A method for monitoring liquid concentration in a tube

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube, wherein a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of a tube, and at least light-transmitting areas are arranged on the tube walls on the two opposite sides of the tube corresponding to the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit; the light emitted by the light emitting unit passes through the light-transmitting area on one side, the liquid in the tube, and the light-transmitting area on the other side, and is received by the light receiving unit, which converts the light signal into an electrical signal, and calculates the TDS value of the liquid in the tube by analyzing the electrical signal, and determines whether the liquid in the tube is saline according to the TDS value. In this way, by detecting the concentration of the liquid in the tube, the misuse of liquid other than saline is avoided, and the reliability of cleaning devices such as nasal washers or tooth washers is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube, which is mainly but not limited to being applied to cleaning devices such as nasal washers and tooth washers. Background Art

[0002] Normal saline is usually used for rinsing in cleaning devices such as nasal rinsers and tooth rinsers.

[0003] Take the nasal washer as an example. It is used to clean the nasal cavity. When in use, a certain pressure (or airbag nasal washer, or gravity such as a simple bottle type, or mechanical pressure such as an electric type) is used to send a cleaning solution such as saline into the nostrils, which flows through the nasal vestibule (the part exposed outside the head), sinuses, and nasal passages, bypassing the nasopharynx, or discharged from one nostril, or discharged from the mouth. Through the above paths, with the help of the bactericidal effect of the saline itself and the impact of the water flow, the pathogens and pollutants that have accumulated in the nasal cavity are discharged, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning and protecting the nasal cavity.

[0004] Normal saline meets certain concentration standards, that is, the concentration is 0.9%, and 100 grams of solvent contains 0.9 grams of sodium chloride. In actual use, especially for household nasal washers, it is easy to fill the wrong liquid. Even if the consumer buys the saline solution by himself, be careful to ensure that the liquid filled is the purchased liquid. Because some products may not be very formal, consumers cannot judge, resulting in too high concentration to damage the nasal cavity or too low concentration to achieve the expected cleaning effect.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to study a new technical solution to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention aims to address the deficiencies in the prior art, and its main purpose is to provide a method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube, which avoids the misuse of non-saline solution and improves the reliability of cleaning devices such as nasal washers or tooth washers by detecting the concentration of liquid in the tube.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube, wherein a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the tube, and the tube walls on the two opposite sides of the tube are at least provided with light-transmitting areas corresponding to the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit;

[0009] The light emitted by the light emitting unit passes through the light-transmitting area on one side, the liquid in the tube, and the light-transmitting area on the other side, and is then received by the light receiving unit. The light receiving unit converts the light signal into an electrical signal, and by analyzing the electrical signal, the TDS value of the liquid in the tube is calculated, and whether the liquid in the tube is physiological saline is determined based on the TDS value.

[0010] As a preferred solution, the concentration monitoring of the liquid in the tube includes the following steps:

[0011] Step 1: Turn on the light emitting unit and the water pump, wherein the water pump is used to control the output of liquid into the tube; the light emitted by the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit and the light signal is converted into an electrical signal;

[0012] Step 2, collecting data on the electrical signal in step 1;

[0013] Step 3, filtering the data in step 2;

[0014] Step 4: Calculate the TDS value of the liquid in the tube according to the data after filtering in step 3;

[0015] Step 5: judging whether the liquid in the tube is saline according to the TDS value;

[0016] If yes, the water pump continues to output liquid; if no, the water pump is turned off and an error message is given.

[0017] The operation is convenient, the user is easy to observe and the practicability is strong.

[0018] As a preferred solution, in step 5, if the liquid in the tube is judged to be saline according to the TDS value, and the water pump continues to output liquid, it is detected in real time whether the water spraying is finished. If the water spraying is finished, the concentration monitoring of the liquid in the tube is also finished. If the water spraying is not finished, steps 1-5 are repeated. Continuous and real-time detection is achieved, and the reliability of liquid use is further improved.

[0019] As a preferred solution, the light emitting unit is a light-emitting LED, and the light receiving unit is a photosensitive receiving tube.

[0020] As a preferred solution, the light emitting unit is an infrared emitting circuit, and the light receiving unit is an infrared receiving circuit.

