Patent ID: 9233046
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: A61H

Claim Text:
1. A universal haptic drive system for arm and wrist rehabilitation, comprising: a hand accessory comprising a hand grip which is adjustable according to a specified task; a substantially vertical handle connected to the hand accessory, the substantially vertical handle connected to a substantially vertical rod, and the substantially vertical rod is received in and extends through a bearing enabling the substantially vertical rod to rotate inside the bearing to enable the movement of the substantially vertical handle in the transversal plane with respect to the substantially vertical handle; and a wire-based haptic actuator system having two degrees of freedom and connected to an end of the substantially vertical rod to actuate the substantially vertical rod with two degrees of freedom and thereby apply a force to the substantially vertical handle and actuate the substantially vertical handle with two degrees of freedom; wherein the substantially vertical handle comprises a first section, a second section, a two degree of freedom universal joint, and a lock to lock the universal joint and render the universal joint inoperable, the first section being connected to the hand accessory at one end thereof and to the universal joint at an opposite end thereof, and the second section being connected to the substantially vertical rod at one end thereof and to the universal joint at an opposite end thereof; the universal joint is in series with the haptic actuator system by a plurality of wires of the wire-based haptic actuator having two degrees of freedom; when the universal joint is unlocked and operable, the first section and the second section are movable relative to one another to define a first workspace for the substantially vertical handle to provide two additional degrees of freedom actuated movements required for wrist rehabilitation movements, and when the universal joint is locked and inoperable, the first section and the second section are fixed relative to one another to inhibit the two additional degrees of freedom provided by the universal joint, thereby defining a second workspace for the substantially vertical handle which provides actuated movements with two degrees of freedom required for arm rehabilitation movements.