A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a low temperature refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a low-temperature treatment system based on precooling of a low-temperature refrigerator, which comprises a gas source, a gas treatment unit and a pressure regulating unit arranged in sequence, the pressure regulating unit is connected with a plurality of ablation needles through a plurality of channel units; the plurality of channel units comprise a plurality of low-temperature gas inlet pipelines, at least one coupler and at least one refrigerator, the at least one coupler is arranged on the at least one low-temperature gas inlet pipeline, and the at least one refrigerator is arranged on the plurality of low-temperature gas inlet pipelines; the plurality of low-temperature gas inlet pipelines are connected with gas outlets of the pressure regulating unit and gas inlets of the plurality of ablation needles respectively; the plurality of channel units further comprise a plurality of gas return pipelines, gas inlets of the plurality of gas return pipelines are connected with gas outlets of the plurality of ablation needles respectively, and the at least one coupler is arranged on at least one gas return pipeline; the gas in each low-temperature gas inlet pipeline can first exchange heat with the gas in the corresponding gas return pipeline through the coupler thereon, and then be cooled at low temperature by a cold sink pre-cooled by the refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical technology, and in particular relates to a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Cryotherapy is a treatment method that uses freezing of local tissues to controllably destroy or remove living tissue. Cryoablation, as a minimally invasive targeted surgery, is characterized by minimal trauma, few side effects, and definite efficacy. It also offers advantages such as clear boundaries of the ablation ice ball, participation in activating the body's tumor immune function, no damage to major blood vessels, and minimal pain, making ultra-low temperature targeted freezing and hyperthermia of tumors a reality. In recent years, cryotherapy has been widely used in the treatment of metastatic liver cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and other cancers.

[0003] Existing cryoablation technologies primarily employ high-pressure gas throttling, such as the argon-helium cryosurgery technique. Its operating principle involves throttling high-pressure argon gas. However, this method uses 5000 psi (35 MPa) high-pressure argon gas, with an operating pressure of 3000 psi (20 MPa), resulting in a utilization rate of approximately 43%. Shanghai Guide Medical Systems Co., Ltd. uses pre-cooled nitrogen throttling, employing conventional industrial nitrogen at 15 MPa, with an operating pressure of 10 MPa and a minimum usable pressure of 8 MPa, resulting in a gas source utilization rate of approximately 33%. Therefore, while using industrial nitrogen allows the use of low-pressure industrial gases, the gas utilization rate is low. Thus, a technology is needed that can utilize conventional industrial nitrogen while improving gas utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator, comprising a gas source, a gas processing unit, and a pressure regulating unit arranged sequentially, wherein the pressure regulating unit is connected to several ablation needles via several channel units.

[0005] The plurality of channel units include a plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes, at least one coupler and at least one refrigerator, wherein at least one coupler is disposed on at least one cryogenic air inlet pipe and at least one refrigerator is disposed on the plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes; the air inlets of the plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes are all connected to the air outlets of the pressure regulating unit and the air outlets of the plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes are respectively connected to the air inlets of the plurality of ablation needles.

[0006] The channel unit also includes several return gas pipelines, the inlets of which are respectively connected to the return gas ports of several ablation needles, and at least one of the couplers is disposed on at least one of the return gas pipelines; the gas in each of the low-temperature inlet gas pipelines can first exchange heat with the gas in the corresponding return gas pipeline through the coupler thereon, and then be cooled at low temperature by the cold sink pre-cooled by the refrigerator.

[0007] Preferably, the cryogenic intake pipe includes at least two stages of cryogenic refrigerators, with the first stage cryogenic refrigerator and the second stage cryogenic refrigerator connected in series on the cryogenic intake pipe;

[0008] At least one of the couplers is disposed between the pressure regulating unit and the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator via the cryogenic intake pipe, or / and at least one of the couplers is disposed between the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator via the cryogenic intake pipe.

[0009] Preferably, the plurality of channel units further includes a plurality of energy enhancement pipelines and at least one energy enhancer, wherein at least one energy enhancer and at least one refrigerator are disposed on the energy enhancement pipeline, the air inlet of the energy enhancement pipeline is connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit, and the air outlet of the energy enhancement pipeline is open to the outside atmosphere.

[0010] The residual gas in the gas source can be pre-cooled by the energy enhancer and the refrigerator, and then the cold storage medium in the refrigerator can be pre-cooled.

