Use of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture

Abstract

The application discloses application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, and belongs to the fields of traditional Chinese medicine, neurobiology and bioengineering technology. Single-wall single-layer carbon nanotube films are prepared by using a chemical vapor deposition method, the carbon nanotube films are superposed, and then the superposed carbon nanotube films are twisted like telephone coils by using a motor device to form dense fiber structures, the surfaces of the fiber structures are smooth, the diameters of the fiber structures are uniform, there are no any gaps and irregular structures, the obtained carbon nanotube fibers have high mechanical strength, stable electrochemical performance, high transmission efficiency and good biocompatibility, when the carbon nanotube fibers are embedded into acupoints, external lines are left for 0.75-1.5 cm, and repeated acupuncture operations can be avoided, the carbon nanotube fibers can be connected with stimulators or electro-acupuncture instrument devices to perform electro-acupuncture treatment, and long-acting treatment of acupoint embedding can be performed, so that the safety is ensured, the operation process is simplified, and the treatment effect is optimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the fields of traditional Chinese medicine, neurobiology, and bioengineering, specifically to the application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture. Background Technology

[0002] CNTF is a macroscopic fibrous material assembled from a large number of one-dimensional CNTs. Its structure is mainly composed of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms, which can be considered as graphene sheets rolled up. Based on the number of graphene layers, carbon nanotubes can be divided into single-walled carbon nanotubes and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Single-walled carbon nanotubes consist of only one layer of graphene sheet rolled up, with a relatively simple structure; multi-walled carbon nanotubes are composed of multiple layers of graphene sheets coaxially stacked, with certain gaps between the layers. These carbon nanotubes typically have diameters between 2 and 20 nm and lengths reaching the micrometer level, possessing a hollow tubular structure. Within carbon nanotube fibers, the numerous carbon nanotubes are not arranged completely randomly, but rather exhibit a certain degree of orientation. It has high strength, is not prone to elastic deformation, and has excellent electrical conductivity, making it suitable for acupuncture point embedding. However, existing technologies lack carbon nanotube fibers for acupuncture. High-quality, uniform carbon nanotube fibers with good orientation are needed. In practical applications, it is necessary to ensure the elasticity and toughness of the fibers during puncture to avoid breakage or tissue damage. Therefore, a carbon nanotube fiber is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, which solves the technical problem of the lack of carbon nanotube fibers for acupuncture in the prior art, the need to prepare high-quality, uniform carbon nanotube fibers with good orientation, and the need to ensure the elasticity and toughness of the fibers during the puncture process in practical use to avoid breakage or tissue damage.

[0004] This application provides an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, and the preparation method of the carbon nanotube fibers is as follows:

[0005] S1. Preparation of single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube films using chemical vapor deposition;

[0006] S2. Stack the single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube films obtained in S1.

[0007] S3. Fix one end of the superimposed carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft and the other end to the weight, so that the two ends are on the same horizontal straight line.

[0008] S4. Connect the motor to an external power source. The motor shaft rotates in one direction to drive the film to twist and spin, thereby twisting the single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube film into carbon nanotube fibers.

[0009] Preferably, in S1, the steps for preparing carbon nanotube films by chemical vapor deposition are as follows:

[0010] S1-1: Ferrocene and sulfur are dissolved in a carbon source xylene solution to obtain ferrocene-xylene solution and sulfur-xylene solution, respectively. Then, the ferrocene-xylene solution and the sulfur-xylene solution are mixed to obtain a precursor solution.

[0011] S1-2, Heating to 1150℃ under argon protection;

[0012] S1-3. Add the precursor solution obtained in S1-1 to the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, start the ultrasonic atomizer, and atomize and atomize the precursor solution before passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube. Under the support of hydrogen and argon, it enters the reaction zone at 1150°C.

[0013] S1-4. The grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of a quartz tube and wound onto a spool to obtain a single-walled monolayer carbon nanotube film.

[0014] Preferably, in S4, the spinning voltage is 2.5V and the spinning time is approximately 8-15 minutes.

[0015] In the preferred S1-1, the molar ratio of ferrocene to sulfur is 20 mol: 1 mol, and the mass fraction of both is ≥99 wt%.

[0016] Preferably, carbon nanotube fibers are used as electrode wires, with an outer wire length of 0.75-1.5 cm and an inner wire length of 0.5-5 cm.

[0017] Preferably, the carbon nanotube fiber has an externally attached stimulator or electroacupuncture device.

[0018] Preferably, carbon nanotube fibers are used as electrode wires for peripheral nerve electrode stimulation.

