Patent Application
20230023019
The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to tremor stabilisation apparatus and methods, in particular to gyroscopic devices for use in stabilisation of tremors of parts of the body, both physiological and pathological, especially the hands.
Involuntary muscle tremors occur in a range of neurological conditions, notably degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,571 describes an early proposal in which a battery-driven gyroscope is held against the back face of the hand by a strap. A gyroscope seeks to maintain the orientation of its spinning axis and resists any action that seeks to cause a change in that orientation. Thus the theory of using a gyroscope is that the onset of a muscle tremor causes a movement in the hand but the gyroscope acts against that movement, substantially cancelling out the tremor.
WO2016/102958A1, the Applicant's earlier patent application, discloses a gyroscopic device for tremor stabilisation. The gyroscopic device includes a rotatable flywheel mounted to a gimbal that is in turn mounted to a turntable within a housing of the gyroscopic device. The gimbal permits precession of the flywheel, and the flywheel and gimbal can rotate on the turntable to match the direction of the tremor. Elastomeric dampers are provided to control precession of the flywheel.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided apparatus for hand tremor stabilisation comprising a rotatable flywheel assembly mountable to a hand of a user; wherein the rotatable flywheel assembly comprises i) a flywheel having a flywheel mass, m, and a flywheel diameter, d, and ii) a prime mover adapted to rotate the flywheel at a rotational speed, R, about a flywheel rotation axis such that the flywheel assembly generates an angular momentum having a magnitude of between about 0.05 kgm2/s and about 0.30 kgm2/s.
Advantageously, it has been found that this range of angular momentum provides effective hand tremor stabilisation without impeding voluntary movements. Angular momentum below this range was found to be ineffective at tremor stabilisation, and angular momentum in excess of this range was found to suppress voluntary movements.
In preferred examples, the mass, m, of the flywheel is equal to or less than 2 kg, preferably equal to or less than 1 kg, more preferably equal to or less than 0.5 kg, more preferably between about 0.05 kg and 0.5 kg, more preferably between about 0.1 kg and 0.2 kg.
In preferred examples, the flywheel diameter, d, is equal to or less than about 150 mm, more preferably equal to or less than about 100 mm, more preferably equal to or less than about 80 mm, more preferably about 50 mm.
In preferred examples, the rotational speed, R, of the flywheel is between about 5,000 RPM and 70,000 RPM, preferably between about 10,000 RPM and 30,000 RPM, more preferably between about 15,000 RPM and about 30,000 RPM.
Such apparatus has been found to be suitable for wearing on a user's hand while providing effective tremor stabilisation.
In some examples, the apparatus may further comprise a controller configured to control the prime mover, and a sensor arranged to detect a characteristic of a movement of the hand of the user when the rotatable flywheel assembly is mounted to the hand of the user. The controller may be configured to control the prime mover to rotate the flywheel at a rotational speed, R, based on the detected characteristic.
In some examples, the sensor is arranged to detect a characteristic of a hand tremor when the rotatable flywheel assembly is mounted to the hand of the user, for example an amplitude, frequency, and/or acceleration of a hand tremor.
In some examples, the apparatus further comprises a housing, and the rotatable flywheel assembly may further comprise a gimbal. The flywheel may be mounted to the gimbal, and the gimbal may be pivotally mounted to the housing about a precession axis such that the flywheel can precess with respect to the housing.
In some examples, the housing comprises a turntable and the gimbal is pivotally mounted to the turntable to define the precession axis. The turntable may be rotatable about a pivot such that the precession axis can rotate relative to the housing.
In other examples, the housing comprises a hinge seat that cooperates with a hinge member of the gimbal to pivotally mount the gimbal to the housing about a precession axis that is fixed relative to the housing.
Preferably, the flywheel comprises a central disc portion and a circumferential skirt extending in an axial direction of the flywheel rotation axis, the circumferential skirt defining a recessed cavity. The recessed cavity may comprise at least 50% of the total mass of the flywheel, preferably at least 75% of the total mass of the flywheel.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure there is provided apparatus for tremor stabilisation comprising a housing that is attachable to a part of a user's body, for example a hand, and a rotatable flywheel assembly mounted to the housing, the rotatable flywheel assembly comprising a rotatable flywheel and a prime mover arranged to rotate the flywheel about a flywheel rotation axis; wherein the flywheel comprises a central disc portion and a circumferential skirt extending in an axial direction of the flywheel rotation axis, the circumferential skirt defining the recessed cavity and comprising at least 50% of the total mass of the flywheel, preferably at least 75% of the total mass of the flywheel.
In some examples, the prime mover is at least partly nested in the recessed cavity of the flywheel.
Preferably, the prime mover comprises an electric motor. The electric motor may comprise one or more of:
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method of manufacturing tremor stabilisation apparatus for attaching to a part of a user's body, for example a hand, the tremor stabilisation apparatus comprising a flywheel for generating gyroscopic forces to stabilise tremors in the user's body part, the method comprising:
The method may further include attaching the motor and the flywheel to a gimbal comprising a hinge member for a precession axis of the rotatable flywheel assembly, mounting the gimbal to an accelerometer assembly via the hinge member, using the motor to rotate the flywheel on the accelerometer assembly, and removing material from, or adding material to, the rotating element.
The flywheel is preferably made by turning a material blank on a lathe to form the flywheel, the turning comprising cutting material from the material blank from an end of the material blank opposite to a chuck of the lathe to form a profile of the flywheel, and cutting off the flywheel from the material blank without re-clamping the material blank in the lathe.
In examples, material may be removed from, or added to, the flywheel by a non-contact process, for example ablation such as laser ablation or electron beam ablation.
