Acupuncture needle capable of directly reflecting the amount of Qi and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses an acupuncture needle that directly reflects the amount of Qi obtained and a preparation method thereof, and relates to the field of acupuncture technology. The acupuncture needle comprises a stainless steel acupuncture needle and a shape memory polymer material; the shape memory polymer material is coated on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle. The method comprises the following steps: using an immersion method to coat the shape memory polymer material on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle. Compared with the traditional method, the present invention can directly detect whether acupuncture treatment obtains Qi and the degree of Qi obtained by observing the amount of bending of the acupuncture needle without the aid of external equipment. Since the substrate of the present invention adopts a commercially available ordinary stainless steel acupuncture needle, the raw material source is wide, the preparation process is simple, the cost is low, and it is very easy to carry out commercial promotion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of acupuncture, and in particular to an acupuncture needle capable of directly reflecting the amount of qi and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Whether acupuncture can obtain qi and the amount of qi obtained are important indicators for evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture. However, there is currently no good technical means to accurately and quantitatively characterize the amount of qi obtained during acupuncture treatment in real time. Traditional studies mostly use various biosensor materials such as graphene and nanogold coated on the surface of acupuncture needles to measure the amount of qi obtained through changes in electrochemical signals, but most of these devices require external electrochemical workstations and other large equipment, which are difficult to operate. If the amount of qi can be intuitively displayed by simply modifying the original acupuncture needles without the help of external instruments, it will greatly promote the basic and clinical research of Chinese acupuncture. Summary of the invention

[0003] Based on the above content, the present invention provides an acupuncture needle that directly reflects the amount of Qi and a preparation method thereof, which can intuitively reflect the amount of Qi without the need for external equipment during the acupuncture process.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0005] One of the technical solutions of the present invention is an acupuncture needle that directly reflects the amount of Qi, the acupuncture needle comprising a stainless steel acupuncture needle and a shape memory polymer material;

[0006] The shape memory polymer material is coated on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle.

[0007] The diameter of the stainless steel acupuncture needle is less than 0.05 mm. The diameter is less than 0.05 mm to ensure that the force generated when the shape memory polymer material is deformed can bend and deform the stainless steel acupuncture needle.

[0008] The coating thickness of the shape memory polymer material on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle is 0.2 mm.

[0009] The shape memory polymer material is a degradable shape memory polymer material with a phase change conversion temperature point near body temperature. It can be degraded in the body after use and will not cause harm to the human body. The deformation ability of the shape memory polymer material is greater than that of the stainless steel acupuncture needle at its core, and the stainless steel acupuncture needle provides a carrier for the shape memory polymer material.

[0010] Furthermore, the acupuncture needle also includes nanomedicine; the nanomedicine is evenly mixed with the shape memory polymer material and then coated on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle.

[0011] The shape memory polymer material degrades in the body after use, thereby promoting the complete release of the drug.

[0012] The nanomedicine selects different drug systems for different diseases, such as selecting salvia miltiorrhiza for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, selecting lidocaine for pain diseases, selecting adenosylcobalamin for nutritional nerve diseases, etc.

[0013] Another function of drug loading is to improve the mechanical properties of shape memory polymer materials, whose strength can reach 300MPa, nearly double that of polymer materials without mixed nano-drugs.

[0014] Furthermore, the nano drug and the shape memory polymer material are mixed in a specific manner as follows: ball milling, a ball-to-material ratio of 1:1-10, a ball milling time of 6-48 hours, and a ball milling speed of 100-1000 rpm.

[0015] Furthermore, the mass ratio of the shape memory polymer material to the nano drug is 10-100:1.

[0016] Furthermore, the acupuncture needle also includes a conductive adhesive; the conductive adhesive is evenly mixed with the shape memory polymer material and then coated on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle.

[0017] Furthermore, the conductive adhesive accounts for 0.9-1% of the mass of the shape memory polymer material.

[0018] Furthermore, the conductive adhesive is acrylic acid.

[0019] Furthermore, the shape memory polymer material is polylactic acid.

[0020] The second technical solution of the present invention is a method for preparing the above-mentioned acupuncture needle that directly reflects the amount of gas, comprising the following steps: using an immersion method to coat the surface of a stainless steel acupuncture needle with a shape memory polymer material.

[0021] Furthermore, the method comprises the following steps: uniformly mixing the shape memory polymer material and the nano drug, adding a conductive adhesive and mixing them uniformly to obtain a mixture, and coating the mixture on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle by an immersion method to obtain the acupuncture needle that directly reflects the amount of gas.