[0019] Therefore, this application provides an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. The thread embedding method of this application is different from the traditional thread embedding method. The thread is left externally, which makes it convenient to remove the carbon nanotube fiber from the body and also facilitates the connection of external electroacupuncture device or stimulator.

[0021] 2. This application uses minimally invasive implantation of stimulation electrode wires in acupoint areas, which can avoid repeated acupuncture and thus reduce the invasiveness to tissues;

[0022] 3. The spinning diameter of this application can be adjusted by voltage and spinning time. When the number of film layers remains unchanged, the voltage remains unchanged, and the diameter increases as the spinning time decreases. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 The process of spinning CNTF from a 10-layer carbon nanotube film in Example 1 and the morphological characteristics of CNTF;

[0024] Figure 2 The mechanical and electrochemical characterization of CNTF spun from a 10-layer carbon nanotube film in Example 1 is shown below. A represents the stress-strain curve of CNTF during the mechanical stretching experiment; B represents the electrochemical cyclic voltammetry curve of CNTF; and C represents the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (Nyquist plot) of CNTF. The marked areas indicate the high-frequency region of the impedance test.

[0025] Figure 3 This is an illustration of implanted acupuncture at the Neiguan acupoint in rats, as shown in Example 1.1.

[0026] Figure 4 This is an illustration of implanted acupuncture at Dayanglingquan and Neiguan acupoints in Example 1.1.

[0027] Figure 5 The expression of neutrophils (NIMP-R14, ab2557) in the blank group and the CNTF implantation group;

[0028] Figure 6 HE staining results of tissue from the "Neiguan acupoint area" of rats.

[0029] Figure 7 The serum concentration of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in rats with myocardial ischemia was determined after seven electroacupuncture-like interventions using CNTF.

[0030] Figure 8 Here is a SEM image of the carbon nanofibers obtained in Example 2;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a SEM image of the carbon nanofibers obtained in Example 3. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below through embodiments.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] S1. Carbon nanotube thin films were prepared using chemical vapor deposition.

[0035] S1-1 Ferrocene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) and sulfur (S, analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) were dissolved in carbon source xylene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) solution at concentrations of 0.4mol / L and 0.02mol / L, respectively. The resulting ferrocene-xylene solution was then mixed with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain the precursor solution.

[0036] S1-2, Heating to 1150℃ under argon protection;

[0037] S1-3. Add the precursor solution to the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, start the ultrasonic atomizer, and atomize the precursor solution before passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube. Under the support of hydrogen and argon, it enters the reaction zone at 1150°C.

[0038] S1-4. The grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound onto the spool to obtain a single-walled monolayer carbon nanotube film.

[0039] S2. Stack 10 layers of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films;

[0040] S3. Fix one end of the superimposed carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft and the other end to the weight, so that the two ends are on the same horizontal straight line.

[0041] S4. Connect the motor to an external power supply. The motor shaft rotates in one direction to drive the film through twisting and spinning. The spinning voltage is 2.5V, and the spinning time is 15 minutes. After 15 minutes of spinning, the single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube film is twisted into carbon nanotube fibers. The morphological characteristics of the obtained carbon nanotube fibers are as follows: Figure 1 The process of twisting the thin film is similar to the winding of a telephone coil. When twisted and compressed to a certain extent, a dense fibrous structure can be formed with a smooth surface, uniform diameter, and no gaps or irregular structures. As shown in the scanning electron microscope image, the diameter of each part of the obtained carbon nanotube fiber is 24 μm.

[0042] Figure 2 Mechanical and electrochemical characterization of CNTF spun from CNT film: A. Stress-strain curve of CNTF in mechanical tensile test. The maximum stress (at fracture) is approximately 3300 MPa; CNTF fractures instantaneously at a tensile strength of 3300 MPa, with a tensile strain of approximately 12.23%. This indicates that it has good mechanical properties. B. Electrochemical cyclic voltammetry curve of CNTF, with an average initial charge storage of 23.82 ± 1.95 mC / cm. 2 (n=3); Electrochemical conductivity was measured using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The CV curve of CNTF was found to be approximately rectangular with obvious redox inversion peaks, indicating that it has excellent conductivity.

[0043]

[0044] Where v is the scan rate (mV / s) and A is the electrode surface area (cm²). 2 Ea and Ec are the scanning potential limits, and i is the measured current density (mA / cm²).2 ).

[0045] The charge storage capacity (CSC) of CNTF, calculated using the formula, is approximately 18.69 mC / cm³. 2 C represents the Nyquist electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (NECT) of CNTF. The marked portion indicates the high-frequency region of the impedance test. A smaller arc indicates better conductivity. At a scan rate of 1 kHz, the average impedance of CNTF is 759 ± 23 Ω (n = 3), indicating good conductivity.

