Transducer device capable of monitoring coupling degree of water bag and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a transducer device capable of monitoring water bag coupling degree and a control method thereof. The transducer device comprises a transducer module, a control module, an auxiliary light source module and a coupling monitoring module. The control module is connected with the auxiliary light source module and the coupling monitoring module. The transducer module is independent and not connected with other modules. The control module is provided with an indicator lamp for prompting the coupling state of the current water bag. The transducer module comprises a transducer, a water tank and a water bag. The water bag serves as a medium between the transducer and a target after being filled with medium liquid. The control module comprises a control center unit and a man-machine interaction unit. The auxiliary light source module comprises a driving unit and an LED lamp unit. The application adopts the auxiliary light source module as a means for compensating for the missing spectral characteristics of ambient light and enhancing the sensitive spectral range of the sensor, and provides two control modes of manual and motor automatic, further increases the reliability of the coupling degree judgment and the use compatibility of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a transducer device and its control method for monitoring the coupling degree of a water bladder, belonging to the field of high-energy focused ultrasound. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of ultrasound technology and the improvement of medical standards, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) diagnostic and treatment systems have rapidly advanced in the field of precision and non-invasive treatment. These systems emit ultrasound energy, efficiently concentrating most of the energy at the target location with minimal energy loss along the sound path. In addition to stringent requirements for targeting and energy precision, the reliability of the transducer's propagation medium or path must also be ensured.

[0003] High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) emission requires minimizing energy loss through the medium or path. Therefore, the coupling degree between the water bag and the human skin is crucial. Poor coupling can lead to drawbacks such as skin burns and excessive ultrasound energy loss, which reduces the therapeutic effect. Thus, a device for detecting the coupling of the transducer and water bag is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a transducer device and its control method for monitoring the coupling degree of a water bladder. The device can monitor the pressure value inside the water bladder, control the auxiliary light source, and detect the brightness of the ambient light to determine the degree of physical coupling between the water bladder and human skin.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] On one hand, the present invention provides a transducer device for monitoring the coupling degree of a water bladder, including a transducer module, a control module, an auxiliary light source module, and a coupling monitoring module. The transducer module includes a transducer, a water tank, and a water bladder. The control module is connected to the auxiliary light source module and the coupling monitoring module, and includes a control center unit and a human-machine interaction unit. The auxiliary light source module includes a drive unit and an LED light unit. The drive unit includes a micro motor, a rotating ring, and a rotatable bracket. The rotating ring is mounted on the upper end of the water tank. The upper end of the rotatable bracket is rotatably mounted on the rotating ring, and the lower end is equipped with the LED light unit. The micro motor drives the rotatable bracket to move through a transmission mechanism. The coupling monitoring module includes a pressure monitoring unit and an ambient light monitoring unit. The pressure monitoring unit is responsible for sampling the pressure changes of the liquid inside the water bladder and transmitting the data back to the control module via a bus. The ambient light monitoring unit is used to collect light intensity data from various directions of the water bladder and transmit it to the control module via a bus.

[0007] Furthermore, the control center unit is responsible for the control and data communication of each module. The human-machine interaction unit includes a button switch and a display screen. Through the human-machine interaction unit, the working mode of the rotatable bracket of the auxiliary light source module can be set and switched, and the brightness of the LED light can be adjusted. The auxiliary light source module can be controlled through communication with the control center unit. After calculating the data of the coupling monitoring module, the control center unit determines the coupling status of the transducer and provides an indication of whether the coupling status of the transducer meets the requirements through the display screen of the human-machine interaction unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the micro motor and transmission mechanism are fixed above the rotating ring, and the rotatable bracket is fitted onto the edge of the rotating ring. The rotating ring is driven to rotate manually by the user.

[0009] Furthermore, the control module controls the precise movement angle of the rotatable bracket by driving a micro motor to rotate and transmitting it via a transmission belt. At the same time, the illumination angle of the auxiliary light source LED lamp is changed by manually rotating the rotating ring to drive the rotatable bracket to rotate as well.

