Application of carbon nanotube fiber in acupuncture and moxibustion

Abstract

The invention discloses application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture and moxibustion, and belongs to the field of traditional Chinese medicine, the field of neurobiology and the technical field of bioengineering. According to the method, a single-wall single-layer carbon nanotube film is prepared by using a chemical vapor deposition method, the carbon nanotube film is superposed, and then the superposed carbon nanotube film is subjected to telephone coil-like distortion by using a motor device, so that a compact fiber structure is formed, the surface is smooth, the diameter is uniform, and no gap or irregular structure exists; the obtained carbon nanotube fiber has high mechanical strength, stable electrochemical performance, high transmission efficiency and good biocompatibility, when the obtained carbon nanotube fiber is embedded into an acupuncture point, 0.75-1.5 cm of threads are reserved outside, repeated acupuncture operation can be avoided, the carbon nanotube fiber can be externally connected with a stimulator or an electric acupuncture apparatus for electroacupuncture-like treatment, and the carbon nanotube fiber can be applied to the field of acupuncture treatment. The long-acting treatment effect of acupoint catgut embedding can be achieved, the safety is guaranteed, meanwhile, the operation process is simplified, and the treatment effect is optimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the fields of traditional Chinese medicine, neurobiology and bioengineering technology, and specifically to the application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture. Background Art

[0002] CNTF is a macro fiber material assembled from a large number of one-dimensional CNTs. Its structure is mainly composed of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal shape, which can be regarded as a curled graphene sheet. According to the number of graphene sheets, carbon nanotubes can be divided into single-walled carbon nanotubes and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Single-walled carbon nanotubes are made up of only one layer of curled graphene sheets, and the structure is relatively simple; multi-walled carbon nanotubes are made up of multiple layers of graphene sheets coaxially stacked, and there is a certain gap between the layers. The diameter of these carbon nanotubes is usually between 2 and 20nm, and the length can reach the micron level, with a hollow tubular structure. In carbon nanotube fibers, many carbon nanotubes are not arranged completely in a disorderly manner, but have a certain orientation. It has high strength, is not prone to elastic deformation, has excellent conductivity, and can be used for acupuncture. However, the existing technology lacks carbon nanotube fibers for acupuncture, and it is necessary to prepare high-quality, uniform and well-oriented carbon nanotube fibers. In actual use, it is necessary to ensure the elasticity and toughness of the fiber during the puncture process to avoid breakage or tissue damage. Therefore, a carbon nanotube fiber is urgently needed. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, to solve the problem of lack of carbon nanotube fibers for acupuncture in the prior art, the need to prepare high-quality, uniform and well-oriented carbon nanotube fibers, and in actual use, the need to ensure the elasticity and toughness of the fibers during the puncture process to avoid technical problems of carbon nanofibers breaking or causing tissue damage.

[0004] The present application provides an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, and the preparation method of the carbon nanotube fibers is as follows:

[0005] S1. Preparation of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film by chemical vapor deposition;

[0006] S2, stacking the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films obtained in S1;

[0007] S3, fixing one end of the stacked carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft end, and fixing the other end to a weight, so that the two ends are located on the same horizontal line;

[0008] S4. Connect the motor to an external power source, and drive the film to twist and spin by rotating the motor axis in one direction, thereby tightening the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film into carbon nanotube fibers.

[0009] Preferably, in S1, the steps of preparing the carbon nanotube film by chemical vapor deposition are as follows:

[0010] S1-1: dissolving ferrocene and sulfur into a carbon source xylene solution respectively to obtain a ferrocene-xylene solution and a sulfur-xylene solution, and then mixing the obtained ferrocene-xylene solution with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain a precursor solution;

[0011] S1-2, heating to 1150°C under argon protection;

[0012] S1-3, adding the precursor solution obtained in S1-1 into the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, starting the ultrasonic atomizer, atomizing the precursor solution, and then passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube, and then entering the reaction zone at 1150° C. under the carrier of hydrogen and argon;

[0013] S1-4. The grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound on a bobbin to obtain a single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film.

[0014] Preferably, in S4, the spinning voltage is 2.5 V and the spinning time is about 8-15 min.

[0015] In the preferred S1-1, the molar ratio of ferrocene to sulfur is 20 mol:1 mol, and the mass fraction of the two is ≥99 wt%.

[0016] Preferably, the carbon nanotube fibers are used as electrode wires, with 0.75-1.5 cm of wire remaining outside and 0.5-5 cm of wire remaining inside.

