Device for simulating respiratory thoracico-abdominal movement of newborn

Abstract

The invention discloses a device for simulating respiratory thoracico-abdominal movement of a neonate, and relates to the technical field of physiological sign simulation, the device comprises a neonate simulation model, the thoracic position of the neonate simulation model is provided with a displacement generator A used for simulating up-and-down displacement of the thorax caused by the respiration and heartbeat process; and a displacement generator B for simulating up-and-down displacement of the abdomen during abdominal respiration of the newborn is arranged at the abdomen position of the newborn simulation model. The invention aims to provide a device for simulating up-and-down thoracico-abdominal movement caused by respiration and heartbeat of a neonate, and the device is particularly suitable for occasions of research, development and calibration of non-contact respiration monitoring equipment for the neonate (or a premature infant), and is also suitable for teaching occasions of teaching respiration characteristics of the neonate to pediatricians or nurses. The defects that an existing breathing simulation device cannot simulate breathing and heartbeat movement at the same time and cannot simulate rapid and large-dynamic-range displacement of the chest and abdomen at the same time due to the fact that the transient response speed is low are overcome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of physiological sign simulation technology, specifically to a device for simulating the breathing and chest and abdominal movements of a newborn. Background Art

[0002] Breathing and heartbeat are the most important and basic physiological functions for maintaining life. If breathing or heartbeat is abnormal, such as apnea, it may endanger life. The respiratory system and heart of newborns with low gestational age (especially premature infants) are not yet fully developed, and their physiological functions of breathing and heartbeat are very unstable, manifested as unstable rhythm (sometimes fast and sometimes slow) and unstable amplitude (sometimes strong and sometimes weak). The incidence of apnea in them exceeds 78%. Therefore, continuous monitoring of breathing and heartbeat of newborns is an important means of preventing the risk of neonatal asphyxia.

[0003] Because newborns are small and have delicate skin, their breathing is mainly abdominal, accompanied by small chest movements and rapid, small heartbeats. Conventional contact-based respiratory monitoring devices are not suitable for monitoring newborns. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a new respiratory monitoring system based on the respiratory and heartbeat physiological characteristics of newborns or premature infants. Inventing and developing a device that specifically simulates the chest and abdominal movements caused by newborn breathing and heartbeat will provide indispensable support and services for the design, debugging, and calibration of the aforementioned new respiratory monitoring system.

[0004] Similar invention patents already exist regarding the functions of breathing simulation devices:

[0005] For example, the invention patent "A human bionic device for simulating disaster site search and rescue training CN115810305(A)" published on March 17, 2023, generates control signals for breathing and heartbeat through an embedded system to drive a motor, and then drives a moving rod to move linearly through an eccentric disc to strike the diaphragm on the surface of the box, thereby simulating the vibrations caused by human breathing and heartbeat. A similar approach is found in the invention patent "Breathing and Heartbeat Simulator CN210271443(U)" authorized on April 7, 2020.

[0006] In addition, South Korea also has a patent published in 2020, "Heartbeat and Breathing Simulation Device for Calibrating Non-Contact Radar Sensors KR102330700B1". This invention uses a drive motor to move a piston to generate gas of different pressures, which is then transmitted to the sac in the simulated chest cavity, thereby realizing the movement control of the rib cage during breathing.

[0007] Existing technologies all generate reciprocating linear motion by rotating an electric motor in both forward and reverse directions, combined with a threaded rod or eccentric wheel. However, the switching time between forward and reverse rotation of the electric motor is relatively long (from tens to hundreds of milliseconds), which results in a long period of linear motion after conversion. This makes it impossible to accurately simulate the chest and abdominal displacement caused by various breathing states or heartbeats. In other words, existing technologies, because they use electric motors as power sources, have insufficient transient response speed for reciprocating motion and cannot accurately simulate the rapidly changing chest and abdominal movements of newborns, such as shortness of breath.

[0008] Current technology has also failed to simultaneously simulate respiratory and heartbeat movements.

[0009] Newborns or premature infants mainly breathe abdominally, which involves the vertical movement of the abdomen as well as the movement of the thoracic cavity. The movement is fast and has a large dynamic range. Current technology has not designed a reasonable vibration source location or chest and abdominal movement characteristics for the respiratory physiology of newborns.