Preferably, the flywheel comprises a circumferential face, and wherein the step of removing material from, or adding material to, the flywheel comprises removing material from or adding material to at least two planes of the circumferential surface of the flywheel.
In examples, the method may comprise:
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure there is provided tremor stabilisation apparatus manufactured according to the method described above.
The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
A gyroscope is a device having a rotatable disc, for example a flywheel, which is rotatable about a flywheel rotation axis. As the flywheel rotates, the gyroscope will resist the action of an applied couple and tends to maintain a fixed orientation. If the gyroscope is rotationally displaced, angular momentum is conserved through nutation of the device about an axis which is mutually perpendicular to the flywheel rotation axis and the axis through which the device is displaced.
A gyroscope will exert a gyroscopic moment which is proportional in magnitude to the moment of inertia of the flywheel, the angular velocity of the flywheel and the angular velocity of nutation. The direction vector of the gyroscopic moment is proportional to the vector cross product of the angular velocity of the flywheel and the angular velocity of the nutation of the device.
The apparatus of the present invention comprises a gyroscope device having a rotatable gyroscope assembly and a housing. The rotatable gyroscope assembly comprises a rotatable flywheel that is rotatable about a flywheel rotation axis. The flywheel is mounted for precession about a precession axis such that displacement of the flywheel is restricted to rotation about the precession axis. In some examples, the flywheel is mounted to a gimbal which is hingedly attached to the housing to define the precession axis. In other examples, the gimbal is mounted to a turntable of the housing so that the precession axis can be rotated within the housing. The housing is attachable to a part of a user's body, for example a hand, and in use the flywheel rotates and a tremor of the user's body part causes displacement the flywheel and gimbal about the precession axis, generating a counter-rotational force that opposes the tremor, thereby acting to stabilise the tremor.
The apparatus of the present invention may include a plurality of gyroscope devices spaced about the part of the user's body. The plurality of gyroscope devices together apply a cumulative net gyroscopic moment to the body when the state of equilibrium of the body is perturbed, such as during a tremor or rotational displacement, but allows for the use of smaller gyroscopes, thereby spreading the mass of the gyroscopes across the body part making the device easier to wear and also reducing the bulk of the apparatus, thereby hindering dexterity and movement to a lesser degree.
In other examples, the glove 10 may be replaced with a simple strap or other means of attaching the gyroscope device 11 firmly to the hand or other part of the user's body. The attachment of the gyroscope device 11 to the user's body part is sufficiently rigid to transfer tremors from the body part to the gyroscope device 11, and to transfer gyroscopic forces from the gyroscope device 11 to the user's body part.
The described examples are of a gyroscope device 11 that can be attached to a user's hand 12, but it will be appreciated that the tremor stabilisation apparatus, in particular the gyroscope device 11, can be attached to any part of the user's body to stabilise tremors in that body part or in nearby body parts. For example, the gyroscope device 11 could be attached to a user's forearm, upper arm, shoulder, upper leg, lower leg, ankle, neck, torso, or head to stabilise tremors in those body parts. As described above, a user may be provided with a plurality of gyroscope devices 11 mounted to different body parts. The different gyroscope devices 11 may act to stabilise tremors in different body parts, or they may cooperate with each other to stabilise tremors in a particular body part. For example, a user may have a first gyroscope device 11 mounted to their upper arm, a second gyroscope device 11 mounted to their forearm, and a third gyroscope device 11 mounted to their hand, and all of the three gyroscope devices 11 would act to stabilise tremors in the user's arm and hand with the purpose of providing a steady hand for performing a task, such as eating.
In examples, the power pack may be rechargeable by connecting it to a mains electricity supply, for example by a recharging cable. In examples the power pack has a single connector that can be connected either to a cable 16 of the gyroscope device 11 or to a recharging cable.
In examples, the cable 16 of the gyroscope device 11 has a magnetic component and the connector of the power pack has an opposing magnetic component such that the magnetic components act to magnetically attract the cable 16 of the gyroscope device 11 to the connector. In examples, the power pack includes a sensor, for example a Hall effect sensor, configured to detect the magnetic component of the cable 16 of the gyroscope device 11. In this way, the power pack can detect if it is connected to the gyroscope device 11 or to a recharging cable (which doesn't have a magnetic component). In examples, a connector on the recharging cable that connects to the power pack comprises a shroud configured to prevent the recharging cable from being connected to the power pack when the power pack is being worn. For example, the shroud may comprise a protrusion arranged to surround a part of the power pack that is placed against the user, and therefore inaccessible, when the power pack is worn. Accordingly, the shroud can prevent the recharging cable from being connected to the power pack when the power pack is being worn.
In some examples, the gyroscope device 11 has an integrated power supply, for example a battery, and in this example the cable 16 may not be needed.
As shown in
As shown in
As illustrated, the gimbal 26 comprises a motor mounting portion 30 in the form of a planar member to which the motor 25 is attached. The motor mounting portion 30 is disposed between the motor 25 and the flywheel 24 and comprises an opening 31 through which the motor shaft 29 passes. The gimbal 26 also comprises hinge members 32 that extend beyond the outer edge of the flywheel 24 and cooperate with hinge seats 33 formed in the housing 17 to provide a hinge between the gimbal 26 and the housing 17. In this way, the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, in particular the gimbal 26, motor 25 and flywheel 24, are hingedly mounted within the housing 17 for rotation about precession axis 34. In FIG, 3B the precession axis 34 extends across the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, and in
The motor 25 is thereby arranged to rotate the flywheel 24 within the housing 17, which is attached to the user's hand 12 as illustrated in
As explained above, electrical power is provided via a cable (16, see
When the user's hand 12 experiences a tremor the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is angularly displaced about the precession axis 34. The gyroscopic effect of the rotating flywheel 24 generates a gyroscopic force that acts against the tremor. The gyroscopic force is transferred to the user's hand 12 through the housing 17 and mount 15. As explained further hereinafter, biasing members 35 are arranged to control precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34.