[0017] Preferably, a wire is left outside the carbon nanotube fiber to connect an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device.

[0018] Preferably, the carbon nanotube fibers are used as electrode filaments for peripheral nerve electrode stimulation.

[0019] Therefore, the present application provides an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. The thread embedding method of the present application is different from the traditional thread embedding method. The thread is left outside, which is convenient for removing the carbon nanotube fiber from the body and convenient for external electroacupuncture equipment or stimulator.

[0021] 2. This application can avoid repeated acupuncture by minimally invasively implanting stimulation electrode wires in acupuncture points, thereby reducing invasiveness to tissues;

[0022] 3. The spinning diameter of the present application can be adjusted by voltage and spinning time. When the number of membrane layers remains unchanged and the voltage remains unchanged, the diameter increases as the spinning time decreases. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 The process of spinning CNTF from 10 layers of carbon nanotube film in Example 1 and the morphological characteristics of CNTF;

[0024] Figure 2 The mechanical and electrochemical characterizations of CNTF made of 10 layers of carbon nanotube film in Example 1, where A is the stress-strain curve of CNTF in the mechanical pulling experiment; B is the electrochemical cyclic voltammetry curve of CNTF; C is the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of CNTF. The marked part is the high-frequency area of ​​the impedance test;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a diagram of implantable acupuncture for the Neiguan point of a rat in Application Example 1.1;

[0026] Figure 4 This is the implantable acupuncture diagram of Dayanglingquan and Neiguan acupoints in Application Example 1.1;

[0027] Figure 5 The expression of neutrophils (NIMP-R14, ab2557) in the blank group and CNTF implantation group;

[0028] Figure 6 This is the HE staining result of rat "Neiguan acupoint area" tissue.

[0029] Figure 7 The serum concentration of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in rats with myocardial ischemia model was measured after 7 electroacupuncture-like interventions with CNTF;

[0030] Figure 8 This is the SEM image of the carbon nanofibers obtained in Example 2;

[0031] Fig. 9 This is the SEM image of the carbon nanofibers obtained in Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The technical solution of the present invention is further illustrated by the following examples.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] S1. Preparing carbon nanotube film by chemical vapor deposition;

[0035] S1-1: dissolving ferrocene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) and sulfur (S, analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) in a carbon source xylene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) solution at concentrations of 0.4mol / L and 0.02mol / L, respectively, and then mixing the obtained ferrocene-xylene solution with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain a precursor solution;

[0036] S1-2, heating to 1150°C under argon protection;

[0037] S1-3, adding the precursor solution into the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, starting the ultrasonic atomizer, atomizing the precursor solution, and then passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube, and then entering the reaction zone at 1150° C. under the carrier of hydrogen and argon;

[0038] S1-4, the grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound on a bobbin to obtain a single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film;

[0039] S2, stacking 10 layers of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films;

[0040] S3, fixing one end of the stacked carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft end, and fixing the other end to a weight, so that the two ends are located on the same horizontal line;

[0041] S4, connect the motor to an external power source, and drive the film to twist and spin by rotating the motor axis in one direction. The spinning voltage is 2.5V, and the spinning time is 15 minutes. After spinning for 15 minutes, the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film is twisted into carbon nanotube fibers. The morphological characteristics of the obtained carbon nanotube fibers are as follows Figure 1 The film twisting process is similar to the winding process of a telephone coil. When the film is twisted and squeezed to a certain extent, a dense fiber structure can be formed with a smooth surface and uniform diameter without any gaps or irregular structures. As shown in the scanning electron microscope image, the diameter of each part of the obtained carbon nanotube fiber is 24μm.

[0042] Figure 2 Mechanical and electrochemical characterization of CNTF made of CNT film. A. is the stress-strain curve of CNTF in the mechanical pulling experiment. The maximum stress (when the fracture occurs) is about 3300Ma; CNTF breaks instantly when the tensile strength is 3300MPa, and the tensile strain is about 12.23% at this time. It shows that it has good mechanical properties. B is the electrochemical cyclic voltammetry curve of CNTF, and the average initial charge storage capacity is 23.82±1.95mC / cm 2 (n=3); The electrochemical conductivity was measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and it was found that the CV curve of CNTF was approximately rectangular in shape with obvious redox inversion peaks, indicating that it has excellent conductivity.

