A retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel

Abstract

The invention discloses a retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel, comprising at least two fixing rings, a support frame and a temperature control and heating device; the diameter of the fixing rings decreases successively, wherein a plurality of support frames are evenly connected between two adjacent fixing rings, so that the fixing rings can be nested in sequence to realize the contraction of the limb external fixator; both the fixing rings and the support frame are bag structures, the bag is filled with thermosensitive hydrogel, and a silica gel heating sheet is installed inside the bag; the temperature control and heating device is used to control the silica gel heating sheet to heat the thermosensitive hydrogel, so that the thermosensitive hydrogel undergoes a sol-gel phase transition, thereby hardening the fixing rings and the support frame to form a fixed support structure, realizing integrated multi-position fixation, and the structure can be folded and stored when no fixation work is performed, so as to be easy to carry and save occupied area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of orthopedic external fixation, and in particular relates to a retractable limb external fixation bracket based on thermosensitive hydrogel. Background Art

[0002] When the injured suffer limb fractures due to trauma, the injured limbs often need to be fixed to prevent the fracture ends from shifting during transportation to relieve pain and avoid aggravating tissue damage. The fracture ends can even be stabilized by external fixation of the limbs to promote the healing of the fracture ends as the final treatment measure for fractures. In on-site first aid, external fixators such as suits, polymer splints, and even wooden boards, sticks, and contralateral limbs are often selected; in hospitals, the injured often use polymer plaster or raw plaster, and customized anatomical external fixation. In the above methods, the materials are all solid, without telescopic elasticity, and are not easy to store, especially suits or customized products, which require a lot of space for storage, which is not conducive to pre-hospital first aid. However, polymer plaster or ordinary raw plaster is not convenient to operate, time-consuming and labor-intensive, and is not conducive to rapid treatment, especially for emergency treatment of batches of injured people. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a limb external fixator that is easy to carry, occupies little space, has a telescopic function, and can be used quickly and conveniently in the case of batches of injured people. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes a retractable limb external fixation bracket based on thermosensitive hydrogel, comprising at least two fixing rings, a support frame and a temperature control and heating device;

[0004] The diameter of the fixing rings decreases successively, wherein a plurality of the support frames are evenly connected between two adjacent fixing rings, so that the fixing rings can be nested successively to realize the contraction of the limb external fixation bracket;

[0005] The fixing ring and the support frame are both bag structures, the bag is filled with thermosensitive hydrogel, and a silica gel heating sheet is installed inside the bag;

[0006] The temperature control and heating device is used to control the silica gel heating sheet to heat the temperature-sensitive hydrogel, so that the temperature-sensitive hydrogel undergoes a sol-gel phase transition, thereby hardening the fixing ring and the support frame to form a fixed support structure.

[0007] As a further illustration of the present invention, the thermosensitive hydrogel material adopts poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) sodium alginate material. When the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel exceeds 45°C, it undergoes a sol-gel phase transition and becomes hard. When the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel is lower than 45°C, it undergoes a gel-sol phase transition and returns to a hydrogel state.

[0008] As a further illustration of the present invention, the bag of the fixing ring is made of a polymer silicone material, and the bag of the supporting frame is made of a ballistic nylon material.

[0009] As a further explanation of the present invention, the fixing ring is formed by winding a long strip of fixing belt, and both ends of the fixing belt are respectively provided with parent-child magnetic fixing buckles, which can realize the fixed connection of the two ends of the fixing belt after winding.

[0010] As a further illustration of the present invention, the temperature control and heating device comprises a heating power supply, a temperature sensor and a control chip, the heating power supply and the temperature sensor are both connected to the control chip, the heating power supply is connected to the silica gel heating sheet, and the temperature sensor is used to monitor the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel and transmit the temperature signal to the control chip;

[0011] When it is necessary to harden the fixing ring and the supporting frame, the control chip controls the heating power supply to start so that the silicone heating sheet is energized to generate heat, thereby heating the thermosensitive hydrogel; when the temperature sensor monitors that the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel reaches a preset upper temperature limit, the control chip controls the heating power supply to be turned off, thereby hardening the fixing ring and the supporting frame; when the temperature sensor monitors that the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel drops to a preset lower temperature limit, the control chip controls the heating power supply to start again, thereby maintaining the thermosensitive hydrogel in a solidified state at all times.

