COORDINATE INPUT DEVICE FOR REMOTE HANDS-FREE COMPUTER CONTROL Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC A61F4/00 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medicine and can be used for people suffering from paralysed upper and lower limbs. Said device comprises an electrically connected power unit, a coordinate device specifying coordinates, controlling a computer cursor and placed in the mouth, a signal processing unit, a transmitter, at least two functional contact buttons to perform functions of "mouse" buttons, and at least one command contact button to control functions of computer keyboard. The coordinate device is supplied with a bent flange, a conducting path stub, a microcontroller arranged in the stub and connected to the conducting path chain, an electrical connector mounted on the end of the conducting path stub and being electrically connected to the signal processing unit. The coordinate device comprises a hollow disk with radiused outside edge. The internal cavity of the disk is formed by the first layer and the second layer of a flexible polymer film, connected in outer circuit. The first layer of the hollow disk is shaped as a hemisphere bent inside the disk cavity, while the second layer is flat. On the internal surface, the concave hemisphere of the disk contains a resistive layer. On the internal surface of the second layer, there are concentric conducting paths grouped in four mutually perpendicular sectors. Thus the concentric conducting paths of the following sectors are divided from each other by the common conducting path. The distance between all said conducting paths decreases from the disk centre to periphery. The first and second layers of the polymer film are interconnected in the middle of the hollow disk to form a bridge. The bent flange and the conducting path stub are formed by the first and second layers of the polymer film fastened over the flat surface. The bent flange and the stub are attached to the disk edge. The functional contact buttons and the command contact button are placed in the bent flange. The concentric conducting paths, the contact buttons and the microcontroller are electrically connected through the conducting paths and the connector to the signal processing unit.

EFFECT: invention provides improved performance, and also simplified production process of the device.

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