As shown in
In some examples, the springs 35 are attached to both the housing 17 and the plate members 36 of the gimbal 26 such that extension of the springs 35 also urges the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 back to an equilibrium position (shown in
Therefore, the springs 35 are used to control precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34. The biasing force provided by the springs 35 advantageously increases the frequency of tremors that can be stabilised by returning the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to the equilibrium position more quickly than the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 would return of its own volition due to the gyroscopic force. As hand tremors typically have a small magnitude and high frequency (i.e. short and sharp tremors), the springs 35 advantageously allow the gyroscope device 11 to counteract successive tremors by limiting the angular displacement about the precession axis 34 and by returning the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to the equilibrium position quickly.
A plate member 36 of the gimbal 26 extends in an opposite direction to the hinge member 32 and engages a spring 35 in the same manner as described above. In this example, the spring 35 is attached to the internal surface 37 of the housing 17 and to the plate member 36 such that the spring 35 opposes precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 in either direction about the precession axis 34, either through compression or extension of the spring 35.
The housing 17 and the gimbal 26 are configured to limit rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34.
In examples, an elastomeric dampener 42 is disposed between the spring 35 and the plate member 36. The elastomeric dampener 42 acts to dampen forces applied to the plate member 36 by the spring 35, and vice versa. The elastomeric dampener 42 may be, for example, a silicon or nylon insert. In some examples, the elastomeric dampener 42 is alternatively disposed between the housing 17 and the spring 35, in seat 41. In some examples, a first elastomeric dampener is provided between the spring 35 and the plate member 36, and second elastomeric dampener is provided between the housing 17 and the spring 35.
In the example of
As illustrated in
In this way, the gimbal 26 and housing 17 are configured to limit rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34. In examples, the maximum angle of precession is preferably less than about 30 degrees, more preferably less than about 20 degrees, and more preferably about 10 degrees, and most preferably about 5 degrees. Limiting the angle of precession advantageously means that the rotatable gyroscope assembly 23 does not precess more than is needed to generate a restorative force for a tremor, limits the magnitude of angular momentum that is generated to prevent the gyroscopic forces becoming too large, and ensures that the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 returns to the equilibrium position in a short amount of time such that any subsequent tremor can be counteracted (i.e. ensures that the gyroscope device 11 is reactive to successive tremors). Moreover, limiting the angle of precession provides for a more compact gyroscope device 11 because the housing 17 does not need to accommodate further rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34.
In the example gyroscope device 11 of
The biasing member or members 35 of the example of
As explained above, the axis of precession 34 of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is defined by a hinge formed between the gimbal 26 and the housing 17. The orientation of the precession axis 34 is fixed with respect to the housing 17, and as explained previously the housing 17 is fixed with respect to the hand 12 of a user during use.
As explained below, the angular offset between the precession axis 34 and the hand axis 44 allows tremors in the user's hand 12 to cause displacement of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34, and also allows the gyroscopic force generated by the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to counteract the tremor.
In particular, a tremor of a user's hand 12 will comprise some combination of rotation about the hand axis 44, a cross-hand axis 46 perpendicular to the hand axis 44 and in the plane of the hand 12, and a third axis (not shown) that is perpendicular to both the hand axis 44 and the cross-hand axis 46 (i.e. normal to the plane of the image in
In preferred examples, the angular offset between the precession axis 34 and the hand axis 44 is between 5 degrees and 85 degrees, preferably between 5 degrees and 45 degrees, more preferably between 10 degrees and 20 degrees. The preferred angular offset between the precession axis 34 and the hand axis 44 provides for greater stabilisation of tremors about the hand axis 44 than about the cross-hand axis 46 because tremors about the hand axis 44 are generally the most disruptive to tasks being performed.
Specifically, the gyroscopic effect generated by the angular momentum of the flywheel 24 acts at 90 degrees to the precession axis 34. Therefore, in the arrangement shown in
The angular arrangement of the precession axis 34 with respect to the hand axis 44 can be tailored for the tremor profile of a particular user. In the applicant's earlier application WO2016/102958A1 the rotatable flywheel assembly is mounted to a turntable within the housing so that the angular offset is varied according to the tremor. However, the inventors have found that the angular position of the precession axis with respect to the user's hand 12 can be fixed, which advantageously provides effective tremor stabilisation while maintaining a small, low profile and lighter gyroscope device 11 with fewer moving parts. In addition, a fixed precession axis, as described above, improves transfer for the gyroscopic forces from the gyroscope device 11 to the user's hand 12 because there are fewer moving parts between the flywheel 24 and the mount 15, thereby reducing any damping that might be provided by such moving parts (e.g. due to flex, play in bearings, or the like).
In some examples, the position of the precession axis 34 with respect to the user's hand 12 can be set based on a tremor profile of the user. For example, a user who primarily experiences hand tremors about hand axis 44 could be provided with a gyroscope device 11 having a precession axis 34 that is aligned with the hand axis 44 so that the stabilisation force is only provided about the hand axis 44. However, most users will experience a tremor profile that is best addressed by an angular offset of between 5 degrees and 85 degrees between the hand axis 44 and the precession axis 34, as shown in
In some examples, the gyroscope device 11 is configured such that the precession axis 34 is parallel to the cross-hand axis 46 or the hand axis 44. As explained above, a user's hand tremor comprises movement in different directions and so it is possible for the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to be angularly displaced (i.e. precess) in any orientation of the precession axis 34 on the hand 12. In addition, if the gyroscope device 11 is used on other body parts then the precession axis 34 can be arranged in different orientations according to the tremors of that body part.
