CZ2017294A3 - A rehabilitation ergometer and a method of its use - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of controlling a rehabilitation ergometer, in particular an ergometer simulating a bicycle function, in which a person performs fitness or rehabilitation exercises, or in which the physical and / or health condition of the person and / or organs of the person using it is determined, particularly the condition of the lower limbs. and related body parts, in which the power exerted is measured by measuring the torque and / or the load of the individual body parts, the handle (112L, 112P) currently moving from top dead center to the bottom dead center overriding the counter force. the moment of force, while its instantaneous position is sensed at short intervals and its position is controlled by the crank (112L, 112P), which is currently moving from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, whereby any positional difference is continuously evaluated and eliminated by the correction movement within position control, wherein before starting the exercise, the initial load of one and the other boys (112L, 112P) is independently set. After the start of the exercise, the actual work load parameters are automatically measured and calculated at the default load, and the initial load of the one and the second crank (112L, 112P) of the pedal center bearing (110) is automatically changed independently of one another, and these parameters, if any, during exercises are automatically corrected. The invention also relates to a rehabilitation ergometer, in particular a bicycle-type ergometer.

Description

Rehabilitation ergometer and how to use it

Field of technology

A method of using a rehabilitation ergometer, in particular an ergometer simulating the function of a bicycle, in which the person using it contacts the ergometer by sitting on its seat and resting on its handle with at least one hand while performing fitness or rehabilitation exercises, or in which the physical and / or state of health of the person and / or organs of the person using it is ascertained, in particular the condition of the lower limbs and associated parts of the body, in which the power is measured by measuring the torque and / or the load of individual parts of the body, the initial load of one and the other crank is set independently of each other before the start of the measured exercise.

Rehabilitation ergometer, in particular a bicycle-type ergometer, comprising a seat, a support arm for arm support, a pedal center bearing and two separate motors, the cranks of the pedal center bearing being fixed to separate crankshafts which are axially fixed in the center hub of the shafts, the cranks they are rotatable relative to each other, each pedal being coupled by a form-fitting transmission to one separate motor.

Prior art

With the development of cycling, the number of devices that simulate cycling and enable cycling training in gyms, households and the like is growing. Modern devices are equipped with means for evaluating the achieved performance, which inform the user about the user's performance, the frequency of pedal rotation and the force exerted to overcome the resistance to pedaling, which is usually adjustable.

For the user, the driving simulator represents cycling, in which the joints of the legs are relieved of the weight of the body, the person riding is essentially sitting comfortably and, in addition, is in a stable position on the riding simulator without the risk of falling. The driving simulator is therefore also important for rehabilitation sports activities used, for example, after accidents or when reducing mobility due to neuromuscular diseases. Here, it is already advantageous for the useful properties of the simulator to be extended by the possibility of its modifications, in particular by the mutual separation of the pedals and the possibility of independent setting of, for example, different force load against pedaling on one and the other pedal.

The device according to WO97 / 26948 has a central hub in the axis of rotation of the pedal cranks, in which it is possible to separate the crankshafts of one and the other crank. A drive pulley is firmly mounted on the crankshaft of each pedal, which is surrounded by a drive belt by which it is coupled to the flywheel pulley. The drive pulley is surrounded on the cylindrical shoulder smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical surface for the drive belt by a brake belt, which thus forms a belt brake acting against the rotation of the drive pulley. The device contains sensors for user power, "distance traveled" and "travel speed". Such a simulator is intended primarily for training purposes, where the goal of the flywheels is to alternately significantly increase and decrease the force against the pedaling resistance during changes in the pedaling frequency.

