Biomedical device for robotized rehabilitation of a human upper limb, particularly for neuromotor rehabilitation of the shoulder and elbow joint

A biomedical device for robotized rehabilitation of a human upper limb, particularly for neuromotor rehabilitation of a shoulder and an elbow joint, comprising:

• a first rigid rod and a second rigid rod, said first rigid rod being rotatably connected to the second rigid rod at two adjacent ends by a first universal joint having a first pivoting axis and a second pivoting axis, the first pivoting axis being perpendicular to the second pivoting axis, the first rigid rod and the second rigid rod adapted to be connectable with an upper limb of a patient so that the first universal joint is arranged proximate to an elbow joint of said upper limb;
• a first fixing element adapted to be rigidly fixed to a forearm of said upper limb substantially between said elbow joint and a wrist joint of said upper limb;
• wherein said first fixing element is connected to said first rigid rod by a four degrees-of-freedom joint having three rotary degrees-of-freedom and one translational degree-of-freedom in a first direction of translational motion;
• a second fixing element adapted to be rigidly fixed to an arm of said upper limb, wherein said second fixing element is connected to said second rigid rod by a four degrees-of-freedom joint having three rotary degrees-of-freedom and one translational degree-of-freedom in a second direction of translational motion;
• wherein when said first fixing element is rigidly fixed to said forearm and said second fixing element is rigidly fixed to said arm:
• said first direction of translational motion substantially coincides with a longitudinal axis of said forearm and said second direction of translational motion substantially coincides with a longitudinal axis of said arm;
• and
• said first pivoting axis and said second pivoting axis are orthogonal with respect to the longitudinal axis of said arm to prevent a kinematic singularity condition during alignment between said forearm and said arm;
• wherein said joint with four degrees of freedom arranged at said second rigid rod comprises:
• a spherical joint arranged at an adjacent end of said second rigid rod;
• wherein said second fixing element is adapted to be fixed between a glenohumeral joint of the shoulder of said upper limb and said elbow joint, and wherein said second fixing element is translatable with respect to said spherical joint along a second direction of translational motion.