[0043]

[0044] Where v is the scan rate (mV / s), A is the electrode surface area (cm 2 ), Ea and Ec are the scanning potential limits, i is the measured current density (mA / cm2 ).

[0045] According to the formula, the charge storage capacity (CSC) of CNTF is about 18.69mC / cm 2 C is the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy Nyquist spectrum of CNTF. The marked part is the high-frequency area of ​​the impedance test. The smaller the arc, the better the conductivity. When the scanning rate is 1 kHz, the average impedance value of CNTF is 759±23Ω (n=3), indicating that its conductivity is good.

[0046] Application Example 1.1

[0047] After fixation in the supine position, the inner side of the left upper limb of the rat was depilated and disinfected, and the carbon nanotube fiber (about 1-2 cm in length) obtained in Example 1 was implanted at the "Neiguan acupoint area" between the ulnar and radial sutures 3 mm above the wrist joint using a No. 6 acupoint implantation device. The needle was inserted about 2 mm, and 1 cm of thread was left outside (such as Figure 3-4 As shown). Before the rats regained consciousness, they were given collars to prevent them from licking and biting the free-end electrodes. The rats in other groups were all given collars and high biocompatible fixation devices to ensure the stability of the carbon nanotube filaments in the body and prevent them from falling off.

[0048] Then the external part of the carbon nanotube can be connected to an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device. When the treatment is completed, the carbon nanotube can be removed from the body, and the electrode wire is minimally invasively implanted in the acupuncture point. Then the external electrode wire is connected to an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device, and the frequency and intensity of stimulation can be flexibly adjusted according to the user's physical condition without removing the electrode; after leaving the wire, it only needs to be removed after the treatment is over, without frequent position changes and multiple operations, which can reduce repeated damage to local tissues or cause inflammatory reactions, and facilitate patients to continue treatment at home or in outpatient clinics, and can also improve patient compliance and reduce patients' discomfort from repeated acupuncture.

[0049] Figure 5 The expression of neutrophils (NIMP-R14, ab2557) in the median nerve of rats, blank group and CNTF implantation group, immunofluorescence staining image (×400). The image shows that only a small amount of neutrophils are expressed near the perineurium, proving that the CNTF electrode has good biocompatibility and can be used as an ideal material for acupoint stimulation electrodes. The blank group was not treated in any way. Figure 6 This is the result of HE staining of the rat Neiguan acupoint area. The image shows that there is no obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the muscles of the acupoint area of ​​the implanted group. Figure 7In the study of CNTF intervention effect on rat myocardial ischemia model, the serum concentration of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in rats was significantly decreased in the CNTF group compared with the model group (p<0.01).

[0050] Example 2

[0051] S1. Preparing carbon nanotube film by chemical vapor deposition;

[0052] S1-1: dissolving ferrocene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) and sulfur (S, analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) in a carbon source xylene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) solution at concentrations of 0.4mol / L and 0.02mol / L, respectively, and then mixing the obtained ferrocene-xylene solution with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain a precursor solution;

[0053] S1-2, heating to 1150°C under argon protection;

[0054] S1-3, adding the precursor solution into the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, starting the ultrasonic atomizer, atomizing the precursor solution, and then passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube, and then entering the reaction zone at 1150° C. under the carrier of hydrogen and argon;

[0055] S1-4, the grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound on a bobbin to obtain a single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film;

[0056] S2, stacking 10 layers of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films;

[0057] S3, fixing one end of the stacked carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft end, and fixing the other end to a weight, so that the two ends are located on the same horizontal line;

[0058] S4. Connect the motor to an external power source, and drive the film to twist and spin by rotating the motor axis in one direction. The spinning voltage is 2.5V, and the spinning time is 5-8 minutes. After spinning for 5-8 minutes, the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film is tightened into carbon nanotube fiber. The film twisting process is similar to the process of winding a telephone coil. When the film is twisted and squeezed to a certain extent, a dense fiber structure can be formed with a smooth surface and uniform diameter, without any gaps and irregular structures, such as Figure 8 As shown, each portion of the obtained carbon nanotube fiber has a diameter of about 70 μm and a length of 6-7 cm.