[0010] Furthermore, the LED light unit is located at the end of the rotatable bracket and is responsible for providing the auxiliary light source required for coupling monitoring. The spectral characteristics of its output light source match the sensitive spectral range of the ambient light sensor, and the light intensity of the output light source can be adjusted by the control module.

[0011] Furthermore, the pressure monitoring unit is located above the water tank, and the ambient light monitoring unit consists of several photosensitive sensors installed at fixed positions and angles. The characteristics of the photosensitive sensors are sensitive to the spectral characteristics of the output light source of the auxiliary light source module. The control module determines the current coupling state of the water tank based on the monitored data.

[0012] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a control method for a transducer device capable of monitoring the coupling degree of a water bladder, comprising the following steps:

[0013] (1) In the control module, switch the motor motion unit of the auxiliary light source module to mechanical spring-press mode, adjust the light intensity of the auxiliary light source according to the natural light or artificial light intensity of the environment, and fill the water bag with the specified value of medium liquid.

[0014] (2) Move the transducer device above the target so that the water bag and the rotatable bracket are in contact with the target surface; if the motor control mode is selected, jump to step (4); if the mechanical spring mode is maintained, continue the steps.

[0015] (3) In the mechanical spring-press mode, the transducer device is pressed against the target. The rotatable bracket moves as the transducer device is pressed down. The control module calculates in real time whether the pressure data and light intensity data of the water bag meet the coupling standard. Finally, it is displayed in the human-machine interaction unit. If it does not meet the standard, the transducer device needs to be manually placed again and step (3) is repeated. If it meets the standard, the whole process is completed.

[0016] (4) In motor control mode, the transducer device is pressed to a suitable pressure value. The control module commands the motor motion unit to control the rotatable bracket to move along the specified path and angle. After the rotatable bracket has finished moving, the rotating ring is rotated to change the illumination angle of the auxiliary light source and the rotatable bracket is controlled again to complete the predetermined path and angle movement. During this period, the control module calculates in real time whether the coupling degree of the transducer device meets the standard.

[0017] (5) If the coupling of the transducer device does not meet the standard, the transducer device needs to be further tightened and step (4) is repeated. If it meets the standard, the entire process is completed.

[0018] Furthermore, the light intensity of the auxiliary light source can be enhanced or weakened by physical or virtual buttons in the human-computer interaction unit. When the device is not attached to the human body or is not in use, the ambient light monitoring unit below the transducer can detect sufficient light intensity. The threshold for whether the light intensity meets the requirements will be displayed in the human-computer interaction unit. When the intensity of natural light is insufficient, the intensity of the auxiliary light source is adjusted until the light intensity threshold displayed on the human-computer interaction unit meets the requirements.

[0019] Furthermore, the formula for calculating the light intensity Lsen is as follows:

[0020]

[0021] in:

[0022] C1: Compensation coefficient for central light intensity;

[0023] C2: Compensation coefficient for edge light intensity;

[0024] n: The number of sensors arranged at the edge of the transducer;

[0025] L center The light intensity detected by the central photosensitive sensor.

[0026] Furthermore, during the coupling process of the water bladder with the target, the pressure inside the water bladder gradually and slowly increases from a steady state, until it reaches a certain predetermined pressure threshold P. anas Then, it is considered that the transducer device has been initially coupled to a suitable position, when a certain specified pressure threshold P is exceeded. maxThen, stop further pressing the transducer device; the coupling degree A of the transducer device. n The calculation formula is as follows. As long as the final calculated result is within any required pressure and incident angle range, A n Not exceeding the specified coupling threshold A max If the transducer device is well coupled, then it is considered to be well coupled.

[0027]

[0028] in:

[0029] K1: Weighting coefficient for pressure data;

[0030] K2: Weighting coefficient for light intensity data;

[0031] : Angle of incidence of auxiliary light source;

[0032] P max : The maximum allowable pressure value for the transducer device;

[0033] P: The current pressure value detected by the pressure sensor.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0035] (1) The physical coupling degree of the transducer water bladder is determined by the pressure data monitored by the pressure monitoring unit and the light intensity data monitored by the ambient light monitoring unit.

