Ice ball size control method and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the size of an ice ball and a storage medium, and relates to the field of ablation technology, and is used to take into account the control requirements of consuming less working fluid flow and having a larger ice ball size. The method for controlling the size of an ice ball of the present invention comprises a first stage: adjusting the opening of a valve mechanism so that the first output side of a cold source outputs working fluid at a first flow rate, and the first output side of an ablation device outputs working fluid at a second flow rate, for precooling, wherein the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application with application number CN202210822941.8 and invention name “Cold and hot ablation system and control method thereof”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of ablation technology, and in particular to a method for controlling ice ball size and a storage medium. Background Art

[0003] The cold and hot ablation system is a minimally invasive device that uses physical therapy to treat tumors. In the freezing stage, it provides cold working fluid to the ablation device, so that the treatment end of the ablation device forms an ice ball, which forms ice crystals in the tumor cell tissue, causing tumor cells to be damaged. At the same time, the low temperature causes blood vessels to contract and form microthrombi, causing tumor cells to die of hypoxia, thereby achieving the purpose of treatment.

[0004] According to the working principle during the treatment process, the hot and cold ablation system pays close attention to the working fluid temperature at the treatment end of the ablation device during operation. The commonly used method to adjust the working fluid temperature is to adjust the pressure at the treatment end of the ablation device. In practice, it is found that the size of the ice ball formed by the ablation device during the treatment process is related to the working fluid flow at different positions. Therefore, it is hoped that by controlling the flow of the working fluid, the dual effects of consuming less working fluid flow and obtaining a larger ice ball size can be achieved. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a cold and hot ablation system and a control method thereof, which are used to take into account the control requirements of consuming less working fluid flow and having a larger ice ball size.

[0006] The present invention provides a cold and hot ablation system, comprising:

[0007] A cold source, the cold source having a total output side and a first output side connected to the total output side;

[0008] an ablation device connected to the cold source, the ablation device having a first output side and a second output side; and

[0009] A valve mechanism for controlling the output flow of the cold source and the ablation device;

[0010] The opening of the valve mechanism is adjusted so that the first output side of the cold source outputs the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the first output side of the ablation device outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate, so as to perform precooling, wherein the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate;

[0011] Adjusting the opening of the valve mechanism so that the first output side of the cold source outputs the working fluid at a third flow rate and the second output side of the ablation device outputs the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, so that an ice ball of a predetermined size is formed in the ablation device, wherein the fourth flow rate is greater than the third flow rate;

[0012] The third flow rate is smaller than the first flow rate, and the fourth flow rate is larger than the second flow rate.

[0013] In one embodiment, the valve mechanism comprises:

[0014] A first valve, which is arranged at a total output side of the cold source;

[0015] a phase separation valve, which is arranged at a first output side of the cold source; and

[0016] a second valve disposed on a first output side of the ablation device;

[0017] By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve, the phase separation valve and the second valve, the first output side of the cold source can output the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the first output side of the ablation device can output the working fluid at a second flow rate.

[0018] In one embodiment, the valve mechanism further comprises:

[0019] a third valve disposed on a second output side of the ablation device; and

[0020] a fourth valve disposed on the first supplementary tube connected to the second output side of the ablation device;

[0021] By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve, the phase separation valve, the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valve, the first output side of the cold source can output the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device can output the working fluid at a fourth flow rate.

[0022] In one embodiment, the valve mechanism further comprises:

[0023] a fifth valve disposed on a second replenishing tube connected to the first input side of the ablation device; and

[0024] a sixth valve disposed on a third output side of the ablation device;

[0025] Wherein, by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve, the fifth valve and the sixth valve, the first input side of the ablation device inputs the treatment medium at the fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device outputs the treated medium at the sixth flow rate;

[0026] Among them, the sixth flow rate is greater than the fifth flow rate.

[0027] In one embodiment, it further includes a first storage mechanism and a second storage mechanism;

[0028] The first storage mechanism is respectively connected to the first output side of the cold source, the first output side of the ablation device and the first replenishing tube, and the first storage mechanism can respectively collect the working fluid output from the first output side of the cold source and the working fluid output from the first output side of the ablation device, or replenish the working fluid to the second output side of the ablation device;

[0029] The second storage mechanism is connected to the second replenishing pipe and the cold source respectively.

[0030] In one embodiment, a flow pump mechanism is further included, and the flow pump mechanism includes:

[0031] A first flow pump, located at a first output side of the cold source, for obtaining a first flow and a third flow;

[0032] A second flow pump, located at the first output side of the ablation device, for obtaining the second flow;

[0033] A third flow pump, located at the second output side of the ablation device, for obtaining the fourth flow rate;

[0034] a fourth flow pump, located on the second supplementary tube connected to the first input side of the ablation device, for obtaining a fifth flow rate; and

[0035] A fifth flow pump, located at the third output side of the ablation device, is used to obtain a sixth flow rate.

[0036] The flow pump mechanism also includes a cold source flow pump, which is located at the total output side of the cold source and is used to obtain the working medium consumption flow.

[0037] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a control method for a cold and hot ablation system, which comprises the following steps:

[0038] Controlling the first output side of the cold source to output the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the first output side of the ablation device to output the working fluid at a second flow rate, so as to perform precooling; wherein the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate;

[0039] Controlling the first output side of the cold source to output the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device to output the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, so that an ice ball of a predetermined size is formed in the ablation device; wherein the fourth flow rate is greater than the third flow rate;

[0040] The first flow rate is greater than the third flow rate, and the fourth flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

[0041] In one embodiment, the first output side of the cold source is controlled to output the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the first output side of the ablation device is controlled to output the working fluid at a second flow rate by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve, the phase separation valve, and the second valve;

[0042] Wherein, the first valve is located at the total output side of the cold source;

[0043] The phase separation valve is located at the first output side of the cold source;

[0044] The second valve is located on the first output side of the ablation device.

[0045] In one embodiment, the first output side of the cold source is controlled to output the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device is controlled to output the working fluid at a fourth flow rate by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve, the phase separation valve, the second valve, the third valve, and the fourth valve;

[0046] Wherein, the first valve is located at the total output side of the cold source;

[0047] The phase separation valve is located at the first output side of the cold source;

[0048] The second valve is located on the first output side of the ablation device;

[0049] The third valve is located at the second output side of the ablation device;

[0050] The fourth valve is located on the first replenishing tube connected to the second output side of the ablation device.

[0051] In one embodiment, the following steps are also included:

[0052] Ice ball stabilization stage: controlling the first input side of the ablation device to input the treatment medium at a fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device to output the treated medium at a sixth flow rate, so that the size of the ice ball formed in the ablation device is maintained within a predetermined size range;

[0053] Among them, the sixth flow rate is greater than the fifth flow rate.

[0054] In one embodiment, the first input side of the ablation device is controlled to input the treatment medium at a fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device is controlled to output the treated medium at a sixth flow rate by making the openings of the phase separation valve, the second valve, and the third valve zero, and by adjusting the openings of one or more of the first valve, the fifth valve, and the sixth valve;

[0055] wherein the fifth valve is located on a second supplementary tube connected to the first input side of the ablation device;

[0056] The sixth valve is located on the third output side of the ablation device.

[0057] Compared with the prior art, the advantage of the present invention is that by controlling the flow of the working fluid at different stages and different positions, the flow of the working fluid consumed and the size of the ice ball obtained during the operation of the system can be controlled, thereby taking into account the requirements of reducing the flow of the working fluid consumed and increasing the size of the ice ball, thereby adapting to different treatment strategies and obtaining the optimal treatment time and treatment effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the cold and hot ablation system in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Reference numerals:

[0061] 1-first valve; 2-second valve; 3-third valve; 4-fourth valve; 5-fifth valve; 6-sixth valve; 11-phase separation valve;

[0062] 100-cold source; 110-first cold source output pipe; 120-second cold source output pipe; 101-cold source flow pump;

[0063] 200 - ablation device; 210 - a first ablation device output tube; 220 - a second ablation device output tube; 230 - a third ablation device output tube; 231 - a fifth flow pump;

[0064] 300 - first storage mechanism; 301 - first flow pump; 302 - second flow pump; 303 - first replenishing pipe;

[0065] 400 - second storage mechanism; 401 - third flow pump; 402 - fourth flow pump; 403 - second replenishing pipe; 404 - circulation pipe; 405 - circulation mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0067] The present invention provides a cold and hot ablation system, a control method of the cold and hot ablation system, a control method of the ice ball size, and a storage medium. The cold and hot ablation system of the present invention controls the flow of working fluid at different stages of the system operation and at different positions in the system, thereby achieving the technical requirements of taking into account both less working fluid consumption flow and a larger ice ball size, for example, achieving the dual effects of minimum working fluid consumption flow and maximum ice ball size, thereby achieving better treatment time and treatment effect, while consuming less treatment working fluid.

