Water vapor generator and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, and provides a water vapor generator and a control method thereof.The water vapor generator comprises a water conveying assembly, a first control valve, a heating assembly and a steam conveying assembly; the water conveying assembly is configured to convey sterile water; the first control valve is connected with the water outlet end of the water conveying assembly; the heating assembly comprises a heat conduction pipe and a heating body, the input end of the heat conduction pipe is connected with the first control valve, and the heating body is used for heating the heat conduction pipe so that the sterile water can be instantly vaporized into water vapor after entering the heat conduction pipe; the steam conveying assembly comprises a second control valve, and the second control valve is used for controlling discharging of steam output by the heat conduction pipe. The water vapor generator disclosed by the invention not only can quickly generate water vapor with relatively high pressure in an energy-saving manner, but also is convenient to control and immediately stop conveying the water vapor, and is beneficial to expanding the application range of steam ablation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a water vapor generator and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In medical settings, steam ablation utilizes the latent heat of steam to ablate diseased tissue or cells. This method is widely used due to its low cost and simple operation. However, in actual applications, it has been found that the water vapor required for existing steam ablation is mainly generated by heating water, which cannot generate water vapor quickly and energy-efficiently. Moreover, due to the high specific heat capacity and thermal inertia of water, the accumulated heat in the water will continue to be released when the water vapor output is stopped, making it impossible to control the instant cessation of water vapor delivery, resulting in the problem of over-treatment in actual applications. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a steam generator and a control method thereof, which are used to at least solve or improve the problem that the existing steam generator cannot quickly generate steam in an energy-saving manner and cannot control to stop delivering steam immediately.

[0004] The present invention provides a water vapor generator, comprising: a water delivery assembly configured to deliver sterile water; a first control valve connected to a water outlet end of the water delivery assembly; a heating assembly comprising a heat pipe and a heating element, wherein an input end of the heat pipe is connected to the first control valve, and the heating element is used to heat the heat pipe so that the sterile water can be instantly vaporized into water vapor after entering the heat pipe; The steam delivery component includes a second control valve, which is used to control the discharge of water vapor output by the heat pipe.

[0005] According to a water vapor generator provided by the present invention, the heating element comprises: Heating element; A heat-conducting seat, wherein the heat-conducting pipe and the heating element are respectively arranged in the heat-conducting seat, and the heating element is used to heat the heat-conducting seat to 130° C. to 180° C.

[0006] According to a steam generator provided by the present invention, the heat conduction pipe is a coil, and the heating element is separated from the coil and is located inside the coil.

[0007] According to a water vapor generator provided by the present invention, the water delivery component comprises: a water pipe, one end of which is configured to communicate with a sterile water source, and the other end of which is connected to the heat transfer pipe via the first control valve, wherein the inner diameter of the water pipe does not exceed 8 mm; A water delivery pump is provided on the water delivery pipe.

[0008] A steam generator according to the present invention further includes: A pressure relief valve is provided between the heat conducting pipe and the steam delivery assembly, and the working pressure of the pressure relief valve is set between 120KPa and 150KPa.

[0009] A steam generator provided according to the present invention further includes: a control module, wherein the control module is electrically connected to the water delivery component, the first control valve, the heating element, and the second control valve respectively.

[0010] A steam generator according to the present invention further includes: a detector, the detector being electrically connected to the control module and configured to detect water supply information on a water inlet side of the first control valve; and / or, a first temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor being electrically connected to the control module, and the first temperature sensor being used to detect temperature information of the heating element; and / or, a second temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor being electrically connected to the control module, and the second temperature sensor being used to detect temperature information of water vapor output by the heating component.

[0011] The present invention also provides a method for controlling the water vapor generator as described above, comprising: Controlling the working states of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water; Controlling the heating element to start operation and obtaining temperature information of the heating element; when the temperature of the heating element is within a first temperature range, controlling the water delivery component to start operation and controlling the first control valve and the second control valve to open respectively; The first temperature range is a temperature at which the sterile water in the heat-conducting tube can be instantly vaporized into water vapor.