[0036] (2) The auxiliary light source module serves as a means to compensate for the lack of spectral characteristics of ambient light and enhance the sensitive spectral range of the sensor. Moreover, the auxiliary light source relies on the structure of the rotating ring to realize the incident plane of any cross section of 360°, which increases the reliability of coupling degree judgment.

[0037] (3) The auxiliary light source module provides two control modes: manual and automatic. These two modes can be used alone, alternately or in combination to achieve better coupling. At the same time, using one mode alone will not reduce the accuracy of coupling judgment.

[0038] (4) The auxiliary light source module can be used as the only light source when there is no ambient light or the ambient light is dim. The brightness of the auxiliary light source can be adjusted according to the environment and skin color, which increases the compatibility of the device.

[0039] (5) When the device determines that the coupling of the current water bladder is poor, the control module can actively cut off the ultrasonic emission of the transducer. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the transducer device module;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the transducer device;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a disassembled structural diagram of the transducer device;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the transducer device;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a spectrum diagram of an LED fluorescent lamp;

[0045] Figure 6 This is the ambient light sensor's sensitive spectrum.

[0046] Figure 7 This is a spectrum diagram of a cold white LED light;

[0047] Figure 8 This is a sensitivity map of the ambient light sensor's detection angle.

[0048] The components in the diagram are labeled as follows: 1-Water tank, 2-Water bladder, 3-Control center unit, 4-Human-machine interaction unit, 5-Micro motor, 6-Transmission belt, 7-Rotating bracket, 8-LED light unit, 9-Rotating ring, 10-Pressure monitoring unit, 11-Photosensitive sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 4 A transducer device for monitoring the coupling degree of a water bladder includes a transducer module, a control module, an auxiliary light source module, and a coupling monitoring module; wherein the control module is connected to the auxiliary light source module and the coupling monitoring module, the transducer module is independent and not connected to other modules, and the control module has an indicator light to indicate the current coupling status of the water bladder.

[0051] The transducer module includes a transducer, a water tank, and a water bladder. The water bladder, after being filled with a liquid medium, serves as the medium between the transducer and the target.

[0052] The control module includes a control center unit and a human-machine interface unit. The control center unit is responsible for the control and data communication of all modules. The human-machine interface unit includes push-button switches and a display screen, providing an interface for switching the operating mode of the auxiliary light source module and adjusting the brightness ratio of the LED light units. Simultaneously, after calculating the data from the coupling monitoring module, the control center unit determines the coupling status of the transducer and provides an indication of whether the transducer coupling status meets the requirements via the display screen of the human-machine interface unit.

[0053] The auxiliary light source module includes a motor motion unit and an LED light unit. The motor motion unit comprises a micro-motor, a transmission mechanism, a rotating ring, and a rotatable bracket. The control module drives the micro-motor to rotate, which, via the transmission mechanism, controls the precise movement angle of the rotatable bracket and changes the illumination angle of the auxiliary light source by rotating the rotating ring. The micro-motor and transmission mechanism are fixedly located on the upper side of the rotating ring, and the rotatable bracket is fixedly positioned on the rotating ring. All these components move with the rotation of the ring. The rotating ring is mounted on the upper side of the water tank and is manually rotated by the user, without motor drive. The motor motion unit can also operate in two modes: one is a motor control mode where the motor motion unit controls the rotatable bracket to move precisely along a pre-designed path; the other is a mechanical spring-loaded mode where the rotatable bracket moves based on the force exerted when in contact with the human body, utilizing the locking capability of the motor motion unit. The LED light unit is located at the end of the rotatable bracket and provides the auxiliary light source output required for coupled monitoring. The spectral characteristics of its output light source need to match the sensitive spectral range of the ambient light sensor, and the light intensity of the output light source can be adjusted by the control module.