[0059] Example 3

[0060] S1. Preparing carbon nanotube film by chemical vapor deposition;

[0061] S1-1: dissolving ferrocene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) and sulfur (S, analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) in a carbon source xylene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥ 99wt%) solution at concentrations of 0.4mol / L and 0.02mol / L, respectively, and then mixing the obtained ferrocene-xylene solution with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain a precursor solution;

[0062] S1-2, heating to 1150°C under argon protection;

[0063] S1-3, adding the precursor solution into the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, starting the ultrasonic atomizer, atomizing the precursor solution, and then passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube, and then entering the reaction zone at 1150° C. under the carrier of hydrogen and argon;

[0064] S1-4, the grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound on a bobbin to obtain a single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film;

[0065] S2, stacking 10 layers of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films;

[0066] S3, fixing one end of the stacked carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft end, and fixing the other end to a weight, so that the two ends are located on the same horizontal line;

[0067] S4. Connect the motor to an external power source, and drive the film to twist and spin by rotating the motor axis in one direction. The spinning voltage is 2.5V, and the spinning time is 9-12min. The single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film is tightened into carbon nanotube fiber. After spinning for 9-12min, the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film is tightened into carbon nanotube fiber. The film twisting process is similar to the process of winding a telephone coil. When the twisting and squeezing reaches a certain degree, a dense fiber structure can be formed, and the surface is smooth, the diameter is uniform, and there are no gaps and irregular structures, such as Fig. 9 As shown, each portion of the obtained carbon nanotube fiber has a diameter of 53 μm and a length of 4-5 cm.

[0068] The implantation process of the present application and the in vivo process of CNTF form a stimulation pathway between the deep target and the outer skin of the body to exert the effect of acupuncture thread embedding, reduce the off-target rate, and improve the treatment effect.

[0069] Therefore, the present application provides an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture. The present application forms a dense fiber structure by superimposing carbon nanotube films and twisting the superimposed carbon nanotube films similar to a telephone coil with a motor device. The surface is smooth, the diameter is uniform, and there are no gaps or irregular structures. The obtained carbon nanotube fibers have high mechanical strength, stable electrochemical properties, high transmission efficiency, and good biocompatibility. When the obtained carbon nanotube fibers are buried in acupuncture points, 0.75-1.5 cm of wire is left outside, and the external wire can be connected to an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device. Different from the traditional thread embedding method, the external wire is left, which is convenient for removing the carbon nanotube fibers from the body, and is also convenient for external electroacupuncture devices or stimulators. It is convenient to remove the carbon nanotube fibers from the body, and repeated acupuncture can be avoided, thereby reducing the invasiveness to the tissue.

[0070] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "an experimental example", "example", "specific example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the experimental example or example are included in at least one experimental example or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same experimental example or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more experimental examples or examples in a suitable manner.

[0071] Finally, it should be noted that the above experimental examples are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred experimental examples, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify or replace the technical solution of the present invention with equivalents, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot cause the modified technical solution to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, characterized in that: The preparation method of carbon nanotube fibers is as follows: S1. Preparation of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film by chemical vapor deposition; S2, stacking the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films obtained in S1; S3, fixing one end of the stacked carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft end, and fixing the other end to a weight, so that the two ends are located on the same horizontal line; S4. Connect the motor to an external power source, and drive the film to twist and spin by rotating the motor axis in one direction, thereby tightening the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film into carbon nanotube fibers.

2. The use of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S1, the steps of preparing the carbon nanotube film by chemical vapor deposition are as follows: S1-1: dissolving ferrocene and sulfur into a carbon source xylene solution respectively to obtain a ferrocene-xylene solution and a sulfur-xylene solution, and then mixing the obtained ferrocene-xylene solution with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain a precursor solution; S1-2, heating to 1150°C under argon protection; S1-3, adding the precursor solution obtained in S1-1 into the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, starting the ultrasonic atomizer, atomizing the precursor solution, and then passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube, and then entering the reaction zone at 1150° C. under the carrier of hydrogen and argon; S1-4. The grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound on a bobbin to obtain a single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film.

3. The use of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S4, the spinning voltage is 2.5 V and the spinning time is about 8-15 min.

4. The use of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 2, characterized in that: In S1-1, the molar ratio of ferrocene to sulfur is 20 moL:1 moL, and the mass fraction of the two is ≥99 wt%.

5. The use of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carbon nanotube fiber is used as the electrode wire, with 0.75-1.5 cm of wire remaining outside and 0.5-5 cm of wire remaining inside.

6. The use of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carbon nanotube fiber has an external wire connected to an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device.

7. The use of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 1, characterized in that: Carbon nanotube fibers are used as electrode filaments for peripheral nerve electrode stimulation.

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