[0012] A control method according to the present invention further includes: Receive stop input; In response to the stop input, the second control valve is controlled to be closed, and the water delivery component and the heating element are controlled to stop operating.

[0013] According to a control method provided by the present invention, the step of controlling the working states of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water includes: Controlling the water delivery assembly to start operation and controlling the first control valve to open; The water supply information of the water inlet side of the first control valve is obtained, and when sterile water appears on the water inlet side of the first control valve, the water delivery component is controlled to stop running, and the first control valve is controlled to close.

[0014] A control method according to the present invention further includes: Obtaining temperature information of water vapor output by the heating component; When the temperature of the heating element is outside the first temperature range and / or the temperature of the water vapor is outside the second temperature range, the water supply of the water delivery component is adjusted and / or the heating power of the heating element is adjusted.

[0015] A control method according to the present invention further includes: Acquiring water supply information on the water inlet side of the first control valve; When a water supply anomaly occurs on the water inlet side of the first control valve, the heating element is controlled to stop running, and the early warning module is controlled to issue an early warning.

[0016] The present invention also provides an electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, the control method for the water vapor generator as described above is implemented.

[0017] The present invention also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the control method of the water vapor generator as described above is implemented.

[0018] The present invention further provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the control method of the water vapor generator as described above is implemented.

[0019] The water vapor generator and control method thereof provided by the present invention, by providing a water delivery component, a first control valve, a heating component and a steam delivery component, can first control the working states of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water. When water vapor is needed, the heat conducting pipe can be heated by the heating element corresponding to the heating component. When the heat conducting pipe reaches a temperature capable of instantly vaporizing sterile water into water vapor, the steam delivery component can be controlled to deliver sterile water, and the first control valve and the second control valve can be controlled to open respectively, so that a large amount of water vapor can be generated instantaneously, and the instant output of water vapor can be achieved while ensuring the pressure of the water vapor. When water vapor is not needed, the water delivery component and the heating component can be controlled to stop working, and the first control valve and the second control valve can be controlled to close, so as to instantly stop the delivery of water vapor.

[0020] It can be seen that compared with the method of generating water vapor by heating water, the water vapor generator shown in the present invention can not only quickly generate high-pressure water vapor in an energy-saving manner, but also facilitates the control of immediate cessation of water vapor delivery, which is conducive to expanding the scope of use of steam ablation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, a brief introduction is given below to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a control structure block diagram of the water steam generator provided by the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the heating component provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the heating component provided by the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the heat conducting seat provided by the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of the control method of the water steam generator provided by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the electronic device provided by the present invention.

[0028] Reference numerals: 1. Water delivery assembly; 2. First control valve; 3. Heating assembly; 31. Heat pipe; 32. Heating element; 321. Heating element; 322. Heat-conducting seat; 301. Groove; 4. Steam delivery assembly; 41. Second control valve; 42. End device; 5. Pressure relief valve; 6. Control module; 7. Detector; 8. First temperature sensor; 9. Second temperature sensor; 10. Early warning module; 100. Sterile water source. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] The following combination Figures 1-6 , the steam generator and the control method thereof provided by the embodiment of the invention are described in detail through specific embodiments and their application scenarios.

[0031] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a water steam generator, comprising: a water delivery component 1, a first control valve 2, a heating component 3 and a steam delivery component 4; The water delivery assembly 1 is configured to deliver sterile water; The first control valve 2 is connected to the water outlet end of the water delivery component 1; The heating assembly 3 includes a heat pipe 31 and a heating element 32. The input end of the heat pipe 31 is connected to the first control valve 2. The heating element 32 is used to heat the heat pipe 31 so that the sterile water can be instantly vaporized into water vapor after entering the heat pipe 31. The steam delivery component 4 includes a second control valve 41, which is used to control the discharge of water vapor output by the heat pipe 31. For example, the steam delivery component 4 includes a second control valve 41 and an end device 42. The output end of the heat pipe 31 is connected to the end device 42. The second control valve 41 is used to control the connection state between the heat pipe 31 and the end device 42.