[0068] In addition, the purpose of forming an ice ball of a predetermined size can be achieved by controlling the flow rate of the working fluid, so that the size of the ice ball can be within a controllable range to adapt to different treatment requirements.

[0069] Therefore, the present invention is different from the prior art which uses the method of controlling parameters such as the temperature and / or pressure of the working fluid. Instead, the present invention controls the flow of the working fluid at different positions more directly, so as to more accurately control the size of the ice ball.

[0070] Those skilled in the art should understand that the "ice ball" described in the present invention is a spherical ice body formed in an ablation device, such as the content disclosed in Chinese patent CN113576648B, an ablation device, the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference, and all inconsistencies shall prevail in this document.

[0071] The control method of the cold and hot ablation system of the present invention can be used in the experiment or test phase of the cold and hot ablation system. Specifically, the control method of the present invention includes the following operation steps.

[0072] First, the pre-cooling stage.

[0073] When the system is initially operated, the working fluid precools each pipeline when flowing in the system, i.e., the precooling stage, during which the ice ball begins to form. In this stage, the first output side of the cold source needs to be controlled to output the working fluid at the first flow rate, and the first output side of the ablation device needs to output the working fluid at the second flow rate for precooling.

[0074] By controlling the flow rate of the cold source output fluid and the flow rate of the ablation device output fluid, the temperature of the pipeline and the environment can be quickly reduced to a suitable temperature range, so as to obtain the desired ice ball of larger size.

[0075] In some specific embodiments, the purpose of controlling the flow rate is achieved by controlling the opening of the corresponding valve. Specifically, the first output side of the cold source is controlled to output the working fluid at a first flow rate by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve, the phase separation valve, and the second valve, and the first output side of the ablation device outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate. The first valve is located at the total output side of the cold source; the phase separation valve is located at the first output side of the cold source; and the second valve is located at the first output side of the ablation device.

[0076] For example, in a preferred embodiment, during the precooling stage, the openings of the first valve, the phase separation valve and the second valve are adjusted to within an appropriate range, so that the first flow rate can be maintained between 37L / min and 62 / min, the second flow rate can be maintained between 123L / min and 148L / min, and the working fluid consumption flow rate can be maintained between 197L / min and 227L / min.

[0077] In a more preferred embodiment, during the precooling stage, the opening of the first valve is adjusted to a suitable range, and the openings of the phase separation valve and the second valve are adjusted to 100%, so that the first flow rate is maintained between 53L / min and 56 / min, the second flow rate is maintained between 128L / min and 131L / min, and the working fluid consumption flow rate is maintained between 200L / min and 207L / min. In this preferred embodiment, the openings of the phase separation valve and the second valve are adjusted to 100%, which also accelerates the cooling of the pipeline and quickly releases the pressure on the first output side of the ablation device.

[0078] In a preferred embodiment, the precooling stage lasts only 1-5 minutes, which reduces the temperature of the pipeline and the surrounding of the ablation device to within a suitable temperature range.

[0079] In addition, an ice ball can be initially formed in the precooling stage, and the size of the ice ball is generally less than 6 mm (the short axis diameter of the ice ball). It should be noted that since the formed ice ball may not be a completely regular sphere, for example, it may be an ellipsoid, etc., the "diameter" or "size" of the ice ball described in this article refers to the short axis diameter of the ice ball.

[0080] The above-mentioned working fluid consumption flow rate may be the flow rate of the working fluid obtained from the total output side of the cold source.

[0081] Second, the ice hockey growth stage.

[0082] After precooling, the temperature around the pipeline and the ablation device has dropped to a suitable temperature range. At this stage, the ice ball begins to grow rapidly, which is the ice ball growth stage. At this stage, it is necessary to control the first output side of the cold source to output the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device to output the working fluid at a fourth flow rate greater than the third flow rate, so that an ice ball of a predetermined size is formed in the ablation device. Among them, the third flow rate is still smaller than the first flow rate, and the fourth flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

[0083] Similarly, at this stage, the purpose of controlling the flow rate can still be achieved by controlling the opening of the corresponding valve. Specifically, by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve, the phase separation valve, the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valve, the first output side of the cold source is controlled to output the working fluid at the third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device is controlled to output the working fluid at the fourth flow rate. The third valve is located on the second output side of the ablation device; the fourth valve is located on the first supplementary tube connected to the second output side of the ablation device.

[0084] For example, in a preferred embodiment, during the ice ball growth stage, the first valve, the phase separation valve, the second valve, and the fourth valve are adjusted to a suitable range, so that the third flow rate is maintained between 13L / min and 27L / min, the fourth flow rate is maintained between 203L / min and 234L / min, and the working fluid consumption flow rate is between 237L / min and 270L / min. The ice ball growth stage lasts for 8-20 minutes, and an ice ball with a diameter of 18-30mm is obtained, which meets the expected size (diameter) requirements.

[0085] In a more preferred embodiment, during the ice ball growth stage, the opening of the first valve is adjusted to 100%, the opening of the phase separation valve is adjusted to 14%-18%, the opening of the second valve is adjusted to 8%-16%, the opening of the third valve is adjusted to 78%-81%, and the opening of the fourth valve is adjusted to 90%-93%, so that the third flow rate is maintained between 14L / min and 17L / min, the fourth flow rate is maintained between 204L / min and 211L / min, and the working fluid consumption flow rate is between 241L / min and 247L / min. In a preferred embodiment, the ice ball growth stage lasts for 10-15 minutes, and an ice ball with a minor axis diameter of 20mm is obtained.

[0086] At this time, since the second valve is slightly opened, the flow rate of the working medium passing through the second valve (hereinafter referred to as the seventh flow rate) can be maintained between 14 L / min and 17 L / min.

[0087] In the ice ball growth stage, the ice ball grows faster, so the openings of the phase separation valve and the second valve are both less than 100%, which can also save working fluid.

[0088] It should be noted that the duration of the above-mentioned ice ball growth stage is only exemplary. For ablation devices with different diameters, the duration of the ice ball growth stage is different, and the duration of the ice ball growth stage will increase as the diameter of the ablation device decreases.

[0089] The first flow rate, the second flow rate, the third flow rate and the fourth flow rate are a range, that is, a set of flows. Therefore, the third flow rate being less than the first flow rate can mean that the maximum value in the set of the third flow rate is less than the minimum value in the set of the first flow rate; similarly, the fourth flow rate being greater than the second flow rate can mean that the minimum value in the set of the fourth flow rate is greater than the maximum value in the set of the second flow rate.

[0090] However, it is also conceivable that the set of the third flow rate and the set of the first flow rate have an intersection in range, and the set of the fourth flow rate and the set of the second flow rate have an intersection in range. In this case, it is sufficient to ensure that the flow rate selected from the set of the third flow rate is less than the flow rate selected from the set of the first flow rate, and the flow rate selected from the set of the fourth flow rate is greater than the flow rate selected from the set of the second flow rate. In other words, only a specific selected third flow rate is less than the selected first flow rate, and only a specific selected fourth flow rate is greater than the selected second flow rate.

[0091] Third, the ice hockey stabilization stage.

[0092] After obtaining the expected ice ball, it is necessary to maintain it at the expected size, that is, the ice ball stabilization stage. At this stage, it is necessary to maintain a certain amount of working fluid output to the ablation device to prevent the size of the ice ball from decreasing during the heat exchange process (that is, the cold output of the ablation device is less than the heat dissipation between the ice ball and the outside). Specifically, the first input side of the ablation device can be controlled to input the treatment working fluid at the fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device can output the treated working fluid at the sixth flow rate, so that the size of the ice ball formed in the ablation device is maintained within a predetermined size range. Among them, the sixth flow rate is less than the fourth flow rate.

[0093] Similarly, at this stage, the purpose of controlling the flow rate can still be achieved by controlling the opening of the corresponding valves. Specifically, by making the opening of the phase separation valve, the second valve and the third valve zero, and by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve, the fifth valve and the sixth valve, the first input side of the ablation device is controlled to input the treatment medium at the fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device outputs the treated medium at the sixth flow rate. Among them, the fifth valve is located on the second supplementary tube connected to the first input side of the ablation device; the sixth valve is located on the third output side of the ablation device.