[0021] As a preferred solution, the light receiving unit is connected to an operational amplifier chip, the operational amplifier chip is connected to an MCU, the MCU is connected to a water pump, and the MCU has an A / D conversion module, a data processing module, and a water quality analysis and judgment module.

[0022] As a preferred solution, the MCU is connected to an LED display unit and buttons respectively.

[0023] As a preferred solution, the tube is a liquid outlet tube installed on a nasal washer or a tooth washer.

[0024] As a preferred solution, if the liquid in the tube is not saline, an error message is given.

[0025] As a preferred solution, if the liquid in the tube is saline, the liquid in the tube can be sprayed out; if the liquid in the tube is not saline, the liquid in the tube cannot be sprayed out, and an error message is given.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has obvious advantages and beneficial effects. Specifically, it can be seen from the above technical scheme that it is mainly achieved by respectively arranging a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit on two opposite sides of the tube. The light emitted by the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit after passing through the liquid in the tube. The light receiving unit converts the light signal into an electrical signal. By analyzing the electrical signal, the TDS value of the liquid in the tube is calculated, and whether the liquid in the tube is saline is determined based on the TDS value; thereby avoiding the misuse of liquids other than saline and improving the reliability of cleaning devices such as nasal washers or tooth washers.

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the structural features and effects of the present invention, the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a simple schematic diagram of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit being arranged on both sides of a tube according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 is a control block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning device using the method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube according to the present invention.

[0032] Description of the accompanying drawings:

[0033] Light emitting unit 100, light receiving unit 200, tube 300, liquid in tube 400

[0034] Liquid storage box 10, liquid storage cavity 11, mounting port 12, mounting seat 13, top wall 101, annular wall 102, first mounting position 131, second mounting position 132, liquid injection plug 14

[0035] UV lamp PCB board 20, UV lamp 21

[0036] Pump liquid pipe 30, gravity ball 31,

[0037] Water pump 40

[0038] Control unit 50, main board 51, display screen 52

[0039] Liquid spray pipe 60

[0040] Main housing 70 and charging port 71 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, it shows the specific structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "up", "down", "left", "right", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0043] A method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube, wherein a light emitting unit 100 and a light receiving unit 200 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of a tube 300, and at least light-transmitting areas are arranged on the two opposite side walls of the tube 300 corresponding to the light emitting unit 100 and the light receiving unit 200; the light emitted by the light emitting unit 100 passes through the light-transmitting area on one side, the liquid 400 in the tube, and the light-transmitting area on the other side, and is received by the light receiving unit 200, and the light receiving unit 200 converts the light signal into an electrical signal, and the TDS value of the liquid 400 in the tube is calculated by analyzing the electrical signal, and whether the liquid in the tube is saline is determined according to the TDS value. If the liquid in the tube is not saline, an error prompt is given.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the light emitting unit 100 is a light-emitting LED, and the light receiving unit 200 is a photosensitive receiving tube. The core component of the photosensitive receiving tube is a photoresistor. When the light of the light-emitting LED is irradiated to the photoresistor of the photosensitive receiving tube, the resistance of the photoresistor will decrease. Within a limited range, the degree of reduction in resistance is proportional to the intensity of light irradiation, that is, the stronger the light, the smaller the resistance. The photosensitive receiving tube uses this characteristic of the photoresistor to convert the optical signal into an electrical signal.

[0045] like Figure 2As shown, the light emitting unit is an infrared emitting circuit, and the light receiving unit is an infrared receiving circuit. The infrared emitting circuit includes an infrared emitting tube, and the infrared receiving circuit includes an infrared receiving tube, which converts the optical signal (invisible light) into an electrical signal, which is usually received, amplified and demodulated in one. After the infrared signal is demodulated by the receiving tube, the difference between the data "0" and "1" is usually reflected in the length of time of the high and low levels or the signal cycle. The light receiving unit is connected to an operational amplifier chip, such as the Gigabyte OP-AMP operational amplifier chip, and the operational amplifier chip is connected to an MCU, which is connected to a water pump. The MCU has an A / D conversion module, a data processing module, and a water quality analysis and judgment module. The MCU is respectively connected to an LED display unit and a button.