[0032] It can be understood that the sterile water source 100, the water delivery component 1, the first control valve 2, the heating component 3 and the steam delivery component 4 are connected in sequence through pipelines. The pipelines can be soft pipes, such as silicone tubes. Of course, if it has no impact on actual applications, some pipelines can use food-grade stainless steel pipes, such as 304 stainless steel pipes or 316 stainless steel pipes.

[0033] The water delivery component 1 is used to provide driving force for the delivery of sterile water and can control the speed and flow of sterile water delivery to meet the water demand of the heating component 3.

[0034] The first control valve 2 may be a two-position, two-way solenoid valve, and its on / off state may be controlled by turning the power on or off. The first control valve 2 is located between the water delivery assembly 1 and the heating assembly 3. However, the first control valve 2 may be positioned closer to the heating assembly 3 than the water delivery assembly 1. The first control valve 2 is preferably a one-way valve that can withstand at least twice the atmospheric pressure from one side of the heating assembly 3, thereby preventing water vapor in the heating assembly 3 from flowing back into the water delivery assembly 1.

[0035] For the heating component 3, the heat pipe 31 can be a tube body made of metal and its alloys, for example, the heat pipe 31 is a copper tube or a stainless steel tube, and the heating element 32 is connected to the heat pipe 31 to heat the heat pipe 31. The heating temperature of the heat pipe 31 by the heating element 32 is at least greater than 100°C, so that the sterile water can be instantly vaporized into water vapor after entering the heat pipe 31.

[0036] As is well known, heat pipes 31 made of metals, their alloys, or other materials have a relatively small specific heat capacity compared to water. Therefore, given the same volume, these heat pipes 31 have a smaller thermal inertia than water. The embodiment of the present invention, based on the configuration of the first control valve 2, can preheat the heat pipe 31 to a relatively high temperature without water. This process consumes significantly less energy and time than traditional methods of preheating water to near-boiling temperatures.

[0037] When the steam delivery component 4 is required to output water vapor, the first control valve 2 can be controlled to open, and sterile water can be passed into the heat pipe 31 which already has a relatively high temperature. The high-temperature heat pipe 31 can cause the sterile water inside it to boil instantly, and a large amount of water vapor will be generated instantly (for example, 1-3 seconds). This process is also called "boiling" in physics, and these water vapors are generated in a similar "explosion" situation with very high pressure, ensuring that the water vapor output by the steam delivery component 4 is sufficient to break through the tissue gap of the lesion site and achieve the effect of steam ablation.

[0038] Accordingly, when the output of water vapor is not needed, it is only necessary to control the second control valve 41 corresponding to the steam delivery component 4 to close, and control the water delivery component 1 and the heating component 3 to stop working, so as to ensure that the terminal device 42 corresponding to the steam delivery component 4 stops outputting water vapor immediately.

[0039] For example, the second control valve 41 may be a two-position two-way solenoid valve, which may connect the heat conducting pipe 31 corresponding to the heating component 3 to the end device 42 through the second control valve 41 .

[0040] Of course, the second control valve 41 can also be a manually or electrically controlled pinch valve. In this case, the heat conducting tube 31 corresponding to the heating assembly 3 is connected to the end device 42 via a flexible tube, and the pinch valve is clamped on the outside of the flexible tube. When the pinch valve is open, water vapor in the flexible tube can flow freely. When the pinch valve is closed, the pinch valve flattens the flexible tube, closing the clamped area of ​​the flexible tube and preventing water vapor from passing through.

[0041] The end device 42 corresponding to the steam delivery component 4 can be a hose, a needle or a handle for outputting water vapor, and is not specifically limited thereto.