[0011] Preferably, the energy enhancement pipeline includes an energy enhancement intake pipeline and an energy enhancement return pipeline connected together. Both the energy enhancer and the refrigerator include an intake channel connected to the energy enhancement intake pipeline and a return channel connected to the energy enhancement return pipeline. A throttling device is provided between the outlet of the energy enhancement intake pipeline and the return port of the energy enhancement return pipeline. The inlet of the energy enhancement intake pipeline is connected to the outlet of the pressure regulating unit, and the exhaust port of the energy enhancement return pipeline is connected to the outside atmosphere.

[0012] Preferably, the channel unit further includes several ambient temperature air inlet pipes, which are respectively connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit and the air inlet of the several ablation needles.

[0013] Preferably, the ambient temperature intake pipe is equipped with a solenoid valve and a one-way valve.

[0014] Preferably, the pressure regulating unit includes several control pipelines and pressure regulating valves, solenoid valves and pressure transmitters disposed on the control pipelines. The air inlets of the several control pipelines are respectively connected to the air outlets of the gas processing unit, and the air outlets of the several control pipelines are respectively connected to the air inlets of each pipeline of the several channel units.

[0015] Preferably, the gas processing unit includes a gas drying filter, which is disposed on the outlet pipeline of the gas source.

[0016] Preferably, the plurality of channel units further include a plurality of rapid exhaust pipes and solenoid valves disposed on the rapid exhaust pipes, wherein the plurality of rapid exhaust pipes are respectively connected to the plurality of cryogenic intake pipes.

[0017] Preferably, the return gas pipeline is also equipped with a pressure relief valve and a pressure transmitter. The pressure transmitter is used to detect the pressure of the return gas pipeline. When the pressure of the return gas pipeline is higher than the set value, the pressure is relieved through the pressure relief valve.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical advantages:

[0019] 1. This invention provides a low-temperature treatment system based on a low-temperature refrigerator pre-cooling. The gas source is connected to multiple ablation needles through multiple channel units. Each channel unit is independently controlled and can realize independent functions such as freezing, rewarming, purging, and exhaust. It can realize the function of freezing tumors in multiple locations at the same time and improve the utilization rate of the gas source.

[0020] 2. The channel unit has independent air inlet, air return, and rewarming pipelines. The number of ablation needles and the freezing time of the ablation needles can be adjusted as needed to achieve multiple tumors and conformal treatment.

[0021] 3. In this invention, the gas source can be a conventional industrial gas source or a high-pressure argon gas source. The utilization rate of the conventional industrial gas source is increased to 67%, which is 100% higher; the utilization rate of the high-pressure argon gas source is increased to 85.7%, which is 100% higher.

[0022] 4. This invention can cool the temperature to below -160℃, and at the same time, it can utilize the gas source pressure to 5MPa, increasing the gas source utilization rate by 50% to 100%, which is much higher than the original technical solution and the traditional argon-helium knife.

[0023] 5. The preferred refrigeration unit of this invention is an opposed-type refrigeration unit, which can avoid the vibration problem caused by single-head low-temperature refrigeration units. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator, provided as a preferred embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the connection structure of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator is provided for a preferred embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator, provided as a preferred embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the connection structure of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator is provided for a preferred embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator, provided as a preferred embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection structure of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator is provided for a preferred embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator, provided as a preferred embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of a cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator, which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator includes a gas source, a gas processing unit, and a pressure regulating unit arranged sequentially. The pressure regulating unit is connected to a plurality of ablation needles via several channel units. The term "a plurality of" in this invention refers to two or more, i.e., at least two.

[0034] Each channel unit includes several channels. The pressure regulating unit adjusts the gas pressure of the corresponding channel according to different operating modes to achieve different operating modes. This invention does not limit the specific operating mode or combinations of modes; it can be set according to specific usage requirements.

[0035] This invention includes at least one cryoablation channel and one return gas precooling channel in each channel unit:

[0036] The cryoablation channel includes a cryogenic air inlet pipe and at least one coupler and at least one refrigerator disposed on the cryogenic air inlet pipe. The air inlet of the cryogenic air inlet pipe is connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit, and the air outlet of the cryogenic air inlet pipe is connected to the air inlet of a corresponding ablation needle connector. This invention does not limit the number of couplers and refrigerators on the same cryogenic air inlet pipe; the number can be set according to actual usage requirements. All couplers and refrigerators on the same cryogenic air inlet pipe are connected in series.

