GB2475659A

GB2475659A - Device for evaluating and/or reinforcing gripping strength

Info

Publication number: GB2475659A
Application number: GB1104852A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jacques Duchene; Jean-Yves Hogrel
Original assignee: Universite de Technologie de Troyes; Association Institut de Myologie
Current assignee: Universite de Technologie de Troyes; Association Institut de Myologie
Priority date: 2008-09-22
Filing date: 2009-09-22
Publication date: 2011-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-22
Also published as: ES2384774A8; ES2384774A1; DE112009002407B4; WO2011036350A1; DE112009002407T5; GB201104852D0; GB2475659B; FR2936140A1; FR2936140B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for evaluating and/or reinforcing gripping strength, including electronic circuits (1) built into a hollow space (2b) and consisting of at least: a functional combination of a pressure-measuring system (1a and 1d) with a wireless commumication system (1b); and a power store (1c) for powering the pressure-measuring system and the wireless communication system (1b), the self-contained object (2) having a spherical shape, being made of a flexible airtight material (2a), and having a size suitable for being grasped and compressed by a single hand. Said easy-to-use and constraint-free device can be easily integrated into a longterm, at-home evaluation and monitoring protocol in the absence of a practitioner. Said device should contribute to reducing the healthcare costs associated with the various types of benefits involved.

Description

Device for evaluation andlor boosting of grip strength The present invention relates to the field of devices for evaluation and/or boosting of grip strength.

The use of devices for evaluation and/or boosting of grip strength affects a large number of people around the world. In France, for example, there are about 500,000 rheumatology consultations per year for hand pain, 1,400,000 hand accidents per year of which 620,000 are considered serious and 15,000,000 French people suffering from rheumatism. This shows that new and inventive industrial solutions are necessary and expected in this field! The medical applications of the devices for evaluation and/or boosting of grip strength are diverse and varied. Although they relate to the re-education of the hand and of the gripping function, they also serve for any type of evaluation. They relate in particular to clinical evaluation for monitoring of diseases with distal motor repercussions such as neuromuscular diseases (Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker's muscular dystrophy, Steinert's disease etc.) and neurological diseases (carpal tunnel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etc.) or evaluation of motor damage and handicap following an accident which plays a part in the evaluation of the reimbursement by health insurance companies or in the evaluation of a loss. However, these applications affect an even wider public because they relate to evaluation of the gripping capacity in elderly people, and this capacity is a reflection of the overall muscular capacity and its decline in the course of ageing, which falls within the scope of the evaluation of the independence of elderly people.

Moreover, there are applications of devices for evaluation and/or of boosting of the grip strength which are not medical and relate to other fields of activities ranging from training and boosting muscular strength for sportspeople (tennis, climbing, windsurfing) or professionals in specific sectors (accident prevention role) to the development of dedicated software (scientific, games, etc.).

One problem in the field of devices for evaluation and/or boosting of grip strength relates to the fact that they use systems, also known as dynamometers, for measurement of gripping; these only allow for a static force, for example a muscular contraction referred to as an isometric contraction, which does not give the user the sensation of having a real action on the device, and their measurements depend upon the way in which gripping is effected.

Another problem in the field of devices for evaluation and/or boosting of grip strength relates to their forms and their use. In fact they often take unusual forms (inflatable gloves, pincers in the shape of a tuning fork, bellows associated with a graduated dial) and their use is relatively restrictive, for example because of the connection to measuring apparatus. This explains why these devices are practically reserved for use which is restricted to the consulting room and to the supervision of the practitioner and are difficult to integrate as customary objects into the surroundings, in particular in the context of use at home by the person himself.

In this context it is useful to propose a device for evaluation and/or boosting of the grip strength which remedies one or several of the above drawbacks.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device for evaluation and/or boosting of the grip strength comprising electronic circuits integrated in a hollow space, characterised in that the electronic circuits comprise at least a functional combination of a pressure measurement system with a wireless communication system, the hollow space being formed by a self-contained object of spherical shape or any other closed shape, made from deformable flexible material and with dimensions adapted so that it can be grasped and compressed with only one hand, the said flexible material being impermeable to a compressible fluid contained in the hollow space, the said fluid being compatible with the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space.

