A multi-band high-frequency light emission system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract

The present invention discloses a multi-band high-frequency light emitting system for penetrating the cerebral cortex to the cerebrospinal fluid, including a control component and an emitting component, wherein the control component and the emitting component are electrically connected; the control component is used to generate and output drive signals of different frequencies, and to generate and output voltage signals of different magnitudes; the emitting component is used to drive the emitting component to emit light of different frequencies according to the drive signal, and to change the magnitude of the current flowing through the emitting component according to the voltage signal. The present invention realizes the adjustable and optional wavelength and adjustable light intensity of the emitted light signal through the design of a simple circuit, thereby improving the scope of application of the entire system and broadening the research scenario of physiological signal detection from the epidermis to the cerebrospinal fluid at a relatively low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of medical imaging technology, and in particular is a multi-band high-frequency light emission system for penetrating the cerebral cortex to the cerebrospinal fluid. Background Art

[0002] Near-infrared brain functional imaging, also known as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), is a non-invasive brain function neuroimaging technology with the advantages of simple operation, low cost, strong anti-interference and good compatibility. It can realize rapid examination of patients' brain function in a variety of natural clinical scenarios and is widely used in the clinical field.

[0003] Current near-infrared diffuse optical technology can be used to detect brain-related functional neural activity. It mainly uses light of different wavelengths in the near-infrared range to calculate the different absorption coefficients of oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin, thereby obtaining different blood oxygen concentrations generated by brain activity.

[0004] Using certain properties of light to study various physiological indicators has become increasingly popular. For example, a brain volume measurement system disclosed in Chinese patent publication number CN103565440A on February 12, 2014 uses the different brain structures to affect the distribution of optical signals in the brain when light passes through the brain to perform imaging and quantitative analysis.

[0005] At present, the research on the relevant physiological indicators between the epidermis and the cerebrospinal fluid has attracted much attention from researchers. However, the existing products on the market have a relatively concentrated frequency band and a small selection space, which is not conducive to the application research of multiple scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a multi-band high-frequency light emission system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid to solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0007] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0008] A multi-band high-frequency light emitting system for penetrating the cerebral cortex to the cerebrospinal fluid comprises a control component and an emitting component, wherein the control component and the emitting component are electrically connected; the control component is used to generate and output drive signals of different frequencies, and to generate and output voltage signals of different magnitudes; the emitting component is used to drive the emitting component to emit light of different frequencies according to the drive signal, and to change the magnitude of the current flowing through the emitting component according to the voltage signal.

[0009] In the above technical scheme, information is transmitted between the control component and the transmitting component in the form of electrical signals, and signal interference is relatively small, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the research results; the control component outputs multiple driving signals of different frequencies to the transmitting component, so that multiple light-emitting elements in the transmitting component emit light of different wavelengths respectively. At the same time, the control component outputs multiple voltage signals of different sizes to the transmitting component, so that the currents flowing through the corresponding light-emitting elements in the transmitting component are different in size, generating light with different light intensities, and finally forming the simultaneous emission of light signals of different wavelengths and different light intensities.

[0010] The above technical solution realizes the adjustable wavelength and adjustable light intensity of the emitted light signal through the design of simple circuits, which improves the applicability of the entire system and broadens the research scenarios of physiological signal detection from the epidermis to the cerebrospinal fluid at a lower cost.

[0011] As a further technical solution, the transmitting component integrates multiple LEDs, each LED corresponds to a driving circuit, and the driving circuit is electrically connected to the control component. This technical solution sends a driving signal to the driving circuit through the control component, so that the driving circuit drives the LED to emit light, and multiple driving signals of different frequencies drive multiple LEDs to emit light of different wavelengths, thereby achieving the emission of light of different wavelengths by setting the driving signal frequency at the control component end, thereby increasing the selectable space of the emission light wavelength.

[0012] As a further technical solution, the plurality of driving circuits are connected to driving signals of different frequencies to drive the plurality of LEDs to emit light of different wavelengths. Driving signals of different frequencies drive different LEDs to emit light, and light signals with different wavelengths are obtained at the same time, thus expanding the applicability of the entire system.

[0013] As a further technical solution, the driving circuit includes a transistor, the on and off of the transistor is controlled by a driving signal sent by a control component, and the collector voltage of the transistor is controlled by a voltage signal sent by the control component. In this technical solution, when the driving circuit receives the driving signal, it drives the corresponding transistor to conduct, so that the corresponding LED emits light; when the driving circuit receives the voltage signal, the collector of the transistor obtains a voltage, and changes the current flowing through the LED according to the voltage, so that the light intensity of the light emitted by the LED changes. This technical solution realizes the control of the wavelength and light intensity of the LED light by controlling the transistor.

