Electric signal communication platform simulating myocardial cell cluster

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of bioengineering, in particular to an electric signal communication platform simulating a myocardial cell cluster. The transmitting end adopts an Arduino Mega 2560 main control board and an L298N motor driving module, and the main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor driving module and outputs a pulse waveform to a channel through the motor driving module; the communication channel adopts a plurality of cell clusters and is used for receiving the pulse waveform output by the motor driving module and transmitting the pulse waveform to a receiving end; and a receiving end adopts an oscilloscope to receive the pulse waveform passing through the communication channel, demodulates the pulse waveform and then sends a demodulation result to a display device. According to the invention, multi-angle data acquisition is provided to enhance the comprehensiveness of analysis, and cardiac muscle cell pace-making and communication conditions can be simulated more accurately.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of bioengineering technology, and particularly relates to an electro-signal communication platform imitating cardiomyocyte clusters. Background Art

[0002] A cardiac pacemaker is a medical device used to treat arrhythmias. It maintains a normal heart rhythm by sending electrical stimulation signals to cardiomyocytes. Traditional cardiac pacemakers are mainly used for the stimulation of single cardiomyocytes. However, with the in-depth research of biomedical research, scientists have gradually realized the importance of electro-signal communication between cardiomyocytes in cardiac function; in the human body, the generation of action potentials and cell communication among cells are common. For example, in the heart, the action potential generated by one cardiomyocyte can be transmitted to multiple adjacent cells through gap junctions, thereby coordinating the contraction of the heart. This mechanism not only plays a role in the normal pacing of the heart, but also plays an important role in higher brain functions such as motivation, memory, and learning. By studying the action potentials of cells and the transmission of cell communication signals, we can understand how complex cell networks respond quickly and effectively to external stimuli, and thus ensure the adaptability and survival of organisms.

[0003] In recent years, the research on cardiomyocyte communication has gradually increased, but there is still a lack of equipment that can effectively simulate and measure the electro-signal transmission between cells. Existing research mainly focuses on virtual simulation or simulation equipment based on single cells, which has significant limitations; for example, the current platforms on the market focus on the electro-signal stimulation of cells, mainly using electrical signals to stimulate cardiomyocytes to make them pace, and there is no communication platform specifically for cardiomyocyte communication; when studying the transmission mechanism of electro-signals between cells and optimizing the action potential waveform of cardiomyocyte clusters, the traditional single-cell simulation environment cannot truly reproduce the complex cell communication environment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides an electro-signal communication platform imitating cardiomyocyte clusters. In this platform, the sending end adopts an Arduino Mega 2560 main control board and an L298N motor drive module. The main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module, and the motor drive module outputs a pulse waveform to the communication channel; the communication channel adopts multiple cell clusters, which are used to receive the pulse waveform output by the motor drive module and transmit it to the receiving end; the receiving end uses an oscilloscope to receive the pulse waveform passing through the communication channel, and after demodulating the pulse waveform, sends the demodulation result to a display device. The present invention provides multi-angle data acquisition to enhance the comprehensiveness of analysis, and can more accurately simulate the pacing and communication of cardiomyocytes.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions. An electro-signal communication platform imitating cardiomyocyte clusters includes: a sending end, a communication channel, and a receiving end;

[0006] The transmitting end uses an Arduino Mega 2560 main control board and an L298N motor drive module. The main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module, and outputs a pulse waveform to the communication channel through the motor drive module.

[0007] The communication channel uses multiple cell clusters to receive the pulse waveform output by the motor drive module and transmit it to the receiving end.

[0008] The receiving end uses an oscilloscope to receive the pulse waveform passing through the communication channel, demodulates the pulse waveform, and sends the demodulation result to a display device.

[0009] Furthermore, the transmitting end further includes: a waveform selection switch and a waveform control switch;

[0010] The waveform selection switch is respectively connected to ports 4, 6, and 8 of the main control board, and is used to select the type of reference waveform corresponding to the pulse signal sent by the main control board to the motor drive module.