[0094] For example, in a preferred embodiment, during the ice ball stabilization stage, the openings of the first valve, the fifth valve and the sixth valve are adjusted to an appropriate range, and the opening of the phase separation valve is adjusted to 0, the opening of the second valve is adjusted to 0, and the opening of the third valve is adjusted to 0, so that the fifth flow rate is maintained between 34L / min and 56L / min, the sixth flow rate is maintained between 141L / min and 185L / min, and the working fluid consumption flow rate is between 142L / min and 155L / min.

[0095] In a more preferred embodiment, during the ice ball stabilization stage, the opening of the first valve is adjusted to 83%-85%, the opening of the phase separation valve is adjusted to 0, the opening of the second valve is adjusted to 0, the opening of the third valve is adjusted to 0, the opening of the fourth valve is adjusted to 0, and the opening of the fifth valve is adjusted to 66%-69%, and the opening of the sixth valve is adjusted to 90%-95%, so that the fifth flow rate is maintained between 37L / min and 43L / min, the sixth flow rate is maintained between 162L / min and 168L / min, and the working fluid consumption flow rate is between 146L / min and 150L / min. In this embodiment, the ice ball stabilization stage lasts for less than 6 minutes.

[0096] In addition, the size of the ice ball may increase from the ice ball growth stage to the ice ball stabilization stage.

[0097] In this example, the puck stabilization phase lasts until the system is shut down.

[0098] In order to facilitate the measurement of the above flow rate and take into account the recycling of the working fluid, thereby reducing the consumption of the working fluid, this is achieved by adding a first storage mechanism and a second storage mechanism and the corresponding flow pumps therein.

[0099] Specifically, the working fluid output from the first output side of the cold source and the working fluid output from the first output side of the ablation device are collected respectively through the first storage mechanism. Therefore, the first flow rate and the third flow rate are respectively the flow rates of the working fluid output from the first output side of the cold source to the first storage mechanism through the first flow pump; the second flow rate is the flow rate of the working fluid output from the first output side of the ablation device to the first storage mechanism through the second flow pump.

[0100] In addition, the first storage mechanism is also connected to the first supplementary tube mentioned above to provide the working fluid to the second output side of the ablation device through the first supplementary tube. During the ice ball growth stage, the pressure on the output side (second output side) of the ablation device is increased through the action of the first supplementary tube, thereby extending the heat exchange time of the working fluid in the ablation device, which is conducive to the rapid growth of the ice ball.

[0101] The working fluid outputted from the second output side of the ablation device is collected by the second storage mechanism. Therefore, the fourth flow rate is the flow rate of the working fluid outputted from the second output side of the ablation device to the second storage mechanism by the third flow pump.

[0102] The second storage mechanism is also connected to the second supplementary tube to provide working fluid to the first input side of the ablation device through the second supplementary tube. In the ice ball stabilization stage, the second supplementary tube can be used to keep the cold output of the ablation device not less than the heat dissipation between the ice ball and its exterior, so as to stabilize the size of the ice ball.

[0103] The second storage mechanism is also connected to the cold source to recover the working fluid therein to the cold source.

[0104] The total amount of working fluid output from the total output end of the cold source 100 can be Figure 1 This is achieved by the cold source flow pump 101 arranged on the total output side of the cold source 100 as shown.

[0105] Therefore, the present invention controls each valve mechanism so that in the pre-cooling stage, the first flow rate is maintained between 37L / min and 62L / min (preferably, 53L / min to 56L / min), the second flow rate is maintained between 123L / min and 148L / min (preferably, 128L / min to 131L / min), and the working fluid consumption flow rate in the pre-cooling stage is between 197L / min and 227L / min (preferably, 200L / min to 207L / min).

[0106] During the ice ball growth stage, the third flow rate is maintained between 13L / min and 27L / min (preferably, 18L / min to 22L / min), the fourth flow rate is maintained between 203L / min and 234L / min (preferably, 204L / min to 211L / min), and the working fluid consumption flow rate in the precooling stage is between 237L / min and 270L / min (preferably, 241L / min to 247L / min).

[0107] During the ice ball stabilization stage, the fifth flow rate is maintained between 34L / min and 56L / min (preferably, 37L / min to 43L / min), the sixth flow rate is maintained between 141L / min and 185L / min (preferably, 162L / min to 168L / min), and the working fluid consumption flow rate during the ice ball stabilization stage is between 142L / min and 155L / min (preferably, 146L / min to 150L / min).

[0108] By precisely controlling the above-mentioned flow rates, an ice ball with a short axis diameter of 25mm-30mm can be obtained, which can meet the expected requirements.

[0109] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for controlling the size of an ice ball, which can be used in the experimental or testing phase of a cold and hot ablation system. The method for controlling the size of an ice ball of the present invention comprises:

[0110] Phase 1: adjusting the opening of the valve mechanism so that the first output side of the cold source outputs the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the first output side of the ablation device outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate for precooling, wherein the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate.

[0111] The first stage may be the pre-cooling stage described herein.

[0112] Furthermore, the valve mechanism comprises:

[0113] A first valve 1, which is arranged at the total output side of the cold source 100;

[0114] A phase separation valve 11, which is arranged at a first output side of the cold source; and

[0115] A second valve 2, which is arranged at the first output side of the ablation device, and the second flow rate may be the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the second valve 2;

[0116] By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve 1, the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2, the first output side of the cold source 100 can output the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device 200 can output the working fluid at a second flow rate.

[0117] The first flow rate may be the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the phase separation valve 11 in the first stage; the second flow rate may be the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the second valve 2 in the first stage. The flow rate of the working medium flowing through the first valve 1 in the first stage is the working medium consumption flow rate in the first stage.

[0118] The first valve 1, the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2 are all linear flow valves, that is, the relative flow through the valve is approximately linearly related to the relative opening of the valve. In other words, the flow change caused by a single stroke change is approximately a constant.

[0119] The flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the corresponding valve in the valve mechanism and the opening of the valve satisfy the following relationship (10):

[0120]

[0121] Among them, Q is the flow rate of the working fluid currently flowing through the corresponding valve;

[0122] R is the ratio of the maximum flow rate to the minimum flow rate that the corresponding valve can control, and R satisfies the following expression: R = Q max / Q min ;

[0123] Q max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working fluid that can pass through the corresponding valve;

[0124] Q min The theoretical minimum flow value of the working fluid that can pass through the corresponding valve;

[0125] L is the current opening of the corresponding valve;

[0126] L max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the corresponding valve.

[0127] Generally speaking, the theoretical minimum flow value Q of the valve minQ is the theoretical maximum flow value of the valve max 2%-3%, that is, R is 33-50.

[0128] For example, the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the first valve 1 and the opening degree of the first valve 1 satisfy the following relationship (1):

[0129]

[0130] Wherein, Q1 is the flow rate of the working medium currently flowing through the first valve 1;

[0131] R1 is the ratio of the maximum flow rate and the minimum flow rate that the first valve 1 can control, and R1 satisfies the following expression: R1=Q 1max / Q 1min ;

[0132] Q 1max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the first valve 1;

[0133] Q 1min is the theoretical minimum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the first valve 1;

[0134] L1 is the current opening of the first valve 1;

[0135] L 1max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the first valve 1.

[0136] Therefore, when the opening of the first valve 1 is 50%, that is, the above L1 / L 1max =50%, at this time, the ratio of the flow rate of the working medium passing through the first valve 1 to the theoretical maximum flow rate of the working medium that can pass through the first valve 1 can be calculated according to the above formula (1) as Q1 / Q 1max =51.7%.

[0137] Similarly, the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the phase separation valve 11 and the opening degree of the phase separation valve 11 satisfy the following relationship (11):

[0138]

[0139] Among them, Q 11 is the flow rate of the working medium currently flowing through the phase separation valve 11;

[0140] R 11 is the ratio of the maximum flow rate to the minimum flow rate that the phase separation valve 11 can control, R 11 Satisfies the following expression: R 11 =Q 11max / Q 11min ;

[0141] Q 11max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the phase separation valve 11;

[0142] Q 11min is the theoretical minimum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the phase separation valve 11;

[0143] L 11 is the current opening of the phase separation valve 11;

[0144] L 11max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the phase separation valve 11.

