Semi-flexible cold therapy device and method of use thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a semi-flexible cold therapy device and a method for using the same, wherein the device comprises a flexible conformable protective gear, which is made of a flexible PDMS material, and is etched with a cooling passage and a plurality of cooling plate grooves, wherein the cooling passage and the cooling plate grooves are connected, and a semiconductor cooling plate is placed in the cooling plate groove, wherein the hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate faces the cooling passage, and a cooling medium is passed through the cooling passage, and the hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate is in direct contact with the cooling medium; the present invention utilizes the good flexibility of the PDMS material in combination with a plurality of small semiconductor cooling plates to make the entire device flexible and well adhered to the skin; low-temperature spray is used to dissipate heat from the hot end of the cooling plate or cooling water is used to dissipate heat from the hot end of the cooling plate, and the cooling effect is good; in addition, according to the temperature of the hot end of the cooling plate, the driving controller controls the extension and retraction distance of the electric push rod to adjust the flow rate of the freezing spray, thereby minimizing the amount of low-temperature spray.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical protective gear, and in particular to a semi-flexible cold therapy device and a method of using the same. Background Art

[0002] Cold therapy is a method of applying cooling substances to the human body to lower local or systemic temperature, thereby achieving the purpose of curing diseases and strengthening physical fitness. The temperature used in cold therapy is generally above 0°C and will not cause local tissue damage. Clinically, cold therapy methods are divided into local and systemic applications. Local cold therapies include ice bags, ice pads, ice water immersion, ice massage, low-temperature wet compresses, ethyl chloride sprays, etc. For example, fractures are the most common type of orthopedic traumatic disease. Patients may experience pain and local soft tissue swelling after fractures. Clinically, ice compresses are commonly used to constrict blood vessels and relieve pain. However, it is difficult to control the temperature with ice compresses, and patients may also suffer from problems such as frostbite. At the same time, ice bags are hard and uncomfortable. Other traditional cold therapy methods also have similar shortcomings.

[0003] Currently, there are temperature-controlled cold therapy devices on the market, but these devices usually use semiconductor refrigeration or other refrigeration methods to lower the water temperature, and bring the low-temperature water into contact with the body part to be treated through a hose. Therefore, the equipment is large and expensive. Existing cold therapy using semiconductor refrigeration sheets mainly uses the refrigeration sheet to lower the temperature of water or gas, and then relies on the low-temperature water or gas to lower the temperature of the skin, or transfers the cold energy of the refrigeration sheet to a cold-carrying filler in a flexible bag through a heat conduction plate, and then achieves the purpose of cold therapy through the cold-carrying filler. However, due to the large specific heat capacity of water, the temperature inertia of the entire system will be very large. When the temperature needs to be adjusted, it takes a long time to adjust the temperature of the water in the water tank. In addition, the equipment is usually large and expensive.

[0004] In addition, semiconductor refrigeration chips use fans and other blowing devices or metal water coolers to dissipate heat from the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration chips. Fans and other blowing devices will make the entire device too large. At the same time, when the temperature needs to be lowered to a sufficiently low level, the air cooling method is difficult to dissipate heat in time. There are also a few cold therapy devices that use multiple small refrigeration chips and install a small metal water cooler at the hot end of each small refrigeration chip. The refrigeration chips are connected in series, and the water coolers are connected in series through flexible water pipes, so that the entire device meets the semi-flexible requirements. However, there are too many connecting devices and the metal water cooler is heavy, making the entire device too cumbersome and unreliable. In addition, the entire device is too heavy and not conducive to wear and use. In addition, some flexible semiconductor refrigeration equipment made of flexible substrates uses flexible polymer conduits as water coolers. However, the cooling medium of these water coolers is not in direct contact with the hot end, but is separated by the wall of the water cooler. Therefore, the thermal conductivity of the water cooler wall is crucial. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the polymer conduit water cooler is much lower than that of the metal water cooler, and the heat dissipation effect is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a semi-flexible cryotherapy device and a method for using the same. The cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate is in direct contact with the skin, the device has low thermal inertia, and at the same time, a freezing spray is used for cooling, which has a good heat dissipation effect on the semiconductor refrigeration plate.