According to one feature, the device according to the invention also comprises an electrical energy reserve for supplying the pressure measurement system and the wireless communication system.

According to another feature, the pressure measurement system may be any type of pressure sensor sensitive to the compression of the object and chosen upon manufacture of the object for the range of pressure measurement corresponding to it as a function of the use made of the device and, more particularly, the force of the compression exerted.

According to another feature, the pressure sensor is analogue and is connected to an analogue-to-digital converter, integrated in the hollow space of the object and connected to the circuit of the wireless communication system in order to convert the analogue signal emitted by the analogue pressure sensor into a digital signal intended for the wireless communication system.

According to another feature, the wireless communication system includes: -a means for transmitting a short-range digital signal to an appropriate local communication interface which is compatible with the wireless communication system and is situated outside the object in the environment of the person manipulating the object, -a means for detection which detects whether the force of the compression exerted on the object exceeds a threshold value which is defined and programmed upon manufacture of the object as a function of the range of pressure measurement of the pressure measurement system and -means for sampling and storage of the digital signal emitted by the functional combination of the analogue pressure sensor and the analogue-to-digital converter.

According to another feature, the electrical energy reserve is supplied without galvanic contact by a magnetic induction supply system for charging an electric battery which constitutes the electrical energy reserve which ensures that the object is self-contained.

According to another feature the rechargeable electric battery is connected, on the one hand, to a charging circuit which includes a winding integrated into the hollow space in the object and receives the induction current produced by the magnetic induction supply system, and is connected, on the other hand, to the circuits of the wireless communication system and of the analogue pressure sensor by galvanic connection, in order to form a circuit for supplying the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space of the object.

According to another feature, the magnetic induction supply system is incorporated in a charging base provided with a recess of shape and dimensions adapted to accommodate and retain the object in such a way that the magnetic induction supply system is situated close to the winding connected to the charging circuit of the electric battery, and provided with an indicator informing the user whether the object is correctly or incorrectly disposed on its charging base as a function of the presence or the absence of a current in the charging circuit respectively.

According to another feature, the charging circuit integrated in the hollow space of the object includes an electronic proximity switch which detects the positioning on the charging base in order to cut off the supply circuit for the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space of the object and to isolate the battery during charging.

According to another feature, the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space of the object are held approximately in the centre of the hollow space by retaining members made from resilient material.

According to another feature, the local communication interface is incorporated either in a relay device which is situated outside the object in the environment of the person manipulating the object and enables reception of the measured values relating to the compression of the object and transmission thereof by emission of a long-range digital signal to a remote processing terminal, or directly in a processing terminal situated outside the object in the environment of the person manipulating the object.

According to another feature, the relay device is either incorporated in the charging base or in a mobile telephone or any other type of device which enables reception of measured values relating to the compression of the object and transmission thereof by emission of a long-range digital signal to a remote processing terminal.

According to another feature, the relay device can include a means for displaying the measured values and in all cases includes means for storing the measured values.

According to another feature, the processing terminal includes means for making modifications as required to the processing applied to the measured values relating to the compression of the object.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer upon reading of the following description which is given with reference to the appended drawings, in which: -Figure 1 shows schematically an embodiment of the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space including an analogue pressure sensor together with an analogue-to-digital converter, -Figure 2a shows schematically the self-contained object disposed in its charging base and the relationship between the rechargeable battery and the magnetic induction supply system, -Figure 2b shows schematically the self-contained object disposed in its charging base in the embodiment where this latter incorporates the relay device, -Figure 3a shows a first embodiment of the route of the digital signals transporting the measurement values relating to the compression of the object, utilising the relay between the wireless communication system of the self-contained object and the remote processing terminal, and -Figure 3b shows a second embodiment of the route of the digital signals utilising a direct communication between the self-contained object and the processing terminal situated in the local environment.

The device according to the invention will now be described in relation to these drawings.

The invention relates to a device for evaluation and/or boosting of the grip strength comprising electronic circuits (1) integrated in a hollow space (2b) of a self-contained object (2), for example of spherical shape or of any other shape formant the hollow space (2b), as shown in Figure 1. The object (2) is made from a flexible material (2a) in such a way as to enable the person manipulating the object (2) to exert a non-static compressive force which deforms the object (2). Consequently, any sufficient compression of the object brings about deformation thereof Moreover, the object (2) allows a non-isometric muscular contraction and the patient is subjectively encouraged by the real sensation of acting on the object (2).