[0054] The coupling monitoring module includes a pressure monitoring unit and an ambient light monitoring unit, both connected to the control module. The pressure monitoring unit, located above the inside of the water tank, samples pressure changes in the liquid inside the water bladder and transmits the data back to the control module via a bus. The ambient light monitoring unit consists of several photosensitive sensors mounted at fixed angles, collecting light intensity data from various directions within the water bladder and transmitting it to the control module via the bus. The photosensitive sensors must be sensitive to the spectral characteristics of the output light source from the auxiliary light source module. The control module calculates the current coupling state of the water bladder based on the data and formulas.

[0055] On the other hand, the specific steps of the operation control process of the present invention are as follows:

[0056] (1) In the control module, switch the motor motion unit of the auxiliary light source module to mechanical spring-press mode, adjust the light intensity of the auxiliary light source according to the natural light or artificial light intensity of the environment, and fill the water bag with the specified value of medium liquid; here, the light intensity of the auxiliary light source can be enhanced or weakened by physical or virtual buttons in the human-machine interaction unit; when the device is not attached to the human body or is not in use, the ambient light monitoring unit under the transducer can detect sufficient light intensity, and the threshold of whether the light intensity meets the requirements will be displayed in the human-machine interaction unit. When the intensity of natural light is insufficient, adjust the intensity of the auxiliary light source until the light intensity threshold displayed on the human-machine interaction unit meets the requirements;

[0057] (2) Move the transducer device above the target, with the water bag and the rotatable bracket in contact with the target surface. If the motor control mode is selected, proceed to step (4). If the mechanical spring mode is maintained, continue the steps.

[0058] (3) In the mechanical spring-press mode, the transducer device is pressed against the target. The rotatable bracket moves as the transducer device is pressed down. The control module calculates in real time whether the pressure data and light intensity data of the water bag meet the coupling standard. Finally, it is displayed in the human-machine interaction unit. If it does not meet the standard, the transducer device needs to be manually placed again and step (3) is repeated. If it meets the standard, the whole process is completed.

[0059] (4) In motor control mode, the transducer device is pressed against the target to a suitable pressure value (determined by the control module and displayed on the human-machine interface). The control module will command the motor motion unit to control the rotatable bracket to move along the specified path and angle. After the rotatable bracket has finished moving, the motor will rotate the rotating ring to change the illumination angle of the auxiliary light source and control the rotatable bracket to complete the predetermined path and angle movement again. During this period, the control module will calculate in real time whether the coupling degree of the transducer device meets the standard.

[0060] (5) If the coupling of the transducer device does not meet the standard, the transducer device needs to be further tightened and step (4) is repeated. If it meets the standard, the entire process is completed.

[0061] The working principle of this invention is as follows: The pressure monitoring unit monitors the liquid pressure of the medium inside the water bladder above the transducer, the ambient light monitoring unit monitors the light intensity at the center of the transducer, and the LED light unit is located on a rotatable bracket on both sides of the transducer, which emits an auxiliary light source towards the center of the transducer at a certain tilt angle. The rotation of the rotating ring can make the LED light unit emit an auxiliary light source from any cross-section of 360°. When the water bladder is coupled and pressed towards the target, the emission angle of the auxiliary light source changes, thus exceeding the monitoring range of the ambient light monitoring unit.

[0062] The main idea behind this invention is to determine the coupling degree of the water bladder by relying on changes in pressure and ambient light levels. The specific implementation idea is as follows:

[0063] The light source used for general lighting is LED fluorescent lamps, whose spectrum is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the first spectral peak is around 450nm, and the second peak is relatively flat around 550nm. This invention utilizes the changes in data collected by an ambient light sensor after the light source is reflected by human skin, as one of the reference indicators for coupling degree. For example, the ambient light sensor selected is the OSRAM SFH5701, and its detection sensitivity spectrum is shown below. Figure 6As shown, using 50% relative sensitivity as a standard, the wavelength range of 480~680nm is included. Several ambient light sensors are installed at the center and edge positions of the transducer to detect the light intensity of ambient light. The formula for calculating the light intensity Lsen is as follows:

[0064]

[0065] in:

[0066] C1: Compensation coefficient for central light intensity;

[0067] C2: Compensation coefficient for edge light intensity;

[0068] n: The number of sensors arranged at the edge of the transducer;

[0069] L center The light intensity detected by the central photosensitive sensor.