The device according to EP1294452B1 has a mutually independent arrangement of pedals, each of the pedals being connected by a chain transmission to a separate auxiliary motor with adjustable power. A flywheel is mounted on the same shaft with an auxiliary motor, which has a similar meaning as in the above solution according to WO97 / 26948. In addition, it is possible to act on each of the flywheels with a brake (not shown). The user can thus reduce his power by connecting an auxiliary motor or, conversely, increase his energy output by braking the flywheels. A torque sensor and / or a speed sensor connected to a computing unit coupled to a display device, which is a monitor, is located on the crankshaft of each pedal. Crankshaft of both pedals

- 1 EN 2017 - 294 A3 can be mechanically connected inside the central hub by a pin either in the usual position of the pedals, ie offset by 180 °, or both cranks have the same position with respect to the axis of the interconnected crankshafts.

The described known devices are used for training or meet the requirements for rehabilitation in certain medical conditions. From a medical point of view, they are not suitable for diagnosing a medical condition due to problems with various lower limb conditions.

At the conference of the Faculty of Mechatronics, Informatics and Interdisciplinary Studies of TUL Liberec in 2015, "Rehabilitation Ergometer Management" was published. The ergometer has mutually separated shafts of the central bearing of the pedal cranks, which are connected to separate servomotors and thus form an electronic shaft realized by an electronic cam. The crank load uses torque control of the crank, where a loading torque acts against a moving limb, which can be precisely defined. The required parameters are set by the ergometer operator before the start of the exercise and further adjusted during the exercise with regard to the requirements and feelings of the trainer. However, this requires experienced operators, but even so, the presence of the human factor does not allow to ensure objectively comparable exercise conditions and results in terms of diagnostic requirements.

The object of the invention is to eliminate or alleviate the shortcomings of the device according to the prior art, to simplify the operation of the ergometer and in particular to eliminate the negative influence of the operator on the setting of load parameters and thus enable objective assessment of the patient or exerciser using the ergometer.

The essence of the invention

The object of the invention is achieved by a method of using a rehabilitation ergometer, in particular an ergometer simulating the function of a bicycle, in which the power exerted by measuring the torque and / or the load of individual body parts is determined, the essence of which consists in the fact that the handle currently moving from the dead center to the bottom dead center, overcomes the counteracting force, resp. moment of force, while its instantaneous position is sensed at short intervals and its position is a position-controlled crank, which currently moves from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, while any resulting position difference is continuously evaluated and eliminated by corrective movement in position control, the start of the exercise is automatically measured at the set initial load and the parameters of the required work load are calculated, to which the initial load of one and the other cranks of the pedal center bearing changes automatically, while these work parameters are automatically corrected during the exercise. The mutual angular position of both cranks during the exercise is in the range of 180 ° ± 1 °.

It is advantageous that the measured parameters are set and monitored during the measurement by means of a display means, the measured parameters being stored in a storage medium during the measurement.

Before the measurement, the relative position of the seat and the pedal center mounting shall be adjusted to the user's figure.

The object of the invention is also achieved by a rehabilitation ergometer, in particular a bicycle-type ergometer, the essence of which is that the separate motors of the separate crankshafts are two-mode servo inverters, whose operating modes automatically change after half the crankshaft rotation at the upper and lower dead center of the crank. When the crank moves from the dead center to the bottom dead center, the relevant servo inverter is the master motor, and when the crank moves from the bottom dead center to the dead center, the respective servo inverter is a slave motor, while the ergometer is equipped with PI controllers wherein the ergometer further comprises imaging means for at least continuous monitoring of the torsion

-2GB 2017 - 294 A3 torque on the pedal center bearing and crankshaft rotation speed, the acquired data being stored as data objects in the ergometer control unit.

Explanation of drawings

The device according to the invention is schematically shown in the drawing, where Fig. 1 is a side view of the ergometer and Fig. 2 is a plan view with a partial section of the frame at the locations of the rotating parts.

Examples of embodiments of the invention

The device according to the invention is hereinafter referred to as an "ergometer". However, it is not only a rehabilitation ergometer, but also a diagnostic tool for examining physical condition and condition. It can also serve as a rehabilitation tool for people after injuries, people who are partially paralyzed or people with an amputated lower limb, or as a training bicycle trainer.