[0046] Typically, the tube 300 is a liquid outlet tube installed in a cleaning device such as a nasal rinser or a tooth rinser. The liquid outlet tube can be at the liquid inlet or outlet of a water pump. Therefore, when in use, the water pump needs to be turned on to allow the liquid to enter the tube. After the liquid in the tube is judged, as an optional control mode: if the liquid in the tube is saline, the liquid in the tube can be sprayed out; if the liquid in the tube is not saline, the liquid in the tube cannot be sprayed out, and an error prompt is given.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, it shows another optional control mode, first, initialization, and then the following steps:

[0048] Step 1: Turn on the light emitting unit and the water pump, wherein the water pump is used to control the output of liquid into the tube; the light emitted by the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit and the light signal is converted into an electrical signal;

[0049] Step 2, performing ADC data acquisition on the electrical signal in step 1;

[0050] Step 3, filtering the data in step 2;

[0051] Step 4: Calculate the TDS value of the liquid in the tube according to the data after filtering in step 3;

[0052] Step 5: judging whether the liquid in the tube is saline according to the TDS value;

[0053] If yes, the water pump continues to output liquid, if no, the water pump is turned off and an error message is given. The operation is convenient, the user is easy to observe, and the practicability is strong.

[0054] In step 5, if the liquid in the tube is judged to be saline according to the TDS value, and the water pump continues to output liquid, it is detected in real time whether the water spraying is finished. If the water spraying is finished, the concentration monitoring of the liquid in the tube is also finished. If the water spraying is not finished, steps 1-5 are repeated. Continuous and real-time detection is achieved to further improve the reliability of liquid use.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, a cleaning device using the aforementioned method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube is shown. The cleaning device may be a nasal washer or a tooth washer.

[0056] The cleaning device includes a liquid storage tank 10, a water pump 40, a control unit 50 and a liquid spraying pipe 60. The control unit 50 is connected to the water pump 40. The water pump 40 pumps the liquid in the liquid storage tank 10 to the liquid spraying pipe 60 and sprays it out from the liquid spraying pipe 60. The upper end of the pumping pipe 30 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the water pump 40. The control unit 50 is connected to the UV lamp PCB board 20. The control unit 50 includes a main board 51 and a display screen 52. The main board 51 is respectively connected to the display screen 52, the UV lamp PCB board 20, and the water pump 40. Since there is a small distance between the UV lamp PCB board 20 and the main board 51, the UV lamp PCB board 20 and the main board 51 are generally electrically connected through a connecting line. A main housing 70 is assembled above the liquid storage tank 10. The outer surface of the main housing 70 can form a gripping portion. The main board 51, the display screen 52, and the water pump 40 are respectively installed in the main housing 70, and the liquid spraying pipe 60 is exposed at the top of the main housing 70. The outer side of the main housing 70 is provided with a charging interface 71 for charging the cleaning device. The mainboard 51 can be arranged in a vertical manner, and the display screen 52 is exposed on the outer surface of the main housing 70. The mainboard 51 can also be connected to a plurality of control buttons, which can be press-type or touch-type. Of course, the display screen 52 can also be designed as a touch control screen, which can reduce or even eliminate the setting of buttons and control on the display screen 52.

[0057] The liquid storage tank 10 has a liquid storage cavity 11, a UV lamp PCB board 20 is installed at the top of the liquid storage tank 10, a UV lamp 21 irradiating toward the liquid storage cavity 11 is installed on the bottom of the UV lamp PCB board 20, and a pumping liquid pipe 30 is arranged in the liquid storage cavity 11, and part or all of the pipe sections of the pumping liquid pipe 30 along the pumping liquid delivery direction are located within the irradiation range of the UV lamp 21. The UV disinfection structure of the liquid storage tank 10 can be sterilized before use, and can also be sterilized by turning on the UV lamp 21 during use (in this case, the liquid storage tank 10 and the main housing 70 are made of opaque materials), which effectively improves the safety of use. The UV lamp 21 is used to sterilize the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 11. At the same time, part of the pipe section or the entire pipe section along the pump liquid delivery direction of the pump liquid pipe 30 is located within the irradiation range of the UV lamp 21, so that the UV lamp 21 sterilizes the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 11 and also sterilizes the pump liquid pipe 30 and / or the liquid in the pump liquid pipe, achieving a double sterilization effect, improving the sterilization effect, and ensuring that the liquid output from the liquid storage tank 10 is reliably sterilized. When used in cleaning devices such as nasal washers and tooth washers, the phenomenon of infection caused by bacteria in the cleaning liquid is reduced, and the cleaning effect is better. In the prior art, especially household nasal washers, because the cleaning liquid used may not be very regular, it may cause bacteria to enter the deep part of the nasal cavity, thereby causing infection. Although most nasal washers are sterilized after use, for example, the entire nasal washer is placed in a sterilizer, and after setting a sterilization time, the nasal washer is taken out and stored. The nasal washer is placed in the sterilizer mainly to sterilize the outside of the nasal washer. Some nasal washers for rhinitis in traditional technology sterilize the liquid in the liquid storage tank by installing an ultraviolet sterilization device on the inner wall of the liquid storage tank. In fact, due to the limited irradiation area of ​​the ultraviolet sterilization device, it is difficult to thoroughly sterilize the liquid in the entire liquid storage tank. Moreover, the position where the flushing pump is connected to the liquid storage tank is at the bottom of the liquid storage tank, which makes it easy for the cleaning liquid that has not been thoroughly sterilized to be pumped out by the flushing pump.

