TRAINING AID

Abstract: Training aid for the treatment of strabismus and/or defects in the motory function of the eye. By means of the invention such an aid is provided, which is of simple design, comprises few components and is simple to use. A path of movement, which is intended to be compulsorily followed by a hand of a person, exhibits an indicating means (2) and an actuating means (15), which latter one can be connected with said indicating means (2) in order to sense said path during the displacement along the same of said indicating means (2) and the hand, whereby said connection brings about a forward feed of the indicating means (2) along the path and/or indicates deviations from said path of movement.

Description: Training aid The present invention relates to a training aid for the treatment of strabismus and/or defects in the. motory function of the eye. It is a principle object of the invention to provide a training aid of the kind mentioned above, which is of a simple design and comprises few components and moreover is simple to use. This object is obtained by means of a training aid according to the present invention, which is substantially characterized by a path of movement, which is intended to be compulsorily followed by a hand of a person, exhibiting means of indication, and actuating means, which can be connected with said indication means in order to sense said path, while the indication means and the hand are displaced along the path, whereby said connection brings about the forward feed of the indicating means along the path and/or indicates deviations from the path of movement. An embodiment of the invention is described in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a training aid designed according to the invention, and Fig. 2 shows the training aid in a side elevational and partly sectional view. A disc 1, which at its periphery supports a magnetic body 2, is rotatably supported by a shaft 3. This shaft 3 is provided with a gear 4, which via two worm gears 5 and 6 can be driven by means of a battery-operated motor 7. The motor 7 is in its turn supported by one end portion of a long base 8, which by way of example is adapted to be supported by one hand of a person. The other end of this base supports a counter device 9, the cooperation of which with the disc 1 will be explained later. Batteries for the operation of the motor 7 are enclosed in the centre portion 10 of the long base. A counterweight 11 is provided on the disc on. the other side of the centre shaft 3 right in fron of the magnetic body 2. There is a terminal contact 12 at the extreme end of the base 8, said contact being connecte with the batteries for the closing of the circuit to the motor 7. There is a plug 13 inserted into this contact 12, which plug via a twin conductor 14 is connected with an actuating means 15. As is the case in the present embodi¬ ment, said actuating means 15 can comprise a contact 15, which is closed by magnetic actuation. As is evident from Fig. 2, the base 8 and the disc 1 are enclosed in a box-like casing 16, which is provided with supporting feet 17 in order to make possible that the device can be supported by way of example on a table. The device can also be designed in such a way that the disc 1 will extend in a vertical plane, and the whole device can also be mounted in such a manner that the disc will be pivoted on a determined shaft in a reciprocating movement. An edge 18 is formed at the top of the casing 16 whereby the peripherical edge la of the disc 1 is protecte against touch, so that the disc 1 cannot be caused to rotate by manipulation of the edge of the disc. The function of the training aid described above, which is in the first place intended for training o simultaneous movements of the eyes and the hand of the person, will now be described more in detail. The counter device 9 is set to zero by means of the push button 1§, after the disc 1 has been rotated in such a manner that th magnetic body has stopped right above the indicating senso 20 of the counter device 9. The contact 15 is gripped by the person, which shall utilize the training aid, and by moving the contact 15 towards the disc 1 to the space righ above the magnetic body 2 the contact 15 is closed, whereb current from the batteries is conducted to the driving motor 7, which in its turn brings the disc 1 to rotate. This rotation continues going on, as long as the contact 1 is kept closed by means of the magnetic actuation, i.e. as long as the contact 15 is in the space right above the magnet 2. Thus, by following the movement of the magnet 2 with the contact 15 according to the rotation of the disc 1, the hand and the eye are trained to cooperate by being forced to follow the path of movement, which the magnet 2 describes. Thus, the rotation of the disc 1 is stopped, when the contact 15 gets outside of the magnetic field of the magnet 2. When the magnet again gets closer, the result is a renewal of the movement of the disc. The counter device 9 is actuated for each revolution, i.e. each time the magnet 2 passes over the indicating sensor 20. The training goes on until a predetermined number of revolu¬ tions have been obtained, whereupon the left or the right eye or both eyes can be trained to simultaneously with the hand follow the path, in which the magnetic body is moving. Alternative designs of the training aid can be made by arranging a fixed path, along which a body or similar can be forced to displace itself by the movements of the hand of the person. The path can by way of example comprise a light sensoring means, which senses a movable light-beam generator, for example a photoelectric cell device and is actuated by the same. A counter device can then be arranged to sense the deviations of the hand and the light-beam generator from the path of movement. The invention is not limited to the embodi¬ ment described above and illustrated in the drawings, ~ but can be varied as to its details within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: C l a i m s 1. Training aid for the treatment of strabismu and/or defects in the motory function of the eye, c h a r . t e r i z e d b y" a path of movement, which is intended to be compulsorily followed by a hand of a person, exhibit means of indication (2) and by actuating means (15) , which can be connected with said indicating means (2) , in order to sense said path, while the indicating means and the han are displaced along the path, whereby said connection brings about the-forward feed of the indicating means (2) along the path and/or indicates deviations from the path o movement. 2. Training aid according to claim 1, c h a r t e r i z e d b y the path of movement being described b displacement in space of an indicating means (2) . 3. Training aid according to claim 2, c h a r t e r i z e d b y comprising a circular disc (1) , which can be driven and exhibits at least one magnetic body (2) , light-beam generator etc, which is preferably positioned near to the periphery of said disc. 4. Training aid according to claim 3, c h a r t e r i z e d b y the disc (1) being driven by a motor (7) , with which said actuating means (15) , which for examp comprises a switch (15) or similar, that can actuate the indicating means (2), can be connected. 5. Training aid according to claim 4, c h a r t e r i z e d b y the switch (15) , when sensing the magnetic body (2) or similar and establishing a connection with the same, closes the circuit to the driving motor (7) , whereby the disc (1) is gradually fed forwards according t the displacement of the hand and the switch (15) along the path under simultaneous sensing of the magnetic body (2) . 6. Training aid according to anyone of the claims 3-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y exhibiting a protecting arrangement (18) against touch extending along the periphery of the disc (1) . 7. Training aid according to anyone of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y a counter device (9) being provided in order to cooperate with the actuating means (15) and to indicate its connection with the indicating means (2) . 8. Training aid according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y the counter device (9) comprising a counter (9) indicating the number of completed revolutions.

Inventors: PARLENVI P
Applicants: IKONDATA AB, PARLENVI P
Application year: 1981
Main classification: A61H5
IPC codes: A61H5