In addition, the spring or springs 35 provided to control precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 and to return the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to the equilibrium position can be selected according to a user's tremor profile. In particular, a user with higher magnitude, lower frequency tremors would be best addressed by springs 35 having a lower spring rate than a user with lower magnitude, higher frequency tremors. Therefore, the springs 35 can be selected to provide a customised gyroscope device 11.
In the example of
In some examples, a motor 89 may be provided to control rotation of the turntable 86 and rotatable flywheel assembly 23, or the turntable 86 and rotatable flywheel assembly 23 may be freely rotatable about the pivot 87 within the housing 17 so that the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 can orientate itself based on a user's tremors.
In preferred examples, the biasing member 35 acting between the gimbal 26 and the housing 17 or turntable 86 of the gyroscope device 11 comprises an adjustable force biasing member.
An adjustable force biasing member, as described above, may be provided to any of the example gyroscope devices 11 of
For example, the adjustable force biasing member may comprise an adjustable spring, for example a compression spring having a threaded shaft extending through the middle of a compression spring and a threaded adjusting nut mounted on the threaded shaft such that rotation of the threaded shaft and/or the threaded adjusting nut compresses or extends the compression spring, changing the biasing force that it provides. An actuator may be provided to rotate the threaded shaft and/or the adjusting nut.
In another example, the adjustable force biasing member may comprise an adjustable force gas spring wherein a pressure of gas within the adjustable force gas spring can be varied to control the biasing force provided by the adjustable force gas spring. An actuator may be provided to reduce or increase gas pressure in the adjustable force gas spring. The actuator may comprise a release valve for reducing pressure and/or a compressor for increasing pressure.
In a further example, the adjustable force biasing member may comprise an electromagnet arrangement in which an electromagnet is provided in the housing 17 or turntable 86, and an opposing permanent magnet is provided on the gimbal (or vice versa). In this arrangement, controlling the electrical power provided to the electromagnet controls the biasing force provided by the adjustable force biasing member. An actuator may be provided to control the electromagnet.
In some examples, the biasing force of the adjustable force biasing member may be set to configure the gyroscope device 11 for a particular user. Specifically, the biasing force can be set to control precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 in a manner that is customised to a user's requirements, as discussed above. For example, the biasing force and/or maximum precession angle can be set based on a user's tremor amplitude and frequency. A user with lower magnitude, higher frequency tremors would be provided with a higher biasing force and smaller maximum precession angle, while a user with higher magnitude, lower frequency tremors would be provided with a lower biasing force and a higher maximum precession angle.
In other examples, the gyroscope device 11 may be configured to adjust the biasing force of the adjustable force biasing member during operation, that is, dynamically. This allows the biasing force to be varied according to a user's current tremors. In addition, this arrangement advantageously means that a single device could be configured for different user's based on their specific tremors.
The gyroscope device 11 of
As shown in
As illustrated in
The controller is further configured to determine a target biasing force for the adjustable force biasing member 47, 52. The target biasing force is based on the movement characteristic(s). The controller 50 is further configured to control the actuators 48 of the adjustable force biasing members 47 to provide the target biasing force, 53. The target biasing force may be based on the detected movement characteristic(s). The controller 50 may comprise a memory storing a table of target biasing forces according to the detected movement characteristic(s). The controller 50 may retrieve a target biasing force from the memory based on the detected movement characteristic(s) and control the adjustable force biasing members 47 to provide the target biasing force.
In alternative examples, the controller 50 controls the actuators 48 of the adjustable force biasing members 47 according to a proportional relationship between the detected movement characteristic(s) and a configuration of the actuator. The proportional relationship may be defined in the controller. Therefore, the controller 50 does not need to determine or retrieve an actual target biasing force value when controlling the adjustable force biasing members 47 based on the detected movement characteristic(s).
In this way, a gyroscope device 11 can be mounted to any user and it will configure operation of the adjustable force biasing members according to the user's movements, for example the user's tremors. In addition, such a gyroscope device 11 can effectively counteract a user's tremors when those tremors vary in magnitude and frequency, as is common in people affected by Parkinson's and Essential Tremors.
Additionally or alternatively, the gyroscope device 11 may comprise a sensor (not shown) arranged to detect rotation of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 about the precession axis 34. Such a sensor may detect a precession angle relative to an equilibrium position in which the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is positioned when there is no movement of the user's hand. For example, the sensor may comprise a rotary position sensor. In other examples, the sensor is arranged to detect a power being drawn by the motor 25, particularly an electrical current being drawn by the motor 25. When the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 rotates about the precession axis 34 it has been found that the gyroscopic forces applied to the motor shaft result in a higher power being drawn to rotate the flywheel 24. Therefore, precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 can be detected by sensing the power drawn by the motor 25. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor may be arranged to detect a rotational speed of the flywheel 24. In particular, the flywheel 24 rotational speed will be reduced by precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 due to the gyroscopic forces acting on the motor 25, which increases friction in the motor. The sensor may be arranged to detect an actual rotational speed of the flywheel 24 and determine a rotational speed error in comparison to the speed that the motor 25 should be rotating at (according to the controller). This rotational speed error will be proportional to the angle of precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 and so can be used to detect precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23.