[0006] The technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect of the present invention, a semi-flexible cold therapy device is provided, comprising a flexible conformable protective gear, the flexible conformable protective gear being made of a flexible PDMS material, a cooling passage and a plurality of cooling plate grooves being etched on the flexible conformable protective gear, the cooling passage and the cooling plate grooves being connected, a semiconductor cooling plate being placed in the cooling plate groove, the hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate facing the cooling passage, a cooling medium being passed through the cooling passage, and heat being dissipated from the hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate by the cooling medium.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the flexible conformable protective gear is an open annular structure, the two ends of the flexible conformable protective gear are attached by adhesive tape and Velcro, and the cooling passage and the cooling plate groove are etched on the inner side of the flexible conformable protective gear.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the number of the cooling plate grooves is the same as the number of the semiconductor cooling plates, and multiple semiconductor cooling plates are connected in series through wires. The semiconductor cooling plates at the ends are connected to the controller through wires. The controller adjusts the voltage provided by the power supply through a PID algorithm and provides it to the semiconductor cooling plates.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet are provided on the flexible conformable protective gear, and the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet are connected to the cooling passage in the flexible conformable protective gear.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cooling medium is a freezing spray or cooling water, the cooling medium inlet is connected to the freezing spray tank through a pipeline, the freezing spray tank is driven by an electric push rod to spray the freezing spray into the pipeline, and the freezing spray enters the cooling passage;

[0012] Alternatively, the cooling medium inlet is connected to a cooling water tank through a pipe, and the cooling water tank provides cooling water into the pipe through a peristaltic pump. The cooling water flows into the cooling passage, and the heated cooling water flows out of the cooling passage and returns to the cooling water tank again. A layer of phase change material is wrapped around the outer periphery of the cooling water tank to absorb the heat of the heated cooling water.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric push rod is electrically connected to a push rod drive controller, and the electric push rod, the freezing spray tank and the push rod drive controller are all arranged on a base.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, a cold end temperature sensor is provided at the cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate, and a hot end temperature sensor is provided at the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate. The cold end temperature sensor and the hot end temperature sensor transmit temperature signals to the controller.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the semiconductor refrigeration plate is set in the refrigeration plate groove by gluing, and the semiconductor refrigeration plate is interference fit with the refrigeration plate groove to seal the cooling passage.

[0016] In a second aspect of the present invention, a method for using a semi-flexible cold therapy device is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0017] Wear the flexible protective gear facing the part to be cooled and attach it with adhesive tape and Velcro;

[0018] The cooling temperature is set on the controller to control the cold end temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration plate within an appropriate range; at the same time, a cooling medium is introduced into the cooling passage to use the cooling medium to cool the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller receives temperature signals from the cold-end temperature sensor and the hot-end temperature sensor, and uses a PID algorithm to control the temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration chip within an appropriate range.

[0020] One or more technical solutions of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0021] (1) The semi-flexible cryotherapy device provided by the present invention utilizes the good flexibility of the PDMS material in combination with multiple small semiconductor cooling sheets to make the entire device flexible and well adhered to the skin. In addition, the PDMS material has good biocompatibility and breathability, and will not produce adverse reactions when in contact with the skin while ensuring good comfort. The PDMS material has good thermal insulation properties and can reduce the loss of cold into the environment.

[0022] (2) The semi-flexible cryotherapy device provided by the present invention has a semiconductor cooling plate with a cold end in direct contact with the skin. The device has a small thermal inertia and can quickly and accurately adjust the required temperature through a control system. A cooling path is directly etched on the PDMS material and bonded to the hot end of the cooling plate, so that the cooling medium and the hot end can be in direct contact. Only a small amount of freezing spray is required to achieve the purpose of heat dissipation, and there is no cumbersome heat dissipation equipment. The wearable part is small and light.

[0023] (3) The semi-flexible cold therapy device provided by the present invention is easy to manufacture and can adapt to the needs of different cooling surfaces by simply changing the number of cooling plates and the area of ​​PDMS. At the same time, it is simple and convenient to operate and can be disassembled and replaced after the freezing spray is used up.

