Soft robot for assisting child in single ventricle

Abstract

The invention discloses a soft robot for assisting a child in a single ventricle, which relates to the technical field of medical instruments and mainly comprises a deformation system, a power system, a flow monitoring system and a control system. Wherein the deformation system is used for wrapping the outer wall of a blood vessel, and the deformation system can deform to extrude the blood vessel or release the blood vessel; the power system is connected with the deformation system and is used for enabling the deformation system to deform; the flow monitoring system is used for being arranged on the blood vessel so as to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time; the power system and the flow monitoring system are both in signal connection with the control system. The auxiliary blood pumping can be realized, the applicability is high, and accurate control and implementation can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle. Background Art

[0002] Functional univentricular heart disease is a complex congenital heart disease, which refers to the maldevelopment of one side of the ventricle or a serious defect in the heart, resulting in the heart only being able to perform the function of one ventricle.

[0003] At present, Fontan circulation surgery is usually used to treat functional single ventricle, that is, the ventricle under the pulmonary artery is left open, and the vena cava and pulmonary artery are directly anastomosed to achieve the separation of systemic circulation and pulmonary circulation, saving more than 20 million patients with functional single ventricle worldwide. However, this circulation mode (Fontan circulation) is inefficient and is a palliative treatment that will eventually lead to circulatory failure.

[0004] In order to improve the efficiency of Fontan circulation, Fontan circulation assist devices have appeared on the market. However, existing assist devices all place power devices in blood vessels to promote blood flow. Since the power devices need to be placed in blood vessels, the operation is complicated and the applicability is poor. In addition, existing assist devices cannot monitor blood flow in real time and the regulation accuracy is poor.

[0005] Therefore, a soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a soft robot for assisting children's single ventricle to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, which can assist in blood pumping, has high applicability, and can also achieve precise control and implementation.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0008] The present invention provides a soft robot for assisting a child with a single ventricle, comprising:

[0009] A deformation system, wherein the deformation system is used to wrap around the outer wall of the blood vessel, and the deformation system can be deformed to squeeze the blood vessel or release the blood vessel;

[0010] A power system, the power system being connected to the deformation system and used to deform the deformation system;

[0011] A flow monitoring system, the flow monitoring system is used to be arranged on the blood vessel to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time;

[0012] The control system, the power system and the flow monitoring system are all connected to the control system signal.

[0013] Preferably, the deformation system comprises an airbag, which is arranged around the blood vessel and can be inflated and deflated to deform.

[0014] Preferably, the airbag is made of high molecular and high elastic material.

[0015] Preferably, the power system includes an air storage device, an air pump and a gas pipeline, wherein the air storage device is used to store gas, and the air storage device is connected to the gas pipeline via the air pump, and the end of the gas pipeline away from the air pump is connected to the airbag for inflation and deflation of the airbag; wherein the air pump is powered by a battery.

[0016] Preferably, the gas stored in the gas storage device is an inert gas.

[0017] Preferably, the control system and the power system are both implanted subcutaneously in the human body;

[0018] The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle also includes a wireless charging coil, which can be placed close to the human chest to charge the battery.

[0019] Preferably, the flow monitoring system includes a laser emitting device, a laser receiving device and a processor, wherein the laser emitting device can emit laser light into the blood vessel, the laser receiving device can receive the laser light reflected back after contacting the blood, and the processor is signal-connected to the laser emitting device and the laser receiving device and can measure the blood flow.

[0020] Preferably, it also includes an ECG monitoring system, which is used to perform ECG monitoring on the patient in real time, and the ECG monitoring system is connected to the control system signal.

[0021] Preferably, the ECG monitoring system includes monitoring electrodes, which are used to be attached to the surface of the patient's chest to perform real-time ECG monitoring on the patient.

[0022] Preferably, the ECG monitoring system includes a wireless wearable device, which is used to receive ECG monitoring signals and is connected to the control system signal.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0024] The present invention is provided with a deformation system, which can squeeze the blood vessels or release the blood vessels through deformation, thereby achieving auxiliary blood pumping and improving the efficiency of Fontan circulation; moreover, the deformation system is wrapped on the outer wall of the blood vessel without being implanted in the blood vessel, and is easy to install and highly applicable. It can be used for auxiliary ventricular function treatment of children with various single ventricle diseases or various Fontan postoperative circulatory failure treatments. Furthermore, the present invention is also provided with a flow monitoring system to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessels in real time. The control system can receive and analyze the blood flow signal transmitted by the flow monitoring system, calculate the most appropriate real-time deformation amount of the deformation system, and send instructions to the power system to control the deformation of the deformation system to assist blood pumping, thereby achieving the effect of precise control and implementation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of a soft robot for assisting a child with a single ventricle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is an overall schematic diagram of a soft robot for assisting a child with a single ventricle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the power system in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In the figure: 100 - a soft robot for assisting a single ventricle in children, 1 - a control system, 11 - a central processing unit, 2 - a flow monitoring system, 3 - an electrocardiogram monitoring system, 31 - monitoring electrodes, 4 - a power system, 41 - a gas pipeline, 42 - an air pump, 43 - an air storage device, 44 - a battery, 45 - a wireless charging coil, 5 - a deformation system, 51 - an air bag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. 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.