In this example, the controller 50 may receive a signal from the sensor and control the actuator 48 to adjust the biasing force of the adjustable force biasing member 47 based on the detected angle of precession. For example, if the sensor detects a higher angle of precession the controller 50 may increase the biasing force provided by the adjustable force biasing member 47. In this way, the biasing force provided by the adjustable force biasing member 47 can be controlled based on the amount of precession of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, which is at least partly determined by the acceleration and magnitude of any hand movements, specifically tremors. Therefore, detecting the angle of precession allows the biasing force provided by the adjustable force biasing members 47 to be appropriate to the user's movements. In addition, the adjustable force biasing members 47 can be controlled to prevent the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 from grounding out, i.e. contacting the stop 43 described with reference to
Such a method is also illustrated in
The controller is further configured to determine a target biasing force for the adjustable force biasing member 47, 52 based on the detected angle of precession. The controller 50 is further configured to control the actuators 48 of the adjustable force biasing members 47 to provide the target biasing force, 53. The controller 50 may comprise a memory storing a table of target biasing forces according to the detected angle of precession. The controller 50 may retrieve a target biasing force from the memory based on the detected angle of precession and control the adjustable force biasing members 47 to provide the target biasing force.
In alternative examples, the controller 50 controls the actuators 48 of the adjustable force biasing members 47 according to a proportional relationship between the detected angle of precession and a configuration of the actuator. The proportional relationship may be defined in the controller. Therefore, the controller 50 does not need to determine or retrieve an actual target biasing force value when controlling the adjustable force biasing members 47 based on the detected angle of precession.
As explained previously, the force generated by the gyroscope device 11 to stabilise the user's tremors is based primarily on the angular momentum generated by the rotating flywheel 24, and on the displacement torque applied to the flywheel 24 by a user's tremor (i.e. precession). Therefore, the gyroscope device 11 will generate a higher counteracting gyroscopic force in response to a stronger tremor (and vice versa) even if the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 is steady.
Although the magnitude of the gyroscopic force generated by the flywheel 24 is inherently dependent on the severity of the tremor (i.e. the displacement torque applied to the flywheel 24 about the precession axis 34), as described below the gyroscope device 11 may additionally or alternatively be configured to control the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 to control the angular momentum generated by the gyroscope device 11. In this way, the range of forces provided by the gyroscope device 11 can be customised for a particular user with particular movement characteristics, for example tremor characteristics.
Angular momentum is a function of the inertia and rotational speed of the flywheel 24. Inertia is a function of mass and diameter of the flywheel 24, including how the mass is distributed through the radius of the flywheel 24.
A gyroscope device 11 for use on a user's body part, for example a hand, is preferably of a size and weight that does not inhibit voluntary movements of the body part and allows the user to comfortably wear the gyroscope device 11, for example as illustrated in
In particular, for use on a user's hand the gyroscope device 11 preferably has a maximum weight of about 1 kg and a maximum dimension across the gyroscope device 11 of about 80 mm. In the illustrated examples the housing 17 of the gyroscope device 11 is cylindrical to accommodate the cylindrical flywheel 24. Therefore, in examples the maximum diameter of the housing 17 is preferably about 80 mm. Preferably, for use on a user's hand, the maximum weight of the gyroscope device 11 is about 0.5 kg, and the maximum diameter of the gyroscope device 11 is about 60 mm. Such a gyroscope device 11 is comfortable for a user to wear on their hand 12 as shown in
For use on other body parts it will be appreciated that the gyroscope device 11 may be larger and heavier. For example, for use on a user's arm or leg the maximum weight of the gyroscope device 11 may be about 2 kg, more preferably about 1 kg, and the maximum diameter may be about 180 mm, more preferably about 100 mm to 150 mm. Stronger, heavier limbs such as arms and legs will require higher gyroscopic forces to stabilise stronger tremors, and so the flywheels 24 for use on these body parts are preferably heavier, for example up to 1 kg, and larger, for example up to about 160 mm.
Within the size and weight constraints described above, a gyroscope device 11 that is designed to be worn by a user can be customised for a particular user by selecting a flywheel 24 that, at a given rotational speed of the flywheel 24, provides an appropriate amount of force to stabilise tremors in the body part to which the gyroscope device 11 is attached. The force generated by the gyroscope device 11 is preferably a balance between providing enough force to stabilise tremors while still permitting voluntary movements of the body part and providing a gyroscope device 11 that is comfortable for a user to wear.
The inventors have found that some ranges of angular momentum are particularly effective at hand tremor stabilisation for a gyroscope device 11 for use on a user's hand. In particular, as illustrated in the test results shown in
In particular, tests showed that for most users an angular momentum in the range of 0.05 kgm2/s to 0.30 kgm2/s provided most effective hand tremor stabilisation without inhibiting voluntary hand movements. Angular momentum below this range was found to be ineffective at stabilising hand tremors, while angular momentum greater than this range caused suppression of voluntary hand movements, generated gyroscopic forces that were too large so that additional tremors were imparted to the user, and/or made the gyroscope device 11 too heavy and large to be worn on a user's hand.
The tests described below were conducted on 46 subjects overall. 14 of the subjects have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, and 32 of the subjects have been diagnosed with Essential Tremor. All of the tests were conducted on the same hand for each subject, typically but not exclusively the subject's dominant hand. All subjects were above 18 years old.
The subjects were provided with five different gyroscope devices worn on the user's hand. The specifications of the flywheel of each of the different gyroscope devices are detailed in the below table.
An inertial measurement unit was attached to the hand of each subject during the tests. The inertial measurement unit is a Bosch BN0055 9-axis absolute orientation sensor. The inertial measurement unit was arranged to measure the hand Euler angle about three axes (x, y, z), hand rotational velocity about the three axes (x, y, z), and hand linear acceleration in direction of the three axes (x, y, z).
During the tests, the data output from the inertial measurement unit was used to determine average rotational hand tremor amplitude by combining the Euler angle data for all three axes as a vector sum and then calculating a mean average rotational hand tremor amplitude.