[0037] In this invention, a coupler can be connected to one or more cryogenic air intake pipes, that is, a first air intake channel is provided on a coupler and this first air intake channel is connected to a cryogenic air intake pipe; or, a plurality of first air intake channels are provided on a coupler and the plurality of first air intake channels are respectively connected to a plurality of cryogenic air intake pipes.

[0038] In this embodiment, the refrigerator is connected to all the low-temperature air intake pipes, that is, the refrigerator is provided with a number of first air intake channels, and the number of first air intake channels are connected to all the low-temperature air intake pipes.

[0039] The return gas precooling channel includes a return gas pipeline and at least one coupler disposed on the return gas pipeline. The inlet of the return gas pipeline is connected to the return gas end of the ablation needle connector, and the exhaust end of the return gas pipeline is open to the outside atmosphere. The gas in the low-temperature intake pipeline can first exchange heat with the gas in the return gas pipeline through the coupler, and then be cooled to a low temperature by the cold sink precooled by the refrigerator. The return gas pipeline and the low-temperature intake pipeline in each channel unit share a coupler.

[0040] The cryoablation channel can employ a single-stage cryogenic refrigerator, or a two-stage or multi-stage cryogenic refrigerator; this invention does not impose specific limitations in this regard. To enhance the cooling effect, at least two stages of cryogenic refrigerators are preferred, with the pre-stage and post-stage cryogenic refrigerators connected in series on all cryogenic inlet pipes. That is, both the pre-stage and post-stage cryogenic refrigerators include several second inlet channels, which are respectively connected to all cryogenic inlet pipes.

[0041] The return gas precooling channel includes at least one coupler disposed on the return gas pipeline, and at least one of the couplers is disposed between the pressure regulating unit and the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator through the cryogenic inlet pipeline, or / and at least one of the couplers is disposed between the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator through the cryogenic inlet pipeline.

[0042] Each channel unit may include other channels, and this invention does not limit this; it can be configured according to specific usage requirements, such as energy enhancement channels, rapid exhaust channels, rewarming channels, etc. In this invention, each channel unit is independently controlled and can achieve independent freezing, rewarming, and purge functions, thereby enabling simultaneous freezing of tumors in multiple locations. Each channel unit has independent air inlet, air return, and rewarming lines, and the number of ablation needles and the freezing time of the ablation needles can be adjusted as needed to achieve multiple tumors and conformal therapy.

[0043] The gas source is connected to multiple ablation needles via multiple channel units, each of which is independently controlled. This allows for independent freezing, rewarming, purging, and venting functions, enabling simultaneous freezing of tumors at multiple sites and improving gas source utilization. In this invention, the gas source can be a conventional industrial gas source or a high-pressure argon gas source. The utilization rate of a conventional industrial gas source is increased to 67%, a 100% improvement; the utilization rate of a high-pressure argon gas source is increased to 85.7%, a 100% improvement.

[0044] This invention can cool the temperature to below -160°C, while utilizing the gas source pressure up to 5MPa, increasing the gas source utilization rate by 50% to 100%, which is significantly higher than the original technical solution and the traditional argon-helium knife.

[0045] The present invention preferably uses an opposed-type refrigeration unit, which can avoid the vibration problem caused by a single-head low-temperature refrigeration unit.

[0046] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator includes a gas source 1, a gas processing unit 2, and a pressure regulating unit 3 arranged in sequence. The pressure regulating unit 3 is connected to a plurality of ablation needle connectors 5 through a plurality of channel units 4, and the plurality of ablation needle connectors 5 are connected to a plurality of ablation needles 6.

[0049] In this embodiment, the gas processing unit 2 includes a gas drying filter 22, which is installed on the outlet pipe 21 of the gas source 1. The gas drying filter 22 is used to filter out impurities and moisture in the gas and stores a portion of the gas to maintain a positive pressure in the gas pipeline. A solenoid valve, pressure transmitter, etc., may also be installed on the outlet pipe 21 of the gas source 1. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this and can be configured according to actual usage requirements.

[0050] The pressure regulating unit 3 is used to detect pipeline pressure and regulate the on / off state of the control gas, as well as the switching of working pressure and working mode during operation. In this embodiment, the pressure regulating unit 3 includes several control pipelines (in this embodiment, the several control pipelines are control pipeline 31, control pipeline 31', and control pipeline 31" respectively) and pressure regulating valves, solenoid valves, and pressure transmitters installed on the control pipelines (pressure regulating valve 32, pressure transmitter 33, and solenoid valve 34 are installed on control pipeline 31; pressure regulating valve 32', pressure transmitter, and solenoid valve 34' are installed on control pipeline 31'; and pressure regulating valve 32", pressure transmitter, and solenoid valve 34" are installed on control pipeline 31". The air inlets of control pipelines 31, 31', and 31" are all connected to the air outlet of the gas processing unit 2, and the air outlets of control pipelines 31, 31', and 31" are respectively connected to the air inlets of each pipeline of several channel units 4.

