A device and method for monitoring occlusion of a liquid flow driven by a peristaltic pump

Abstract

The present application relates to a device and method for monitoring the occlusion of a peristaltic pump driven liquid flow. It solves the problem of the prior art ablation needle fluid occlusion detection lag and inaccuracy. It includes a water removal pipe and a water return pipe, the peristaltic pump is arranged on the water removal pipe and the water return pipe, one end of the water removal pipe and the water return pipe is connected with a physiological saline container and the other end is connected with an ablation needle, a sensor matrix is arranged on the water removal pipe and the water return pipe, the sensor matrix is connected with a control assembly and transmits pulse signals. The present application has the advantages of good detection accuracy, good real-time performance, faster and safer occlusion judgment, and good use effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical testing tools, specifically to a device and method for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump. Background Technology

[0002] In microwave ablation equipment, flowing saline solution is used for cooling, and the power driving this flow is a peristaltic pump. During actual use, due to various factors, the infusion tubing can be compressed, twisted, or bent, leading to blockages in the infusion process. If the medication cannot be delivered, it may cause adverse consequences; therefore, it is necessary to detect blockages in the system promptly and issue alarms. Current technologies for detecting infusion pump blockage pressure typically rely on measuring indirect physical quantities associated with the blockage state, such as motor current, push rod displacement, and piston friction, to infer the blockage status. However, these methods using indirect physical quantities cannot detect blockages in the infusion tubing in a timely and accurate manner. Furthermore, the internal fluid flow chamber of existing ablation needles is small, resulting in low flow rates, making it difficult for conventional flow sensors to accurately detect the flow. Although temperature sensors can indirectly determine the fluid flow state, the judgment is time-delayed and inaccurate.

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, people have conducted long-term explorations and proposed various solutions. For example, Chinese patent literature discloses a liquid delivery device, a method, apparatus, and circuit for detecting blockages in infusion pipelines [CN202210190870.4], which includes a storage bag, an infusion tubing, an infusion pump motor, a squeezing block, a tubing fitting, a flexible pressure sensor, and a controller; the infusion tubing is connected to the storage bag, a squeezing block is provided on the output shaft of the infusion pump motor, the tubing fitting is provided with a U-shaped groove, the U-shaped groove is used to fit the infusion tubing, and a flexible pressure sensor fitted to the U-shaped groove is provided between the U-shaped groove and the infusion tubing; the controller and the flexible pressure sensor are connected to the infusion pump motor.

[0004] The above solution has solved the problem to some extent that the existing infusion pump blockage detection method is difficult to accurately detect fluid blockage. However, the solution still has many shortcomings. For example, the internal fluid flow chamber of the ablation needle is small and the flow rate is low. Conventional flow sensors are difficult to accurately detect the flow. Although the fluid flow status can be indirectly determined by a temperature sensor, the determination time is lagging and not accurate enough. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned problems by providing an apparatus and method for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump, comprising a drain pipe and a return pipe, wherein a peristaltic pump is provided on the drain pipe and the return pipe, and one end of the drain pipe and the return pipe are connected to a saline container and the other end is connected to an ablation needle, wherein a sensor matrix is ​​provided on both the drain pipe and the return pipe, and the sensor matrix is ​​connected to a control component and transmits pulsation signals.

[0007] In the aforementioned device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump, the ablation needle is provided with an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is connected to one end of the drain pipe, and the outlet is connected to one end of the return pipe. The saline container is open to the atmosphere.

[0008] In the aforementioned device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump, the sensor matrix includes a rigid pipe disposed on the outermost layer, a deformable flexible tube disposed on the inner side of the rigid pipe, and the deformable flexible tube is sealed to both ends of the rigid pipe. A number of annular sensor groups are disposed between the deformable flexible tube and the rigid pipe in a ring arrangement along the outer wall of the deformable flexible tube in a ring direction, and the annular sensor groups are composed of a number of sensors disposed at equal intervals. The annular sensor groups are arranged sequentially inside the entire rigid pipe to form a sensor matrix.

[0009] In the aforementioned device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump, the control component includes an analog signal fusion circuit. One end of the analog signal fusion circuit is connected to a sensor, and the other end is connected to a low-pass filter through an amplifier circuit. The low-pass filter is connected to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and the ADC is connected to a multiplexer (MUX). The multiplexer (MUX) is connected to a reference template and an MCU module, and the MCU module is connected to a display screen, an information indicator light, a peristaltic pump, and a loudspeaker.