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the electronic circuits (1) integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2) comprise at least: -a wireless communication system (ib), -an analogue pressure sensor (la), -an analogue-to-digital converter (id), -a rechargeable electric battery (Ic) -an electronic proximity switch (le), and -a charging circuit (if) including a winding.

In order to evaluate the grip strength the device utilises a pressure measurement system which offers the advantage of giving overall information about the grip strength which does not depend upon the way in which the grip is achieved. This advantage is at the expense of the fact that the flexible material (2a) of which the object (2) is made must be impermeable to a compressible fluid, the said fluid being contained in the hollow space (2b) and compatible with the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2), for example impermeable to air or any other compressible fluid or material. The quantity of compressible fluid contained in the hollow space (2b) is controlled. Thus the pressure in the hollow space (2b) in the object (2) is checked and defined upon manufacture of the object (2) and the difference in pressure due to the compression of the object (2) is measured by the pressure measurement system.

Due to the fact that at any moment the pressure in the hollow space (2b) in the object (2) is the same throughout the hollow space (2b), the pressure measurement does not depend upon the position of the pressure measurement system in the hollow space (2b) in the object (2).

However, it is wise to retain the electronic circuits (1) approximately in the centre of the hollow space (2b) by resilient retaining members (3) in such a way as to reduce the possibility that during the compression of the object (2) these members will come into contact with the inner edges of the hollow space (2b), which might damage it.

By way of example, the retaining members (3) may be springs, elastic bands or flexible plastic strips.

The analogue pressure sensor (1 a) enables analogue measurement of the pressure linked to the initial pressure in the hollow space (2b) and to the compression of the object (2) and offers the advantage of being very widespread on the market. However, the wireless communication system (ib) is designed to receive a digital signal. Therefore it is necessary to connect the circuit of the analogue pressure sensor (la) to the circuit of the wireless communication system (Ib) by means of an analogue-to-digital converter (id).

In order to ensure the transfer of data relating to pressure measurements to the exterior of the object (2) for the purpose of utilising them, the device uses a wireless communication system (1 b). Unlike a wired communication system, this choice offers the advantage of naturally reconciling the necessity of transferring data to the exterior of the object, the condition of impermeability of the object (2), and the manageability in the manner of an object which is mechanically independent of its environment.

The wireless communication system (ib) includes at least -a means for transmitting (iba) a short-range digital signal (6) to a local communication interface (8) which is compatible with the wireless communication system (lb) and is situated outside the object (2) in the environment of the person manipulating the object (2), that is to say at an adapted distance sufficiently short for the short-range digital signal (6) to be received by the local communication interface (8) without being altered, -a means for detection (1 bb) which detects whether the force of the compression exerted on the object (2) exceeds a threshold value which is defined and programmed upon manufacture of the object (2) as a function of the range of pressure measurement of the pressure measurement system, which is itself chosen as a function of the use made of the device, for example evaluation of the grip strength of an elderly person or boosting of the grip strength of a tennis player, -means for sampling and storage (1 bc) of the digital signal coming into the wireless communication system (ib) in such a way that the communication between the wireless communication system (ib) and the local communication interface (8) can b e produced continuously during the sampling or one single time at the end of each sampling phase or any other mode of communication according to the programmed protocol.

The device uses an energy reserve integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2) in order to supply the electronic circuits (1) integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2) and thus to ensure that the object (2) is self-contained.

This energy reserve is an electric battery (ic) connected galvanically to the circuit of the wireless communication system (ib) and to the circuit of the analogue pressure sensor (la) and to the analogue-to-digital conversion circuit (id) in order to form a supply circuit for the electronic circuits (1) integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2).

According to the invention, the electric battery (I c) is rechargeable without galvanic contact, which offers the advantage of naturally reconciling the self-contained nature and the impermeable condition of the object (2).

In order to be rechargeable without galvanic contact, the electric battery (Ic) is connected to a charging circuit (if) which includes a winding capable of receiving an induction current produced by a magnetic induction supply system (Sa) in order to form a charging circuit.