[0051] This invention does not limit the number of channel units and ablation needles; the number of channel units and ablation needles are in one-to-one correspondence. The structure of each set of channel units 4 is identical. Therefore, each set of channel units 4 includes the following channels:

[0052] The rewarming channel 41 includes a normal temperature air inlet pipe 413, which is equipped with a solenoid valve 411 (for regulating the opening and closing of the gas pipeline) and a one-way valve 412 (to prevent reverse flow of gas). The air inlet of the normal temperature air inlet pipe 413 is connected to the air outlet of the control pipe 31, and the air outlet of the normal temperature air inlet pipe 413 is connected to the air inlet of the ablation needle connector 5.

[0053] The cryoablation channel 42 includes a cryogenic inlet pipe 422 and a pre-coupler 423, a pre-cryogenic refrigerator 424, and a post-cryogenic refrigerator 425 sequentially disposed on the cryogenic inlet pipe 422. The inlet of the cryogenic inlet pipe 422 is connected to the outlet of the control pipe 31' and the outlet of the control pipe 31'', respectively. The pre-coupler 423, the pre-cryogenic refrigerator 424, and the post-cryogenic refrigerator 425 are each provided with a first inlet channel connected to the cryogenic inlet pipe 422 (the pre-cryogenic refrigerator 424 and the post-cryogenic refrigerator 425 are connected to the cryogenic inlet pipe 422). Each of the components 25 has several first air inlet channels that are respectively connected to several low-temperature air inlet pipes 422. The outlet of each low-temperature air inlet pipe 422 is connected to the air inlet end of the ablation needle connector 5. In this embodiment, the low-temperature air inlet pipe 422 is also equipped with a solenoid valve 421 for detecting the pressure of the pipe and regulating the opening and closing of the gas pipe, a pressure transmitter, and a temperature sensor. The outlet section of the low-temperature air inlet pipe 422 (i.e., the air inlet section of the ablation needle connector 5) is also equipped with a one-way valve 426. In this embodiment, the refrigerator is a Stirling refrigerator, a pulse tube refrigerator, or a thermoacoustic refrigerator.

[0054] The pre-cooling return gas channel 43 includes a return gas pipeline 431 and a pre-coupler 423 mounted on the return gas pipeline 431. The inlet of the return gas pipeline 431 is connected to the return gas end of the ablation needle connector 5, and the outlet of the return gas pipeline 431 is open to the outside atmosphere. The pre-coupler 423 has a first return gas channel connected to the return gas pipeline 431, and the exhaust port of the return gas pipeline 431 is open to the outside atmosphere. The gas in the low-temperature inlet pipeline 422 can first exchange heat with the gas in the return gas pipeline 431 through the pre-coupler 423, and then be cooled to a low temperature by the cold sink pre-cooled by the pre-cryogenic refrigerator 424 and the post-cryogenic refrigerator 425. In this embodiment, the return gas pipeline 431 is also equipped with a pressure relief valve and a pressure transmitter. The pressure transmitter is used to detect the pressure of the return gas pipeline 431. When the pressure of the return gas pipeline 431 is higher than the set value, the pressure is relieved through the pressure relief valve.

[0055] The rapid exhaust channel 44 includes a rapid exhaust pipe 442 and a solenoid valve 441 disposed on the rapid exhaust pipe 442. One end of the rapid exhaust pipe 442 is connected to the low-temperature intake pipe 422, and the other end is connected to the outside atmosphere.

[0056] The ablation needle 6 has a one-way valve at the inlet and outlet with a certain starting pressure of 15psi to prevent air from entering through the inlet and outlet. In addition, the residual gas in the tubing after the operation is used to introduce a certain amount of gas into the relevant tubing by adjusting the opening and closing of the solenoid valve through the control system. This keeps the tubing under positive pressure, avoiding the risk of air being drawn in due to negative pressure caused by low temperature. This would prevent water vapor in the air from condensing into liquid, which could then solidify and block the tubing or cause it to burst, resulting in ice blockage or gas leakage.