[0024] (4) The semi-flexible cold therapy device provided by the present invention utilizes low-temperature spray to dissipate heat from the hot end of the refrigeration plate, and has a good cooling effect. In addition, according to the temperature of the hot end of the refrigeration plate, the driving controller controls the extension and retraction distance of the electric push rod to adjust the flow rate of the freezing spray, so as to minimize the amount of low-temperature spray, or a cooling water tank is used to provide cooling water to the cooling passage through a peristaltic pump to dissipate heat from the hot end of the refrigeration plate. The heated cooling water flows out of the cooling passage and returns to the cooling water tank again. A layer of phase change material is wrapped around the outer periphery of the cooling water tank to absorb the heat of the heated cooling water, so as to prevent the cooling water from overheating and affecting the cooling effect. The circulation of cooling water can reduce the amount of cooling water used, so as to minimize the weight and volume of the cold therapy device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the semi-flexible cryotherapy device using low-temperature spray for cooling according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the semi-flexible cryotherapy device using circulating water for cooling according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible conformable protective gear of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor refrigeration chips connected in series according to the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the push rod drive controller of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the cooling passage of the present invention.

[0031] In the figure: 1. Adhesive tape; 2. Velcro; 3. Cold-end temperature sensor; 4. Semiconductor refrigeration chip; 5. Hot-end temperature sensor; 6. Flexible contact protective gear; 7. Cooling passage; 8. Cooling medium inlet; 9. Cooling medium outlet; 10. Power supply; 11. Controller; 12. Wire; 13. Pipeline; 14. Freezing spray tank; 15. Base; 16. Electric push rod; 17. Push rod drive controller; 18. Push rod control line; 19. Bolt; 20. Small hole; 21. Cooling water tank; 22. Peristaltic pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] Semiconductor cooling is a Peltier effect, which uses electrical energy to transfer heat from one end to the other, achieving cooling. Semiconductor coolers are composed of p-type and n-type thermoelectric materials, electrodes, and a ceramic substrate. They generate a temperature difference by applying a voltage between two metal materials. When voltage is applied to the semiconductor cooler, electrons move from the p-type material to the n-type material through the metal conductor, transitioning to a higher energy state and absorbing heat from the cold end, lowering the cold end's temperature. When electrons flow from the n-type material to the p-type material through the metal conductor, they transition to a lower energy state and release heat to the hot end, raising its temperature. To prevent the hot end from overheating and burning out, a heat sink is required to dissipate the heat away from the hot end.

[0035] Due to the problems in the background technology of the existing semiconductor cryotherapy device, a typical embodiment of the present invention proposes a semi-flexible cryotherapy device, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a flexible conformable protective gear 6, which is made of flexible PDMS material. A cooling passage 7 and a plurality of cooling plate grooves are etched on the flexible conformable protective gear 6. The cooling passage 7 is connected to the cooling plate groove. A semiconductor cooling plate 4 is placed in the cooling plate groove. The hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate 4 faces the cooling passage. A cooling medium is introduced into the cooling passage 7, and the hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate is cooled by the cooling medium.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the flexible conformable protective gear 6 is an open annular structure, and the two ends of the flexible conformable protective gear 6 are adhered by adhesive tape 1 and Velcro 2. The cooling passage 7 and the cooling plate groove are etched on the inner side of the flexible conformable protective gear 6. The flexible conformable protective gear 6 is made of PDMS material (Polydimethylsiloxane). PDMS material is a high molecular organic silicon compound. On the one hand, the high plasticity of the PDMS material is utilized to directly etch a refrigerant channel on the PDMS material and bond it to the hot end of the cooling plate. The freezing spray sprays a low-temperature spray that flows through the refrigerant channel. The hot end of the cooling plate is in direct contact with the low-temperature spray to meet the heat dissipation requirements of the hot end. This can avoid the additional use of fans and heavy metal water coolers and other equipment, making the entire wearing part light and reliable, and the cooling effect of the freezing spray is excellent. The direct contact of the cooling medium with the hot end also optimizes the heat dissipation effect. On the other hand, the high flexibility of PDMS also enables the cooling surface to fit more closely with the skin and can be applied to various parts of the body. At the same time, the device directly uses the cold end of the refrigeration plate to cool the skin without passing through media such as water and gas, so that the thermal inertia of the entire device is small and the temperature can be adjusted quickly.