[0010] According to the above-described apparatus for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump 3, a method for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump 3 is also provided. This method includes the following steps:

[0011] S1. A peristaltic pump drives the flow of liquid;

[0012] S2, Force variation detected by a sensor matrix;

[0013] S3. The sensor matrix sends a pulse signal to the control component;

[0014] S4. The control component makes a blocking judgment based on the received pulse signal;

[0015] S5. The control component performs an operation based on the judgment result.

[0016] In step S1, the peristaltic pump drives the liquid in the water intake pipe and the water return pipe to flow synchronously. When the liquid is blocked, the continuous driving force of the peristaltic pump increases the pressure in the water intake pipe and the water return pipe, and the pulsation intensifies.

[0017] In step S2, when liquid blockage causes deformation of the return pipe or the drain pipe, the sensor matrix generates a pulsating signal. The superposition of the pulsating signals from the sensors generates a stronger pulsating signal.

[0018] In step S4, the sensor matrix generates signal phase differences and intensity differences based on the different times of liquid flow disturbance at various locations in the return and outflow pipes. The control component continuously acquires the phase difference and intensity of the pulsating signals at different time periods to record the direction, pressure, and speed of liquid flow at various locations in the current return and outflow pipes, and determines the blockage location based on the recorded data.

[0019] In step S4, when the control component performs a blockage judgment, it compares the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe and the return pipe detected by the sensor. If the pressure at the current position of the return pipe is less than the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe, it is judged as a blockage. If the pressure at the current position of the return pipe is greater than or equal to the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe, it is judged as unobstructed.

[0020] In step S5, when the MCU and module determine that the current state is blocked, they will remind users through the display screen, information indicator lights, and loudspeaker, and adjust the pump pressure of the peristaltic pump to clear the blockage. The MCU module pre-stores pulsation signal template data under normal fluid flow state in its memory as a reference. When determining the blockage state, the real-time collected waveform data is analyzed by a pattern matching algorithm with the pre-stored pulsation signal template data under normal fluid flow state, and a minimum similarity threshold is set. When the similarity between the real-time pulsation signal and the reference template is lower than the minimum similarity threshold, it is determined that the fluid flow is abnormal. If the similarity of several consecutive pulsation signal cycles is lower than the minimum similarity threshold, the MCU module determines that the fluid flow is blocked, triggers an alarm and subsequent actions.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: a peristaltic pump is used to drive the flow of physiological saline, and a matrix-set annular sensor group is used to monitor the pressure of the deformable tubing, thereby achieving the purpose of monitoring the fluid flow status. The fluid flow is analyzed in real time based on the pulsation signal of the sensor to determine whether the pipeline is blocked. The scheme design is simple and easy to implement, and it has good real-time performance, faster and safer blockage detection, and good performance. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the ring-shaped sensor group in this invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a sensor distribution diagram in this invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pulsating signal in this invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the pulse signal acquisition process in this invention;

[0027] In the diagram: 1. Drain pipe; 2. Return pipe; 3. Peristaltic pump; 4. Saline container; 5. Ablation needle; 51. Inlet; 52. Outlet; 6. Sensor matrix; 6. Rigid pipe; 61. Deformable flexible tube; 62. Ring sensor group; 63. Sensor; 631. Control component; 7. Analog signal fusion circuit; 71. Amplifier circuit; 72. Low-pass filter; 73. Analog-to-digital converter (ADC); 74. Multiplexer (MUX); 75. Reference template; 76. MCU module; 77. Display screen; 771. Information indicator light; 772. Megaphone; 773. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] like Figure 1-5 As shown, a device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump includes a drain pipe 1 and a return pipe 2. A peristaltic pump 3 is installed on the drain pipe 1 and the return pipe 2. One end of the drain pipe 1 and the return pipe 2 is connected to a saline container 4 and the other end is connected to an ablation needle 5. A sensor matrix 6 is installed on both the drain pipe 1 and the return pipe 2. The sensor matrix 6 is connected to a control component 7 and transmits pulsating signals.

[0030] The ablation needle 5 is equipped with an inlet 51 and an outlet 52. The inlet 51 is connected to one end of the drain pipe 1, and the outlet 52 is connected to one end of the return pipe 2. The saline container 4 is open to the atmosphere.

[0031] Furthermore, the sensor matrix 6 includes a rigid pipe 61 disposed on the outermost layer. A deformable flexible tube 62 is disposed on the inner side of the rigid pipe 61, and the deformable flexible tube 62 is sealed to both ends of the rigid pipe 61. A plurality of annular sensor groups 63 are disposed between the deformable flexible tube 62 and the rigid pipe 61 in a ring arrangement along the outer wall of the deformable flexible tube 62. The annular sensor group 63 is composed of a plurality of sensors 631 disposed at equal intervals. The annular sensor group 63 is arranged sequentially inside the entire rigid pipe 61 to form the sensor matrix 6.