[0057] The working principles of different working modes:

[0058] First, the gas in gas source 1 is dried and filtered by gas dryer filter 22 before entering pressure regulating unit 3. Pressure regulating unit 3 enables the flow of gas at different pressures according to different working modes.

[0059] Blowing mode

[0060] After drying and filtration, the gas is regulated to the corresponding working pressure by the pressure regulating unit 3 and the pressure reducing valve 32'. Then, the working gas enters the working gas pipeline by controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 34'. At the same time, the gas enters different cryogenic ablation channels 42 by the solenoid valves 421 and 421'. It first enters the pre-coupler 423 and the pre-cryogenic refrigerator 424 for primary pre-cooling, and then enters the post-cryogenic refrigerator 425 for low-temperature pre-cooling. After the low-temperature pre-cooling is completed, it enters the connected quick connector 5 through the low-temperature dual-path ablation needle quick connector 5 for throttling and then returns to the return gas pre-cooling channel 43 to quickly pre-cool the pre-coupler 423. This can avoid the effect of slow cooling of the ablation needle 6 due to the temperature of the pre-coupler 423 being higher than the temperature of the cold sink. At the same time, the pre-cooling purging can quickly blow out the condensate in the pipeline to avoid ice blockage or dirt blockage caused by pre-cooling.

[0061] cryoablation mode

[0062] The cryoablation mode is divided into a rapid cooling phase and a stable operating phase:

[0063] During the rapid cooling phase, the dried and filtered gas is regulated to the corresponding working pressure by the pressure regulating unit 3 and the pressure reducing valve 32'. The working gas enters the working gas pipeline by controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 34'. At the same time, the gas enters different cryoablation channels 42 by the solenoid valves 421 and 421'. It first enters the pre-coupler 423 and the pre-cryogenic refrigerator 424 for primary pre-cooling, and then enters the post-cryogenic refrigerator 425 for low-temperature pre-cooling. After the low-temperature pre-cooling is completed, it enters the cryoablation needle 6 through the low-temperature dual-path ablation needle quick connector 5. Inside the ablation needle 6, after being throttled by the JT groove inside the ablation needle 6, it rapidly expands and vaporizes inside the blade tip, generating a cooling effect and rapidly releasing cold energy to produce a low temperature below -150°C, which rapidly freezes the lesion tissue. Then, it returns to the pre-coupler 423 through the low-temperature dual-path ablation needle quick connector 5 and enters the return gas pre-cooling channel 43. After the return gas passes through the pre-coupler 423 to fully utilize the cold energy, it becomes room temperature and atmospheric pressure gas and is discharged into the air.

[0064] During the stable working phase, since the gas pipeline of the ablation needle 6 has established a stable working cycle, a relatively low pressure can be used to achieve stable operation of the ablation needle 6, while avoiding waste of gas source 1 and extending the service life of the gas cylinder. The working process is as follows: the pressure is adjusted to the corresponding working pressure through the pressure regulating unit 3 and the pressure reducing valve 32”. The working gas is controlled to enter the working gas pipeline by the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 34”. At the same time, the gas is controlled to enter different ablation channels by the solenoid valves 421 and 421', so as to achieve stable operation of different ablation needles 6.

[0065] Reheating mode

[0066] After drying and filtration, the gas is regulated to the corresponding working pressure by the pressure regulating unit 3 and the pressure reducing valve 32. The working gas enters the working gas pipeline by controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 34. At the same time, the gas enters different rewarming channels 41 by the solenoid valves 411' and 411, so that the gas can enter the cryoablation needle 6 quickly through the low temperature dual-path ablation needle quick connector 5 without pre-cooling. At the same time, the rewarming control module 45 in the control unit outputs voltage and current to realize the rapid rewarming of the ablation needle 6. Meanwhile, the gas flow protects the ablation needle 6 from overheating and damaging organ tissues.

[0067] Quick Exhaust Mode

[0068] When the equipment malfunctions or the freezing process is complete, the ablation needle 6 can be quickly vented through the inlet and outlet air lines via the solenoid valves 441 and 441' and the normal return air line.

[0069] Example 2

[0070] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4This embodiment adds an energy enhancement system based on implementation case 1. Since the residual gas pressure below the working pressure is about 8 to 10 MPa, and the residual gas pressure of high-pressure argon gas source 1 is even higher at about 20 MPa, the conventional treatment of residual gas is to be directly recycled by the manufacturer. Since the gas contains a lot of energy when it is throttled from a high-pressure state to a low-pressure state, direct recycling causes great waste. Therefore, by using an energy enhancer to transform the gas through different temperatures, a more advanced utilization of gas energy can be achieved.

