TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a system that enables the physical therapy of people with disabilities as a result of diseases such as stroke and head trauma to be performed in a wheelchair. System; It has the potential to be applied in health fields such as medicine, biomedical engineering, physical therapy and rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applications are frequently used in the motor function treatment of neurological diseases such as stroke, traumatic spinal cord injury, and Parkinson's. tDCS is applied to the cerebral cortex by superficially applying constant and low-intensity current from the skull, and the direct current delivered from the active electrode placed in the skull reaches the reference electrode by passing through the brain tissue. In studies conducted with tDCS, mild itching, transient headache, weakness, and nausea were observed in the applied area in some people after tDCS treatment. Apart from these, no significant side effects were observed, and neuronal damage was not reported in safety studies.

In recent studies, it has been shown that tDCS acts by changing the membrane potential without generating action potential in neurons, without causing cell excitability and epileptic discharges. The degree of change in the brain is determined by the duration, polarity and direction of the applied direct current. The current passing through the brain tissue creates increasing or decreasing excitable effects in the cortical region. Excitability is determined by the intensity of the current and the polarity with anodal excitation or cathodal excitation. It is known that anodal tDCS application creates depolarization in neuron membranes with the activation of Na ⁺ -Ca ²⁺ dependent channels in neurons and increases the excitability of cortical neurons, while cathodal tDCS application decreases the excitability of neurons. In the prior art; There is no application in which the electricity produced by a wheelchair is used for the treatment (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)) of the patient using the wheelchair, which overlaps with the system described in our invention and can reveal the technical effects created by our invention.

In the patent application US2009/0234243 in 2009 by Schneider et al., a robotic deep brain stimulation device using a capped magnetic field was described. This device differs from our product because it uses a fixed and magnetic field. Our product uses transcranial direct current and differs in that it is a mobile treatment device so there is no need to go to the hospital. tDCS neuromodulation devices (https://soterixmedical.com/research/1x1/ct) produced by companies are used in motor function treatments in the clinic. Existing devices are stationary in the hospital and patients go to the clinic and perform treatment stimulation. Treatment of impaired motor function after stroke can last for months and the patient has to go to the hospital during this time. Thanks to our invention, this method, which is also used in the treatment of motor function, can be integrated into the wheelchair, and the direct current produced by the dynamo can be done by himself while the patient is walking on the street, in the garden, in the park, without going to the hospital. In addition, with the help of the electrodes fixed on the hat, the locations of the electrodes are both fixed and the psychological pressure that may come from the social environment is prevented by making the electrodes on the skull of the person invisible from the outside. Since our invention is both useful and useful, it is of great importance in the treatment of disabled people. In addition, the integration of the system with mobile devices is provided and the treatment protocol applied by the person is sent to the health institution to which he / she is connected, and it is aimed to inform him about the process.

Stroke ranks first among neurological diseases, and when we look at the causes of death in the world, it ranks second (stroke 11.8%) after cardiovascular diseases (14.8%). Stroke occurs in approximately 17 million people in the world every year and 6 million people die due to stroke. In our country, it has been reported that there are approximately 132.000 cases of stroke every year. It is estimated that approximately 70 million people will face the danger of stroke in 2030, 12 million people will die due to stroke, and over 200 million people will be disabled as a result of stroke. As the cases of stroke increase each year, it is estimated that it will cause health and economic problems in the future, and it is of great importance to prevent stroke and to apply effective treatments. Complete recovery in 25% of stroke cases, mild disability in 30%, moderate disability in 15%, severe disability in 15% and death in 15%.

In recent years, neuromodulation non-invasive treatment methods such as transcranial direct current stimulation, which do not have any side effects/negative features, are frequently used for neurological diseases. In reducing pain in diseases such as traumatic spinal cord injury, fibromyalgia, central pain and migraine; It has started to be used in the treatment of psychiatric diseases, neurological diseases and stroke rehabilitation. Neuromodulation, which has started to be preferred as a treatment option especially in motor function diseases such as stroke, head trauma and Parkinson's, has also started to be applied in motor function treatment after stroke. One of the biggest advantages of tDCS stimulation is that it has no side effects and is low cost. In addition, since the system created by integrating tDCS into the wheelchair is very simple to use, the person will be able to perform the treatment stimulation himself without going to the hospital. This significantly reduces the workload of hospitals and doctors. In addition, the integration of the system with mobile devices is provided and the treatment protocol applied by the person is sent to the health institution to which he / she is connected, and it is aimed to inform him about the process.

Our invention is for neuromodulation therapy, which is motor cortex stimulation used in the treatment of people who are confined to a wheelchair as a result of disability and who receive physical therapy. These patients will be treated while they go around their home, in the garden, in the park or from one place to another without the need to go to the hospital. Thus, the workload of hospitals and doctors will be significantly reduced. In addition, its biggest advantages are that it has no side effects, is low cost and is very simple to use.

