JP2501346B2 - Memory-reproduction type thigh prosthesis - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a prosthesis, and more particularly to a memory / reproduction type thigh prosthesis by pneumatic or hydraulic braking.

[Prior art]

The prosthesis should not be recognized as a leg amputator at first glance, and should not be physically or physically burdened by the leg amputator.
Various things are offered.

For example, a skeletal structure type pneumatic braking knee joint swing leg phase control prosthesis in which an air cylinder device is mounted across the thigh and lower leg so that walking can be performed according to the air flow resistance in the air cylinder device (Japanese Patent Publication No. No. 47638) adjusts the air flow resistance of the air cylinder to a certain value and can walk only at a speed corresponding to the adjusted value, which is very inconvenient.

In addition, the structure and operation of the air cylinder installed on the thigh prosthesis was determined based on a mechanical model.
Although one intelligent prosthesis is also disclosed, in the case of the all-in-one intelligent prosthesis, the walking speed can be set arbitrarily. However, when seeking a mechanical model, we selected healthy subjects with the same physique, age, and sex as the prosthetic foot wearer, and obtained data for model creation from the walking data of the healthy subjects. Doing so can put considerable pressure on the wearer of the prosthesis. Since the muscle strength of a leg of a healthy person and the muscle strength of a leg of a healthy person of a prosthesis are quite different for both legs, even if only gait data of a healthy person is collected, it is necessary to apply it to a person with a prosthesis. Must be established.

That is, it is desirable that the walking of the prosthetic leg wearer is determined by the relationship between the muscle strength of a healthy leg and the leg on which the prosthetic leg is mounted.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In human walking, the period during which the lower limb behaves like a pendulum from immediately after the toes leave the ground to the next heel landing is called the swing phase, and in order to show the same pattern as normal walking in prosthetic walking. Control of the swing phase is very important.

In view of the above points, the present invention automatically changes the speed according to the current intention of the prosthesis wearer from among a plurality of walking speeds set in advance for the prosthesis wearer, and sets the setting by a simple operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a memory-reproducing type thigh prosthesis capable of arbitrarily changing the walking speed.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a thigh portion and a lower leg portion pivotally connected by a knee axis, a cylinder is provided between the thigh portion and the lower leg portion, and the cylinder is stored. In the memory reproduction type thigh prosthesis that controls expansion and contraction during reproduction based on the stored data to change the relative angle between the thigh and the crus, phase detection means for detecting whether the phase is a stance phase or a swing phase, and Storage means for storing in advance the phase time detected by the phase detection means at walking speed and the opening degree of the cylinder at that time,
A memory replay characterized by having a walking speed determination means for determining the opening degree of the cylinder by comparing the phase time detected by the phase detection means during actual walking with the phase time stored in the storage means. The type thigh prosthesis is the first invention, and in the above-mentioned first invention, the walking speed is composed of three types of high speed, medium speed and low speed, and the determination by the walking speed determination means is
It is performed by calculating at which walking speed the phase time detected by the phase detecting means during actual walking is close to the phase time, and selecting the opening degree of the cylinder stored in the storage means at the closest walking speed. A memory-playback type femoral prosthesis is characterized as a second invention.

[Action]

The memory reproduction type thigh prosthesis according to the present invention operates as follows.

In order to set a walking speed that suits the wearer of the prosthesis, the prosthesis according to the present invention is worn to perform walking training. For example, start at a low speed. First, a low walking speed is set by appropriately adjusting the opening degree of the cylinder. Next, the user walks at the walking speed thus set. The idle phase or the stance phase is detected by the phase detection means, and the phase time and the opening degree of the cylinder are stored in the storage means.

Next, the opening degree of the cylinder is adjusted so that the walking speed becomes faster than the low speed. The phase time at this walking speed and the opening degree of the cylinder are stored in the same manner as described above.
In this way, the speed setting is gradually increased, the same operation as described above is performed, and the phase time and the cylinder opening degree at each speed are stored.