[0071] Channel unit 4 further includes an energy enhancement channel 46, which includes an energy enhancement pipeline 462 and at least one energy enhancer 463 and a refrigerator disposed on the energy enhancement pipeline 462. Since the energy enhancer 463 is a coupler, it can be a separate coupler or a pre-coupler 423 (with a gas channel communicating with the energy enhancement pipeline 462 opened on the pre-coupler 423). In this embodiment, the energy enhancement channel 46 includes an energy enhancement pipeline 462 and an energy enhancer 463, a pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, and a post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 sequentially disposed on the energy enhancement pipeline 462. The air inlet of the energy enhancement pipeline 462 is connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit 3, and the air outlet of the energy enhancement pipeline 462 is connected to the outside atmosphere. The residual gas in the gas source 1 can be pre-cooled by the energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424 and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425, and then the cold storage medium in the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424 and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 can be pre-cooled.

[0072] In this embodiment, the energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 are sequentially arranged on the energy enhancement pipeline 462. Specifically, the energy enhancement pipeline 462 includes an energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621 and an energy enhancement return pipeline 4622 connected to each other. The energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 each include an intake channel connected to the energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621 and a return channel connected to the energy enhancement return pipeline 4622 (the intake channels of the energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 are sequentially arranged on the energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621, and the return channels of the energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 are sequentially arranged on the energy enhancement pipeline 4622). In this embodiment, both the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424 and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 are provided with several second air intake channels and several second air return channels, which are respectively connected to the energy enhancement air intake channels 4621 and energy enhancement air return channels 4622 of the energy enhancement channels 46. A throttling device 464 is provided between the air outlet of the energy enhancement air intake channel 4621 and the air return channel 4622. The air inlet of the energy enhancement air intake channel 4621 is connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit 3, and the exhaust port of the energy enhancement air return channel 4622 is connected to the outside atmosphere.

[0073] The energy enhancement system is mainly utilized during the start-up phase and the cold storage phase of the cryogenic refrigerator:

[0074] During the startup phase of the cryogenic refrigerator, channel unit 4 can be rapidly cooled, shortening the cooling time of the cryogenic refrigerator and quickly bringing it into a stable working state, greatly reducing surgical preparation time. During the standby cold storage phase between surgeries, channel unit 4 can utilize the remaining gas to bring the cryogenic sink to a lower temperature, enabling faster cooling of the ablation needle 6, a lower ablation temperature, and a larger ablation range. The working principle is as follows: the gas is regulated to the corresponding working pressure through the pressure regulating unit 3 and the pressure reducing valve 32”. The working gas enters the energy enhancement channel 46 by controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 34”. At the same time, the solenoid valve 461 of the energy enhancement pipeline 462 controls the gas to enter the energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621. When entering the energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621, the gas first enters the energy enhancer 463 and the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424 for primary pre-cooling, and then enters the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 for low-temperature pre-cooling. After the low-temperature pre-cooling is completed, the gas first uses high-grade cold energy through a first-stage throttling to achieve the pre-cooling of the post-stage low-temperature cold sink. After the post-stage low-temperature cold sink is pre-cooled, the gas first uses low-grade cold energy through a second-stage throttling to achieve the pre-cooling of the pre-stage low-temperature cold sink. After the pre-stage low-temperature cold sink is completed, the remaining cold energy is used to cool the energy enhancer 463 and turn it into normal temperature and pressure gas, which then enters the air, realizing the complete utilization of energy from high-pressure gas to low-pressure gas. Calculations show that after precooling 60SLM gas at 1200PSI pressure to -70℃, and then throttling it after passing through a subsequent cryogenic sink, approximately 45W of cooling capacity can be generated in the -120℃ cryogenic sink. The cooling capacity generated in 1 minute can be used for 0.5 minutes by a single extended ablation needle 6. After precooling 60SLM gas at 725PSI pressure to -70℃, and then throttling it after passing through an energy enhancer 463 and a subsequent cryogenic sink, approximately 22W of cooling capacity can be generated in the -120℃ cryogenic sink. Utilizing the gas in the 40L gas source 1 from 1200PSI pressure to 725PSI can generate an average of about 41.6kJ of heat, which translates to a reduction in precooling time of about 15%.