[0031] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a soft robot for assisting children's single ventricle to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, which can assist in blood pumping, has high applicability, and can also achieve precise control and implementation.

[0032] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] Embodiment 1

[0034] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, a soft robot 100 for assisting children with a single ventricle is provided, which mainly includes a deformation system 5, a power system 4, a flow monitoring system 2 and a control system 1; wherein, the deformation system 5 is used to wrap around the outer wall of the blood vessel, and the deformation system 5 can be deformed to squeeze the blood vessel or release the blood vessel, thereby assisting blood pumping and improving the efficiency of the Fontan circulation; the power system 4 is connected to the deformation system 5, and is used to deform the deformation system 5; the flow monitoring system 2 is used to be arranged on the blood vessel to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time; the power system 4 and the flow monitoring system 2 are both signal-connected to the control system 1, and the control system 1 can receive and analyze the blood flow signal transmitted by the flow monitoring system 2, calculate the most appropriate real-time deformation amount of the deformation system 5, and control the deformation system 5 to deform to assist blood pumping by sending instructions to the power system 4.

[0035] In this embodiment, a deformation system 5 is provided, and the deformation of the deformation system 5 can squeeze the blood vessel or release the blood vessel, thereby achieving auxiliary blood pumping and improving the efficiency of Fontan circulation; moreover, the deformation system 5 is wrapped on the outer wall of the blood vessel without being implanted in the blood vessel, and is easy to install and highly applicable. It can be used for auxiliary ventricular function treatment of children with various single ventricle diseases or various Fontan postoperative circulatory failure treatments. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a flow monitoring system 2 is also provided to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time. The control system 1 can receive and analyze the blood flow signal transmitted by the flow monitoring system 2, calculate the most appropriate real-time deformation amount of the deformation system 5, and send instructions to the power system 4 to control the deformation of the deformation system 5 to assist in blood pumping, thereby achieving the effect of precise control and implementation.

[0036] In this embodiment, an ECG monitoring system 3 is also included. The ECG monitoring system 3 is used to perform real-time ECG monitoring on the patient, that is, to collect the ECG activity of the child, and the ECG monitoring system 3 is connected to the control system 1 signal. The control system 1 can analyze the ECG monitoring signal and calculate the most appropriate real-time deformation amount so that the soft robot can pump blood synchronously with its own heartbeat.

[0037] Furthermore, it is necessary to explain that the control system 1 is a mature existing technology in this field and can be selected according to specific work needs; as a preferred embodiment, the control system 1 has a central processor 11, which can receive flow-related information and electrocardiographic activity information of the blood vessels, and analyze the flow and electrocardiographic activity information, calculate the most appropriate real-time deformation amount, and send instructions to the power system 4 so that the deformation system 5 produces a certain deformation amount, causing the blood vessels to be pressed or released, thereby playing a function of assisting blood pumping, while achieving the effect of precise control and implementation.

[0038] The control system 1 can receive and send instructions in wireless or wired form, which not only ensures the needs of individualized treatment, but also ensures that the transmission signal is stable and not affected by high-intensity magnetic fields.

[0039] In this embodiment, the deformation system 5 mainly includes an airbag 51, which can be in the shape of a spiral tube and is arranged around the blood vessel. The airbag 51 can be inflated and deflated to deform, so that the blood vessel is pressed or released, thereby playing a function of assisting blood pumping.

[0040] Furthermore, the airbag 51 is preferably made of high molecular weight and high elastic materials such as polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, etc., which have the characteristics of low repulsion, easy deformation, and high elasticity, and meet the functional requirements of the soft robot itself.

[0041] In this embodiment, the power system 4 mainly includes an air storage device 43, an air pump 42 and a gas pipeline 41. The air storage device 43 is used to store gas, and the air storage device 43 is connected to the gas pipeline 41 through the air pump 42. The end of the gas pipeline 41 away from the air pump 42 is connected to the airbag 51. The air pump 42 provides power for the gas to realize the inflation and deflation of the airbag 51, thereby causing the deformation system 5 to deform. The air pump 42 is powered by electricity and has a battery 44 therein for power supply.

[0042] In this embodiment, the gas storage device 43 may be a gas storage tank, and the gas stored therein is preferably an inert gas such as nitrogen, which ensures the stability and safety of the gas.