As shown in Figure 2a, the charging circuit (if) including a winding should be situated close to the magnetic induction supply system (Sa). On the one hand, this proximity is controlled by an electronic proximity switch (le) integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2) which detects whether there is a current in the charging circuit and, in that case, cuts off the supply circuit of the electronic circuits (1) integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2) and thus isolates the electric battery (ic) during charging. On the other hand, this proximity is ensured by the incorporation of the magnetic induction supply system (5a) in a charging base (5) provided with a recess (Sc) of shape and dimensions adapted to accommodate and retain the object (2) and provided with an indicator (5b) indicating to the user whether the object (2) is correctly or incorrectly disposed on its charging base (5) as a function of the presence or the absence of a current in the charging circuit respectively.

By way of example, the indicator (Sb) may be a device situated on the front face of the charging base provided with a green diode, lit or unlit, andlor a red diode, lit or unlit, indicating whether the object (2) is correctly or incorrectly disposed on its charging base (5) respectively.

According to the invention the data relating to the compression of the object (2) should be processed by a processing terminal (10) for the evaluation and/or the boosting of the grip strength.

As shown in Figure 3b, the processing terminal (10) may be situated in the environment of the person manipulating the object (2). It then incorporates the local communication interface (8). This embodiment may be considered in the context of use of the device in the practitioner's consulting room. However, in the context of use of the device at home the processing terminal (10) will not generally be kept at home for several reasons. First of all the dimensions of the processing terminal (10) may be substantial and may take up -10 -considerable space visibly in the user's home, thus limiting its acceptability in relation to the social environment of the person. Next, the processing terminal (10) may be intended for receiving data relating to a plurality of uses of the device for evaluation and/or boosting of the grip strength performed by a plurality of users, each of them being situated in a different place from the others and having its own device. Finally, the processing terminal (10), including means for making modifications as required to the processing applied to the measured values relating to the compression of the object (2), certainly requires a minimum of maintenance, which would necessitate a home visit by the technician responsible for this maintenance. This does not matter, the invention proposes a relay device (7) which enables communication between the wireless communication system (ib) of the object (2) which emits a short-range digital signal (6) and the processing terminal (10), as shown in Figure 3a.

The relay device (7) has reduced dimensions relative to the processing terminal (10) and do not require any maintenance and incorporates the local communication interface (8) which receives the short-range digital signal (6) emitted by the wireless communication system (ib) of the object (2). It should therefore be situated in the environment of the person manipulating the object (2).

The relay device (7) should be capable of emitting a long-range digital signal (9), ensuring transport of data relating to the compression of the object (2) to the processing terminal (10) in such a way that this can be situated remotely and should include means for storage (7b) of the measured values in such a way as to be able to communicate with the remote processing terminal (10) according to any type of programmed communication protocol. The device may also include a means for display (7a) of the measured values relating to the compression of the object (2) in order to inform the user directly of these values.

As shown in Figure 2b, the relay device (7) may be incorporated in the charging base (5). It may also be a mobile telephone or any other type of device enabling reception of measured values relating to the compression of the object (2) which are transported by a short-range digital signal (6) and transmission thereof by emission of a long-range digital signal (9) to the remote processing terminal (10).

-11 -To conclude this description, it is clear that the present invention proposes a device for evaluation and/or boosting of the grip strength which, by its shape and its ergonomics, is familiar and is easily integrated in the context of home use. Use thereof only requires the basic advice to be followed, its simple use renders the presence of the practitioner superfluous and allows daily use in the context of long-term supervision. These characteristics provide the originality of this device for evaluation andlor boosting of the grip strength which should make it possible to reduce the healthcare costs associated with the types of services concerned.

It should be obvious to persons skilled in the art that the present invention enables embodiments in numerous other specific forms without departing from the field of application of the invention as claimed. Consequently the present embodiments should be considered by way of illustration, but may be modified within the field defined by the scope of the appended claims, and the invention should not be limited to the details given above.

