connected to the second sliding element. The joint-attached motion quantification device as described in Item 1 of the patent application scope further includes a distance adjustment mechanism, which is connected to the reference end module to adjust the distance between the reference end module and the measurement end module. The joint-attached motion quantification device as described in item 1 of the patent application scope further includes an angle correction module disposed on the grip portion, which includes: a force angle guidance element for providing an angle reference for applying force to the grip portion; and an angle compensation element for calculating the component of the preset force direction as the measured stress value. A joint-attached motion quantification system, comprising: The joint-attached motion quantification device as described in claim 1; and an augmented reality device for providing a position and/or angle reference of the force applied to the grip portion, and/or providing information measured by the joint-attached motion quantification device.