[0046] Application Example 1.1

[0047] After fixing the rat in a supine position, the inner side of the left upper limb was shaved and disinfected. Using a No. 6 acupoint embedding device, the carbon nanotube fibers (approximately 1-2 cm in length) obtained in Example 1 were implanted into the "Neiguan" acupoint area, 3 mm above the wrist joint between the radius and ulna. The needle was inserted approximately 2 mm, leaving a 1 cm suture externally (e.g., ...). Figure 3-4 (As shown). Before the rats regained consciousness, they were fitted with neck collars to prevent them from licking or biting the free-end electrodes. Rats in other groups also wore collars. Highly biocompatible fixation devices were used to ensure the stability of the carbon nanotube wires in vivo and to prevent them from falling off.

[0048] Then, the carbon nanotubes can be connected to an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device. After treatment, the carbon nanotubes can be removed from the body, and an electrode wire can be implanted through a minimally invasive acupuncture point. The external electrode wire can then be connected to an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device, allowing for flexible adjustment of the stimulation frequency and intensity based on the user's physical condition without removing the electrode. After leaving the wires in place, they only need to be removed after treatment, eliminating the need for frequent repositioning and multiple procedures. This reduces repeated damage to local tissues or inflammatory reactions, facilitates continuous treatment at home or in an outpatient setting, improves patient compliance, and reduces the discomfort of repeated acupuncture.

[0049] Figure 5 Immunofluorescence images (×400) showing the expression of neutrophils (NIMP-R14, ab2557) in the rat median nerve, in the control group and the CNTF implantation group. The images show that only a small number of neutrophils are expressed near the nerve perineurium, demonstrating the good biocompatibility of the CNTF electrode and its suitability as an ideal material for acupoint stimulation electrodes. The control group received no treatment. Figure 6 HE staining results for the "Neiguan acupoint area" tissue of rats. The images show no obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the muscle of the implanted group's acupoint area. Figure 7In a study on the effect of CNTF intervention in a rat model of myocardial ischemia, the serum concentration of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in rats with myocardial ischemia was measured after seven electroacupuncture-like interventions using CNTF. Compared with the model group, the serum cTnT content in the CNTF group was significantly decreased (p<0.01).

[0050] Example 2

[0051] S1. Carbon nanotube thin films were prepared using chemical vapor deposition.

[0052] S1-1 Ferrocene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) and sulfur (S, analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) were dissolved in carbon source xylene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) solution at concentrations of 0.4mol / L and 0.02mol / L, respectively. The resulting ferrocene-xylene solution was then mixed with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain the precursor solution.

[0053] S1-2, Heating to 1150℃ under argon protection;

[0054] S1-3. Add the precursor solution to the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, start the ultrasonic atomizer, and atomize the precursor solution before passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube. Under the support of hydrogen and argon, it enters the reaction zone at 1150°C.

[0055] S1-4. The grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound onto the spool to obtain a single-walled monolayer carbon nanotube film.

[0056] S2. Stack 10 layers of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films;

[0057] S3. Fix one end of the superimposed carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft and the other end to the weight, so that the two ends are on the same horizontal straight line.

[0058] S4. Connect the motor to an external power supply. The motor shaft rotates unidirectionally, driving the film to twist and spin. The spinning voltage is 2.5V, and the spinning time is 5-8 minutes. After 5-8 minutes of spinning, the single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube film is twisted into carbon nanotube fibers. The film twisting process is similar to the winding process of a telephone coil. When twisted and compressed to a certain extent, a dense fiber structure is formed with a smooth surface, uniform diameter, and no gaps or irregular structures. Figure 8 As shown, the diameter of each part of the obtained carbon nanotube fiber is about 70 μm and the length is 6-7 cm.

[0059] Example 3

[0060] S1. Carbon nanotube thin films were prepared using chemical vapor deposition.

[0061] S1-1 Ferrocene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) and sulfur (S, analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) were dissolved in carbon source xylene (analytical grade, mass fraction ≥99wt%) solution at concentrations of 0.4mol / L and 0.02mol / L, respectively. The resulting ferrocene-xylene solution was then mixed with the sulfur-xylene solution to obtain the precursor solution.

[0062] S1-2, Heating to 1150℃ under argon protection;

[0063] S1-3. Add the precursor solution to the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, start the ultrasonic atomizer, and atomize the precursor solution before passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube. Under the support of hydrogen and argon, it enters the reaction zone at 1150°C.