The ergometer is arranged in a two-part frame 1, the front part 100 of which carries the load and / or auxiliary drive means and pedal centering 110 described below, and its rear part 200 carries a seat 201 and a support bracket 202 for resting the user's hands. The front part 100 of the frame 1 and the rear part 200 of the frame 1 are connected to each other by a sliding means 10 (not shown) which can be used to adjust and subsequently fix the longitudinal distance of the center bearing 110 and the seat 201. The seat 201 is provided with a means (not shown) for adjusting its height. Furthermore, the ergometer is provided with a display means 3, which in an exemplary embodiment is a touch screen, which is also a means for setting operating modes and displaying the course of current parameters according to force parameters achieved by the user, the display means being connected to the electronic control unit 4.

The pedal center bearing 110 has a crankshaft formed by two separate parts coaxially rotatably mounted in the frame 100, which are a left crankshaft 111L and a right crankshaft 111P. Pedals 113L, 113P are connected to cranks 112L and 112P, each provided with a clip 114L, 114P.

Mounted on the crankshafts 111P and 111L are first gear drive pulleys 115L, 115P which are connected by toothed belts 116 to driven toothed pulleys 117L, 117P mounted on the left and right countershafts 118L and 118P. The countershafts 118L and 118P, like the crankshafts 111P and 111L, are separate and independent of each other. Further mounted on the countershafts 118L and 118P are toothed pulleys 119L, 119P of the second gears, which are connected by toothed belts 120 to pulleys 121L and 121P mounted on separate shafts 122L and 122P of the electric motors.

It is obvious that the described toothed belt transmission can be replaced by a chain transmission in an embodiment (not shown). However, its disadvantage is its noise and harder grip.

The two series gears between the crankshafts 111P and 111L of the pedal center bearing 110 and the shafts 122L and 122P of the electric motors, which are the two-mode servo inverters 123L and 123P, advantageously achieve a high gear ratio; in a embodiment not shown, the two gears can be replaced by a single gear.

The support bracket 202 for resting the user's hands is provided at its ends on the sides of the seat 201 with handles 203L, 203P, on which pressure sensors 41L, 41P are located in an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the seat 201 is also provided on the sides of the bearing surface

-3EN 2017 - 294 A3 pressure sensors 42L, 42P. The servo inverters 123L, 123P and the sensors 41L, 41P, 42L, 42P are connected to the control unit 4 and / or to the display means 3.

The separation of the chains on the left and right side, from the pedals 113L, 113P to the servo inverters 123L and 123P, allows the right and left lower limbs to be monitored independently in different modes and at different loads.

The pedal 113L, 113P, which is currently moving from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, works against the load given by the doctor's or therapist's request. The respective servo inverters 123L and 123P are in control mode ("master"). The servo inverter 123L and 123P of the second pedal 113L, 113P, which is currently moving from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, is position controlled by the slave mode so that its position is updated at short intervals according to the instantaneous position of the servo inverter 123L and 123P. which is currently in control mode. The device comprises known P1 regulators (not shown) for regulating the "additional" torque in order to ensure symmetrical movement both in terms of the total time of the crankshaft half-bolts 111P and 111L and in terms of the time course of these half-gears.

The means for monitoring the load on the pedal center bearing 110 here is a continuous torque monitoring, wherein the torque magnitude information is obtained indirectly from the current value as a torque component from the current converter of the servo converters 123L and 123P. The means for continuously monitoring the rotational speed of the crankshafts 111L, 111P of the center bearing 110 are resolvers which are part of the servo inverters 123L and 123P. The 123L and 123P servo inverters can also operate as active auxiliary motors with pedaling assistance, which is especially advantageous for some types of rehabilitation. The level of assistance is preferably controlled automatically by the control unit 4 of the ergometer.