[0032] The seal between the deformable flexible hose 62 and the rigid pipe 61 ensures that the liquid can only flow in the inner tube. The sensor 631 can be set as one or more pairs. The number and length of the sensor 631 can be increased according to actual needs. Multiple sensors 631 can be arranged in sequence inside the rigid pipe 61 to form a matrix. The signal lines of all sensors 631 pass through the rigid pipe 61 to collect signals.

[0033] In detail, the control component 7 includes an analog signal fusion circuit 71. One end of the analog signal fusion circuit 71 is connected to the sensor 631 and the other end is connected to the low-pass filter 73 through the amplifier circuit 72. The low-pass filter 73 is connected to the analog-to-digital converter ADC 74, and the analog-to-digital converter ADC 74 is connected to the multiplexer MUX 75. The multiplexer MUX 75 is connected to the reference template 76 and the MCU module 77, and the MCU module 77 is connected to the display screen 771, the information indicator light 772, the peristaltic pump 3, and the loudspeaker 773.

[0034] The analog-to-digital converter ADC74 is an electronic device or circuit that converts analog signals, i.e., continuous voltage signals, into digital signals, i.e., discrete binary values.

[0035] The MUX75 multiplexer is an electronic component or circuit used for signal selection, selecting signals from multiple sensors or data sources, and passing the selected signals to the next step of processing.

[0036] A method for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump 3, the method comprising the following steps:

[0037] S1, Peristaltic pump 3 drives the liquid flow;

[0038] S2, Force variation detected by sensor matrix 6;

[0039] S3, sensor matrix 6 sends a pulse signal to control component 7;

[0040] S4. Control component 7 determines the blocking based on the received pulse signal;

[0041] S5, Control Component 7 performs operations based on the judgment result.

[0042] In step S1, the peristaltic pump 3 drives the liquid in the water intake pipe and the water return pipe 2 to flow synchronously. When the liquid is blocked, the continuous driving force of the peristaltic pump 3 increases the pressure in the water intake pipe 1 and the water return pipe 2, and the pulsation intensifies.

[0043] In step S2, when liquid blockage causes deformation of the return pipe 2 or the drain pipe 1, the sensor matrix 6 generates a pulsating signal. The superposition of the pulsating signals of the sensor 631 generates a stronger pulsating signal.

[0044] In step S4, the sensor matrix 6 determines the signal phase difference and intensity difference based on the different times the liquid flow disturbance occurs at each position of the return pipe 2 and the outflow pipe 1. The control component 7 continuously acquires the phase difference and intensity of the pulsating signal at different time periods to record the direction, pressure and speed of the liquid flow at each position of the current return pipe 2 and the outflow pipe 1, and determines the blockage position based on the recorded data.

[0045] In step S4, when the control component 7 is performing a blockage judgment, it compares the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe 1 and the return pipe 2 detected by the sensor 631. If the pressure at the current position of the return pipe 2 is less than the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe 1, it is judged as a blockage. If the pressure at the current position of the return pipe 2 is greater than or equal to the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe 1, it is judged as unobstructed.

[0046] In step S5, when the MCU and module determine that the current state is blocked, they will remind users through the display screen 771, information indicator 772, and loudspeaker 773 and adjust the pump pressure of the peristaltic pump 3 to clear the blockage. The MCU module 77 stores the pulsation signal template data under normal fluid flow state in its memory as a reference. When determining the blockage state, the real-time collected waveform data is analyzed by a pattern matching algorithm, such as cross-correlation analysis or dynamic time warping algorithm DTW, with the pre-stored pulsation signal template data under normal fluid flow state. A minimum similarity threshold is set. When the similarity value between the real-time pulsation signal and the reference template is lower than the minimum similarity threshold, it is determined that the fluid flow is abnormal. If the similarity value of several consecutive pulsation signal cycles is lower than the minimum similarity threshold, the MCU module 77 determines that the fluid flow is blocked and triggers an alarm and subsequent actions.

[0047] In summary, the principle of this embodiment is as follows: the peristaltic pump 3 drives physiological saline to flow along the drain tube 1 to the ablation needle 5, and the deformation pressure of the easily deformable tubing 62 is monitored by the matrix-set annular sensor group 63, thereby realizing the detection of the fluid flow state. The sensor 631 detects the pulsation signal of the easily deformable tubing 62 and sends it to the control component 7 for signal processing and comparison with the pulsation signal of the easily deformable tubing 62 at the same position as the return tube 2. At the same time, the pulsation signal template data under normal fluid flow state is preset as a benchmark, and a minimum similarity threshold is set for bidirectional comparison, thereby determining whether the drain tube is blocked.