[0022] The third technical solution of the present invention is the application of shape memory polymer materials in reflecting the amount of air obtained by acupuncture needles.

[0023] The fourth technical solution of the present invention is a method for directly reflecting the amount of air obtained by an acupuncture needle, wherein a shape memory polymer material is coated on the surface of the acupuncture needle.

[0024] Technical concept of the present invention:

[0025] The present invention provides a method for coating acupuncture needles with biodegradable shape memory polymer materials. When qi is obtained, the temperature of the acupoint will change slightly, or tiny bioelectricity will be generated at the acupoint. These inductions will cause the shape memory polymer to deform, and the degree of qi obtained is corresponding to the size of the deformation (the size of the deformation directly reflects the size of the amount of qi obtained).

[0026] In order to increase the mechanical properties of shape memory polymer materials, nano-level therapeutic drugs are added inside them. Different drugs and drug dosages can produce different Qi-generating effects, and the bending amount of the acupuncture needle directly reflects the amount of Qi-generating effect, which proves the effect of drug-carrying agents on acupuncture treatment, which is of great significance to the study of acupuncture.

[0027] The present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0028] Compared with the traditional method, the present invention does not require the help of external equipment, and can directly detect whether acupuncture treatment has obtained qi and the degree of qi by observing the bending amount of the acupuncture needle. In addition, since the shape memory polymer material contains drugs, by comparing the bending amount of the acupuncture needle, it can be directly reflected whether the drug loading has a promoting effect on acupuncture treatment. And since the substrate of the present invention adopts ordinary stainless steel acupuncture needles available on the market, the raw material source is wide, the preparation process is simple, the cost is low, and it is easy to promote commercialization. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the acupuncture needle of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the acupuncture needle displaying the amount of qi obtained by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 Photographs of the acupuncture needles deforming during actual use in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the Qi-induced deformation of an acupuncture needle of the present invention and an acupuncture needle without drug (nano drug) loading. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. This detailed description should not be considered as limiting the present invention, but should be understood as a more detailed description of certain aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] It should be understood that the terms described in the present invention are only for describing special embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, for the numerical range in the present invention, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the scope is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between the intermediate value in any stated value or stated range and any other stated value or intermediate value in the described range is also included in the present invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges can be independently included or excluded in the scope.

[0036] Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. Although the present invention describes only preferred methods and materials, any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may also be used in the implementation or testing of the present invention. All documents mentioned in this specification are incorporated by reference to disclose and describe the methods and / or materials associated with the documents. In the event of a conflict with any incorporated document, the content of this specification shall prevail.

[0037] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the specific embodiments of the present invention description without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Other embodiments derived from the present invention description will be apparent to the skilled artisan. The present invention description and examples are exemplary only.

[0038] The words “include,” “including,” “have,” “contain,” etc. used in this document are open-ended terms, meaning including but not limited to.

[0039] The polylactic acid shape memory polymer material used in the embodiments of the present invention is purchased from Sinopharm Group, and the index parameter is that the deformation can be restored by more than 70% within 1 minute.

[0040] Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials used in the present invention were purchased.

[0041] The structural schematic diagram of the acupuncture needle of the present invention is as follows Figure 1 shown.

[0042] The schematic diagram of the acupuncture needle of the present invention showing the amount of qi is as follows Figure 2 shown.

[0043] The schematic diagram of the Qi-induced deformation of the acupuncture needle of the present invention and the acupuncture needle without drug (nano drug) is as follows Figure 4 shown.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] The polylactic acid shape memory polymer material and the nano drug adenosylcobalamin were ball-milled at a mass ratio of 10:1, the ball-milling speed was 100 rpm, the ball-to-material ratio was 1:1, and the ball-milling time was 6 hours to obtain a mixture 1. A conductive binder (acrylic acid) was added to the mixture 1 to obtain a mixture 2, and the conductive binder accounted for 1% of the mass of the mixture 1. The mixture 2 was coated on the surface of a stainless steel acupuncture needle with a diameter of 0.03 mm by an impregnation method, and a vacuum insulation treatment of 60°C for 24 hours was performed to obtain an acupuncture needle that can directly reflect the gas volume. By controlling the impregnation time, the coating layer thickness was adjusted to 0.2 mm.