[0012] As a further illustration of the present invention, when it is necessary to soften the fixing ring and the supporting frame, the control chip controls the heating power supply to be turned off, so that the silicone heating sheet stops heating until the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel naturally cools to below the gel-sol phase transition temperature, thereby restoring it to a hydrogel state.

[0013] As a further explanation of the present invention, the temperature control and heating device is also externally connected to an intelligent terminal, so that the control operation of the temperature control and heating device is realized through regulation of the intelligent terminal.

[0014] As a further illustration of the present invention, the silicone heating sheets are multiple and evenly fixed on the inner wall of the bag.

[0015] As a further illustration of the present invention, the silicone heating sheet is made of two sheets of glass fiber cloth and two sheets of pressed silicone.

[0016] As a further explanation of the present invention, the number of the fixing rings is specifically set to 4, and the number of the supporting frames between two adjacent fixing rings is specifically set to 4.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0018] 1. Different external fixation matches can be achieved for different limb external fixation situations of the injured. If the fracture is spiral or close to the joint and requires cross-joint fixation, the two end fixation rings can be inserted into the limb ends adjacent to the joint to achieve cross-joint fixation. If multiple parts of the same limb are fixed, the fixation rings can be inserted into the distal and proximal ends of the two main fractures and locked respectively to achieve integrated multi-part fixation.

[0019] 2. The silicone heating sheet is controlled by the smart terminal to increase its temperature. When the effective temperature is reached, the thermosensitive hydrogel undergoes a sol-gel phase transition and hardens, playing a role of strong fixation. This external fixation process from soft to hard can adapt to fractures in different parts and can be properly shaped. When the patient needs to remove the external fixation due to recovery or other reasons, the silicone heating sheet can be stopped through the smart terminal, and its temperature drops. When it drops to a certain temperature, the thermosensitive hydrogel undergoes a gel-sol phase transition to a hydrogel state. After being removed, it can be folded and stored, which is easy to carry and saves space.

[0020] 3. The polymer silica gel and ballistic nylon materials used are wear-resistant, and the thermosensitive hydrogel material of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) sodium alginate is a self-healing material, so it can be used repeatedly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a retractable limb external fixation bracket based on a thermosensitive hydrogel provided by the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a thermosensitive hydrogel-based retractable limb external fixator provided by the present invention after contraction.

[0023] Figure 3 It is an expanded view of a fixing ring of a retractable limb external fixation bracket based on a thermosensitive hydrogel provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a structural block diagram of temperature control of a retractable limb external fixator based on a thermosensitive hydrogel provided by the present invention.

[0025] Figure numerals: fixing ring 1, supporting frame 5, parent-child magnetic fixing buckle 101, heating power supply 7, temperature sensor 8, control chip 10, silicone heating sheet 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0027] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention claimed for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the positions or positional relationships in which the product of the invention is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific position, be constructed and operated in a specific position, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0030] In addition, the terms "horizontal", "vertical" and the like do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it is also necessary to explain that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0032] The technical solution of the present invention will be explained below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0033] like Figure 1-3 As shown, a retractable limb external fixation support based on thermosensitive hydrogel is provided, comprising at least two fixing rings 1, a support frame 5 and a temperature control and heating device;

[0034] The diameter of the fixing ring 1 decreases successively, wherein a plurality of support frames 5 are evenly connected between two adjacent fixing rings 1, so that the fixing rings 1 can be nested successively to realize the contraction of the limb external fixation support, and the contracted structure is as follows: Figure 2 As shown;

[0035] The fixing ring 1 and the support frame 5 are both bag structures, the bag is filled with thermosensitive hydrogel, and a silica gel heating sheet 9 is installed inside the bag;

[0036] The temperature control and heating device is used to control the silicone heating sheet 9 to heat the temperature-sensitive hydrogel, so that the temperature-sensitive hydrogel undergoes a sol-gel phase transition, thereby hardening the fixing ring 1 and the support frame 5 to form a fixed support structure.