[0058] The top of the liquid storage box 10 has a mounting opening 12 that passes through the liquid storage cavity 11, and a mounting seat 13 is installed at the mounting opening 12. The UV lamp PCB board 20 and the pump liquid pipe 30 are respectively installed on the mounting seat 13. The installation of the mounting seat 13 facilitates the installation of the UV lamp PCB board 20 and the pump liquid pipe 30. Preferably, the UV lamp PCB board 20, the pump liquid pipe 30 and the mounting seat form a module, and the module is installed at the mounting opening 12. The modular setting makes installation convenient and quick, and subsequent disassembly and maintenance also become simpler. Here, the top of the liquid storage tank 10 has a top wall 101, and a mounting port 12 is centrally arranged on the top wall 101. The lower end of the top wall 101 extends downward around the mounting port 12 to form an annular wall 102, so that the mounting port 12 is surrounded by the annular wall 102 to form a through groove with a certain depth in the vertical direction. The annular wall 102 is used to facilitate the mutual assembly positioning structure of the mounting seat 13 and the mounting port 12, and the assembly stability is better. A first mounting position 131 and a second mounting position 132 are arranged on the mounting seat 13. Usually, the first mounting position 131 and the second mounting position 132 are through-hole structures that penetrate the mounting seat 13 from top to bottom. Considering the assembly positioning, a positioning step and / or a convex protrusion toward the through-hole are also arranged at the through-hole structure. A liquid injection port is arranged on the side of the liquid storage tank 10, and a detachable liquid injection plug is arranged at the liquid injection port. The liquid injection plug is generally a flip-top type or a soft-gel type, has good sealing performance, and will not lose the liquid injection plug.

[0059] The UV lamp PCB board 20 is installed at the first installation position 131, and the UV lamp PCB board 20 can be placed and positioned on the positioning step of the first installation position 131. In order to be waterproof, a light-transmitting cover can be provided on the lower side of the UV lamp PCB board 20 and the UV lamp 21. The light-transmitting cover can have a convex arc-shaped cover body and a mounting edge connected to the periphery of the convex arc-shaped cover body, and the mounting edge is clamped between the UV lamp PCB board 20 and the positioning step, so as to form a waterproof positioning. Of course, waterproof glue can be further provided so that the mounting edge and the positioning step are glued and waterproofly sealed.

[0060] The upper end of the pump liquid pipe 30 extends into the second installation position 132, and a pipe joint can be installed in the second installation position 132. The lower end of the pipe joint is provided for the pump liquid pipe 30 to be fixed, and the upper end of the pipe joint can be connected to the liquid inlet end of the water pump. Generally, a pipe of a required length is also provided to achieve the connection. In this embodiment, the pump liquid pipe 30 is tilted downward or extended in an arc shape from the top of the liquid storage box 10, so that the lower end of the pump liquid pipe is located below the UV lamp, so that the pump liquid pipe 30 is better located within the irradiation range of the UV lamp. The lower end of the pump liquid pipe 30 is provided with a gravity ball 31. By using the setting of the gravity ball 31, the lower end of the pump liquid pipe 30 is kept at a low position, so that the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 11 is used more fully, and the residual liquid is less. At the same time, it is beneficial for the pump liquid pipe 30 to maintain its preset shape, and avoid the pump liquid pipe 30 from shaking and shifting randomly in the liquid storage chamber 11, resulting in the pump liquid pipe 30 failing to be irradiated by the UV lamp in an ideal state.