The subjects were asked to perform two activities, as detailed below:
For each gyroscope device each subject was first asked to complete the activity with the gyroscope device switched off (i.e. no flywheel rotation). A baseline average rotational hand tremor amplitude is determined for each gyroscope device. Subsequently, for each gyroscope device each subject was asked to complete the activities as detailed above with the gyroscope device activated (i.e. with the flywheel rotating) and the average rotational hand tremor amplitude was measured.
As illustrated in the test results shown in
Flywheels #2, #3 and #4 demonstrated effective tremor stabilisation, while flywheel #5 reduced tremor magnitude by less than flywheels #2, #3, and #4. It was found that an angular momentum greater than about 0.30 kgm2/s resulted in poor tremor reduction because the strength of the gyroscopic forces was apparently too great for the test subjects to control, resulting in additional tremors caused by the gyroscope device 11. In addition, it was found that an angular momentum greater than about 0.30 kgm2/s tended to suppress voluntary movements of the test subjects, meaning that the test subjects had to work harder to perform the tasks, which in turn reduced the effectiveness at tremor stabilisation.
Therefore, the test results demonstrate the effectiveness of a gyroscope device at stabilising a user's hand tremors and also demonstrate that angular momentum can be set or controlled to provide effective tremor stabilisation.
In particular, the test results indicate a preferred range of angular momentum for stabilising hand tremors of between about 0.05 kgm2/s and about 0.30 kgm2/s, more particularly between about 0.08 kgm2/s and 0.20 kgm2/s. Such a range has been shown to provide effective hand tremor stabilisation while still allowing the subjects to make voluntary hand movements to perform tasks.
In particular, the inventors have found that a gyroscope device 11 having a flywheel having a mass of about 0.150 kilograms and a diameter of about 50 millimetres, with an inertia of about 6×10−5 kgm2, can be operated at rotational speeds of between 8000 RPM and 50000 RPM to provide angular momentum in the range of about 0.05 kgm2/s to 0.30 kgm2/s that can provide tremor stabilisation to a wide range of tremors in a user's hand. Such a gyroscope device 11 would also be effective at stabilising tremors in other body parts that experience similar tremors, for example a user's forearm. Therefore, a gyroscope device 11 having such a flywheel can be used for a wide variety of users and the rotational speed of the flywheel can be configured for each user to provide an appropriate angular momentum within the range of about 0.05 kgm2/s to about 0.30 kgm2/s.
For other body parts, for example arms, legs, neck, back, head, the inventors found that larger angular momentum was required due to the higher strength of muscles in these areas (leading to stronger tremors) and the larger mass of the body part experiencing the tremors.
In some examples, the controller 50 illustrated in
For example, as illustrated in the method of controlling a gyroscope device 11 shown in
The controller is further configured to determine a target angular momentum and/or a target rotational speed for the flywheel 24, 55. The target angular momentum and/or a target rotational speed is based on the sensor signals, for example the movement characteristic(s) and/or the angle of precession. The controller 50 is further configured to control the motor 25 to provide the angular momentum and/or a target rotational speed, 56.
The target angular momentum and/or a target rotational speed may be based on the detected movement characteristic(s) and/or angle of precession. The controller 50 may comprise a memory storing a table of target angular momentums and/or a target rotational speeds according to the detected movement characteristic(s) and/or angle of precession. The controller 50 may retrieve a target angular momentum and/or a target rotational speed from the memory based on the detected movement characteristic(s) and/or angle of precession, and control the motor 25 to provide the angular momentum and/or a target rotational speed. In some examples, the memory stores flywheel rotational speeds mapped against one or more movement characteristics and/or angles of precession, and the controller 50 retrieves a target flywheel rotational speed based on the detected movement characteristic(s) and/or angle of precession. In other examples, the memory stores target angular momentums mapped against one or more movement characteristics and/or angles of precession, and the controller 50 retrieves a target angular momentum based on the detected movement characteristic(s) and/or angle of precession, and then determines the target rotational speed of the flywheel 24 that corresponds to that target angular momentum. In this way, the same memory items (i.e. target angular momentums) can be used for different flywheels 24, i.e. flywheels 24 having different mass and/or radial mass distribution (rotational inertia).
In alternative examples, the controller 50 controls the motor 25 according to a proportional relationship between the detected movement characteristic(s) and a power and/or speed of the motor 25. The proportional relationship may be defined in the controller. Therefore, the controller 50 does not need to determine or retrieve an actual target angular momentum value or rotational speed value when controlling the motor 25 based on the detected movement characteristic(s).
In this way, a gyroscope device 11 can be mounted to any user and it will tune the motor 25 to provide an appropriate angular momentum for the user's movements, in particular the user's tremors. In addition, such a gyroscope device 11 can effectively counteract a user's movements, specifically tremors, when those tremors vary in magnitude and frequency, which is common in people affected by Parkinson's and Essential Tremors. Moreover, by dynamically controlling the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 the gyroscope device 11 can save energy and lengthen the operational life of the gyroscope device 11 by turning off the motor 25 when the user is not experiencing tremors.
In preferred examples, the controller 50 is configured to control the one or more adjustable force biasing members 47 to provide a target biasing force for precession, as described with reference to
The flywheel 24 comprises a profile that provides a mass distribution focussed on the outer circumferential edge of the flywheel 24, i.e. at the circumferential skirt. That is, the circumferential skirt 59 comprises the majority of the total mass of the flywheel 24.
In preferred examples, the circumferential skirt 59 comprises at least 50% of the total mass of the flywheel 21, preferably at least 60% of the total mass of the flywheel 24, more preferably at least 75% of the total mass of the flywheel 24. The configuration of the circumferential skirt 59 concentrates mass at the circumferential edge of the flywheel 24, as illustrated, which provides a flywheel 24 with higher angular inertia that can generate the desired angular momentum while limiting the overall mass of the flywheel 24.
