Apparatus and method for gait training

Abstract

Arrangement for training the gait, comprising a predetermined walking surface, kick-on location sensing means for determining actual kick-on locations where a patient kicks his feet on the walking surface, which kick-on sensing means are associated to the walking surface, a training program memory for storing a gait training program which comprises data for predetermining a sequence of instructed kick-on locations for the feet of the patient on the walking surface, a display apparatus for displaying images which show the instructed kick-on locations, and a display synchronizing apparatus, which at its input side is connected to the training program memory and to the kick-on location sensing means and at its output side with the display apparatus to output data of the kick-on location sensing means in such manner that the display of the instructed kick-on locations is continuously adapted to sensed actual kick-on locations.

1 . Arrangement for training the gait, comprising:
 a predetermined walking surface,   kick-on location sensing means for determining actual kick-on locations where a patient kicks his feet on the walking surface, which kick-on sensing means are associated to the walking surface,   a training program memory for storing a gait training program which comprises data for predetermining a sequence of instructed kick-on locations for the feet of the patient on the walking surface,   a display apparatus for displaying images which show the instructed kick-on locations, and   a display synchronizing apparatus, which at its input side is connected to the training program memory and to the kick-on location sensing means and at its output side with the display apparatus to output data of the kick-on location sensing means in such manner that the display of the instructed kick-on locations is continuously adapted to sensed actual kick-on locations.   
     
     
         2 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the kick-on location sensing means comprise a memory unit for, in a timely resolved manner, storing a sequence of sequentially sensed actual kick-on locations or a parameter which characterizes such sequence, and the display synchronizing apparatus is adapted for loading the sequence and for adapting the instructed kick-on locations to be displayed to the sensed sequence. 
     
     
         3 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the display apparatus comprises a display or projection screen which is positioned above the walking surface. 
     
     
         4 . Arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein the display apparatus comprises an image projector and the walking surface is adapted to serve as projection screen. 
     
     
         5 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , comprising a feedback unit for detecting contacts of the walking surface by the subject at the place where predetermined image elements are displayed, or at places where no predetermined image element is displayed, and for outputting a warning or information signal in response thereto. 
     
     
         6 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , comprising a user guide unit for the visual and/or audible output of display-accompanying instructions, particularly by means of earphones and/or text projections onto the area of the walking surface. 
     
     
         7 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , comprising an endless belt guided over at least two rollers and serving as a treadmill, the one surface of which serves as the walking surface. 
     
     
         8 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the kick-on location sensing means comprise:
 a force measurement plate located underneath the walking surface, which is provided with a plurality of pressure/force sensors on the side facing the endless belt, an analyzing unit connected, on the input side, to the pressure/force sensors, which detects pressure distributions processing unit connected on the input side, to the analyzing unit, which determines the actual kick-on locations from the pressure distributions.   
     
     
         9 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the kick-on location sensing means comprises optical detector means for detecting the position of the feet of the patient at the point of time of kicking-on to the walking surface, in particular a camera or light barrier unit. 
     
     
         10 . Arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the data concerning the determination of the sequence of instructed kick-on locations comprise an instructed step width and/or wherein the parameter for characterizing the sequence of instructed kick-on locations is an actual step width. 
     
     
         11 . Arrangement of  claim 10 , wherein in the display synchronizing apparatus an algorithm for movingly adapting a pre-programmed instructed step width to a sensed step width is implemented. 
     
     
         12 . Method for training the gait of a patient on a predetermined walking surface, wherein
 by means of kick-on location sensing means which are associated to the walking surface actual kick-on locations are sensed, where the patient kicks his feet onto the walking surface,   according to a predetermined training program a sequence of predetermined instructed kick-on locations of the feet of the patient on the walking surface is calculated and   by means of a display apparatus images are displayed to the patient, which show instructed kick-on locations of his feet, wherein the display is continuously synchronized for showing instructed kick-on locations which are adapted to the sensed kick-on locations which have been detected by means of the kick-on location sensing means.   
     
     
         13 . Method of  claim 12 , wherein, in timely resolved manner, a sequence of actual kick-on locations is being sequentially detected and the synchronization of the display for showing the adapted instructed kick-on locations is made in response to the sequence of actual kick-on locations. 
     
     
         14 . Method of  claim 12 , wherein the synchronization of the displayed instructed kick-on locations to the sensed kick-on locations comprises movingly adapting a predetermined instructed step width to a sensed step width of the patient. 
     
     
         15 . Method of  claim 12 , wherein the sensing of the actual kick-on locations of the feet of the patient onto the walking surface comprises an optical detection, in particular by means of a camera or light barrier, or is based on the detection of pressure distribution images of the feet of the patient on a matrix-type pressure sensor arrangement located underneath the walking surface.