The use of servo inverters 123L, 123P does not require the use of additional braking means. In addition, by adjusting the relative angular position of the servo inverters 123L, 123P, any relative position of the cranks 112L and 112P with the pedals 113L, 113P is adjusted. The magnitude of the load or, conversely, the level of assistance in the pedaling direction can be changed during operation during rotation, even several times during one revolution, which is usually not desirable for ergometer operation and this feature of the device is usually not used. For health reasons, it is usually desirable that the relative angular position of the handles 112L, 112P be permanently given by an angle of 180 °, preferably within a narrow tolerance of ± 1 °. For diagnostic reasons, it is also important that the ergometer is not provided with flywheels between the cranks 112L, 112P and the servo inverters 123L, 123P, the inertial masses of which would distort the local steep parts of the load rise and fall and the force expended to overcome it. On the contrary, in the ergometer according to the invention, the moving parts are designed with regard to their smallest possible moment of inertia. For example, the toothed pulleys 115, 117, 119, 121 are made of light alloys, in addition, the large toothed pulleys 115, 119 have the most favorable mass distribution with respect to their axes of rotation.

The set parameters, especially the alternation of the load mode when moving the handle 112L, 112P, resp. of the respective pedal 113L, 113P on the left and right cranks 112L, 112P does not change depending on the time, and thus according to the pedaling speed, but only depending on the position of the cranks 112L and 112P. The moment of this change is given by the top dead center of the crank, in which the mode of its loading by the respective servo inverter 123L, 123P begins.

The operating parameters are set via the touch screen 3 and the control unit 4. The instantaneous value of these parameters is monitored on the display 3 during operation of the device. It is also possible to store the entire measurement process or a part thereof in the internal memory of the control unit 4 or in an external memory (not shown).

Comprehensive information on the load of individual parts of the user's body is supplemented by the above pressure sensors 41L, 41P in the handles 203L, 203P, and pressure sensors 42L, 42P on the seat 201. Pressure values between the user's palms and handles 203L, 203P and between the body seat and seat 201 se

-4GB 2017 - 294 A3 when pedaling usually changes and characterizes possible deformation of the back and arms and tension in these parts of the body.

The following are three specific programmable operating modes which the ergometer according to the invention allows, but which are not the subject of protection here.

The first regimen is to exercise both limbs. Up to 10 definition points can be entered in the user interface (pedal position 112L and 112P of the pedal, load torque), between which the required torque is interpolated. In this mode, it is possible to enter any torque (load and assistance in the range of 0 ° -180 °) for the left and right foot independently, while the default position of the handle 112L and 112P is selected according to user needs and is also adjustable from the user interface. Thus, the position of the crank 112L and 112P at the beginning of the load does not necessarily agree with the dead center. For both limbs, data on speed, torque, power are collected independently depending on the position of the crank. The detected data are further stored in the memory for diagnostic evaluation. Monitoring the current measurement process is enabled by the device display.

The second functional mode is to practice only one limb, left or right. Here it is possible to enter up to 20 definition points of torque values in the full range of crank positions 112L or 112P (0-360 °). The other limb is carried on the basis of the determined angular distance. Here, too, data on speed, torque, power are collected independently for both limbs, depending on the position of the crank, and this data is further stored on a disk for diagnostic evaluation, even for a crank that is not program-controlled by torque.

The third mode is intended for patients with an amputated limb, which is analogous to the second mode, only one of the selected handles 112L, respectively. 112P is parked before turning and does not turn. The healthy foot is then loaded both when the pedal moves downwards and when it moves upwards, when the pedal is pulled by the instep of the foot by means of the clip 114L, resp. 114P. Even in this case, the variable load can be set throughout one revolution.