[0064] S1-4. The grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of the quartz tube and wound onto the spool to obtain a single-walled monolayer carbon nanotube film.

[0065] S2. Stack 10 layers of single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube films;

[0066] S3. Fix one end of the superimposed carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft and the other end to the weight, so that the two ends are on the same horizontal straight line.

[0067] S4. Connect the motor to an external power supply. The motor shaft rotates in one direction, driving the film to twist and spin. The spinning voltage is 2.5V, and the spinning time is 9-12 minutes. The single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube film is then twisted into carbon nanotube fibers. After 9-12 minutes of spinning, the single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube film is twisted into carbon nanotube fibers. The film twisting process is similar to the winding process of a telephone coil. When twisted and compressed to a certain extent, a dense fiber structure is formed with a smooth surface, uniform diameter, and no gaps or irregular structures. Figure 9 As shown, the diameter of each part of the obtained carbon nanotube fiber is 53 μm and the length is 4-5 cm.

[0068] The implantation process and CNTF in vivo process of this application form a stimulation pathway between the deep target and the outer skin to exert the effect of acupoint embedding, reduce the off-target rate, and improve the therapeutic effect.

[0069] Therefore, this application provides an application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture. This application involves stacking carbon nanotube films and then using a motor device to twist the stacked carbon nanotube films, similar to twisting a telephone coil, to form a dense fiber structure with a smooth surface, uniform diameter, and no gaps or irregular structures. The resulting carbon nanotube fibers have high mechanical strength, stable electrochemical properties, high transmission efficiency, and good biocompatibility. When the obtained carbon nanotube fibers are implanted into acupoints, an external thread of 0.75-1.5 cm is left, which can be connected to an external stimulator or electroacupuncture device. Unlike traditional thread embedding methods, leaving an external thread facilitates the removal of the carbon nanotube fibers from the body and allows for easy connection to an external electroacupuncture device or stimulator. The ease of removal avoids repeated acupuncture, thus reducing tissue invasiveness.

[0070] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an experimental example," "example," or "specific example" indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that experimental example or example is included in at least one experimental example or example of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same experimental example or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more experimental examples or examples.

[0071] Finally, it should be noted that the above experimental examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred experimental examples, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent substitutions cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. An application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture, characterized in that, The preparation method of carbon nanotube fibers is as follows: S1. Preparation of single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube films using chemical vapor deposition; S2. Stack the single-walled, single-layer carbon nanotube films obtained in S1. S3. Fix one end of the superimposed carbon nanotube film to the motor shaft and the other end to the weight, so that the two ends are on the same horizontal straight line. S4. Connect the motor to an external power source. The motor shaft rotates in one direction to drive the film to twist and spin, thereby twisting the single-walled single-layer carbon nanotube film into carbon nanotube fibers. The surface of carbon nanotube fibers has a dense fibrous structure, a smooth surface, and a uniform diameter; Carbon nanotube fibers have high mechanical strength, stable electrochemical properties, high transport efficiency, and good biocompatibility. Leave 0.75-1.5 cm for the outer line and 0.5-5 cm for the inner line; External wires are left on the carbon nanotube fibers to connect to external stimulators or electroacupuncture devices. Carbon nanotube fibers are used as electrode wires for peripheral nerve electrode stimulation; The spinning diameter can be adjusted by voltage and spinning time. When the number of film layers remains constant, the voltage remains constant, and the diameter increases as the spinning time decreases.

2. The application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S1, the steps for preparing carbon nanotube films using chemical vapor deposition are as follows: S1-1: Ferrocene and sulfur are dissolved in a carbon source xylene solution to obtain ferrocene-xylene solution and sulfur-xylene solution, respectively. Then, the ferrocene-xylene solution and the sulfur-xylene solution are mixed to obtain a precursor solution. S1-2, Heating to 1150 ℃ under argon protection; S1-3. Add the precursor solution obtained in S1-1 to the solution tank of the ultrasonic atomizer, start the ultrasonic atomizer, and atomize and atomize the precursor solution before passing it into the preheating zone of the quartz tube. Under the support of hydrogen and argon, it enters the reaction zone at 1150 °C. S1-4. The grown single-walled carbon nanotube film is collected in situ at the tail end of a quartz tube and wound onto a spool to obtain a single-walled monolayer carbon nanotube film.

3. The application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S4, the spinning voltage is 2.5 V, and the spinning time is approximately 8-15 min.

4. The application of carbon nanotube fibers in acupuncture according to claim 2, characterized in that, In S1-1, the molar ratio of ferrocene to sulfur is 20 mol: 1 mol, and the mass fraction of both is ≥99 wt%.

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