[0145] Similarly, the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the second valve 2 and the opening degree of the second valve 2 satisfy the following relationship (2):

[0146]

[0147] Wherein, Q2 is the flow rate of the working medium currently flowing through the second valve 2;

[0148] R2 is the ratio of the maximum flow rate and the minimum flow rate that the second valve 2 can control, and R2 satisfies the following expression: R2=Q 2max / Q 2min ;

[0149] Q 2max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the second valve 2;

[0150] Q 2min is the theoretical minimum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the second valve 2;

[0151] L2 is the current opening of the second valve 2;

[0152] L 2max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the second valve 2.

[0153] The second stage: adjusting the opening of the valve mechanism so that the first output side of the cold source outputs the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device outputs the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, so that an ice ball of a predetermined size is formed in the ablation device, wherein the fourth flow rate is greater than the third flow rate; the second stage may be the ice ball growth stage described above.

[0154] The third flow rate is smaller than the first flow rate, and the fourth flow rate is larger than the second flow rate.

[0155] By adjusting the opening and flow rate of the above-mentioned valves, an ice ball with a size of 1-6 mm can be obtained in the first stage. It can be understood that the above-mentioned size is the minor axis diameter of the ice ball.

[0156] The method for controlling the size of the ice ball of the present invention further comprises:

[0157] The second stage: adjusting the opening of the valve mechanism so that the first output side of the cold source outputs the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device outputs the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, so that an ice ball of a predetermined size is formed in the ablation device, wherein the fourth flow rate is greater than the third flow rate.

[0158] The second stage may be the hockey growth stage described above.

[0159] The third flow rate is smaller than the first flow rate, and the fourth flow rate is larger than the second flow rate.

[0160] The valve mechanism further comprises:

[0161] A third valve 3, which is disposed on a second output side of the ablation device 200; and

[0162] a fourth valve 4, which is arranged on the first replenishing tube 303 connected to the second output side of the ablation device 200;

[0163] By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve 1, the phase separation valve 11, the second valve 2, the third valve 3 and the fourth valve 4, the first output side of the cold source 100 can output the working fluid at the third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device 200 can output the working fluid at the fourth flow rate. The third flow rate can be the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the phase separation valve 11 in the second stage; the fourth flow rate can be the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the third valve 3 in the second stage. The flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the first valve 1 in the second stage is the working fluid consumption flow rate in the second stage.

[0164] The flow rate of the working medium flowing through the first valve 1 and the opening of the first valve 1, the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the second valve 2 and the opening of the second valve 2, and the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the phase separation valve 11 and the opening of the phase separation valve 11 can satisfy the above-mentioned relationship (10) or the above-mentioned relationships (1), (11) and (2).

[0165] The flow rate of the working medium flowing through the third valve 3 and the opening degree of the third valve 3 satisfy the following relationship (3):

[0166]

[0167] Wherein, Q3 is the flow rate of the working medium currently flowing through the third valve 3;

[0168] R3 is the ratio of the maximum flow rate and the minimum flow rate that the third valve 3 can control, and R3 satisfies the following expression: R3=Q 3max / Q 3min ;

[0169] Q 3max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the third valve 3;

[0170] Q 3minis the theoretical minimum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the third valve 3;

[0171] L3 is the current opening of the third valve 3;

[0172] L 3max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the third valve 3.

[0173] By adjusting the opening and flow rate of the above-mentioned valves, an ice ball with a size of 18-30 mm can be obtained in the second stage. It can be understood that the above-mentioned size is the minor axis diameter of the ice ball.

[0174] Furthermore, the seventh flow rate may be the flow rate of the working medium passing through the second valve 2 in the second stage. In the second stage, the flow rate of the working medium passing through the second valve 2 and the opening of the second valve 2 still satisfy the above relationship (2).

[0175] It can be understood that the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the fourth valve 4 and the opening degree of the fourth valve 4 satisfy the following relationship (4):

[0176]

[0177] Wherein, Q4 is the flow rate of the working medium currently flowing through the fourth valve 4;

[0178] R4 is the ratio of the maximum flow rate and the minimum flow rate that the fourth valve 4 can control, and R4 satisfies the following expression: R4=Q 4max / Q 4min ;

[0179] Q 4max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the fourth valve 4;

[0180] Q 4min is the theoretical minimum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the fourth valve 4;

[0181] L4 is the current opening of the fourth valve 4;

[0182] L 4max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the fourth valve 4.

[0183] The valve mechanism further comprises:

[0184] a fifth valve 5 disposed on a second replenishing tube 403 connected to a first input side of the ablation device 200; and

[0185] The sixth valve 6 is arranged on the third output side of the ablation instrument 200 .

[0186] The method for controlling the size of an ice ball of the present invention further comprises:

[0187] The third stage: by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve 1, the fifth valve 5 and the sixth valve 6, the first input side of the ablation device 200 inputs the therapeutic working fluid at the fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device 200 outputs the treated working fluid at the sixth flow rate, wherein the sixth flow rate is greater than the fifth flow rate.

[0188] The third stage is the ice ball stabilization stage described in this article.

[0189] The fifth flow rate may be the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the fifth valve 5 in the third stage; the sixth flow rate may be the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the sixth valve 6 in the third stage. The flow rate of the working medium flowing through the first valve 1 in the third stage is the working medium consumption flow rate in the third stage.

[0190] The flow rate of the working medium flowing through the first valve 1 and the opening degree of the first valve 1 may satisfy the above relational expression (10) or the above relational expression (1).

[0191] The flow rate of the working medium flowing through the fifth valve 5 and the opening degree of the fifth valve 5 satisfy the following relationship (5):

[0192]

[0193] Wherein, Q5 is the flow rate of the working medium currently flowing through the fifth valve 5;

[0194] R5 is the ratio of the maximum flow rate and the minimum flow rate that the fifth valve 5 can control, and R5 satisfies the following expression: R5 = Q 5max / Q 5min ;

[0195] Q 5max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the fifth valve 5;

[0196] Q 5min is the theoretical minimum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the fifth valve 5;

[0197] L5 is the current opening of the fifth valve 5;

[0198] L 5max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the fifth valve 5.

[0199] The flow rate of the working medium flowing through the sixth valve 6 and the opening degree of the sixth valve 6 satisfy the following relationship (6):

[0200]

[0201] Wherein, Q6 is the flow rate of the working medium currently flowing through the sixth valve 6;

[0202] R6 is the ratio of the maximum flow rate and the minimum flow rate that the sixth valve 6 can control, and R6 satisfies the following expression: R6 = Q 6max / Q 6min;

[0203] Q 6max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the sixth valve 6;

[0204] Q 6min is the theoretical minimum flow value of the working medium that can pass through the sixth valve 6;

[0205] L6 is the current opening of the sixth valve 6;

[0206] L 6max It is the theoretical maximum value of the opening degree of the sixth valve 6.

[0207] By adjusting the opening and flow of the above valves, the size of the ice ball can be kept within the range of 25-35 mm in the third stage. It can be understood that the above size is the minor axis diameter of the ice ball.

[0208] Without considering the loss, the flow rate of the working medium flowing through each valve may correspond to (be the same as or similar to) the flow rate of the fluid obtained by the corresponding flow pump mechanism.

[0209] For example, in the first stage, the second flow rate is the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the second valve 2, and the second flow rate and the opening of the second valve 2 satisfy the above relationship (10) or relationship (2). The second flow rate can also be obtained by the second flow pump 302 described below. In the second stage, the fourth flow rate is the flow rate of the working medium flowing through the third valve 3, and the fourth flow rate and the opening of the third valve 3 satisfy the above relationship (10) or relationship (3).

[0210] In the first stage, the opening of the second valve 2 is 100%. According to the relationship (2), the second flow rate of 130 L / min can be obtained, which is substantially the same as the flow rate obtained by the second flow pump 302 described below. In the second stage, the opening of the third valve 3 is 80%. According to the relationship (3), the fourth flow rate of 205 L / min can be obtained, which is substantially the same as the flow rate obtained by the third flow pump 401 described below (please refer to Example 1). In the method for controlling the size of the ice ball of the present invention, the "ice ball size" refers to the minor axis diameter of the ice ball.

[0211] It should be understood that the control method of the cold and hot ablation system and the control method of the ice ball size of the present invention can be based on the cold and hot ablation system described below, so the control method of the cold and hot ablation system and the control method of the ice ball size of the present invention do not describe in detail the specific forms of the various components involved. The control method of the cold and hot ablation system and the control method of the ice ball size of the present invention can be combined with the various components and their connection methods in the cold and hot ablation system described in any one or more embodiments / examples above or below without any obstacles.