[0011] The waveform control switch is respectively connected to ports 5, 7, and 9 of the main control board, and is used to modify the amplitude and frequency of the reference waveform corresponding to the pulse signal sent by the main control board to the motor drive module.

[0012] Furthermore, the transmitting end further includes: a waveform adjustment potentiometer;

[0013] The waveform adjustment potentiometer is respectively connected to ports AD2, AD3, AD0, AD1, AD4, and AD5 of the main control board. The main control board adjusts the amplitude and frequency of the reference waveform corresponding to the sent pulse signal according to the value of the waveform adjustment potentiometer.

[0014] Furthermore, ports IN1, IN2, IN3, IN4, ENA, and ENB of the motor drive module are respectively connected to ports 12, 13, 10, 11, 2, and 3 of the main control board, so that the main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module.

[0015] Furthermore, when the main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module, it further includes:

[0016] A filter switch circuit is constructed using a relay and a triode, and the pulse signal is selected to be input into a filter circuit for filtering according to the filter switch circuit; the filter circuit is constructed using a multi-stage cascaded RC low-pass filter.

[0017] Furthermore, in the multiple cell clusters of the communication channel, test points are set between every two cell clusters for connecting the oscilloscope to detect the pulse waveform in the communication channel.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The simulation platform of the present invention adopts a single / multi-cell model and sets cardiomyocytes, which can reflect the influence of electrical signals on the action potential threshold of single cells and the transmission of electrical signals in multi-cells. Moreover, the platform of the present invention supports adjusting the amplitude of the electrical signal waveform to simulate different physiological states: when the amplitude is small, that is, no action potential is generated in the cells, the electrical signal can be transmitted along the cells without generating a pacing effect; when the amplitude is large, an action potential can be generated to produce a pacing effect on cardiomyocytes. Generally speaking, the present invention provides multi-angle data acquisition to enhance the comprehensiveness of analysis, can more accurately simulate the pacing and communication of cardiomyocytes, provides a new direction for studying the pacing and communication of cardiomyocytes. Through the simulation platform of the present invention, researchers can more comprehensively detect the mechanism of action potential and communication of cardiomyocytes, providing a scientific basis for the treatment of heart diseases. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an electrical signal communication platform imitating a cardiomyocyte cluster according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic circuit diagram of a filter circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 It is a schematic circuit diagram of a switch circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic circuit diagram of a waveform selection switch and a waveform control switch according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 It is a schematic circuit diagram of a waveform adjustment circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] In the figure, 1. Receiving-end computer; 2. Arduino Mega 2560 main control chip control board; 3. L298N motor drive module; 4. Communication channel; 5. Oscilloscope; 6. Receiving-end computer. Detailed Embodiments

[0026] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0027] A schematic flow diagram of an electro-signal communication platform imitating cardiomyocyte clusters in an embodiment of the present invention is as Figure 1 shown, including a transmitting end, a communication channel, and a receiving end;

[0028] The transmitting end uses an Arduino Mega 2560 main control board 2 and an L298N motor drive module 3. The main control board 2 sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module 3, and outputs a pulse waveform to the communication channel 4 through the motor drive module 3.

[0029] In the embodiment of the present invention, the L298N motor drive module 3 is used to transmit an electrical signal. The Arduino Mege 2560 main control board 2 is connected to the transmitting-end laptop computer 1 to burn the Arduino program to implement the modulation waveform and transmission functions, and read the high and low levels of the waveform selection and control switch, and the value of the waveform adjustment potentiometer to control what kind of waveform the L298N motor drive module 3 outputs. Specifically:

[0030] In the present invention, the IN1, IN2, IN3, IN4, ENA, and ENB ports of the L298N motor drive module 3 are respectively connected to the 12, 13, 10, 11, 2, and 3 ports of the Arduino Mege 2560 main control board 2 so that the burned Arduino program outputs a pwm signal to the L298N motor drive module 3; the L298N motor drive module 3 can emit three reference waveforms, including sine wave, square wave, and triangular wave. Taking the sine wave as an example, the waveform to be filtered is output from the OUT1 and OUT2 ports of the L298N motor drive module 3 and passes through a filter circuit. The unsmooth waveform will become smoother. For some waveforms such as square waves, filtering will change the waveform characteristics of the square wave, making it lose the characteristics of fast rising and falling edges. In the application scenario of the present invention, the square wave may be used as a reference waveform, and its high-frequency harmonics will not cause significant interference to the communication channel or the receiving end, so no filtering is required. Therefore, the OUT3 and OUT4 ports of the L298N motor drive module 3 are used for output, and in order to prevent current from flowing back into the filter circuit, in the embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3The switch circuit shown is physically blocked; since the resistance and capacitance parameters of the filter circuit for the triangular-wave-like signal are different from those of the filter circuit for the sine wave, the OUT1 and OUT2 ports of the L298N motor drive module 3 cannot be directly used for output. Therefore, the output is from the OUT3 and OUT4 ports, and a second set of filter circuits is designed. With a second set of switch circuits, they are physically disconnected from the square-wave circuit. The specific circuit type can adjust the amplitude and frequency of the three preset waveforms according to actual requirements to study the electrical signal conduction characteristics of cardiomyocytes, and the present invention does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, a filter circuit is given as Figure 2 shown. An RC low-pass filter is used to smooth the high-frequency noise in the signal to ensure that the output signal is smoother and the waveform is distortion-free. The RC circuit is designed with a resistor and a capacitor in series, and the specific parameter selection is determined according to the frequency requirements of the target waveform: multiple RC filter modules are designed to adapt to waveforms in different frequency ranges. To improve the roll-off performance, the filtering effect can be enhanced by cascading multiple filters; the filter module has a low cost and a high efficiency in attenuating noise; a filter switch circuit composed of a relay and a triode is used: it supports dynamically selecting whether to pass through the filter circuit to ensure that waveforms that do not require filtering are not affected by the filter circuit. The relay is a mechanical switch with the advantage of electrical isolation and can safely switch high- and low-power loads; the triode provides the driving current required by the relay to ensure sensitive and reliable circuit switching and protect the control circuit at the same time.

[0032] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the sending end outputs a pulse waveform, it also has the function of modulating and encoding the pulse waveform. First, it controls the type and whether to modulate the pulse waveform through a waveform selection circuit and a waveform control circuit, as Figure 4 shown. Specifically: the waveform selection circuit controls which of the three reference waveforms the Arduino program transmits to the L298N motor drive module 3. Each switch in this circuit controls one type and is respectively connected to ports 4, 6, and 8 of the Arduino Mege 2560 main control board 2; the waveform control circuit can control whether the current system allows the amplitude and frequency of the three reference waveforms to be modified. Each switch in the circuit controls one type and is respectively connected to ports 5, 7, and 9 of the Arduino Mege 2560 main control board 2; in an embodiment of the present invention, a waveform adjustment circuit is further set to modulate the frequency and amplitude of the output pulse waveform. A waveform adjustment circuit in an embodiment of the present invention is as Figure 5As shown, the Arduino Mege 2560 main control board 2 modifies the frequency and amplitude of the reference waveform by reading the values of the potentiometers in the circuit. Each potentiometer corresponds to three reference waveforms respectively. According to the type of the output pulse waveform, the corresponding potentiometer is selected for reading and is connected to the AD2, AD3, AD0, AD1, AD4, and AD5 ports of the Arduino Mege 2560 main control board 2 respectively; the Arduino Mege 2560 main control board 2 will select and control the level of the switch and adjust the value of the waveform potentiometer according to the read waveform to transmit one of the three reference waveforms to the L298N motor drive module 3. The combination of the switch circuit and the filter circuit enables the waveform to have its dedicated filter circuit for filtering during the transmission process, ensuring that the waveform will not be distorted and ensuring that the signal can be efficiently transmitted and the data can be processed in real time.