As the mass and diameter of the flywheel 24 determine the inertia and angular momentum of the flywheel 24, and also the outer dimensions of the gyroscope device 11, it is beneficial for the mass and diameter of the flywheel 24 to be appropriate for a gyroscope device 11 for attachment to a body part of a user, for example a hand of a user. Therefore, for a gyroscope device 11 for use on a user's hand the mass of the flywheel 24 is preferably between about 0.05 kg and about 0.5 kg, more preferably between about 0.1 kg and 0.2 kg. Preferably, the diameter of the flywheel 24 is less than about 150 mm, preferably less than about 100 mm, preferably less than about 80 mm, preferably about 50 mm.
For a gyroscope device 11 for use on a different body part, for example an arm or leg, the desired angular momentum is greater and the user can support a heavier gyroscope device 11. In such applications, the flywheel may have a mass of up to about 2 kg, more preferably up to about 1 kg, more preferably less than about 0.5 kg, or between 0.2 kg and 0.5 kg. Similarly, a gyroscope device 11 for an arm or leg can be larger, and so the flywheel 24 diameter may be up to about 200 mm, more preferably about 150 mm.
Within these mass and diameter constraints the inventors have found that a flywheel with at least 75% of the mass in the circumferential skirt 59 can provide the desired range of angular momentum at rotational speeds varying between about 5000 RPM to 70000 RPM, more preferably between about 10000 RPM and 30000 RPM, more preferably between about 15000 RPM and 30000 RPM.
In addition, the circumferential skirt 59 of the flywheel 24 provides a recessed cavity 60 on one side of the flywheel 24. As illustrated in FIG, 14B, in preferred examples the gimbal 26 and the motor 25 are at least partly nested in the recessed cavity 60 of the flywheel 24. This advantageously provides a rotatable flywheel assembly 23 having a low profile, and helps to keep the centre of mass of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, and the gyroscope device 11, closer to the surface of the user's body part during use. This advantageously reduces any effects of the weight of the gyroscope device 11, such as a torque generated by the weight of the gyroscope device 11 when the hand is rotated.
As shown in
In the example of
In addition, as illustrated in
In some examples, as illustrated in
In other examples, illustrated in
In preferred examples, the motor 25 is an electric motor, for example a brushless DC motor. A brushless DC motor is preferable to a brushed motor as it will generate less dust and other matter that may impede operation of the gyroscope device 11, for example by accumulating in bearings or on the flywheel 24. As described with reference to
In preferred examples, the motor body, excluding the motor shaft 29, comprises an aspect ratio (ratio of a dimension in the axial direction of the axis of rotation 38 to a dimension in the radial direction) of about 1 or less, preferably about 0.5. This provides a low profile motor 25 that can nest in the recessed cavity 60 of the flywheel 24, as illustrated.
In preferred examples, the rotor 28 of the motor 25 comprises a diametrically-polarised magnet rotor. Such a rotor 28 provides for a low profile motor 25.
In preferred examples, the motor 25 comprises slotless and/or coreless windings, which provide for a compact and low profile motor 25.
In preferred example, the motor 25 comprises an axial flux arrangement, which provides for a compact and low profile motor 25 that can be more closely nested in the recessed cavity 60 of the flywheel 24, as illustrated.
In other examples, the motor 25 is replaced by an alternative prime mover arranged to rotate the flywheel 24. For example, the prime mover may comprise a pneumatic motor driven by compressed air supplied from a compressor. The compressor may be carried on the user's body, or it may be part of an external source. For example, if the tremor stabilisation apparatus were used at a workstation (e.g. in a factory) to assist the user, then compressed air can be provided from an external compressor via a hose. For portable tremor stabilisation apparatus (i.e. carried with the user wherever they go), the prime mover is preferably an electric motor.
In some examples, the prime mover, in particular the electric motor 25, is integrated with the flywheel 24. In these examples, as shown in
In other examples of the gyroscope device 11, the prime mover, in particular the motor 25, is not directly coupled to the flywheel 24. As shown in
In this example, the motor 25 is fixed to the housing 17, and the transmission 94 comprises a flexible or articulated shaft 95 that accommodates precession of the flywheel 24 about the precession axis 34, relative to the motor 25. Such an arrangement advantageously means that the motor 25 does not need to be mounted for rotation about the precession axis 34, making flywheel 24 precession more reactive to lower amplitude/acceleration tremors as the mass of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is lower. In addition, electrical connection to the motor 25 is simplified as the motor 25 is not moving relative to the housing 17.
As shown, the articulated shaft 95 extends from the motor 25 to the flywheel 24 and the articulated shaft 95 can bend in the plane of the rotation about the precession axis 34 (in the plane of the page of
In some examples, the transmission 94 may further comprise a clutch 97 arranged between the motor 25 from the flywheel 24 and configured to disengage the rotational connection between the motor 25 and the flywheel 24. Advantageously, this allows the flywheel 24 to spin freely of the motor 25 when the clutch 97 is disengaged. The clutch 97 may be controlled to disengage when the user is not experiencing tremors or when the user is not performing a task. In addition, the clutch 97 may be configured to disengage when the gyroscope device 11 is taken off or dropped, thereby protecting the motor 25 from forces generated by the momentum of the flywheel 24 in such a situation.
In other examples, the slots 62 are formed in a motor housing that at least partly surrounds the stator 27, and the housing is in turn mounted to the gimbal 26.
In preferred examples, the controller 50 is configured to brake the motor 25 in pulses by sequentially changing between a zero-power switch 69 configuration and an earthed switch 69 configuration. Pulsing the braking effect on the motor 25 reduces counter torques generated and experienced by the user wearing the gyroscope device 11.