In this way, the wearer of the artificial leg according to the present invention, which stores the phase time and the opening degree of the cylinder according to the walking speed, then actually starts walking at an arbitrary speed. At this time, the phase time is determined by the phase detecting means, and this phase time is compared with the previously stored phase time according to a certain calculation formula, and as a result, a certain opening is selected from the previously stored cylinder openings. Thus, the wearer of the artificial leg can walk according to the speed of the cylinder opening.

The walking speed is automatically switched within a preset speed range. If the user wants to change the set value of the walking speed, he / she can easily change the set speed at any time by the wearer himself / herself without the help of another person.

〔Example〕

 The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a memory reproduction type femoral prosthesis according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a side view of the weight switch, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the microcomputer unit of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is an air cylinder, which is pivotally attached to a thigh frame portion (not shown) by a pivoting member 2 and pivotally attached to a lower leg frame portion (not shown) by a pivoting member 3. It is installed inside the department. Reference numeral 4 denotes an adjusting screw provided on the pivot member 2 and operable from the outside, and the opening degree of the air cylinder 1 is adjusted by a screw rod (not shown) screwed to the adjusting screw 4. As a result, the operating speed of the air cylinder 1 is adjusted. Reference numeral 5 is a speed setting switch, and in the present embodiment, a reproduction position and three of low speed, medium speed and high speed.
It consists of a setting part with steps and is arranged below the adjusting screw 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a position detector that detects the opening of the air cylinder 1 adjusted by the adjusting screw 4.
It is located at the top of the. A stepping motor 7 is arranged above the position detector 6. The opening degree of the air cylinder 1 is adjusted by the stepping motor 7 according to an instruction from the microcomputer unit, and the air cylinder 1 expands and contracts.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 8 denotes a weight switch, which is arranged on the lower leg frame portion. The phase time is obtained by the weight switch 8, the cylinder opening is obtained by the position detector 6, and these values are stored in the ram 11 described later.
For example, when the prosthesis is landed during walking at a low walking speed (during the stance phase), the weight is detected by the weight switch 8, and the time during which the weight switch 8 is operating is divided by the number of steps during the stance phase. Thus, the stance phase average time is obtained, and the stance phase average time and the opening degree of the air cylinder 1 detected by the position detector 6 at this time are stored in the ram 11 described later as a low speed state.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the microcomputer unit that controls the operation of each of the above-mentioned members. A driver 9 that controls the operation of the stepping motor 7 and an A / that converts the analog signal detected by the position detector 6 into a digital signal It consists of a D converter 10, a ram 11 that stores and reproduces signals from the position detector 6 and the weight switch 8, a control center 12 that receives signals from the speed setting switch 5 and controls the overall operation, and a power supply unit 13. These are stored in a space inside the air cylinder 1.

The present embodiment configured as described above operates as follows.

The artificial leg according to the present invention is worn, and the speed setting switch 5 is set to the low speed position of the setting unit. Next, the opening of the air cylinder 1 is properly adjusted by the adjusting screw 4, and then the user walks.
The opening of the air cylinder 1 at this low speed (hereinafter referred to as "S _SLOW "
Is detected by the position detector 6 and stored in the ram 11. The time during which the weight switch 8 is operating during walking is defined as the stance phase time, and in the case of this embodiment, the low speed stance phase average time (hereinafter referred to as "T _SLOW ") is obtained by dividing by the number of steps. This time T _{SLOW is} also stored in RAM 11.

Next, the speed setting switch 5 is set to the medium speed position.
In the same manner as described above, the opening degree of the air cylinder 1 (hereinafter referred to as “S _MID ”) and the medium-speed standing phase average time (hereinafter referred to as “T _MID ”) when walking at this medium speed are also stored in the ram 11. . Similarly, the opening degree of the air cylinder 1 (hereinafter referred to as “S _FAST ”) and the high speed stance phase average time (hereinafter referred to as “T _FAST ”) when the speed setting switch 5 is at the high speed position are also stored in the ram 11.