[0212] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the control method of the cold and hot ablation system as described above or the steps of the control method of the ice ball size as described above are implemented. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a cold and hot ablation system.

[0213] like Figure 1 As shown, the cold and hot ablation system of the present invention can be used to implement the control method of the cold and hot ablation system and the control method of the ice ball size. Specifically, the cold and hot ablation system of the present invention includes a cold source 100, an ablation device 200, a first storage mechanism 300, a second storage mechanism 400, a valve mechanism and a flow pump mechanism. Among them, the cold source 100 can be a cold tank, which is used to store and provide a working fluid, such as liquid nitrogen. The ablation device 200 can be an ablation needle, an ablation pen, an ablation chamber, etc., which is used to perform cold and hot ablation treatment using a working fluid (cold working fluid or hot working fluid). The first storage mechanism 300 and the second storage mechanism 400 can adopt the same structure as the cold tank, or a storage tank at normal temperature and pressure.

[0214] The valve mechanism may be the first valve 1, the second valve 2, the third valve 3, the fourth valve 4, the fifth valve 5 and the sixth valve 6 described below. The opening of the valve mechanism is adjustable, for example, it may be a solenoid valve, etc. The characteristics of each of the above valves are valves with linear flow characteristics, that is, the relative flow through the valve and the relative opening of the valve are approximately linear. In other words, the flow change caused by its single stroke change is approximately a constant. The flow pump mechanism may be the first flow pump 301, the second flow pump 302, the third flow pump 401, the fourth flow pump 402, the fifth flow pump 231 and the cold source flow pump 101 described below. The flow pump mechanism is used to monitor and measure the flow of the fluid flowing therethrough, for example, an existing flow pump suitable for working fluids such as liquid nitrogen may be used.

[0215] like Figure 1 As shown, the total output side of the cold source 100 is provided with a first valve 1 and a cold source flow pump 101. The cold source flow pump 101 can obtain the amount of working fluid (i.e., working fluid consumption flow) output by the cold source 100 at each stage and the total amount of working fluid (i.e., total working fluid consumption flow). Downstream of the first valve 1, the total output side of the cold source 100 is divided into two branches, namely, the first cold source output pipe 110 (i.e., corresponding to the first output side of the cold source 100) and the second cold source output pipe 120 (i.e., corresponding to the second output side of the cold source 100). A phase separation valve 11 is provided on the first cold source output pipe 110, and the first cold source output pipe 110 is connected to the first storage mechanism 300; the second cold source output pipe 120 is connected to the first input side of the ablation device 200.

[0216] Therefore, the working fluid output by the cold source 100 through the cold source flow pump 101 is divided into two paths. One path reaches the first storage mechanism 300 through the first cold source output pipe 110 through the action of the first flow pump 301, and the other path reaches the first input side of the ablation device 200 through the second cold source output pipe 120.

[0217] Therefore, it can be known that the cold source flow pump 101 can obtain the working medium consumption flow in each stage (or the sum of the working medium consumption flow in three stages). The first flow pump 301 can obtain the first flow in the precooling stage and the third flow in the ice ball growth stage. In order to ensure the accuracy of the flow measurement, the cold source flow pump 101 is arranged downstream of the first valve 1, and the first flow pump 301 is arranged downstream of the phase separation valve 11.

[0218] like Figure 1 As shown, the output side of the ablation device 200 is respectively provided with a first ablation device output tube 210 , a second ablation device output tube 220 and a third ablation device output tube 230 .

[0219] The first ablation device output tube 210 is connected to the first storage mechanism 300, and the second valve 2 and the second flow pump 302 are connected thereto, that is, the working fluid output by the ablation device 200 can be recovered and stored by the first storage mechanism 300. The second flow rate in the precooling stage and the seventh flow rate in the ice ball growth stage (which can be measured when the second valve 2 is opened) can be obtained respectively through the second flow pump 302. The second flow pump 302 is set downstream of the second valve 2 to ensure the accuracy of the measured flow rate.

[0220] The second ablation device output tube 220 is connected to the second storage mechanism 400, and is connected to the third valve 3 and the third flow pump 401, that is, the working fluid output by the ablation device 200 can also be recovered and stored by the second storage mechanism 400. The fourth flow rate of the ice ball growth stage can be obtained through the third flow pump 401. The third flow pump 401 is arranged downstream of the third valve 3 to ensure the accuracy of the flow measurement.

[0221] In addition, the second ablation device output tube 220 is also connected to the first supplementary tube 303, and the first supplementary tube 303 extends into the first storage mechanism 300, so that the working medium can be transported to the second ablation device output tube 220 through the first supplementary tube 303 to increase the pressure on the output side of the ablation device 200.

[0222] The third ablation device output tube 230 is connected to the sixth valve 6 and the fifth flow pump 231, that is, the working fluid output by the ablation device 200 can also be discharged into the environment. The second storage mechanism 400 is connected to the second input side of the ablation device 200 through the second replenishment tube 403, and the second replenishment tube 403 is connected to the fifth valve 5 and the fourth flow pump 402.

[0223] The fifth flow rate in the ice ball stable stage can be obtained by the fourth flow pump 402, and the sixth flow rate in the ice ball stable stage can be obtained by the fifth flow pump 231. The fourth flow pump 402 is located downstream of the fifth valve 5, and the fifth flow pump 231 is located downstream of the sixth valve 6 to ensure the accuracy of the measured flow rate.

[0224] In the ice ball stabilization stage, the working medium can be input to the input side of the ablation device 200 through the second storage mechanism 400 to prevent the size of the ice ball from decreasing during the heat exchange with the outside.

[0225] The second storage mechanism 400 is connected to the cold source 100 through a circulation pipe 404, and a circulation mechanism 405 is connected to the circulation pipe 404. The circulation mechanism 405 can be a pump or an air compressor. After the ice ball stabilization stage is completed, if there is a large amount of liquid nitrogen in the second storage mechanism 400, the liquid nitrogen can be pumped back to the cold source 100 through the pump. If there is no large amount of liquid nitrogen in the second storage mechanism 400, it is necessary to turn on the air compressor to pump the nitrogen back to the cold source 100.

[0226] by Figure 1 Taking the cold and hot ablation system shown as an example, the control method of the present invention is described in detail.

[0227] First, in the pre-cooling stage.

[0228] At this stage, it is necessary to ensure that the pressure in the cold source 100 is maintained within a certain range. Under normal pressure, the temperature of liquid nitrogen is -196° C. In order to maintain the liquid nitrogen at the working temperature, it is necessary to ensure the pressure in the cold source 100.

[0229] At this stage, the opening of the first valve 1 is adjusted to 68%-73%, and the openings of the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2 are adjusted to 100% in order to shorten the cooling time of the pipeline. Among them, since the opening of the second valve 2 is 100%, the first output side of the ablation device 200 can be quickly depressurized to promote the cooling of the pipeline. Whether it is the working fluid output from the first output side of the cold source 100 or the working fluid output from the first output side of the ablation device 200, they are all recovered and reused through the first storage mechanism 300, thereby saving the consumption of the working fluid.

[0230] Preferably, in the precooling stage, when the opening of the first valve 1 is 68%-73% and the opening of the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2 is 100%, it can be ensured that the first flow obtained from the first flow pump 301 is 53-56 L / min, and the second flow obtained from the second flow pump 302 is 128-131 L / min. In this stage, the working fluid consumption flow obtained from the cold source flow pump 101 is 200-207 L / min. In addition, another important function of the first storage mechanism 300 is that it is respectively connected to a first flow pump 301 for obtaining the first flow rate and the third flow rate and a second flow pump 302 for obtaining the second flow rate, and heat exchange occurs in the working fluid cooling pipeline, thereby changing phase into gas (nitrogen). Therefore, the working fluid collected by the first storage mechanism 300 can be nitrogen at normal temperature and pressure (or there may be some liquid nitrogen that has not completely changed phase into nitrogen). Therefore, the flow rate of the gas can be monitored and measured more conveniently and accurately through the first flow pump 301 and the second flow pump 302 (compared with cryogenic liquids, flow monitoring of the gas will be more convenient and accurate).

[0231] Preferably, in the precooling stage, for ablation devices 200 of the same diameter, the greater the difference between the second flow rate corresponding to the second flow pump 302 and the first flow rate corresponding to the first flow pump 301 , the shorter the duration of the precooling stage can be.