[0075] Example 3

[0076] The refrigeration efficiency of a refrigeration system is related to the refrigeration temperature; the lower the refrigeration temperature, the lower the refrigeration efficiency. A higher pre-stage cold sink temperature results in higher refrigeration efficiency. To reduce the energy loss from the intake gas to the downstream low-temperature cold sink and to extend the freeze-thaw time of the equipment, please refer to... Figure 5 and Figure 6This embodiment adds a post-stage coupler 427 to embodiment 1. The post-stage coupler 427 is located between the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424 and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425. Each of the pre-stage coupler 423, pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, post-stage coupler 427, and post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 has a first intake channel connected to the cryogenic intake pipe 422. The first intake channels of each of these components are sequentially connected to the cryogenic intake pipe 422. Each of the pre-stage coupler 423, pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, post-stage coupler 427, and post-stage coupler 427 has a first return gas channel connected to the return gas pipe 431. In this embodiment, the cryoablation channel 42 and the return gas precooling channel 43 of several channel units 4 share a post-stage coupler 427. That is, the post-stage coupler 427 includes several first air intake channels that are respectively connected to several low-temperature air intake pipes 422, and several first air return channels that are respectively connected to several air return pipes 431.

[0077] Calculations show that by passing a gas with a pressure of 1500 PSI, a flow rate of 60 SLM, and a temperature of -70°C through the post-stage coupler 427, and then exchanging heat fully with the return gas from the ablation needle 6 at a temperature of -110°C and a pressure of 45 psi, the inlet gas temperature can be reduced by 25°C. This reduces the cooling energy consumption of the post-stage cryogenic sink by 50W, accounting for approximately 40%, and extends the cryoablation time of the ablation needle 6 by 67% compared to Implementation Case 1.

[0078] Example 4

[0079] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 This embodiment adds an energy enhancement system to the existing embodiment 3. Specifically, the channel unit 4 further includes an energy enhancement channel 46. The energy enhancement channel 46 includes an energy enhancement pipeline 462 and at least one energy enhancer and a refrigerator disposed on the energy enhancement pipeline 462. Since the energy enhancer is a coupler, it can be a separate coupler, or it can be a pre-coupler 423 (with a gas channel communicating with the energy enhancement pipeline 462 on the pre-coupler 423) and a post-coupler 427 (with a gas channel communicating with the energy enhancement pipeline 462 on the post-coupler 427). This embodiment takes the energy enhancement channel 46 as an example, which includes an energy enhancement pipeline 462 and an energy enhancer 463, a pre-cryogenic refrigerator 424, a post-coupler 427, and a post-cryogenic refrigerator 425 disposed sequentially on the energy enhancement pipeline 462.

[0080] In this embodiment, the energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, the post-stage coupler 427, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 are sequentially arranged on the energy enhancement pipeline 462. Specifically, the energy enhancement pipeline 462 includes an energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621 and an energy enhancement return pipeline 4622 that are connected to each other. The energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, the post-stage coupler 427, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 each include an intake channel connected to the energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621 and a return channel connected to the energy enhancement return pipeline 4622 (the intake channels of the energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, the post-stage coupler 427, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 are sequentially arranged on the energy enhancement intake pipeline 4621, and the energy enhancer 463, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, the post-stage coupler 427, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425...). The return gas channels are sequentially arranged on the energy-enhancing return gas pipeline 4622. In this embodiment, the pre-stage cryogenic refrigerator 424, the post-stage coupler 427, and the post-stage cryogenic refrigerator 425 are all provided with several second air intake channels and several second air return channels, which are respectively connected to the energy-enhancing air intake pipeline 4621 and the energy-enhancing return gas pipeline 4622 of the several energy-enhancing channels 46. A throttling device is provided between the air outlet of the energy-enhancing air intake pipeline 4621 and the air return port of the energy-enhancing return gas pipeline 4622. The air inlet of the energy-enhancing air intake pipeline 4621 is connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit 3, and the exhaust port of the energy-enhancing return gas pipeline 4622 is connected to the outside atmosphere.

[0081] Compared to Example 3, this embodiment adds an energy enhancer system. Based on calculations from Example 2, after precooling 60SLM gas at 1200PSI pressure to -70℃, and then passing through the energy enhancer 463 and subsequent cryogenic sink, it can generate approximately 45W of cooling capacity in the -120℃ cryogenic sink. The cooling capacity generated in 1 minute can extend the working time of a single ablation needle 6 for 0.5 minutes. After precooling 60SLM gas at 725PSI pressure to -70℃, and then passing through the energy enhancer 463 and subsequent cryogenic sink, it can generate approximately 22W of cooling capacity in the -120℃ cryogenic sink. Utilizing the gas in the 40L gas source 1 from 1200PSI pressure to 725PSI can generate an average of approximately 41.6kJ of heat, which translates to a reduction of precooling time by approximately 15%. The remaining 1200PSI gas in a single bottle can extend the working time of a single ablation needle 6 by approximately 7 minutes.