[0014] As a further technical solution, the control component has a processing unit for generating PWM wave signals of different frequencies; and a DA conversion unit for performing DA conversion on the digital signal generated by the processing unit to obtain analog voltage signals of different sizes. In this technical solution, the processing unit can be implemented by a single-chip microcomputer, MCU, etc., and the DA conversion unit can be implemented by a high-speed DA acquisition chip. Both the processing unit and the DA conversion unit can be integrated on a circuit board and occupy a small space. Moreover, due to the electrical connection between the control component and the transmitting component, the control component and the transmitting component can be disassembled and stored or carried separately when not in use, thereby improving the portability of the overall system.

[0015] As a further technical solution, the DA conversion module is a multi-channel module for outputting multiple analog voltage signals of different sizes. The number of multiple channels can be set according to actual research needs, and each channel outputs a different analog voltage signal. Further, the number of multiple channels can be set by sending instructions from a hardware terminal or by a software application.

[0016] As a further technical solution, the control component and the transmitting component are connected via two lines, one for transmitting the driving signal and the other for transmitting the voltage signal. In this technical solution, the two lines are connected between the control component and the transmitting component in a pluggable manner, the line connection is convenient, and will not interfere with the monitoring signal, and the overall system has good portability.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] (1) The system of the present invention is composed of a control component and a transmitting component. Information is transmitted between the control component and the transmitting component in the form of electrical signals. Signal interference is relatively small, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the research results. The control component outputs a plurality of driving signals of different frequencies to the transmitting component, so that a plurality of light-emitting elements in the transmitting component emit light of different wavelengths. At the same time, the control component outputs a plurality of voltage signals of different magnitudes to the transmitting component, so that the currents flowing through the corresponding light-emitting elements in the transmitting component are different in magnitude, thereby generating light of different intensities, and finally forming the simultaneous emission of light signals of different wavelengths and different intensities.

[0019] (2) The present invention realizes the adjustable wavelength and adjustable light intensity of the emitted light signal through the design of a simple circuit, thereby improving the application scope of the entire system and broadening the research scenario of physiological signal detection from the epidermis to the cerebrospinal fluid at a lower cost.

[0020] (3) In the present invention, the control component and the transmitting component are electrically connected via two lines. Both lines are connected between the control component and the transmitting component in a pluggable manner. The line connection is convenient and will not interfere with the monitoring signal. The overall system has good portability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a multi-band modulated light transmitting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a driving circuit in a transmitting component according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of various embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or mutual communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0025] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a multi-band high-frequency light emitting system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid, including a control component and a emitting component, wherein the control component and the emitting component are electrically connected.

[0028] The control component can be implemented by a control panel, or by a device having the functions of sending control signals and performing signal processing. The device used can also have a display function.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control component is implemented by a control board, and the control board is integrated with a single-chip microcomputer and a DA chip. Here, a power supply can also be integrated on the control board, or the control board can be powered by an external power supply.

[0030] The single chip microcomputer generates a PWM wave as a driving signal, generates PWM wave signals of different frequencies as needed, and transmits them to the transmitting component in the form of electrical signals.

[0031] The microcontroller sends out a digital signal, which is converted into an analog voltage value by the DA chip and output to the transmitting component. The analog voltage output by the DA chip changes the brightness of the light-emitting element by changing the current flowing through the light-emitting element in the transmitting component.

[0032] In this embodiment, three LEDs are integrated in the emission component, and each LED corresponds to a driving circuit for driving the three LEDs to emit light of different wavelengths. The voltage operating range is 3-5.5V.

[0033] Preferably, three circuit boards are provided in the transmitting component, each layer of the circuit board is respectively integrated with an LED driving circuit and a multi-band single LED patch, and the top layer of the circuit board is integrated with a power supply. In this embodiment, the power supply and the LED driving circuit are integrated in the transmitting component, which reduces the size of the control end, simplifies the input signal entering the transmitting component, and improves the anti-interference ability.

[0034] A pluggable interface is provided at the tail of the transmitting component, which is used to realize a detachable connection between the control component and the transmitting component via the pluggable interface.

[0035] The front end of the transmitting component is connected to the human head, and the rear end is connected to the control board. The control board sends an electrical signal to drive the transmitting component to output a detection light signal. This allows the transmitting component and the control board to exchange information through electrical signals, avoiding the signal interference problem in optical fiber signal transmission.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the driving circuit includes a transistor. When a PWM wave driving signal is connected, the transistor is turned on and the corresponding LED emits light. When the analog voltage value output by the control end is adjusted, the collector voltage of the transmitting end transistor is adjusted accordingly, so that the current flowing through the LED changes, thereby changing the light intensity of the LED.