[0232] In addition, for ablation devices 200 of different diameters, the duration of the precooling phase is different. Generally speaking, the smaller the diameter of the ablation device 200, the longer the precooling phase lasts. Because the smaller the diameter of the ablation device 200, the greater its internal resistance, and the less likely it is for the cold to exchange heat inside the pipe, so a longer precooling time is required accordingly.

[0233] Preferably, during the precooling stage, the opening of the phase separation valve 11 is maintained at 100%, which can reduce the duration of the precooling stage, increase the diameter of the ice ball formed during the precooling stage, and reduce the flow rate of the working fluid consumption.

[0234] Preferably, in the precooling stage, the opening of the first valve 1 can be maintained below 80% instead of being maintained at 100%, thereby reducing the working fluid consumption flow rate and achieving the purpose of saving working fluid.

[0235] Second, during the growth stage of ice hockey.

[0236] After the precooling stage, the temperature around the pipeline and the ablation needle has been reduced to a suitable temperature range, such as about -150°C. At this stage, the opening of the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2 needs to be reduced to avoid wasting a large amount of working fluid. Therefore, the pressure on the second output side of the ablation device 200 needs to be increased to extend the heat exchange time of the working fluid in the ablation device 200 to promote the rapid growth of the ice ball.

[0237] Since the working fluid has been collected by the first storage mechanism 300, the working fluid can be provided to the second output side of the ablation device 200 through the first storage mechanism 300. At this time, the opening of the fourth valve 4 needs to be maintained within an appropriate range so that the first storage mechanism 300 can provide the working fluid to the second output side of the ablation device 200 through the first replenishment tube 303.

[0238] In addition, when the first storage mechanism 300 provides the working fluid, its internal pressure needs to be maintained within a certain range, so the opening of the first valve 1 needs to be maintained at 100%, and the opening of the phase separation valve 11 needs to be maintained within an appropriate range.

[0239] At this stage, by maintaining the opening of the third valve 3 within a suitable range, the ablation device 200 can output the working fluid to the second storage mechanism 400 through the second output side. In addition, the opening of the second valve 2 can be 0, that is, the ablation device 200 no longer outputs the working fluid to the first storage mechanism 300; or the second valve 2 can also be maintained in a slightly open state, for example, its opening can be 8%-16%, which can facilitate the collection of liquid nitrogen that has not undergone phase change into the first storage mechanism 300 through the second valve 2.

[0240] One of the functions of the second storage mechanism 400 is to recycle the output working fluid to reduce the waste of working fluid, and the collected working fluid can be used for subsequent recycling. In addition, another important function of the second storage mechanism 400 is that it is connected to the third flow pump 401 for obtaining the fourth flow rate, and the working fluid in the ablation device 200 undergoes heat exchange, thereby changing into a gas (nitrogen). Therefore, the working fluid collected by the second storage mechanism 400 can be nitrogen at normal temperature and pressure, which is conducive to more convenient and accurate monitoring and measurement of the flow rate through the third flow pump 401 (compared with cryogenic liquids, flow monitoring of gas will be more convenient and accurate).

[0241] In the ice ball growth stage, for ablation devices 200 of the same diameter, the greater the difference between the third flow rate corresponding to the first flow pump 301 and the fourth flow rate corresponding to the third flow pump 401 , the shorter the duration of the ice ball growth stage can be.

[0242] Preferably, in the ice ball growth stage, when the opening of the first valve 1 is 100%, the opening of the phase separation valve 11 is 14%-18%, the opening of the second valve 2 is 8%-16%, the opening of the third valve 3 is 78%-81%, and the opening of the fourth valve 4 is 90%-93%, it can be ensured that the third flow obtained from the first flow pump 301 is 18-22L / min, and the fourth flow obtained from the third flow pump 401 is 204-211L / min. In this stage, the working fluid consumption flow obtained from the cold source flow pump 101 is 241-247L / min.

[0243] In the ice ball growth stage, since the second valve 2 is slightly opened, the flow rate of the working medium passing through the second valve 2 (ie, the seventh flow rate) is 14-17 L / min.

[0244] Furthermore, by adjusting the first flow rate, the second flow rate, the third flow rate and the fourth flow rate, the ice ball size can be adjusted and the working fluid consumption flow rate can be controlled, thereby adapting to different ablation devices 200 and different treatment strategies.

[0245] In addition, for ablation devices 200 of different diameters, the duration of the ice ball growth stage is different. Generally speaking, the larger the diameter of the ablation device 200, the longer the duration of the ice ball growth stage.

[0246] Third, during the stabilization phase of the ice hockey.

[0247] After the ice ball growth stage, an ice ball of the expected size (diameter), such as an ice ball with a minor axis diameter of 25 mm, has been obtained. Therefore, during the continuous treatment, the size of the ice ball needs to be maintained at the expected size and not reduced.

[0248] Based on the fact that a portion of the working fluid has been recovered through the second storage mechanism 400 in the previous stage, the working fluid can be supplied to the second input end of the ablation device 200 through the second replenishment tube 403 to maintain a certain amount of cold input, thereby adjusting the opening of the fifth valve 5 to an appropriate range.

[0249] At this stage, the openings of the phase separation valve 11 , the second valve 2 , the third valve 3 and the fourth valve 4 can be adjusted to 0 (ie closed), so that the pressure in the second storage mechanism 400 can be maintained within a certain range to facilitate replenishment of the working fluid to the ablation device 200 .

[0250] At the same time, the opening of the first valve 1 does not need to be set to 100%. By providing a portion of the working fluid to the ablation device 200 through the cold source 100 and replenishing the working fluid to the ablation device 200 through the second storage mechanism 400, the cold amount can be kept within a suitable range to maintain the size of the ice ball.

[0251] At this stage, when the opening of the first valve 1 is 83%-85%, the opening of the fifth valve 5 is 66%-69%, and the opening of the sixth valve 6 is 90%-95%, the fifth flow rate can be guaranteed to be 37-43 L / min and the sixth flow rate can be 162-168 L / min. The working fluid consumption flow rate (which can be obtained from the cold source flow pump 101) at this stage is 146-150 L / min.

[0252] At this stage, the working fluid output from the third output side of the ablation device 200 can be directly discharged into the environment and has no collection value. Therefore, the opening of the sixth valve 6 can be maintained within an appropriate range, so that the working fluid output from the third output side of the ablation device 200 can be output according to the sixth flow rate.

[0253] The ice ball stabilization phase lasts until the system shutdown ends.

[0254] After the operation is completed, there may still be working fluid in the first storage mechanism 300 and the second storage mechanism 400, which can be discharged to facilitate the next operation of the system. For example, the opening of the second valve 2 and the fourth valve 4 can be adjusted to 100%, and the circulation mechanism 405 can be started to discharge the working fluid in the first storage mechanism 300 and the second storage mechanism 400 into the cold source 100.

[0255] The circulation mechanism 405 can be a pump and an air compressor. If there is a large amount of liquid nitrogen working medium remaining in the second storage mechanism 400, the pump can be started to pump the working medium therein into the cold source 100 through the circulation pipe 404; if there is a small amount of liquid nitrogen working medium remaining in the second storage mechanism 400, the air compressor can be started to pump the nitrogen therein back into the cold source 100 through the circulation pipe 404.

[0256] The method and system of the present invention are described below with reference to specific embodiments and comparative examples.

[0257] Example 1

[0258] use Figure 1 In the cold and hot ablation system shown, the ablation device 200 is an ablation needle, and the diameter of the ablation needle is 2 mm.

[0259] In the precooling stage, the opening of the first valve 1 is controlled to be 68%-73%, and the openings of the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2 are controlled to be 100%. Therefore, the working medium in the cold source 100 can quickly flow through the phase separation valve 11 and the first cold source output pipe 110 to cool the pipeline, and the pressure of the ablation device 200 can be quickly released through the second valve 2.

[0260] By combining the openings of the first valve 1, the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2 in this embodiment, the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the first flow pump 301 can be controlled to be the first flow rate, and the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the second flow pump 302 can be controlled to be the second flow rate.

[0261] In the ice ball growth stage, the opening of the first valve 1 is controlled to be 100%, the opening of the phase separation valve 11 and the second valve 2 are controlled to be 16%, the opening of the third valve 3 is controlled to be 80%, and the opening of the third valve 3 is controlled to be 90%.

[0262] By combining the openings of the first valve 1, the phase separation valve 11, the second valve 2, the third valve 3 and the fourth valve 4 in this embodiment, the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the first flow pump 301 can be controlled to be the third flow rate, and the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the third flow pump 401 can be controlled to be the fourth flow rate.