[0046] Application Example 1

[0047] For patients with dysmenorrhea, the acupuncture needle prepared in Example 1 was used to prick Sanyinjiao acupoint. Initially, the acupuncture needle did not bend. As the amount of Qi gradually increased, the temperature at the acupoint increased, and the shape memory polymer material (polylactic acid) changed phase and bent. As the nano drug (adenosylcobalamin) in the polymer material was released, the amount of Qi further increased (the degradation of the polymer material would not produce Qi), and the degree of bending was further aggravated. Figure 3 The application of this acupuncture needle can visually show the amount of Qi.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] The polylactic acid shape memory polymer material and the nano drug lidocaine were ball-milled at a mass ratio of 50:1, the ball milling speed was 500 rpm, the ball-to-material ratio was 1:5, and the ball milling time was 12 hours to obtain a mixture 1. A conductive binder (acrylic acid) was added to the mixture 1 to obtain a mixture 2, and the conductive binder accounted for 1% of the mass of the mixture 1. The mixture 2 was coated on the surface of a stainless steel acupuncture needle with a diameter of 0.04 mm by an impregnation method, and a vacuum insulation treatment of 60°C for 24 hours was performed to obtain an acupuncture needle that can directly reflect the size of the gas volume, and the coating thickness was 0.2 mm.

[0050] Application Example 2

[0051] For patients with stomachache, the acupuncture needle prepared in Example 2 was used to prick the Zhongwan acupoint. Initially, the acupuncture needle was not bent. As the amount of Qi gradually increased, the temperature at the acupoint increased, and the shape memory polymer material changed phase and bent. As the nano drug (lidocaine) in the polymer material was released, the amount of Qi further increased (the degradation of the polymer material would not produce Qi), and the degree of bending was further aggravated.

[0052] Example 3

[0053] The polylactic acid shape memory polymer material and the nano drug lidocaine were ball milled at a mass ratio of 100:1, the ball milling speed was 100 rpm, the ball-to-material ratio was 1:10, and the ball milling time was 24 hours to obtain a mixture 1. A conductive binder (acrylic acid) was added to the mixture 1 to obtain a mixture 2, and the conductive binder accounted for 1% of the mass of the mixture 1. The mixture 2 was coated on the surface of a stainless steel acupuncture needle with a diameter of 0.02 mm by an impregnation method, and a vacuum 60°C heat preservation treatment was performed for 24 hours to obtain an acupuncture needle that can directly reflect the size of the gas volume, and the coating thickness was 0.2 mm.

[0054] Application Example 3

[0055] For patients with knee joint pain, the Dubi acupoint was punctured with the acupuncture needle prepared in Example 3, and the acupuncture needle was not bent at first. As the amount of Qi gradually increased, the temperature at the acupoint increased, the shape memory polymer material changed phase and bent, and as the nano drug (lidocaine) in the polymer material was released, the amount of Qi further increased (the degradation of the polymer material would not produce Qi), and the degree of bending was further aggravated.

[0056] Example 4

[0057] The only difference from Example 1 is that the addition of nano drug adenosylcobalamin is omitted.

[0058] Application Example 4

[0059] For patients with dysmenorrhea, the acupuncture needle prepared in Example 4 was used to puncture the Sanyinjiao acupoint. Initially, the acupuncture needle did not bend. As the amount of Qi gradually increased, the temperature at the acupoint increased, and the shape memory polymer material (polylactic acid) changed phase and bent, but the bending amount was much smaller than that of the acupuncture needle with the nano drug adenosylcobalamin added (the bending amount diagram is shown in FIG. Figure 4 shown).

[0060] The embodiments described above are only descriptions of the preferred modes of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field should all fall within the protection scope determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An acupuncture needle that directly reflects the amount of qi, characterized in that: The acupuncture needles include stainless steel acupuncture needles and shape memory polymer materials; The shape memory polymer material is coated on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle; The acupuncture needle further comprises a nano drug; the nano drug is evenly mixed with the shape memory polymer material and then coated on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle; The acupuncture needle further comprises a conductive adhesive; the conductive adhesive is evenly mixed with the shape memory polymer material and then coated on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle; The conductive adhesive is acrylic acid; The shape memory polymer material is polylactic acid; The diameter of the stainless steel acupuncture needle is less than 0.05 mm; The coating thickness of the shape memory polymer material on the surface of the stainless steel acupuncture needle is 0.2 mm; As the amount of Qi gradually increases, the temperature at the acupuncture point rises, and the shape memory polymer material undergoes a phase change and bends, so that the acupuncture needle can intuitively show the size of the Qi.

2. The acupuncture needle for directly reflecting the amount of qi according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mass ratio of the shape memory polymer material to the nano drug is 10:1-100:

1.

3. The acupuncture needle for directly reflecting the amount of qi according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive adhesive accounts for 0.9%-1% of the mass of the shape memory polymer material.

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