With our invention, it will be possible to perform electrical stimulation applied in physical therapy to people who are disabled as a result of illness or accident, and to self-stimulate while the user is in a wheelchair. The direct current produced by the dynamo from the rotation of the wheel while walking in a wheelchair can be used in physical therapy. While the person is walking in his chair, he provides electrical stimulation that can treat himself without even needing to go to the hospital.

To list the technical effects of our invention; Existing devices are used in the clinic and the person has to go to the hospital for treatment. In our invention, after adjusting the applied tDCS flow values of the person, physical therapy can be performed by himself without going to the hospital while the person is walking. Thus, the workload of hospitals and doctors is also significantly reduced. In addition, the biggest advantages are that it has no side effects, is low cost and is very simple to use. The warning electrodes, which will be used in electrical stimulation, are also placed inside the hat and the person is prevented from being exposed to social pressure by his environment. In addition, the integration of the system with mobile devices is provided and the treatment protocol applied by the person is sent to the health institution to which he / she is connected, and it is aimed to inform him about the process.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 . General Display of the System

Figure 2. Hat Internal Structure

The equivalents of the numbers given in the figures are:

1. Dynamo

2. Hat

2.1. Anodal Stimulation Electrode

2.2. Cathodal Stimulation Electrode

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Our invention includes a wheelchair that can generate electric current and a warning cap (2) that allows this electric current to reach the wheelchair user.

The wheelchair contains the direct current (DC) dynamo (1 ) to be used for the electric current. The dynamo (1 ) is mounted in contact with the wheel. During the use of the wheelchair by the user, the dynamo (1 ) is activated by the rotation of the wheel and produces electric current as long as the wheel continues to rotate. Another element of the system is the stimulation cap (2), which ensures that the generated electric current is applied to the user.

In physical therapy, direct current stimulation is applied to the cortical area. In our invention, this stimulation is given to the surface by a disc electrode. Instead of placing the stimulating electrode (disc electrode) directly on the skull, the electrodes are mounted inside the hat (2). All electrodes are placed at regular intervals and each time the wearer wears the hat (2), so that they coincide exactly with the area of the skull where the current must be applied. The electrodes are fixed on the inner surface of the cap (2). The parts of the electrodes that should contact the skull are exposed on the inside of the hat (2). However, when viewed from the outside of the cap (2), there is no trace of it containing any electrodes. Thus, the user can continue his treatment in his daily life without being noticed by the people around him. The technical effect of our invention is at this point. The treatment environment mentioned in our invention is very different from that of a patient seated in a wheelchair being treated in a hospital setting. As a matter of fact, it is in question that a process is carried out and a treatment is duly completed before it is understood that an individual who continues his daily life with a wheelchair outside is being treated by other people. As a matter of fact, it is obvious that there will be a difference in terms of technical impact between our invention and a system that does not contain any elements of daily life and only generates current with a wheelchair. In addition, the presence of electrodes fixed in a cap (2) within the scope of our invention makes it possible to remove and reattach these electrodes by the user. Thanks to our invention, it is possible for the user to know this information, which cannot be obtained outside of doctors. Because our invention includes a slot on the inside of the cap (2) where each electrode will be attached. Therefore, when the user inserts the electrodes into these slots, the electrodes are also ideally placed so that the stimulation occurs ideally. The electrodes mounted in the said hat (2) are connected to the dynamo (1 ) via cables. Thus, the electricity produced in the dynamo (1 ) is delivered to the electrodes. With the completion of the circuit, an average of 6 volts of direct current is produced by the dynamo (1 ) while the user is traveling with a wheelchair, and the current to be used in physical therapy is given to the person. The anodal stimulation electrode (2.1 ) will be placed on the left motor cortex in patients with loss of left motor function, and on the right motor cortex in patients with loss of right motor function. The cathodal stimulation electrode (2.2) will be placed on the supraorbital region (The location of the electrodes is shown in the figure).

One of the main points in the invention, which we think is new and critical, is that the wheelchair itself produces the electrical energy necessary for the treatment of the person through the dynamo (1 ) while he is walking in the wheelchair. Apart from this, it is also important that it is low cost and very simple to use. In addition, the fact that the electrodes used in the treatment are not visible on the skull and are placed inside the hat (2) eliminates the pressure that the social environment may create on the person and adds a great value to the invention.

Apart from the features mentioned above, it is aimed to ensure the integration of the system with mobile devices, to send the treatment protocol applied by the person to the health institution and to inform the follow-up physician about the process. For this integration, a box on a wheelchair (not shown in the Figures) is designed, containing wireless communication protocols, a storage unit for storing data, and a microprocessor that manages information sharing. The cables coming out of the dynamo (1 ) were first connected to the input port of the box and sent to the cap (2) from the output port of the box. The input port transmits information to the processor to monitor the incoming current. Thus, the processor can detect that a current is generated from the dynamo (1 ) and that it is transmitted to the user from the output port. It records the duration of this flow in the storage unit as day, hour and application time. This recorded information is sent to the user's physician by connecting to the user's mobile device via wireless communication protocols. The connection with the mobile device is provided by a mobile application.