[0037] The thermosensitive hydrogel material is poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) sodium alginate material. When the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel exceeds 45°C, it undergoes a sol-gel phase transition and becomes hard. When the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel is lower than 45°C, it undergoes a gel-sol phase transition and returns to a hydrogel state. The bag of the fixing ring 1 is made of a polymer silica gel material, and the bag of the support frame 5 is made of a ballistic nylon material.

[0038] In the present invention, when the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel exceeds 45°C, it undergoes a sol-gel phase transition and becomes hard. When the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel is lower than 45°C, it undergoes a gel-sol phase transition and becomes a hydrogel state. The polymer silica gel material and ballistic nylon material used are wear-resistant, and the thermosensitive hydrogel material of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) sodium alginate is a self-healing material, so it can be used repeatedly.

[0039] The fixing ring 1 is formed by winding a long strip of fixing belt, and both ends of the fixing belt are respectively provided with a parent-child magnetic fixing buckle 101, which can realize the fixed connection of the two ends of the fixing belt after winding.

[0040] In the present invention, two pairs of parent-child magnetic fastening buckles are arranged at both ends of each fixing belt, and the unfolded structure thereof is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, when the injured limb needs external fixation, a fixation belt of corresponding size is selected according to the location of the injury, and then the fixation belt is locked by the parent-child magnetic fixing buckle to form a fixing ring.

[0041] The temperature control and heating device includes a heating power supply 7, a temperature sensor 8 and a control chip 10. The heating power supply 7 and the temperature sensor 8 are both connected to the control chip 10. The heating power supply 7 is connected to the silica gel heating sheet 9. The temperature sensor 8 is used to monitor the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel and transmit the temperature signal to the control chip 10.

[0042] When a hard fixing ring 1 and a support frame 5 are needed, the control chip 10 controls the heating power supply 7 to start so that the silicone heating sheet 9 is energized to generate heat, thereby heating the thermosensitive hydrogel. When the temperature sensor 8 detects that the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel reaches a preset upper temperature limit, the control chip 10 controls the heating power supply 7 to turn off so that the fixing ring 1 and the support frame 5 harden. When the temperature sensor 8 detects that the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel drops to a preset lower temperature limit, the control chip 10 controls the heating power supply 7 to start again so that the thermosensitive hydrogel always remains in a solidified state.

[0043] For example, when the fixing ring 1 and the support frame 5 fix the patient's injured part, the temperature sensor 8 is set with a temperature upper limit of 48°C and a temperature lower limit of 45°C in the process of monitoring the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel. The thermosensitive hydrogel undergoes a sol-gel phase transition and hardens at 45°C. When the temperature sensor 8 detects that the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel is at the temperature upper limit of 48°C or the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel is at the temperature lower limit of 45°C, it will feed back a temperature signal to the control chip 10 for cooling or heating, so that the temperature of the thermosensitive water is maintained between 45°C and 48°C, thereby keeping the thermosensitive hydrogel in a solidified state at all times.

[0044] When the fixing ring 1 and the support frame 5 need to be softened, the control chip 10 controls the heating power supply 7 to turn off, so that the silicone heating sheet stops heating until the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel naturally cools to below the gel-sol phase transition temperature, so that it returns to the hydrogel state.

[0045] The temperature control and heating device is also externally connected to an intelligent terminal, and the control operation of the temperature control and heating device is realized through the regulation of the intelligent terminal.

[0046] There are multiple silica gel heating sheets 9 evenly fixed on the inner wall of the bag, so that the phase change process of the thermosensitive hydrogel in the external fixation bracket is more uniform.

[0047] Specifically, the number of the fixing rings 1 is four, and the number of the supporting frames 5 between two adjacent fixing rings 1 is four.

[0048] Its working principle is that when the injured limb needs external fixation, the folded external fixator is unfolded, and two fixation belts are inserted and locked at the appropriate positions of the distal and proximal ends of the fracture. If the fracture is spiral or close to the joint and needs cross-joint fixation, the two end fixation belts can be inserted into the adjacent joint limbs to achieve cross-joint fixation. If multiple parts of the same limb are fixed, the fixation belts can be inserted and locked at the distal and proximal ends of the two main fractures respectively, so as to achieve integrated multi-part fixation; the temperature control and heating device is controlled by the intelligent terminal to increase the temperature in the bag. After reaching the effective temperature, the hydrogel undergoes a sol-gel phase transition and hardens, playing a role of strong fixation. This external fixation process from soft to hard can adapt to fractures in different parts and can be properly shaped; when the patient needs to remove the external fixation after recovery or other reasons, the temperature control and heating device can be controlled by the intelligent terminal to reduce the temperature in the bag. After dropping to a certain temperature, the thermosensitive hydrogel undergoes a sol-gel phase transition to a hydrogel state, and returns to the folded storage state after being removed.