[0043] In this embodiment, the power system 4 can be implanted subcutaneously in the human body to avoid affecting the internal organs in the chest cavity; moreover, the battery 44 of the power system 4 can be charged wirelessly, and the soft robot 100 for assisting children's single ventricle also includes a wireless charging coil 45, which can be placed close to the human chest to charge the battery 44.

[0044] Furthermore, the control system 1 can also be implanted under the skin of a human body.

[0045] In this embodiment, the flow monitoring system 2 mainly includes a laser emitting device, a laser receiving device and a processor. The laser emitting device can emit laser into the blood vessel. After the laser contacts the blood, it is reflected back and received by the laser receiving device. The processor is connected to the laser emitting device and the laser receiving device signal, and can use the Doppler effect to calculate the blood flow, providing a strong basis for soft robot-assisted blood pumping.

[0046] Alternatively, other flow monitors, such as ultrasonic blood flow meters, may be selected according to work needs.

[0047] In this embodiment, the ECG monitoring system 3 mainly includes a monitoring electrode 31, which is used to be attached to the surface of the patient's chest to perform ECG monitoring on the patient in real time; wherein, the ECG monitoring system 3 can transmit the ECG signal to the control system 1 in a wired or wireless form.

[0048] Alternatively, the ECG monitoring system 3 may include a wireless wearable device, which can receive and display ECG monitoring signals, and the wireless wearable device is signal-connected to the control system 1; wherein the wireless wearable device may be a smart watch, a chest-worn patch, etc., which transmits ECG information by wireless transmission.

[0049] The method of using the soft robot 100 for assisting a child with a single ventricle in this embodiment is as follows:

[0050] After completing the Fontan circulation surgery, the surgeon will assemble and debug the soft robot and prepare it for placement on the artificial blood vessel. The deformation system 5 is attached to the periphery of the artificial blood vessel to ensure that the inflation and deflation of the airbag 51 can produce deformation and squeeze the artificial blood vessel to assist in pumping blood; the flow monitoring system 2 is attached to the surface of the artificial blood vessel to monitor the flow in the artificial blood vessel in real time. After closing the chest, the control system 1 and the power system 4 are buried under the skin, and the charging function is debugged so that the external wireless charging coil 45 can charge the battery 44 in the power system 4; the monitoring electrode 31 in the ECG monitoring system 3 is attached to the patient's chest, or the wireless wearable device is wirelessly connected to the control system 1 to ensure real-time monitoring of ECG activity; finally, the entire soft robot is installed.

[0051] The soft robot monitors the flow and ECG activity of the entire circulatory system through the ECG monitoring system 3 and the flow monitoring system 2, and transmits the information to the control system 1 wirelessly or wiredly. The control system 1 calculates the deformation required by the soft robot through the central processor 11, and transmits the instruction to the power system 4. When the power system 4 is powered by the battery 44, the inert gas is pumped from the gas storage device 43 into the gas pipeline 41 through the inflation pump 42. The gas pipeline 41 is connected to the deformation system 5, which then causes the deformation system 5 to deform, thereby squeezing the artificial blood vessel to assist in the blood pumping function, and repeats the cycle.

[0052] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle, characterized in that: include: A deformation system, wherein the deformation system is used to wrap around the outer wall of the blood vessel, and the deformation system can be deformed to squeeze the blood vessel or release the blood vessel; A power system, the power system being connected to the deformation system and used to deform the deformation system; A flow monitoring system, the flow monitoring system is used to be arranged on the blood vessel to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time; The control system, the power system and the flow monitoring system are all connected to the control system signal.

2. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deformation system includes an airbag, which is arranged around the blood vessel and can be inflated and deflated to deform.

3. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The airbag is made of high-molecular and high-elastic material.

4. The soft robot for assisting children's single ventricle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power system includes an air storage device, an air pump and a gas pipeline. The air storage device is used to store gas, and the air storage device is connected to the gas pipeline through the air pump. The end of the gas pipeline away from the air pump is connected to the airbag for inflation and deflation of the airbag; wherein the air pump is powered by a battery.

5. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas stored in the gas storage device is an inert gas.

6. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control system and the power system are both implanted under the skin of the human body; The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle also includes a wireless charging coil, which can be placed close to the human chest to charge the battery.

7. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow monitoring system includes a laser emitting device, a laser receiving device and a processor. The laser emitting device can emit laser light into a blood vessel, and the laser receiving device can receive the laser light reflected back after contacting the blood. The processor is connected to the laser emitting device and the laser receiving device signals and can measure the blood flow.

8. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an ECG monitoring system, which is used to perform ECG monitoring on the patient in real time, and the ECG monitoring system is connected to the control system signal.

9. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ECG monitoring system comprises monitoring electrodes, which are used to be attached to the surface of the patient's chest to perform ECG monitoring on the patient in real time.

10. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ECG monitoring system includes a wireless wearable device, which is used to receive ECG monitoring signals and is connected to the control system signal.

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