[0070] However, the reflectivity of human skin varies with wavelength. Reflectivity is lower in the 400-580nm range and higher in the 600-800nm ​​range. Therefore, in addition to general light sources, auxiliary direct light sources with wavelengths around 400-580nm are introduced to ensure the accuracy of ambient light data. For example, the selected light source is the EVERLIGHT 62-227B / QK2C-S5757P4Q3S2Z6 / 2T cool white LED lamp, whose spectral characteristics are as follows... Figure 7 As shown, this demonstrates a light source with a wavelength of 400-500nm that compensates for the low reflectivity of human skin. Furthermore, because the SFH5701 detection light has a required incident angle, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the initial incident position of the auxiliary light source should be less than 30°. When the incident angle is greater than 60°, the auxiliary light source can hardly be detected.

[0071] As the water bladder couples with the target, the pressure inside the bladder gradually and slowly increases from a steady state until it reaches a predetermined pressure threshold P. anas Then, it is considered that the transducer device has been initially coupled to a suitable position, when a certain specified pressure threshold P is exceeded. max Therefore, for safety reasons, it is not recommended to continue to compress the transducer device.

[0072] In summary, the coupling degree A of the transducer device n The calculation formula is as follows. As long as the final calculated result is within any required pressure and incident angle range, A n Not exceeding the specified coupling threshold A max If the transducer device is well coupled, it is considered to be good.

[0073]

[0074] in:

[0075] K1: Weighting coefficient for pressure data;

[0076] K2: Weighting coefficient for light intensity data;

[0077] : Angle of incidence of auxiliary light source;

[0078] P max : The maximum allowable pressure value for the transducer device;

[0079] P: The current pressure value detected by the pressure sensor.

[0080] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention in any way, and all technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or other means fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Parts not covered in this invention are the same as or can be implemented using existing technology.

Claims

1. A transducer device for monitoring the coupling degree of a water bladder, comprising a transducer module, wherein the transducer module includes a transducer, a water tank, and a water bladder, characterized in that, It also includes a control module, an auxiliary light source module, and a coupling monitoring module. The control module is connected to the auxiliary light source module and the coupling monitoring module, and includes a control center unit and a human-machine interaction unit. The auxiliary light source module includes a drive unit and an LED light unit. The drive unit includes a micro motor, a rotating ring, and a rotatable bracket. The rotating ring is mounted on the upper end of the water tank, and the upper end of the rotatable bracket is rotatably mounted on the rotating ring, with the LED light unit mounted on the lower end. The micro motor drives the rotatable bracket to move through a transmission mechanism. The coupling monitoring module includes a pressure monitoring unit and an ambient light monitoring unit. The pressure monitoring unit is responsible for sampling the pressure changes of the liquid inside the water tank and transmitting the data back to the control module via a bus. The ambient light monitoring unit is used to collect light intensity data from all directions of the water tank and transmit it to the control module via a bus. The control module's control process for the device includes the following steps: (1) In the control module, switch the motor motion unit of the auxiliary light source module to mechanical spring-press mode, adjust the light intensity of the auxiliary light source according to the natural light or artificial light intensity of the environment, and fill the water bag with the specified value of medium liquid. (2) Move the transducer device above the target so that the water bag and the rotatable bracket are in contact with the target surface; if the motor control mode is selected, jump to step (4); if the mechanical spring mode is maintained, continue the steps. (3) In the mechanical spring-press mode, the transducer device is pressed against the target. The rotatable bracket moves as the transducer device is pressed down. The control module calculates in real time whether the pressure data and light intensity data of the water bag meet the coupling standard. Finally, it is displayed in the human-machine interaction unit. If it does not meet the standard, the transducer device needs to be manually placed again and step (3) is repeated. If it meets the standard, the whole process is completed. (4) In motor control mode, the transducer device is pressed to a suitable pressure value. The control module commands the motor motion unit to control the rotatable bracket to move along the specified path and angle. After the rotatable bracket has finished moving, the rotating ring is rotated to change the illumination angle of the auxiliary light source and the rotatable bracket is controlled again to complete the predetermined path and angle movement. During this period, the control module calculates in real time whether the coupling degree of the transducer device meets the standard. (5) If the coupling of the transducer device does not meet the standard, the transducer device needs to be further tightened and step (4) is repeated. If it meets the standard, the entire process is completed.