[0263] In the ice ball stabilization stage, the opening of the first valve 1 is controlled to be 83%, the opening of the phase separation valve 11, the second valve 2, the third valve 3 and the fourth valve 4 are controlled to be 0 (i.e. closed), the opening of the fifth valve 5 is controlled to be 66%, and the opening of the sixth valve 6 is controlled to be 90%.

[0264] In the above three processes, the cold source flow pump 101 can measure the corresponding working fluid consumption flow, as shown in Table 1 below.

[0265] By combining the openings of the first valve 1, the fifth valve 5 and the sixth valve 6 in this embodiment, the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the fifth flow pump 231 can be controlled to be the sixth flow rate, and the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the fourth flow pump 402 can be controlled to be the fifth flow rate.

[0266] The opening degree of the valve mechanism and the flow rate data of the flow pump mechanism in this embodiment 1 are shown in Table 1.

[0267] Table 1 Valve mechanism opening and flow data of flow pump mechanism

[0268]

[0269]

[0270] In this embodiment 1, the working fluid flow rate at different output sides / input sides is controlled by adjusting the valve opening at different stages, thereby obtaining the optimal combination of working fluid consumption flow rate (i.e., the flow rate obtained by the cold source flow pump 101) and ice ball diameter, i.e., the working fluid consumption flow rate is lower and the ice ball diameter is larger.

[0271] Example 2

[0272] Example 2 uses Figure 1 The hot and cold ablation system shown in the figure, wherein the ablation device 200 is an ablation needle. The diameter of the ablation needle is the same as that of the ablation needle in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The difference is that the opening of the first valve 1 in the precooling stage is changed in embodiment 2, so that the first flow rate and the second flow rate in the precooling stage are increased, and the specific values ​​are shown in Table 2.

[0273] Table 2 Valve mechanism opening and flow data of flow pump mechanism

[0274]

[0275]

[0276] In the precooling stage of Example 2, the first flow rate and the second flow rate are respectively increased relative to the first flow rate and the second flow rate of Example 1. As can be seen from Table 2, the precooling stage in Example 2 lasts for a shorter time, and the ice ball diameter obtained in the precooling stage is also larger.

[0277] However, since the second flow rate in Example 2 increases, the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the cold source flow pump 101 also increases compared with Example 1, that is, the working fluid consumption flow rate is greater than the working fluid consumption flow rate in Example 1. In other words, although the diameter of the ice ball in Example 2 is larger, the working fluid consumption flow rate in the precooling stage also increases accordingly.

[0278] Example 3

[0279] Example 3 uses Figure 1 The cold and hot ablation system shown in the figure, wherein the ablation device 200 is an ablation needle. The diameter of the ablation needle is the same as that of the ablation needle in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The difference is that the opening of the third valve 3 in the ice ball growth stage is changed in embodiment 3, and the specific values ​​are shown in Table 3.

[0280] Table 3 Valve mechanism opening and flow data of flow pump mechanism

[0281]

[0282]

[0283] As can be seen from Table 3, Example 3 increases the opening of the third valve 3 on the basis of Example 1, and the openings of the other valves remain the same as those of Example 1, so that the fourth flow rate is significantly increased. That is, in the ice ball growth stage, the flow rate on the output side of the ablation device 200 is increased compared with Example 1. As can be seen from Table 3, the duration of the ice ball growth stage in Example 3 is shorter, and the obtained ice ball diameter is also larger than that of Example 1.

[0284] However, due to the increase of the fourth flow rate in Example 3, the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the cold source flow pump 101 in the pre-cooling stage is also increased compared with Example 1, that is, the working fluid consumption flow rate is greater than the working fluid consumption flow rate in Example 1. In other words, although the diameter of the ice ball in Example 3 is larger, its working fluid consumption flow rate also increases accordingly.

[0285] In addition, by comparing Example 3 with Example 2, it can be seen that increasing the flow rate (the fourth flow rate) at the output side of the ablation device 200 in the ice ball growth stage has a greater impact on the diameter of the ice ball than increasing the flow rate (the second flow rate) at the output side of the ablation device 200 in the precooling stage. That is, increasing the flow rate (the fourth flow rate) at the output side of the ablation device 200 in the ice ball growth stage can obtain an ice ball with a larger diameter.

[0286] Example 4

[0287] Example 4 uses Figure 1 In the hot and cold ablation system shown, the ablation device 200 is an ablation needle. The diameter of the ablation needle is the same as that of the ablation needle in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The difference is that the opening of the phase separation valve 11 in the precooling stage is changed in embodiment 4, and the specific values ​​are shown in Table 4.

[0288] Table 4 Valve mechanism opening and flow data of flow pump mechanism

[0289]

[0290]

[0291] In Example 4, during the precooling stage, the opening of the phase separation valve 11 is reduced compared with that of Example 1, so that the first flow rate is reduced relative to the first flow rate of Example 1, while the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the cold source flow pump 101 is increased.

[0292] However, it can be seen from Table 4 that the precooling stage in Example 4 lasts longer, the obtained ice ball diameter is smaller, and the working fluid consumption flow rate is also higher.

[0293] It can be seen that keeping the phase separation valve 11 at a larger opening during the precooling stage is beneficial to reducing the duration of the precooling stage, increasing the diameter of the ice ball formed during the precooling stage, and reducing the working fluid consumption flow rate.

[0294] Example 5

[0295] Example 5 uses Figure 1 The hot and cold ablation system shown in the figure, wherein the ablation device 200 is an ablation needle. The diameter of the ablation needle is the same as that of the ablation needle in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The difference is that the opening of the phase separation valve 11 in the ice ball growth stage is changed in embodiment 5, and the specific values ​​are shown in Table 5.

[0296] Table 5 Valve mechanism opening and flow data of flow pump mechanism

[0297]

[0298]

[0299] In Example 5, the opening of the phase separation valve 11 is reduced compared with Example 1 during the ice ball growth stage, the third flow rate and the fourth flow rate have a slight downward trend, and the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the cold source flow pump 101 is slightly reduced compared with Example 1.

[0300] However, it can be seen from Table 5 that the diameter of the ice ball obtained in Example 5 is smaller than that of the ice ball in Example 1 and the duration of the ice ball growth stage is also longer.

[0301] Example 6

[0302] Example 6 uses Figure 1 The cold and hot ablation system shown in the figure, wherein the ablation device 200 is an ablation needle. The diameter of the ablation needle is the same as that of the ablation needle in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The difference is that the opening of the fifth valve 5 in the ice ball stabilization stage is changed in embodiment 6, and the specific values ​​are shown in Table 5.

[0303] Table 6 Valve mechanism opening and flow data of flow pump mechanism

[0304]

[0305]

[0306] In Example 6, the opening of the fifth valve 5 in the ice ball stabilization stage is increased on the basis of Example 1, so that the fifth flow rate increases relative to the fifth flow rate of Example 1, that is, in the ice ball stabilization stage, the working fluid flow rate discharged from the output end of the ablation device 200 increases compared with Example 1. It can be seen from Table 6 that the ice ball diameter obtained in Example 6 is larger than the ice ball diameter in Example 1.

[0307] However, since the fifth flow rate in Example 6 increases, the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the cold source flow pump 101 also increases compared with Example 1, that is, the working fluid consumption flow rate is greater than the working fluid consumption flow rate in Example 1. In other words, although the diameter of the ice ball in Example 6 is larger, its working fluid consumption flow rate also increases accordingly.

[0308] Example 7

[0309] Example 7 uses Figure 1 The cold and hot ablation system shown in the figure, wherein the ablation device 200 is an ablation needle. The diameter of the ablation needle is the same as that of the ablation needle in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The difference is that the opening of the sixth valve 6 in the ice ball stabilization stage is changed in embodiment 7, and the specific values ​​are shown in Table 5.

[0310] Table 7 Valve mechanism opening and flow data of flow pump mechanism

[0311]

[0312]

[0313] In Example 7, the opening of the sixth valve 6 during the ice ball stabilization stage is reduced compared with Example 1, and the sixth flow rate at this time is reduced relative to the sixth flow rate of Example 1, that is, during the ice ball stabilization stage, the working fluid flow rate supplemented and delivered to the ablation device 200 by the second storage mechanism 400 is reduced compared with Example 1, so that the working fluid flow rate corresponding to the cold source flow pump 101 is also reduced compared with Example 1, that is, the working fluid consumption flow rate is less than the working fluid consumption flow rate of Example 1.