[0061] The light emitting unit 100 and the light receiving unit 200 can be installed on two opposite sides of the upper end of the pump liquid tube 30, that is: the light emitting unit 100 and the light receiving unit 200 are respectively installed on two opposite sides of the second mounting position 132 of the mounting base 13, so as to facilitate the connection of another electrical cable to the main board 51, and the MCU can also be set on the main board 51.

[0062] The design focus of the present invention is that it mainly arranges a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit on two opposite sides of the tube respectively. The light emitted by the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit after passing through the liquid in the tube. The light receiving unit converts the light signal into an electrical signal. By analyzing the electrical signal, the TDS value of the liquid in the tube is calculated, and whether the liquid in the tube is physiological saline is judged according to the TDS value; thereby avoiding the misuse of liquid other than physiological saline and improving the reliability of cleaning devices such as nasal washers or tooth washers.

[0063] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, any slight modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring liquid concentration in a tube, characterized in that: The method is applied to a nasal washer or a tooth washer; the nasal washer or tooth washer comprises a liquid storage tank, a water pump, a control unit and a pump liquid pipe; the liquid storage tank has a liquid storage cavity; a UV lamp PCB board is installed on the top of the liquid storage tank; a UV lamp irradiating toward the liquid storage cavity is installed on the bottom of the UV lamp PCB board; the pump liquid pipe is arranged in the liquid storage cavity; a part of the pipe section or the whole pipe section along the pump liquid conveying direction of the pump liquid pipe is located within the irradiation range of the UV lamp, so that the UV lamp sterilizes and disinfects the liquid in the liquid storage cavity and also sterilizes and disinfects the pump liquid pipe and / or the liquid in the pump liquid pipe; the top of the liquid storage tank has an installation hole penetrating the liquid storage cavity. A mounting port, wherein a mounting seat is installed at the mounting port, the UV lamp PCB board and the pump liquid pipe are respectively installed on the mounting seat, and a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the pump liquid pipe, and at least light-transmitting areas are arranged on the two opposite side walls of the pump liquid pipe corresponding to the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, and the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are respectively installed on two opposite side positions of the mounting seat; the light receiving unit is connected to an operational amplifier chip, the operational amplifier chip is connected to an MCU, the MCU is connected to a water pump, the MCU has an A / D conversion module, a data processing module, and a water quality analysis and judgment module, and the MCU is respectively connected to an LED display unit and a button; The light emitted by the light emitting unit passes through the light-transmitting area on one side, the liquid in the tube, and the light-transmitting area on the other side, and is then received by the light receiving unit. The light receiving unit converts the light signal into an electrical signal, and the TDS value of the liquid in the tube is calculated by analyzing the electrical signal, and whether the liquid in the tube is physiological saline is determined based on the TDS value. The concentration monitoring of the liquid in the tube includes the following steps: Step 1, turning on the light emitting unit and the water pump, wherein the water pump is used to control the output of liquid into the pump liquid pipe; the light emitted by the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit and the light signal is converted into an electrical signal; Step 2, collecting data on the electrical signal in step 1; Step 3, filtering the data in step 2; Step 4: Calculate the TDS value of the liquid in the tube according to the data after filtering in step 3; Step 5: judging whether the liquid in the tube is saline according to the TDS value; If yes, the water pump continues to output liquid, the liquid in the pipe can be sprayed out, and real-time detection is performed to see if the spraying is finished. If the spraying is finished, the concentration monitoring of the liquid in the pipe is also finished. If the spraying is not finished, steps 1-5 are repeated. If not, the water pump will be turned off, the liquid in the pipe cannot be sprayed out, and an error message will be given.

2. The method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light emitting unit is a light emitting LED, and the light receiving unit is a photosensitive receiving tube.

3. The method for monitoring the concentration of liquid in a tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light emitting unit is an infrared emitting circuit, and the light receiving unit is an infrared receiving circuit.

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