[0049] The above embodiments are preferred examples for implementing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any non-essential additions and substitutions made by those skilled in the art based on the technical features of the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel, characterized in that: It comprises at least two fixing rings (1), a support frame (5) and a temperature control and heating device; The diameter of the fixing ring (1) decreases successively, wherein a plurality of the support frames (5) are evenly connected between two adjacent fixing rings (1), so that the fixing rings (1) can be nested successively to achieve the contraction of the limb external fixation frame; The fixing ring (1) and the support frame (5) are both bag structures, the bag is filled with a thermosensitive hydrogel, and a silica gel heating sheet (9) is installed inside the bag; The fixing ring (1) is formed by winding a long strip of fixing belt, and both ends of the fixing belt are respectively provided with a parent-child magnetic fixing buckle (101), which can realize the fixed connection of the two ends of the fixing belt after winding; The temperature control and heating device is used to control the silica gel heating sheet (9) to heat the temperature-sensitive hydrogel, causing the temperature-sensitive hydrogel to undergo a sol-gel phase transition, thereby causing the fixing ring (1) and the support frame (5) to harden and form a fixed support structure.

2. The retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermosensitive hydrogel material adopts poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) sodium alginate material. When the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel exceeds 45°C, it undergoes a sol-gel phase transition and becomes hard. When the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel is lower than 45°C, it undergoes a gel-sol phase transition and returns to a hydrogel state.

3. The retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bag of the fixing ring (1) is made of a polymer silica gel material, and the bag of the supporting frame (5) is made of a ballistic nylon material.

4. The retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature control and heating device comprises a heating power supply (7), a temperature sensor (8) and a control chip (10); the heating power supply (7) and the temperature sensor (8) are both connected to the control chip (10); the heating power supply (7) is connected to the silica gel heating sheet (9); the temperature sensor (8) is used to monitor the temperature of the temperature-sensitive hydrogel and transmit the temperature signal to the control chip (10); When it is necessary to harden the fixing ring (1) and the supporting frame (5), the control chip (10) controls the heating power supply (7) to start so that the silicone heating sheet (9) is powered on to generate heat, thereby heating the temperature-sensitive hydrogel. When the temperature sensor (8) detects that the temperature of the temperature-sensitive hydrogel reaches a preset upper temperature limit, the control chip (10) controls the heating power supply (7) to turn off so that the fixing ring (1) and the supporting frame (5) are hardened. When the temperature sensor (8) detects that the temperature of the temperature-sensitive hydrogel drops to a preset lower temperature limit, the control chip (10) controls the heating power supply (7) to start again so that the temperature-sensitive hydrogel is always maintained in a solidified state.

5. The retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel according to claim 4, characterized in that: When it is necessary to soften the fixing ring (1) and the support frame (5), the control chip (10) controls the heating power supply (7) to be turned off, so that the silicone heating sheet stops heating, until the temperature of the thermosensitive hydrogel naturally cools to a temperature lower than the gel-sol phase transition temperature, so that it returns to the hydrogel state.

6. The retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The temperature control and heating device is also externally connected to an intelligent terminal, so that the control operation of the temperature control and heating device is realized through regulation of the intelligent terminal.

7. The retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The silica gel heating sheets (9) are multiple and evenly fixed on the inner wall of the bag.

8. The retractable limb external fixator based on thermosensitive hydrogel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The silica gel heating sheet (9) is made of two sheets of glass fiber cloth and two sheets of pressed silica gel.

9. The thermosensitive hydrogel-based retractable limb external fixator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the fixing rings (1) is specifically set to be four, and the number of the supporting frames (5) between two adjacent fixing rings (1) is specifically set to be four.

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