Claims

-12 -Claims 1. Device for evaluation and/or boosting of the grip strength comprising electronic circuits (I) integrated in a hollow space (2b), characterised in that the electronic circuits comprise at least a functional combination of a pressure measurement system (1 a and 1 d) with a wireless communication system (Ib), the hollow space (2b) being formed by a self-contained object (2) of spherical shape or any other closed shape, made from deformable flexible material (2a) and with dimensions adapted so that it can be grasped and compressed with only one hand, the said flexible material (2a) being impermeable to a compressible fluid contained in the hollow space (2b), the said fluid being compatible with the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space. (2b).
2. Device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that it also comprises an electrical energy reserve for supplying the pressure measurement system (1 a and 1 d) and the wireless communication system (ib).
3. Device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the pressure measurement system may be any type of pressure sensor (la) sensitive to the compression of the object (2) and chosen upon manufacture of the object (2) for the range of pressure measurement corresponding to it as a function of the use made of the device and, more particularly, the force of the compression exerted.
4. Device as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that the pressure sensor is analogue (la) and is connected to an analogue-to-digital converter (id), integrated in the hollow space(2b) of the object (2) and connected to the circuit of the wireless communication system (ib) in order to convert the analogue signal emitted by the analogue pressure sensor (la) into a digital signal intended for the wireless communication system (ib).
5. Device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the wireless communication system (ib) includes: -13 - -a means (iba) for transmitting a short-range digital signal (6) to an appropriate local communication interface (8) which is compatible with the wireless communication system (ib) and is situated outside the object in the environment of the person manipulating the object, -a means for detection (1 bb) which detects whether the force of the compression exerted on the object (2) exceeds a threshold value which is defined and programmed upon manufacture of the object (2) as a function of the range of pressure measurement of the pressure measurement system and -means for sampling and storage (lbc) of the digital signal emitted by the functional combination of the analogue pressure sensor (la) and the analogue-to-digital converter (Id).
6. Device as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the electrical energy reserve is supplied without galvanic contact by a magnetic induction supply system (5a) for charging an electric battery (1 c) which constitutes the electrical energy reserve which ensures that the object (2) is self-contained.
7. Device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the rechargeable electric battery (Ic) is connected, on the one hand, to a charging circuit (if) which includes a winding integrated into the hollow space (2b) in the object (2) and receives the induction current produced by the magnetic induction supply system (5a) and is connected, on the other hand, to the circuits of the wireless communication system (lb), and to the analogue pressure sensor (Ia) and to the analogue-to-digital conversion circuit (id) by galvanic connection in order to form a circuit for supplying the electronic circuits integrated in the hollow space of the object.
8. Device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the magnetic induction supply system (5a) is incorporated in a charging base (5) provided with a recess (Sc) of shape and dimensions adapted to accommodate and retain the object (2), in such a way that the magnetic induction supply system (Sa) is situated close to the charging circuit (if) -14 -including a winding connected to the electric battery (ic), and provided with an indicator informing the user whether the object is correctly or incorrectly disposed on its charging base as a function of the presence or the absence of a current in the charging circuit respectively.
9. Device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the electronic circuits (1) integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2) includes an electronic proximity switch (1 e) which detects the positioning on the charging base (5) in order to cut off the supply for the circuits of the wireless communication system (1 b) and of the analogue pressure sensor (la) and to isolate the electric battery (ic) during charging.
10. Device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the electronic circuits (1) integrated in the hollow space (2b) of the object (2) are held approximately in the centre of the hollow space (2b) by retaining members (3) made from resilient material.
11. Device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the local communication interface (8) is incorporated either in a relay device (7) which is situated outside the object (2) in the environment of the person manipulating the object (2) and enables reception of the measured values relating to the compression of the object (2) and transmission thereof by emission of a long-range digital signal (9) to a remote processing terminal (10), or directly to a processing terminal (10) situated outside the object (2) in the environment of the person manipulating the object (2).
12. Device as claimed in Claim 11, characterised in that the relay device (7) is either incorporated in the charging base (5) or in a mobile telephone or any other type of device which enables reception of measured values relating to the compression of the object (2) and transmission thereof by emission of a long-range digital signal (9) to a remote processing terminal (10).
13. Device as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that the relay device can include a means (7b) for displaying the measured values and in all cases includes means (7a) for storing the measured values.-15 -
14. Device as claimed in Claim 11, characterised in that the processing terminal (10) includes means (1 Oa) for making modifications as required to the processing applied to the measured values relating to the compression of the object (2).