[0010] Therefore, in view of this, we have studied and improved the existing structure to address its shortcomings and proposed a device that simulates the breathing and chest and abdominal movements of a newborn. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for simulating the breathing and chest and abdominal movements of a newborn, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn during breathing, comprising a newborn simulation model, wherein a displacement generator A is provided at the chest position of the newborn simulation model to simulate the vertical displacement of the chest caused by breathing and heartbeat, and a displacement generator B is provided at the abdominal position of the newborn simulation model to simulate the vertical displacement of the abdomen during abdominal breathing of a newborn.

[0013] Furthermore, the surfaces of displacement generator A and displacement generator B are both made of simulated skin silicone, and a motion transmission rod made of lightweight plastic is attached to the inner side of the simulated skin silicone.

[0014] Furthermore, the side of the motion transmission rod is provided with a laser displacement sensing module 1 that senses the displacement of the simulated skin silicone, and the laser displacement sensing module 1 is fixed to the top of the bracket, and the bracket is made of a ring-shaped non-magnetic hard material.

[0015] Furthermore, a junction box is fixed to the outer wall of the bracket, and a circular magnetic plate is connected to the bottom of the bracket.

[0016] Furthermore, the bottom end of the annular magnetic plate is connected to an annular permanent magnet, and a T-shaped magnetic column is provided inside the annular permanent magnet. The annular magnetic plate, the annular permanent magnet, and the T-shaped magnetic column together form a high field strength circular gap space.

[0017] Furthermore, an aluminum coil support is movably sleeved on the outside of the T-shaped magnetic column, and the aluminum coil support is restricted to move in the vertical direction by an upper elastic spring and a lower elastic spring. The upper elastic spring and the lower elastic spring can be composed of multiple homogeneous springs symmetrically distributed around the circumference, and the upper elastic spring and the lower elastic spring can be made of a tough, annular material with pleats.

[0018] Furthermore, the aluminum coil bracket is externally wound with a coil, and the coil leads and the signal line of the laser displacement sensing module are both located inside the junction box.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] The electric motor, widely used in traditional technologies, is the most common power source for generating periodic rotational motion. It is convenient to drive and comes in a wide variety of specifications. Through the speed change and direction change of the screw rod or gear, the periodic rotational motion of the electric motor can be converted into reciprocating displacement motion. However, since changing the direction of rotation of the electric motor requires a long switching time, the period of the reciprocating motion indirectly generated by the rotation of the electric motor is long, making it difficult to accurately simulate the rapid changes in breathing and heartbeat of a newborn and the up-and-down movement of the chest and abdomen. This application adopts a diaphragm vibration principle similar to that of a moving-coil loudspeaker. Current passes through a coil in a stable magnetic field, and the coil will be subjected to the Ampere force to generate motion. The direction and displacement (or amplitude) of the motion change synchronously with the direction and magnitude of the current. Since the coil and diaphragm moving in a straight line can more easily achieve rapid reciprocating motion than a rotating electric motor, the long-stroke electromagnetic moving-coil displacement generator based on the above-mentioned moving-coil loudspeaker-like structure is expected to accurately simulate the chest and abdominal movement process caused by the breathing and heartbeat of a newborn. This will provide a tool for the development and calibration of non-contact respiratory monitoring devices and for medical staff to learn about the respiratory physiological characteristics of newborns. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the device of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the displacement generator A or B of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the displacement control system for displacement generators A and B of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the program executed by the microprocessor of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a waveform diagram of neonatal breathing, heartbeat, chest and abdominal displacement, as presented in this invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Newborn simulation model; 2. Displacement generator A; 3. Displacement generator B; 4. Simulated silicone skin; 5. Motion transmission rod; 6. Laser displacement sensing module one; 7. Support; 8. Junction box; 9. Circular magnetic plate; 10. Circular permanent magnet; 11. T-shaped magnetic column; 12. Upper elastic spring; 13. Lower elastic spring; 14. Aluminum coil support; 15. Coil; 16. Key input module; 17. External memory interface; 18. Microprocessor; 19. Laser displacement sensing module two; 20. Digital-to-analog converter; 21. Power amplifier; 22. Power supply; 23. Displacement generator. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the system consists of a newborn simulation model 1, a displacement generator A2, a displacement generator B3, and a displacement control system (installed inside the newborn model and not shown). The size of the newborn simulation model 1 is comparable to that of a typical premature infant, for example, a body length between 30 cm and 50 cm, preferably 40 cm. The skin of the simulation model is made of soft silicone material, with a texture similar to that of a newborn's skin, and is elastic. The displacement generator A2 is located at the chest of the simulation model and is used to simulate the vertical displacement of the chest caused by breathing and heartbeat. The surface of the displacement generator A2 is made of soft silicone material, and its size is comparable to that of the chest, preferably an ellipse with a long side of 10 cm and a short side of 5 cm. The structure of the displacement generator B3 is similar to that of the displacement generator A2, except that it is located in the abdomen of the simulation model and is used to simulate the vertical displacement of the abdomen during abdominal breathing in newborns.