[0037] In this embodiment, the number of the cooling plate grooves is the same as the number of the semiconductor cooling plates 4, and a plurality of semiconductor cooling plates 4 are connected in series via wires. Figure 4 As shown, the semiconductor refrigeration plate 4 at the end is connected to the controller 11 through a wire 12, and the power supply 10 provides an input voltage to the controller 11, wherein the controller 11 can adopt a single-chip microcomputer. The controller 11 adjusts the voltage provided by the power supply 10 through a PID algorithm and provides it to the semiconductor refrigeration plate 4. The controller 11 controls the temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration plate 4 within an appropriate range.

[0038] In this embodiment, a cooling medium inlet 8 and a cooling medium outlet 9 are provided on the flexible conforming protective gear 6, and the cooling medium inlet 8 and the cooling medium outlet 9 are connected to the cooling passage in the flexible conforming protective gear.

[0039] In this embodiment, the cooling medium is a refrigeration spray or cooling water. When the cooling medium is a refrigeration spray, the structure is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the cooling medium inlet 8 is connected to the freezing spray tank 14 through the pipeline 13. The freezing spray tank 14 is driven by the electric push rod 16 to spray the freezing spray into the pipeline 13. The freezing spray enters the cooling passage. The freezing spray can use tetrafluoroethane refrigerant. The low-temperature spray flows into the cooling passage in the form of gas to absorb the heat of the hot end of the refrigeration plate, and finally the spray at the cooling medium outlet 9 is directly sprayed into the surrounding environment.

[0040] Furthermore, the electric push rod 16 is electrically connected to the push rod drive controller 17. The electric push rod 16, the freezing spray tank 14 and the push rod drive controller 17 are all arranged on the base 15. Figure 5 As shown, the base 15 is L-shaped and provides support for the freezing spray tank 14. The electric push rod 16 and the push rod drive controller 17 are installed on the base through bolts 19.

[0041] Alternatively, when cooling water is used as the cooling medium, the structure is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the cooling medium inlet 8 is connected to the cooling water tank 21 through the pipe 13. The cooling water tank 21 provides cooling water to the pipe through the peristaltic pump 22. The cooling water flows into the cooling passage 7. The heated cooling water flows out of the cooling passage 7 and returns to the cooling water tank 21 again. A layer of phase change material is wrapped around the outer periphery of the cooling water tank 21 to absorb the heat of the heated cooling water to prevent the cooling water from overheating and affecting the cooling effect.

[0042] In this embodiment, a cold end temperature sensor 3 is provided at the cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate 4, and a hot end temperature sensor 5 is provided at the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate 4, which are used to measure the temperatures of the hot end and the cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate 4 respectively. The cold end temperature sensor 3 and the hot end temperature sensor 5 transmit the temperature signal to the controller.

[0043] In this embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the shape of the cooling plate groove is square, and the shape of the semiconductor cooling plate 4 is also square. The semiconductor cooling plate 4 is set in the cooling plate groove by gluing. The semiconductor cooling plate 4 and the cooling plate groove have an interference fit to seal the cooling passage 7. Before the semiconductor cooling plate is installed, the surrounding walls of the cooling plate groove are cleaned with a plasma cleaner and then quickly glued to the cooling plate 4 with double-sided tape to ensure sufficient sealing. The cross-section of the cooling passage 7 is rectangular, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling passage 7 is slightly smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling plate. For example, if the semiconductor cooling plate is 10mm×10mm, the cooling passage can be 8mm×8mm×5mm to facilitate the fixation of the semiconductor cooling plate. The cooling passage is connected in an S-shaped manner. The cooling medium flows in from one end of the inlet, flows along the cooling passage to the other end, and flows into the next level cooling passage through the small hole at the other end, and circulates in sequence.

[0044] The working principle of the semi-flexible cold therapy device provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0045] The hot-end temperature sensor 5 measures the hot-end temperature of the last semiconductor refrigeration fin 4 in the series connection. The push rod drive controller 17 controls the vertical extension and retraction distance of the electric push rod 16 based on the hot-end temperature, thereby controlling the flow rate of the cryogenic spray spray 14. The cryogenic spray flows through the pipe 13 into the cooling passage 7, ensuring that the heat at the hot end of the refrigeration fin is dissipated promptly. The cold-end temperature sensor 3 is attached to the cold end of the last refrigeration fin 4 in the series connection to measure the cold-end temperature. The controller 11 receives the signal from the cold-end temperature sensor 3 and uses a PID algorithm to adjust the output voltage of the power output line 12 to keep the temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration fin cold end within a suitable range.