[0314] However, it can be seen from Table 7 that the diameter of the ice ball obtained in Example 7 is smaller than that of the ice ball in Example 1. In other words, although the working fluid consumption flow rate in Example 7 is smaller, the diameter of the obtained ice ball is also reduced accordingly.

[0315] In summary, by adjusting the opening of each valve, the working fluid flow rate at different positions in the system can be adjusted accordingly, so that various combinations of different working fluid consumption flow rates and ice ball sizes can be obtained, thereby achieving the dual effects of minimizing the working fluid consumption flow rate and maximizing the ice ball size. Therefore, the present invention has significant advantages both in terms of therapeutic effect and cost control.

[0316] It should be noted that when the opening of each valve is 100%, it indicates that the valve is fully open, and when the opening is 0, it indicates that the valve is fully closed. Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment, various improvements can be made thereto and components thereof can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cold and hot ablation system, characterized in that: It comprises a cold source (100), an ablation device (200) and a valve mechanism, wherein in a first stage, the opening of the valve mechanism can be adjusted so that a first output side of the cold source (100) outputs a working fluid at a first flow rate, and a first output side of the ablation device (200) outputs a working fluid at a second flow rate, so as to perform precooling, wherein the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate; The flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the corresponding valve in the valve mechanism and the opening of the valve satisfy the following relationship (10): Among them, Q is the flow rate of the working fluid currently flowing through the corresponding valve; R is the ratio of the maximum flow rate to the minimum flow rate that the corresponding valve can control, and R satisfies the following expression: R = Q max / Q min ; Q max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working fluid that can pass through the corresponding valve; Q min The theoretical minimum flow value of the working fluid that can pass through the corresponding valve; L is the current opening of the corresponding valve; L max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the corresponding valve; The valve mechanism comprises: A first valve (1) disposed on the total output side of the cold source (100); a phase separation valve (11), which is arranged at a first output side of the cold source (100); and a second valve (2) disposed on a first output side of the ablation device; a third valve (3) disposed on a second output side of the ablation device (200); and a fourth valve (4) disposed on a first replenishing tube (303) connected to a second output side of the ablation device (200); a fifth valve (5) disposed on a second replenishing tube (403) connected to a first input side of the ablation device (200); and a sixth valve (6) disposed on a third output side of the ablation device (200); Wherein, by controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11) and the second valve (2), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate, the first flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the phase separation valve (11) in the first stage, and the second flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the second valve (2) in the first stage; Wherein, by controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11), the second valve (2), the third valve (3) and the fourth valve (4), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, the third flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the phase separation valve (11) in the second stage, and the fourth flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the third valve (3) in the second stage; By adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the fifth valve (5) and the sixth valve (6), the first input side of the ablation device (200) inputs the therapeutic working fluid at a fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the treated working fluid at a sixth flow rate, wherein the fifth flow rate is the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the fifth valve (5) in the third stage, and the sixth flow rate is the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the sixth valve (6) in the third stage.

2. The cold and hot ablation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11) and the second valve (2), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate, an ice ball with a short axis diameter of 1 mm-6 mm can be obtained in the first stage.

3. The cold and hot ablation system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fourth flow rate is greater than the third flow rate, the third flow rate is less than the first flow rate, and the fourth flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

4. The cold and hot ablation system according to claim 3, characterized in that: By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11), the second valve (2), the third valve (3) and the fourth valve (4), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, an ice ball with a short axis diameter of 18mm-30mm can be obtained in the second stage.

5. The cold and hot ablation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the third stage, by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the fifth valve (5) and the sixth valve (6), the first input side of the ablation device (200) inputs the treatment medium at a fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the treated medium at a sixth flow rate, an ice ball with a short axis diameter of 25 mm to 35 mm can be obtained in the third stage; Wherein, the sixth flow rate is greater than the fifth flow rate.

6. The cold and hot ablation system according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the first stage, the working fluid outputted from the first output side of the cold source (100) and the working fluid outputted from the first output side of the ablation device (200) are respectively collected by a first storage mechanism (300); and In the second stage, the first storage mechanism (300) provides working fluid to the second output side of the ablation device (200) through the first replenishment tube (303).

7. The cold and hot ablation system according to claim 6, characterized in that: In the second stage, the working fluid outputted from the second output side of the ablation device (200) is collected by a second storage mechanism (400); and In the third stage, the second storage mechanism (400) provides working fluid to the first input side of the ablation device (200) through the second replenishment tube (403).

8. The cold and hot ablation system according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the third stage, the working fluid in the second storage mechanism (400) is recovered to the cold source (100) through the circulation mechanism (405).

9. A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of a method for controlling the size of an ice ball are implemented, wherein the method for controlling the size of an ice ball comprises: In the first stage, the opening of the valve mechanism is adjusted so that the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the first output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate, so as to perform precooling, wherein the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate; The flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the corresponding valve in the valve mechanism and the opening of the valve satisfy the following relationship (10): Among them, Q is the flow rate of the working fluid currently flowing through the corresponding valve; R is the ratio of the maximum flow rate to the minimum flow rate that the corresponding valve can control, and R satisfies the following expression: R = Q max / Q min ; Q max is the theoretical maximum flow value of the working fluid that can pass through the corresponding valve; Q min The theoretical minimum flow value of the working fluid that can pass through the corresponding valve; L is the current opening of the corresponding valve; L max It is the theoretical maximum opening degree of the corresponding valve; The valve mechanism comprises: A first valve (1) disposed on the total output side of the cold source (100); a phase separation valve (11), which is arranged at a first output side of the cold source (100); and a second valve (2) disposed on a first output side of the ablation device; a third valve (3) disposed on a second output side of the ablation device (200); and a fourth valve (4) disposed on a first replenishing tube (303) connected to a second output side of the ablation device (200); a fifth valve (5) disposed on a second replenishing tube (403) connected to a first input side of the ablation device (200); and a sixth valve (6) disposed on a third output side of the ablation device (200); Wherein, by controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11) and the second valve (2), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate, the first flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the phase separation valve (11) in the first stage, and the second flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the second valve (2) in the first stage; Wherein, by controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11), the second valve (2), the third valve (3) and the fourth valve (4), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, the third flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the phase separation valve (11) in the second stage, and the fourth flow rate being the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the third valve (3) in the second stage; By adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the fifth valve (5) and the sixth valve (6), the first input side of the ablation device (200) inputs the therapeutic working fluid at a fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the treated working fluid at a sixth flow rate, wherein the fifth flow rate is the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the fifth valve (5) in the third stage, and the sixth flow rate is the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the sixth valve (6) in the third stage.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, characterized in that By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11) and the second valve (2), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a first flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a second flow rate, an ice ball with a short axis diameter of 1 mm-6 mm can be obtained in the first stage.

11. The storage medium according to claim 10, characterized in that The fourth flow rate is greater than the third flow rate, the third flow rate is less than the first flow rate, and the fourth flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

12. The storage medium according to claim 11, characterized in that By controlling the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the phase separation valve (11), the second valve (2), the third valve (3) and the fourth valve (4), the first output side of the cold source (100) outputs the working fluid at a third flow rate, and the second output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the working fluid at a fourth flow rate, an ice ball with a short axis diameter of 18mm-30mm can be obtained in the second stage.

13. The storage medium according to claim 9, characterized in that In the third stage, by adjusting the opening of one or more of the first valve (1), the fifth valve (5) and the sixth valve (6), the first input side of the ablation device (200) inputs the treatment medium at a fifth flow rate, and the third output side of the ablation device (200) outputs the treated medium at a sixth flow rate, an ice ball with a short axis diameter of 25 mm to 35 mm can be obtained in the third stage; Wherein, the sixth flow rate is greater than the fifth flow rate.

14. The storage medium according to claim 12, characterized in that In the first stage, the working fluid outputted from the first output side of the cold source (100) and the working fluid outputted from the first output side of the ablation device (200) are respectively collected by a first storage mechanism (300); and In the second stage, the first storage mechanism (300) provides working fluid to the second output side of the ablation device (200) through the first replenishment tube (303).

15. The storage medium according to claim 13, characterized in that In the second stage, the working fluid outputted from the second output side of the ablation device (200) is collected by a second storage mechanism (400); and In the third stage, the second storage mechanism (400) provides working fluid to the first input side of the ablation device (200) through the second replenishment tube (403).

16. The storage medium according to claim 15, characterized in that After the third stage, the working fluid in the second storage mechanism (400) is recovered to the cold source (100) through the circulation mechanism (405).

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