[0037] In this embodiment, the LED can be controlled to emit light of different wavelengths through PWM wave driving signals of different frequencies, and the LED can be controlled to emit light of different brightness through analog voltage values ​​of different magnitudes.

[0038] In this embodiment, three LEDs and three corresponding driving circuits are integrated in the transmitting component. By setting the frequency of the PWM wave driving signal at the control end, three different wavelengths of light can be obtained.

[0039] This embodiment realizes the emission of light of different wavelengths by setting the frequency of the driving signal at the control end, thereby increasing the selectability of the wavelength of the emitted light.

[0040] In this embodiment, the control component and the transmitting component are connected via two lines, one for transmitting the driving signal and the other for transmitting the voltage signal. Both lines are connected between the control component and the transmitting component in a pluggable manner, the line connection is convenient, and will not interfere with the monitoring signal, and the overall system has good portability.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] In this embodiment, the control component is connected to the management terminal and is used to determine the channel for outputting the analog voltage signal according to the instruction sent by the management terminal. For example, for a scenario where only one wavelength of light is required for detection, the management terminal can send an instruction to determine the corresponding channel, and then the single-chip microcomputer determines the driving signal frequency according to the required output wavelength and outputs it to the transmitting component.

[0043] This embodiment selects different drive signal output channels according to different research scenarios, realizes the free selection and combination of lights of different wavelengths, and broadens the research scope.

[0044] The management terminal includes a hardware terminal or a software application. This embodiment does not limit the form of the terminal that provides the channel instruction, and it can be driven by hardware or by a software program, as long as the instruction can be transmitted, thereby improving the applicability of the overall system.

[0045] This embodiment can freely select channels, specify channels of interest, and control the DA module to sample signals in the channels of interest during a specified period of time; or, specify channels of no interest, and control the DA module not to sample channels of no interest during a specified period of time, thereby achieving free combination of channels and greatly expanding the application scenarios of near-infrared brain functional imaging without any additional cost.

[0046] Example 3

[0047] This embodiment provides a housing for assembling the transmitting assembly described in Embodiment 1. The housing is a combination of a cylindrical structure and a conical structure. The tip of the conical structure of the housing is used to set the optical fiber channel. The end of the cylindrical structure of the housing is formed with a cover.

[0048] The cover of the transmitting assembly is provided with a pluggable interface for electrically connecting with the control board through a circuit. The cover can be made of plastic.

[0049] The cavity formed by the cylindrical structure of the shell is used to set a circuit board integrating LED and driving circuit.

[0050] The shell diameter of this embodiment is about 1.2 cm.

[0051] The volume of the LED patch integrated on the circuit board of this embodiment is very small, and the length and width dimensions can be about 2 mm.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-band high-frequency light transmission system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid, characterized in that: It comprises a control component and a transmitting component, which are electrically connected to each other; the control component is used to generate and output driving signals of different frequencies, and to generate and output voltage signals of different sizes; the transmitting component is used to drive the transmitting component to emit light of different frequencies according to the driving signal, and to change the current flowing through the transmitting component according to the voltage signal; a plurality of LEDs are integrated in the transmitting component, each LED corresponds to a driving circuit, and the driving circuit is electrically connected to the control component; a power supply is also integrated in the transmitting component, and a pluggable interface is provided at the tail of the transmitting component; the driving circuit comprises a triode, the on and off of the triode is controlled by the driving signal sent by the control component, and the collector voltage of the triode is controlled by the voltage signal sent by the control component; the control component and the transmitting component are connected via two lines, one for transmitting the driving signal and the other for transmitting the voltage signal.

2. A multi-band high-frequency light transmitting system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of driving circuits are respectively connected to driving signals of different frequencies to drive the plurality of LEDs to emit lights of different wavelengths.

3. A multi-band high-frequency light transmitting system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control component comprises a processing unit for generating PWM wave signals of different frequencies; and a DA conversion unit for performing DA conversion on the digital signal generated by the processing unit to obtain analog voltage signals of different magnitudes.

4. A multi-band high-frequency light transmitting system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid according to claim 3, characterized in that: The DA conversion unit is a multi-channel module, which is used to output multiple analog voltage signals of different magnitudes.

5. A multi-band high-frequency light transmitting system for penetrating the cerebral cortex into the cerebrospinal fluid according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control component is connected to a management terminal and is used to determine the acquisition channel of the DA conversion unit according to an instruction sent by the management terminal.

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