Claims (10)

PATENT CLAIMS A method of using a rehabilitation ergometer, in particular an ergometer simulating the function of a bicycle, in which the person using it appears in contact with the ergometer by sitting on its seat and leaning on it with at least one hand while performing fitness or rehabilitation exercises, or in which the physical and / or state of health of the person and / or organs of the person using it is ascertained, in particular the condition of the lower limbs and associated parts of the body, in which the power is measured by measuring the torque and / or the load of individual parts of the body, the handle (112L, 112P), which is currently moving from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, overcomes the counteracting force, resp. moment of force, while its instantaneous position is sensed at short intervals and its position is a position-controlled crank (112L, 112P), which currently moves from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, while any positional difference is continuously evaluated and eliminated by corrective movement within position control, the initial load of one and the other crank (112L, 112P) being set independently of each other before the start of the exercise, characterized in that the parameters of the actual working load are automatically measured and calculated at the set initial load. they independently change the initial load of one and the other crank (112L, 112P) of the pedal center bearing (110), and these parameters are optionally corrected automatically during exercise. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the working load of one and / or the second crank (112L, 112P) of the pedal center bearing (110) changes independently of one another to active assistance. -5 CZ 2017 - 294 A3 Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the relative angular position of the two cranks (112L, 112P) is in the range of 180 ° ± 1 ° during the exercise. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measured parameters are set and monitored during the measurement by means of the display means (3). Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measured parameters are stored in a storage medium during the measurement. A rehabilitation ergometer, in particular a bicycle-type ergometer, comprising a seat (201), a support bracket (202) for hand support, a pedal center arrangement (110) and two separate electric motors, the cranks (112L, 112P) of the pedal center bearing (110) are fixed to separate crankshafts (11 IL, 11 IP) which are axially fixed in the central hub of the shafts (11 IL, 11 IP), the cranks (112L, 112P) being rotatable relative to each other, each pedal (113L, 113P) ) is coupled by a transmission with one separate electric motor, the seat (201), the support bracket (202) for hand support and the pedal center arrangement (110) are mutually adjustable to accommodate the size of the user, the transmission between the pedal and the separate electric motor being a form-fitting transmission , wherein the separate electric motors are two-mode servo inverters (123L, 123P), whose operating modes automatically change after half the crankshaft rotation, always at the top and bottom dead center of the crank (112L, 112P), while The movement of the crank (112L, 112P) from the top dead center to the bottom dead center is the corresponding servo inverter (123L, 123P) by the control motor ("master") and when the crank (112L, 112P) moves from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, it has the appropriate servo inverter ( 123L, 123P) by a slave motor ("slave"), characterized in that in order to maintain the temporal symmetry of the movements of both pedals (113L, 113P) the ergometer is provided with PI regulators for continuous continuous regulation of additional torque, the ergometer further comprising display means (3) at least for continuous monitoring of the torque on the pedal center bearing (110) and the speed of rotation of the crankshafts (111L, 11 IP), the obtained data being stored in the control unit (4) of the ergometer. Ergometer according to claim 5, characterized in that the display means (3) is a touch screen which further serves to display the course of further current parameters and to set the operating modes. Ergometer according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the pedal (113L, 113P) is coupled to the servo inverter (123L, 123P) by at least one toothed belt transmission (116, 120), with on each crankshaft (11 IL, 11 IP) and a gear wheel (115L, 115P, 121L, 121P) is mounted on each shaft (122L, 122P) of the servo inverter (123L, 123P). Ergometer according to claim 8, characterized in that the pedal (113L, 113P) is coupled to the servo inverter (113L, 113P) by two gears which are connected together by separate countershafts (118L, 118P) by means of toothed pulleys (117L, 119L). 117P, 119P). Ergometer according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the outputs of the pressure and / or force sensors (41L, 41P, 42L, 42P) are coupled to the control unit (4) and / or to the display means (3), which are arranged in the contact surface (s) of the seat (201) and / or in the contact surfaces of the handles (203L, 203P) of the support bracket (202) and outputs for setting the operating modes and displaying the course of the current parameters.