[0029] The structural diagram of displacement generator A2 or B is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it includes a simulated skin silicone 4 at the top, a motion transmission rod 5, a laser displacement sensing module 6, a bracket 7, a junction box 8, a circular magnetic plate 9, a circular permanent magnet 10, a T-shaped magnetic column 11, an upper elastic spring 12, a lower elastic spring 13, an aluminum coil bracket 14, and a coil 15. The simulated skin silicone 4 and Figure 1The neonatal simulation model 1 has regions A or B that match, and is made of a soft material, preferably lightweight 3 mm thick silicone. The motion transmission rod 5, made of lightweight plastic, transmits the vertical displacement motion originating from the aluminum coil support 14 to the simulated skin silicone 4, simulating respiratory displacement motion of the chest or abdomen. The laser displacement sensing module 6 emits a laser beam and receives the reflected echo, thereby measuring the distance between the reflector and the laser displacement sensing module 6. Its measurement accuracy is required to be higher than 0.1 mm, preferably 0.02 mm. The support 7, made of a circular non-magnetic hard material, is used to fix the laser displacement sensing module 6, the junction box 8, and the elastic tension spring. The junction box 8... The signal lines used to connect the coil 15 leads and the laser displacement sensing module 6, the annular magnetic plate 9, the annular permanent magnet 10, and the T-shaped magnetic column 11 together form a high field strength circular gap space. The coil 15 is wound on the aluminum coil support 14, which is restricted by the upper elastic spring 12 and the lower elastic spring 13. It can move in the vertical direction. The upper elastic spring 12 and the lower elastic spring 13 are composed of multiple homogeneous springs symmetrically distributed around the circumference, or they can be made of a circular corrugated tough material. Applying current of different directions and intensities to the coil 15 can cause the aluminum coil support 14 to move up and down, thereby pushing the simulated skin silicone 4 to move up and down.

[0030] Displacement generators A2 and B must be controlled by a displacement control system, the block diagram of which is shown below. Figure 3As shown, the displacement control system comprises a key input module 16, an external memory interface 17, a microprocessor 18, a laser displacement sensing module 19, a digital-to-analog converter 20, a power amplifier 21, a displacement generator 23, and a power supply 22. The key input module 16 consists of one or more push-button switches used for switching breathing modes. The external memory interface 17 can include both a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface and a Secure SD card interface for inputting various respiratory curve data to be output by this respiratory simulation device. This data is obtained by combining clinical experience data or measured respiratory displacement data of newborns. The microprocessor 18 can be composed of chips such as a microcontroller, embedded processor, or central processing unit, used to receive input data from the key input module 16 and the laser displacement sensing module 19. The data input from the interface 19 and the external memory 17 generates waveform data output with specific patterns. By controlling the digital-to-analog converter 20, it obtains simulated breathing curve signals with different breathing characteristics. The generated simulated breathing curve signals are amplified by the power amplifier 21 to obtain a breathing waveform electrical signal with a voltage amplitude of up to ±30 volts and a current of up to 1 ampere. This signal is used to drive the coil 15 in the displacement generator 23 to generate up-and-down displacement motion that changes with the direction and intensity of the current. The laser displacement sensing module 19 is used to measure the up-and-down displacement data of the simulated skin silicone 4 in real time. This data is fed back to the microprocessor 18 to adjust the amplitude of the simulated breathing waveform signal to ensure that the displacement amplitude of the simulated skin silicone 4 meets the requirements under different mechanical loads. The power supply 22 provides power to the entire system.