[0033] The communication channel 4 adopts multiple cell clusters to receive the pulse waveform output by the motor drive module 3 and transmit it to the receiving end;

[0034] In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the communication channel can also use a 10 kΩ resistor to replace the myocardial cell cluster to simulate the myocardial cell scenario of the human heart, so as to restore the real impedance scenario of the human heart myocardial cells transmitting electrical signals.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present invention, a test point is set every two cell clusters or resistors in the communication channel to facilitate the oscilloscope 5 at the receiving end to test the waveform signal through the test point.

[0036] The receiving end uses the oscilloscope 5 to receive the pulse waveform passing through the communication channel 4, demodulate the pulse waveform, and send the demodulation result to the display device.

[0037] In the embodiment of the present invention, the receiving end is responsible for receiving the electrical signal and demodulating the original information, ensuring the signal sampling accuracy by directly connecting to the load, and providing a reliable basis for subsequent waveform analysis and algorithm adjustment; using the oscilloscope 5 to detect the electrical signal passing through the communication channel 4, these signals can be connected to the sending end computer 6 to read the data. After program processing and data statistics, the final result will be displayed on the display device. The optional display devices include but are not limited to computer screens, mobile terminals, or external monitors. Usually, for the convenience of operation and viewing, the computer screen configured by the sending end computer 6 can be directly selected.

[0038] In summary, a myocardial cell communication test platform of the present invention can be applied to the research of electrical signal transmission in the myocardial cell environment, as well as the study of what intensity and what waveform can pace myocardial cells. It can be used to study the optimization problem of the pacing energy of a pacemaker, and provide a verification device for the research of myocardial cell communication. Myocardial cells can also be replaced with other cells of human tissues to further study the electrophysiological characteristics of other cells.

[0039] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical signal communication platform simulating a myocardial cell cluster, characterized in that: include: The sender, the communication channel and the receiver; The transmitting end adopts an Arduino Mega 2560 main control board and an L298N motor drive module. The main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module, and the motor drive module outputs a pulse waveform to the communication channel; The communication channel uses a plurality of cell clusters for receiving the pulse waveform output by the motor drive module and transmitting it to a receiving end; The receiving end uses an oscilloscope to receive the pulse waveform passing through the communication channel, and after demodulating the pulse waveform, sends the demodulation result to the display device.

2. The electrical signal communication platform simulating a myocardial cell cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmitting end also includes: a waveform selection switch and a waveform control switch; The waveform selection switch is connected to ports 4, 6, and 8 of the main control board respectively, and is used to select the reference waveform type corresponding to the pulse signal sent by the main control board to the motor drive module; The waveform control switch is connected to ports 5, 7, and 9 of the main control board respectively, and is used to modify the amplitude and frequency of the reference waveform corresponding to the pulse signal sent by the main control board to the motor drive module.

3. The electrical signal communication platform simulating a myocardial cell cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmitting end also includes: a waveform adjustment potentiometer; The waveform adjustment potentiometer is connected to the AD2, AD3, AD0, AD1, AD4 and AD5 ports of the main control board respectively, and the main control board adjusts the amplitude and frequency of the reference waveform corresponding to the transmitted pulse signal according to the value of the waveform adjustment potentiometer.

4. The electrical signal communication platform simulating a myocardial cell cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The IN1, IN2, IN3, IN4, ENA, and ENB ports of the motor drive module are respectively connected to the 12, 13, 10, 11, 2, and 3 ports of the main control board, so that the main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module.

5. The electrical signal communication platform simulating a myocardial cell cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the main control board sends a pulse signal to the motor drive module, it also includes: A filter switch circuit is constructed by using a relay and a triode, and the pulse signal is input into the filter circuit for filtering according to the filter switch circuit selection; the filter circuit is constructed by using a multi-cascade RC low-pass filter.

6. The electrical signal communication platform simulating a myocardial cell cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the multiple cell clusters of the communication channel, a test point is set between every two cell clusters for connecting the oscilloscope to detect the pulse waveform in the communication channel.

Images