[0048] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0049] Although this paper frequently uses terms such as drain pipe 1, return pipe 2, peristaltic pump 3, saline container 4, ablation needle 5, inlet 51, outlet 52, sensor matrix 6, rigid pipe 61, deformable flexible tube 62, ring sensor group 63, sensor 631, control component 7, analog signal fusion circuit 71, amplifier circuit 72, low-pass filter 73, analog-to-digital converter ADC 74, multiplexer MUX 75, reference template 76, MCU module 77, display screen 771, information indicator light 772, and loudspeaker 773, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. The use of these terms is merely for the convenience of describing and explaining the essence of the invention; interpreting them as any additional limitation would contradict the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump, comprising a drain pipe (1) and a return pipe (2), wherein a peristaltic pump (3) is mounted on the drain pipe (1) and the return pipe (2), and one end of the drain pipe (1) and the return pipe (2) is connected to a saline container (4) and the other end is connected to an ablation needle (5), characterized in that, Both the drain pipe (1) and the return pipe (2) are equipped with sensor matrices (6), which are connected to the control component (7) and transmit pulse signals. The sensor matrix (6) includes a rigid pipe (61) on the outermost layer. A flexible hose (62) is provided on the inner side of the rigid pipe (61), and the flexible hose (62) is sealed to both ends of the rigid pipe (61). Several annular sensor groups (63) are arranged in a ring along the outer wall of the flexible hose (62) in a ring shape between the flexible hose (62) and the rigid pipe (61). The device group (63) consists of several equally spaced sensors (631), and the ring-shaped sensor group (63) is arranged in sequence inside the entire rigid pipe (61) to form a sensor matrix (6); the sensor matrix (6) has different signal phase differences and intensity according to the different times when the return water pipe (2) and the drain water pipe (1) are disturbed by the liquid flow. The control component (7) records the direction, pressure and speed of the liquid flow at each position of the current return water pipe (2) and drain water pipe (1) by continuously acquiring the phase difference and intensity of the pulsation signal at different time periods, and determines the blockage position based on the recorded data.

2. The device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ablation needle (5) is provided with an inlet (51) and an outlet (52). The inlet (51) is connected to one end of the drain pipe (1), and the outlet (52) is connected to one end of the return pipe (2). The saline container (4) is open to the atmosphere.

3. The device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control component (7) includes an analog signal fusion circuit (71), one end of which is connected to a sensor (631) and the other end is connected to a low-pass filter (73) via an amplifier circuit (72). The low-pass filter (73) is connected to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (74), and the ADC (74) is connected to a multiplexer (MUX) (75). The multiplexer (MUX) (75) is connected to a reference template (76) and an MCU module (77), and the MCU module (77) is connected to a display screen (771), an information indicator light (772), a peristaltic pump (3), and a loudspeaker (773).

4. The device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump according to claim 1, characterized in that, The peristaltic pump (3) drives the liquid in the water intake pipe and the water return pipe (2) to flow synchronously. When the liquid is blocked, the continuous driving force of the peristaltic pump (3) increases the pressure in the water intake pipe (1) and the water return pipe (2), and the pulsation intensifies.

5. The device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump according to claim 4, characterized in that, When liquid blockage causes deformation of the return pipe (2) or the drain pipe (1), the sensor matrix (6) generates a pulsating signal. The superposition of the pulsating signals of the sensors (631) generates a stronger pulsating signal.

6. The device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the control component (7) makes a blockage judgment, it compares the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe (1) and the return pipe (2) detected by the sensor (631). If the pressure at the current position of the return pipe (2) is less than the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe (1), it is judged as blocked. If the pressure at the current position of the return pipe (2) is greater than or equal to the pressure at the same position of the drain pipe (1), it is judged as unobstructed.

7. The device for monitoring fluid flow blockage driven by a peristaltic pump according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the MCU module (77) determines that the current state is blocked, it will remind the user through the display screen (771), information indicator (772) and loudspeaker (773) and adjust the pump pressure of the peristaltic pump (3) to clear the blockage. The MCU module (77) stores the pulsation signal template data under normal liquid flow state in the memory as a reference. When the blockage state is determined, the waveform data collected in real time is analyzed by the pattern matching algorithm with the pulsation signal template data under normal liquid flow state stored in the reference template in advance, and a minimum similarity threshold is set. When the similarity value between the real-time pulsation signal and the reference template is lower than the minimum similarity threshold, it is determined that the liquid flow is abnormal. If the similarity value of several consecutive pulsation signal cycles is lower than the minimum similarity threshold, the MCU module (77) determines that the liquid flow is blocked, triggers the alarm and subsequent actions.

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