Methods and apparatus for rehabilitation and training

Abstract

A method of rehabilitation using an actuator type that includes a movement mechanism capable of applying a force that interacts with a motion of a patient's limb in a volume of at least 30 cm in diameter, in at least three degrees of freedom of motion of the actuator and capable of preventing substantial motion in any point in any direction in said volume, in which a same movement mechanism is used at two different places of rehabilitation.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A distributed rehabilitation system, comprising:
 at least one rehabilitation device;   at least one monitoring site remotely located from the at least one rehabilitation device in communication with the at least one rehabilitation device through a communications network; and,   a station at the at least one monitoring site, with at least a display and a user input and configured for monitoring the at least one rehabilitation device;   wherein when there is one rehabilitation device in the system there is a plurality of monitoring sites and when there is a plurality of rehabilitation devices in the system there is at least one remote monitoring site.   
     
     
         3 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one rehabilitation device is configured to be controllable by the station through the communications network. 
     
     
         4 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of monitoring sites is divided by a skill level of a monitoring health care provider. 
     
     
         5 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 2 , wherein the station is configured for real-time monitoring of the at least one rehabilitation device. 
     
     
         6 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 2 , wherein the station is portable. 
     
     
         7 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 2 , further comprising a database storing patient data. 
     
     
         8 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of rehabilitation devices are in communication with each other through the communications network. 
     
     
         9 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of rehabilitation devices are grouped into at least one network based on at least one of: similar or overlapping ailments; treatments; prognoses; and personal matching of patients using of the devices. 
     
     
         10 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the plurality of rehabilitation devices displays the progress of the user of at least one of the other rehabilitation devices. 
     
     
         11 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 8 , wherein each of the rehabilitation devices of the plurality of rehabilitation devices is tasked with accomplishing a specific goal which forms a part of a group of collective goals of the plurality of rehabilitation devices. 
     
     
         12 . The distributed rehabilitation system of  claim 8 , wherein one of the plurality of rehabilitation devices is designated by the system as a group leader for the other of the plurality of rehabilitation devices to follow. 
     
     
         13 . A rehabilitation device, comprising:
 a joint having freedom of motion in at least two degrees of freedom, the joint including
 a first frame, and a second frame, rotatably attached to the first frame at at least one shared pivot point; 
   an actuator, operationally coupled to the joint, that includes a movement mechanism capable of applying a force to the joint in at least two degrees of freedom of motion;   a radial extension attached to said joint and adapted for movement with a limb of a person at at least one point of the radial extension; and   a controller adapted to control motion of the joint and the actuator and thereby motion of said radial extension.   
     
     
         14 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 13 , where the first frame is rotatably attached to the second frame by at least one hinge. 
     
     
         15 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 14 , further comprising a guiding frame attached to the hinge, wherein the guiding frame includes a guide pathway for an extension configured to project through the guide pathway. 
     
     
         16 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 13 , further comprising a balancing weight. 
     
     
         17 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 13 , further comprising a worm gear and pinion assembly coupling the actuator to the first frame and the second frame. 
     
     
         18 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 17 , wherein the worm gear is configured with a lead angle small enough to prevent motion of the radial extension from back-driving the actuator. 
     
     
         19 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 13 , wherein the radial extension is configured to be at least one of removable and reversibly extendible along a z-axis extending away from the joint. 
     
     
         20 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 19 , further comprising a replaceable handle attached to the radial extension. 
     
     
         21 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 20 , further comprising a modular connector configured to connect the replaceable handle to the radial extension. 
     
     
         22 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 20 , further comprising a release pin configured to connect the replaceable handle to the radial extension. 
     
     
         23 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 13 , further comprising at least one braking mechanism and at least one force control mechanism. 
     
     
         24 . The rehabilitation device according to  claim 13 , further comprising at least one rotational or positional sensor. 
     
     
         25 . A method of using a rehabilitation device, comprising:
 moving a radial extension operatively connected to a joint having freedom of motion in at least two degrees of freedom, the joint including a first frame, and a second frame, rotatably attached to the first frame at at least one shared pivot point;   wherein the moving is conducted by an actuator operationally coupled to the joint, the actuator including a movement mechanism capable of applying a force to the joint in at least two degrees of freedom of motion.   
     
     
         26 . A method of using a rehabilitation device according to  claim 25 , further comprising applying selective resistance to the moving using at least one braking mechanism. 
     
     
         27 . A method of using a rehabilitation device according to  claim 25 , further comprising applying selective resistance to the moving for balancing.