[0031] like Figure 4 The flowchart shown is the program running by the microprocessor 18. After the system is powered on and performs necessary initialization, it first reads the waveform data from the external memory. This waveform data can contain various different modes for the user to select. Then, it checks if there is a key input. If there is, it updates the waveform data to be output based on the key information. If not, it directly outputs the current default waveform. Next, it reads the real-time measurement data from the laser displacement sensor and checks if the measured data matches the planned output displacement data. If the measured displacement data is too small, it increases the amplitude of the output waveform data. Otherwise, it continues to check if the measured displacement data is too large. If the displacement is too large, it decreases the amplitude of the output waveform data. Otherwise, it returns to the stage of checking if there is a key input. Finally, it ensures that the output displacement data is accurate and stable.

[0032] like Figure 5The image shows an example of a neonatal respiratory, heartbeat, chest, and abdominal displacement waveform. The upper image shows the chest respiratory (including heartbeat) displacement curve, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing displacement. The lower image shows the abdominal respiratory displacement curve. Since neonates mainly use abdominal breathing, the amplitude of abdominal respiratory displacement is larger, while the chest respiratory displacement is smaller, and its phase differs from that of abdominal displacement. In addition, a weak displacement signal caused by heartbeat can also be detected from the chest respiratory displacement.

[0033] Working principle: When using this device that simulates the breathing and chest and abdominal movements of a newborn, by applying current of different directions and intensities to the coil 15, the aluminum coil support 14 can move up and down, thereby pushing the simulated skin silicone 4 to move up and down.

[0034] The embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the disclosed forms. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to better illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention and design various embodiments with various modifications as suited for specific applications.

Claims

1. A device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn baby, comprising a newborn baby simulation model (1), characterized in that: The thorax position of the neonatal simulation model (1) is provided with a displacement generator A (2) for simulating the up and down displacement of the thorax caused by the breathing and heartbeat process, and the abdomen position of the neonatal simulation model (1) is provided with a displacement generator B (3) for simulating the up and down displacement of the abdomen during the abdominal breathing of the neonatal.

2. The device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surfaces of the displacement generator A (2) and the displacement generator B (3) are both made of skin-simulating silicone (4), and a motion conduction rod (5) made of a light plastic material is attached to the inner side of the skin-simulating silicone (4).

3. The device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn according to claim 2, characterized in that: A laser displacement sensor module (6) for sensing the displacement of the simulated skin silicone (4) is arranged on the side of the motion conduction rod (5), and the laser displacement sensor module (6) is fixed to the top of a bracket (7), and the bracket (7) is made of an annular non-magnetic hard material.

4. The device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn according to claim 3, characterized in that: A junction box (8) is fixed to the outer wall of the bracket (7), and a circular magnetic conductive plate (9) is connected to the bottom end of the bracket (7).

5. The device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bottom end of the annular magnetic conductive plate (9) is connected to an annular permanent magnet (10), and a T-shaped magnetic conductive column (11) is arranged inside the annular permanent magnet (10), and the annular magnetic conductive plate (9), the annular permanent magnet (10) and the T-shaped magnetic conductive column (11) together form a high-field strength circular gap space.

6. The device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn according to claim 5, characterized in that: The T-shaped magnetic conductive column (11) is provided with an aluminum coil bracket (14) on its outer movable sleeve, and the aluminum coil bracket (14) is jointly restricted by an upper elastic tension spring (12) and a lower elastic tension spring (13) to be movable in the upper and lower directions, and the upper elastic tension spring (12) and the lower elastic tension spring (13) can be optionally composed of a plurality of homogeneous tension springs symmetrically distributed around the circumference, and the upper elastic tension spring (12) and the lower elastic tension spring (13) can be optionally composed of a circular ring-shaped, wrinkled, tough material.

7. The device for simulating the chest and abdominal movements of a newborn according to claim 6, characterized in that: The aluminum coil support (14) is externally wound with a coil (15), and the lead wire of the coil (15) and the signal wire of the laser displacement sensor module 1 (6) are both arranged inside the junction box (8).

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