2. The transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control center unit is responsible for the control and data communication of each module. The human-machine interaction unit includes a button switch and a display screen. Through the human-machine interaction unit, the working mode of the rotatable bracket of the auxiliary light source module can be set and switched, and the brightness of the LED lights can be adjusted. The auxiliary light source module can be controlled through communication with the control center unit. After calculating the data of the coupling monitoring module, the control center unit determines the coupling status of the transducer and provides an indication of whether the coupling status of the transducer meets the requirements through the display screen of the human-machine interaction unit.

3. The transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1, characterized in that, The micro motor and transmission mechanism are fixed above the rotating ring, and the rotatable bracket is fitted on the upper edge of the rotating ring. The rotating ring is driven to rotate manually by the user.

4. A transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The control module controls the precise movement angle of the rotatable bracket by driving a micro motor to rotate and transmitting it via a transmission belt. At the same time, the illumination angle of the auxiliary light source LED lamp can be changed by manually rotating a rotating ring to drive the rotatable bracket to rotate as well.

5. A transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LED light unit is located at the end of the rotatable bracket and is responsible for providing the auxiliary light source required for coupling monitoring. The spectral characteristics of its output light source match the sensitive spectral range of the photosensitive sensor, and the light intensity of the output light source can be adjusted by the control module.

6. The transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure monitoring unit is located above the water tank, and the ambient light monitoring unit consists of several photosensitive sensors installed at fixed positions and angles. The characteristics of the photosensitive sensors are sensitive to the spectral characteristics of the output light source of the auxiliary light source module. The control module determines the current coupling state of the water tank based on the monitored data.

7. The transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intensity of the auxiliary light source can be increased or decreased by physical or virtual buttons in the human-computer interaction unit. When the device is not attached to the human body or is not in use, the ambient light monitoring unit below the transducer can detect sufficient light intensity. The threshold of whether the light intensity meets the requirements will be displayed in the human-computer interaction unit. When the intensity of natural light is insufficient, the intensity of the auxiliary light source is adjusted until the light intensity threshold displayed on the human-computer interaction unit meets the requirements.

8. A transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, The formula for calculating light intensity Lsen is as follows: in: C1: Compensation coefficient for central light intensity; C2: Compensation coefficient for edge light intensity; n: The number of sensors arranged at the edge of the transducer; L center The light intensity detected by the central photosensor; Len: The light intensity value detected by each photosensitive sensor at a different fixed position on the edge of the transducer; Lsen: The final calculated composite light intensity value.

9. A transducer device for monitoring water bladder coupling degree according to claim 1, characterized in that, As the water bladder couples with the target, the pressure inside the bladder gradually and slowly increases from a steady state until it reaches a predetermined pressure threshold P. anas Then, it is considered that the transducer device has been initially coupled to a suitable position, when a certain specified pressure threshold P is exceeded. max Then, stop further pressing the transducer device; the coupling degree A of the transducer device. n The calculation formula is as follows. As long as the final calculated result is within any required pressure and incident angle range, A... n Not exceeding the specified coupling threshold A max If the transducer device is well coupled, then it is considered to be well coupled. in: K1: Weighting coefficient for pressure data; K2: Weighting coefficient for light intensity data; : Angle of incidence of auxiliary light source; P max : The maximum allowable pressure value for the transducer device; P: The current pressure value detected by the pressure sensor.

Images