In the configuration shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The bearing 100 provides support for the flywheel 24 and help to reduce transfer of non-rotational forces between the flywheel 24 and the motor 25. For example, if the gyroscope device 11 were dropped then the impact momentum generated by the flywheel 24 will not be entirely imparted onto the motor shaft 29 as some of it will be imparted onto the gimbal 26 via the bearing 100, helping to protect the motor 25 from impact forces.
Additionally or alternatively, as illustrated in
The manufacturing process comprises a first stage 72 of machining, on a lathe, from the cylindrical blank, the form of the flywheel 24. During machining 72 the lathe is used to turn the outer circumferential surface 77 of the flywheel 24, the upper surface 80 of the flywheel 24, the recessed cavity 60, and the motor mounting hole 58 from the direction of the upper surface 80. That is, the above surfaces and features of the flywheel 24 are machined from an end of the cylindrical blank protruding from a chuck of the lathe.
In a second stage 73 of the process, the flywheel 24 is cut from the cylindrical blank by cutting the face 78 perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the lathe to separate the flywheel from the cylindrical blank. Cutting the face 78 so that it is flat or convex means that the flywheel 24 can be completely machined in a single clamping operation, without having to re-clamp the flywheel 24 in the lathe, which may introduce an eccentricity.
Advantageously, by machining the flywheel 24 on the lathe from only the direction of the upper surface 80 and cutting the flywheel 24 from the blank, as per stage 73 described above, all of the surfaces of the flywheel 24 are machined without removing the flywheel 24 from the lathe. That is, the flywheel 24 is machined without re-clamping the material blank, which might introduce an eccentricity. This results in better tolerance between the surfaces of the flywheel 24, and reduces initial unbalance in the flywheel 24.
Next, in stage 74, the machined flywheel 24 is mounted to a motor 25 and a gimbal 26 of a gyroscope device 11 to form the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 described above, for example with reference to
Subsequently, in stage 75, the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is balanced to improve the balance of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23, in particular the flywheel 24. This stage 75 comprises mounting the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to an accelerometer assembly comprising a mount for the gimbal 26, a plurality of accelerometers for detecting vibrations in the gimbal 26, and laser ablation apparatus for removing material from the flywheel 24 by laser ablation. The laser ablation apparatus is arranged to remove material from the flywheel 24 at planes 79 illustrated in
In other examples, material can be removed from the flywheel 24 using other methods, for example mechanical drilling or cutting. Preferably, material is removed from the flywheel 24 by a non-contact operation that does not mechanically contact the flywheel 24, for example laser ablation or electron beam ablation. Advantageously, a non-contact operation does not cause vibrations in the flywheel 24 that might damage the motor 25. In other examples, material can be added to the flywheel 24 to balance the flywheel 24, for example by material deposition such as by welding additional material to the flywheel 24, or by drilling a hole in the flywheel 24 and inserted a heavier material in the hole. Preferably, material is added to the flywheel 24 by a non-contact material deposition operation, for example physical vapor deposition such as pulsed laser deposition.
In stage 76, after mounting the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 to the accelerometer assembly, the motor 25 of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is powered to rotate the flywheel 24 at a first speed, and material is removed from the flywheel 24 by laser ablation based on vibrations detected by the accelerometers to reduce vibrations caused by the flywheel 24. This improves the balance of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23.
Next, in stage 81, the motor 25 of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 increases the rotational speed of the flywheel 24 to a second speed, greater than the first speed of stage 76, and material is removed from the flywheel 24 by laser ablation based on vibrations detected by the accelerometers to reduce vibrations caused by the flywheel 24.
Optionally, stage 81 is repeated at even higher rotational speeds than the second speed.
The above method provides a balanced rotatable flywheel assembly 23.
Advantageously, using the motor 25 of the gyroscope device 11 during the balancing process means that the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 (i.e. the flywheel 24, gimbal 26 and motor 25) are balanced as a single unit, which provides very accurate tolerances between the motor shaft 29 and the circumferential surface 77 of the flywheel 24. The balanced rotatable flywheel assembly 23 assembly can then be assembled into the gyroscope device 11 without disturbing the balance of the rotatable flywheel assembly 23. The rotatable flywheel assembly 23 is preferably not disassembled before being assembled into a gyroscope device 11, in particular the housing 17 as illustrated in
Advantageously, performing balancing at a first speed, and then performing balancing at a second, higher speed, protects the motor 25, specifically the bearings of the motor 25, from vibrations generated by the initially unbalanced flywheel. This allows the same motor 25 to be used in the gyroscope device 11 without having disassemble the rotatable flywheel assembly 23 before being assembled into a gyroscope device 11.
The inventors have found that the above method of manufacturing and balancing the flywheel 24 has provided a balanced rotatable flywheel assembly 23 that exceeds the limits specified in ISO 1940/1, i.e. achieving a balance grade of lower than G0.4.
This high degree of balancing is particularly useful in the tremor stabilisation apparatus described herein as it minimises or eliminates vibrations and noise, which is beneficial to the user and also extends the operational life of the gyroscope device 11 and extends battery life because less power is required to drive the flywheel 24.
Although the apparatus of the present invention has been described primarily with respect to therapeutic benefits for suffers of neurological conditions inducing relatively strong tremors, the present invention is equally suitable for other uses where stabilisation of hand vibrations (for example), such as those at a normal level caused simply by pulsation of blood flow would be beneficial, such as in sports (such as archery, darts or golf); fine arts, such as painting fine detail; photography or in surgery.
For the avoidance of doubt, features or aspects of the present invention which are described herein with respect to a specific embodiment are not limited to that embodiment. The features described may be combined in any combination. Any and all such combinations are encompassed by the invention and shall not and do not constitute added subject matter.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919084.2 | Dec 2019 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB2020/053270 | 12/18/2020 | WO |