[0046] This embodiment adjusts the temperature by adjusting the output voltage according to the temperature of the last stage of refrigeration plates in the series. As long as the temperature of the last refrigeration plate can be lowered to an appropriate range, the temperatures of all the previous refrigeration plates will not lose the cold therapy effect due to excessive temperature.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, a method for using a semi-flexible cold therapy device is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0049] Wear the flexible protective gear facing the part to be cooled and attach it with adhesive tape and Velcro;

[0050] The cooling temperature is set on the controller to control the cold end temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration chip within an appropriate range; at the same time, a freezing spray is introduced into the cooling passage to cool the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration chip using the cooling spray.

[0051] Furthermore, the controller receives temperature signals from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, and uses a PID algorithm to control the temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration chip within an appropriate range.

[0052] Although the above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention without any creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semi-flexible cold therapy device, characterized in that: The flexible conformable protective gear is made of a flexible PDMS material, and is etched with a cooling passage and a plurality of cooling plate grooves. The cooling passage is connected to the cooling plate grooves, and a semiconductor cooling plate is placed in the cooling plate groove. The hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate faces the cooling passage, and a cooling medium is passed through the cooling passage. The hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate is in direct contact with the cooling medium, and the cooling medium dissipates heat from the hot end of the semiconductor cooling plate. The semiconductor cooling plate is set in the cooling plate groove by gluing, and the semiconductor cooling plate and the cooling plate groove are interference fit to seal the cooling passage. The flexible conforming protective gear is provided with a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet, and the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet are connected to the cooling passage in the flexible conforming protective gear.

2. The semi-flexible cold therapy device according to claim 1, wherein: The flexible conforming protective gear is in an open annular structure, and the two ends of the flexible conforming protective gear are adhered by adhesive tape and Velcro, and the cooling passage and the cooling plate groove are etched on the inner side of the flexible conforming protective gear.

3. The semi-flexible cold therapy device according to claim 1, wherein: The number of the cooling plate grooves is the same as the number of the semiconductor cooling plates, and multiple semiconductor cooling plates are connected in series through wires. The semiconductor cooling plates at the ends are connected to the controller through wires. The controller adjusts the voltage provided by the power supply through the PID algorithm and provides it to the semiconductor cooling plates.

4. The semi-flexible cold therapy device according to claim 1, wherein: The cooling medium is a refrigeration spray or cooling water, the cooling medium inlet is connected to the refrigeration spray tank through a pipeline, the refrigeration spray tank is driven by an electric push rod to spray the refrigeration spray into the pipeline, and the refrigeration spray enters the cooling passage; Alternatively, the cooling medium inlet is connected to a cooling water tank through a pipe, and the cooling water tank provides cooling water into the pipe through a peristaltic pump. The cooling water flows into the cooling passage, and the heated cooling water flows out of the cooling passage and returns to the cooling water tank again. A layer of phase change material is wrapped around the outer periphery of the cooling water tank to absorb the heat of the heated cooling water.

5. The semi-flexible cold therapy device according to claim 4, wherein: The electric push rod is electrically connected to a push rod drive controller. The electric push rod, the freezing spray tank body, and the push rod drive controller are all arranged on a base.

6. The semi-flexible cold therapy device according to claim 1, wherein: The cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate is provided with a cold end temperature sensor, and the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate is provided with a hot end temperature sensor. The cold end temperature sensor and the hot end temperature sensor transmit temperature signals to the controller.

7. A method for using the semi-flexible cold therapy device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Wear the flexible protective gear facing the part to be cooled and attach it with adhesive tape and Velcro; The cooling temperature is set on the controller to control the cold end temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration plate within an appropriate range; at the same time, a cooling medium is introduced into the cooling passage to use the cooling medium to cool the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration plate.

8. The method for using the semi-flexible cold therapy device according to claim 7, wherein: The controller receives temperature signals from the cold-end temperature sensor and the hot-end temperature sensor, and uses the PID algorithm to control the temperature of the semiconductor refrigeration chip within an appropriate range.

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