In this way, the ram 11 stores the opening degree of the air cylinder 1 and the stance phase averaging time at low, medium and high speeds. Next, the speed setting switch 5 is selected to the reproduction position to start walking. The opening degree of the air cylinder 1 at this time is
S _SLOW is set. Walking is performed at an arbitrary speed according to the intention of the pedestrian, and at this time, the operating time of the weight switch 8 is the stance phase time T. This stance phase time T is sequentially stored in the ram 11, and the comparison with the above-mentioned T _SLOW , T _MID , and T _FAST is performed in the control center 12 according to the following relational expression, and the stance phase time T is matched. An appropriate opening degree of the air cylinder 1 (hereinafter referred to as " _ST ") is instructed to the stepping motor 7, and the stepping motor 7 adjusts the opening degree of the air cylinder 1 to the opening degree S _T.

1) T ≧ (T _SLOW + T _MID ) / 2 In the case of the left, S _T is adjusted to S _SLOW .

2) (T _SLOW + T _MID ) / 2> T ≥ (T _MID + T _FAST ) / 2 In the case of the left, S _T is adjusted to S _MID .

3) (T _MID + T _FAST ) / 2> T In the case of the left, S _T is adjusted to S _FAST .

If the feeling when the speed is initially set is different by walking at the speeds of S _SLOW , S _MID , and S _FAST , it may be appropriately reset by the above method.

Although the stance phase time is used in this embodiment, the portion other than the stance phase is the swing phase, and the phase time of the swing phase can be indirectly used to obtain and control the stance phase time.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the memory reproduction type thigh prosthesis according to the present invention, it is not necessary to obtain a large amount of data when a healthy person walks, and it is possible to set a speed that matches the walking speed of the prosthesis wearer during gait training of the prosthesis wearer. , It becomes possible to walk according to the physical strength of the wearer of the artificial leg. In addition, since the walking speed is automatically switched according to the actual walking situation, it is possible to walk according to the physical condition. Since the setting value of the walking speed can be easily changed without the trouble of others, the mental burden is not felt.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a memory / reproduction type femoral prosthesis according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of a weight switch, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a microcomputer unit of the memory / reproduction type femoral prosthesis according to the present invention. 1 ... Air cylinder, 2 ... Pivoting member, 3 ... Pivoting member, 4 ... Adjusting screw, 5 ... Speed setting switch, 6 ...
Position detector, 7 ... Stepping motor, 8 ... Weight switch, 9 ... Driver, 10 ... A / D converter, 11 ...
… Ram, 12 …… Control center, 13 …… Power supply

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kunio Amamori 2-25-204 Kariguchidai, Tarumi-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo (72) Inventor Hironori Matsuda 1264-16 Okubo, Okubo-cho, Akashi-shi, Hyogo (72) Inventor Oku Hidehisa 2-2-16-208 Nishishinmachi, Akashi-shi, Hyogo (72) Inventor Akio Nakagawa 4-5-13 Umenoki, Itami-shi, Hyogo (72) Inventor Ichiro Kitayama 18-3-, Deai, Tamazu-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo 303 (72) Inventor Shiro Horiguchi 1182-14, Inami-cho, Kako-gun, Hyogo Prefecture 1182-14 (72) Inventor Shigeru Yuki 4-24 Noto-cho, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Prefecture (56) References JP-A-53-4395 (JP, 4395) A) JP-B-55-446734 (JP, B2) JP-B-52-47638 (JP, B2)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A thigh portion and a lower leg portion are pivotally connected by a knee axis, a cylinder is provided between the thigh portion and the lower leg portion, and the cylinder is based on stored data. In a memory reproduction type thigh prosthesis in which expansion and contraction control is performed at the time of reproduction to change the relative angle between the thigh and the lower thigh, phase detection means for detecting a stance phase or a swing phase and the phase detection at a plurality of walking speeds. Storage means for storing in advance the phase time detected by the means and the opening degree of the cylinder at that time, and the phase time detected by the phase detection means during actual walking and the phase time stored in the storage means And a walking speed determining unit that determines the opening degree of the cylinder by comparing the above. 2. The walking speed is composed of three types of high speed, medium speed and low speed, and the phase time detected by the phase detecting means at the time of actual walking is determined by the walking speed determining means. It is performed by calculating whether or not it is close to and selecting the opening degree of the cylinder stored in the storage means at the closest walking speed.
Memory-reproduction type thigh prosthesis described.