[0082] Through comparative analysis of the above implementation cases, compared with Example 1, Example 4 shortens the precooling time by about 15%, extends the working time of the ablation needle 6 by more than 60%, and achieves a utilization rate of 67% using conventional 15MPa industrial gas source 1, which is 100% higher than that of Example 1. The utilization rate of high-pressure industrial gas source 1 can reach 85.7%.

[0083] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator, characterized in that, It includes a gas source, a gas processing unit, and a pressure regulating unit arranged in sequence, wherein the pressure regulating unit is connected to several ablation needles through several channel units; The plurality of channel units include a plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes, at least one coupler and at least one refrigerator, wherein at least one coupler is disposed on at least one cryogenic air inlet pipe and at least one refrigerator is disposed on the plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes; the air inlets of the plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes are all connected to the air outlets of the pressure regulating unit and the air outlets of the plurality of cryogenic air inlet pipes are respectively connected to the air inlets of the plurality of ablation needles. The channel unit also includes several return gas pipelines, the inlets of the several return gas pipelines are respectively connected to the return gas ports of several ablation needles, and at least one of the couplers is disposed on at least one of the return gas pipelines; the gas in each of the low-temperature inlet gas pipelines can first exchange heat with the gas in the corresponding return gas pipeline through the coupler thereon, and then be cooled at low temperature by the cold sink pre-cooled by the refrigerator. The low-temperature intake pipe includes at least two stages of low-temperature refrigerators, with the pre-stage low-temperature refrigerator and the post-stage low-temperature refrigerator connected in series on the low-temperature intake pipe; at least one of the couplers is connected between the pressure regulating unit and the pre-stage low-temperature refrigerator through the low-temperature intake pipe, or / and at least one of the couplers is connected between the pre-stage low-temperature refrigerator and the post-stage low-temperature refrigerator through the low-temperature intake pipe; The channel unit further includes a plurality of energy enhancement pipelines and at least one energy enhancer, wherein at least one energy enhancer and at least one refrigerator are disposed on the energy enhancement pipeline, the air inlet of the energy enhancement pipeline is connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit, and the air outlet of the energy enhancement pipeline is open to the outside atmosphere. The residual gas in the gas source can be pre-cooled by the energy enhancer and the refrigerator, and then the cold storage medium in the refrigerator can be pre-cooled. The energy enhancement pipeline includes an energy enhancement intake pipeline and an energy enhancement return pipeline connected together. Both the energy enhancer and the refrigerator include an intake channel connected to the energy enhancement intake pipeline and a return channel connected to the energy enhancement return pipeline. A throttling device is provided between the outlet of the energy enhancement intake pipeline and the return port of the energy enhancement return pipeline. The inlet of the energy enhancement intake pipeline is connected to the outlet of the pressure regulating unit, and the exhaust port of the energy enhancement return pipeline is connected to the outside atmosphere.

2. The cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The channel unit also includes several ambient temperature air inlet pipes, which are respectively connected to the air outlet of the pressure regulating unit and the air inlet of the several ablation needles.

3. A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ambient temperature intake pipe is equipped with a solenoid valve and a one-way valve.

4. A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The pressure regulating unit includes several control pipelines and pressure regulating valves, solenoid valves and pressure transmitters installed on the control pipelines. The air inlets of the several control pipelines are respectively connected to the air outlets of the gas processing unit, and the air outlets of the several control pipelines are respectively connected to the air inlets of each pipeline of the several channel units.

5. A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas processing unit includes a gas drying filter, which is installed on the outlet pipeline of the gas source.

6. A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The channel unit also includes several rapid exhaust pipes and solenoid valves disposed on the rapid exhaust pipes, and the several rapid exhaust pipes are respectively connected to the several cryogenic intake pipes.

7. A cryogenic therapy system based on pre-cooling by a cryogenic refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The return gas pipeline is also equipped with a pressure relief valve and a pressure transmitter. The pressure transmitter is used to detect the pressure of the return gas pipeline. When the pressure of the return gas pipeline is higher than the set value, the pressure is relieved through the pressure relief valve.

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