[0042] The water vapor generator shown in the present invention, by setting a water conveying component 1, a first control valve 2, a heating component 3 and a steam conveying component 4, can first control the working status of the water conveying component 1 and the first control valve 2 so that the space between the water conveying component 1 and the first control valve 2 is filled with sterile water. When water vapor is needed, the heat pipe 31 can be heated by the heating element 32 corresponding to the heating component 3. When the heat pipe 31 reaches a temperature that can instantly vaporize sterile water into water vapor, the steam conveying component 4 can be controlled to convey sterile water, and the first control valve 2 and the second control valve 41 can be controlled to open respectively, so that a large amount of water vapor can be generated instantly, and while ensuring the pressure of the water vapor, the instant output of water vapor can be achieved. When water vapor is not needed, the water conveying component 1 and the heating component 3 can be stopped, and the first control valve 2 and the second control valve 41 can be controlled to close to immediately stop the conveying of water vapor.

[0043] It can be seen that compared with the method of generating water vapor by heating water, the water vapor generator shown in the present invention can not only quickly generate high-pressure water vapor in an energy-saving manner, but also facilitates the control of immediate cessation of water vapor delivery, which is conducive to expanding the scope of use of steam ablation.

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the water delivery assembly 1 includes: a water delivery pipe and a water delivery pump; One end of the water pipe is configured to be connected to the sterile water source 100, and the other end is connected to the heat pipe 31 through the first control valve 2. The inner diameter of the water pipe does not exceed 8 mm; the water pump is set on the water pipe.

[0045] It can be understood that the water delivery pump can adopt an injection pump with a linear push rod motor as the power source. The linear push rod motor is equipped with an angle sensor. Based on the number of rotations of the linear push rod motor collected by the angle sensor, a controller can be used to calculate the water flow rate and speed of the injection pump, so as to achieve the purpose of accurately controlling the water flow rate and speed according to actual needs.

[0046] Of course, when the requirements for water pushing parameters are not high, the water delivery pump can choose a diaphragm pump, a peristaltic pump or other methods.

[0047] At the same time, by setting the inner diameter of the water pipe to no more than 8 mm, for example, the inner diameter of the water pipe is 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm and other suitable sizes, the inner diameter of the water pipe can be ensured to be as small as possible to reduce the generation of bubbles in the water pipe during the process of transporting sterile water, and setting a water pipe with a relatively small diameter also makes it easier to reduce the difficulty of detecting bubbles in the water pipe.

[0048] Among them, in order to facilitate the detection of whether there is sterile water in the water pipe or whether there are bubbles in the sterile water, the water pipe can be a transparent tube, and a detector 7 shown in the following embodiment can be set on one side of the water pipe. The detector 7 can be a camera module or a liquid level sensor. The camera module can determine whether there are bubbles in the water pipe by visual recognition. The liquid level sensor can be a non-contact liquid level sensor. This type of liquid level sensor can detect whether there are bubbles in the water pipe based on ultrasonic detection or capacitance detection.

[0049] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the heating element 32 includes: a heating element 321 and a heat conducting seat 322; The heat pipe 31 and the heating element 321 are respectively disposed in the heat conducting base 322 . The heating element 321 is used to heat the heat conducting base 322 to 130° C. to 180° C.

[0050] It can be understood that a first cavity and a second cavity are provided in the thermal seat 322, the first cavity is adapted to the heat pipe 31, the heat pipe 31 is embedded in the first cavity, and the input end and the output end of the heat pipe 31 are exposed; correspondingly, the second cavity is adapted to the heating element 321, the heating element 321 is embedded in the second cavity, and the two ends of the heating element 321 are exposed, and the heating element 321 can be arranged in the thermal seat 322 in a curved or folded manner.

[0051] In practical applications, the heating element 321 can be a heating resistance wire, and the thermal seat 322 can be an aluminum casting. The heat pipe 31, the heating element 321 and the thermal seat 322 can be cast into one piece by casting to ensure that the heat generated by the heating element 321 is effectively transmitted to the heat pipe 31 through the thermal seat 322 to reduce heat loss.

[0052] At the same time, by providing a heating element 321 to heat the heat conducting seat 322 to 130°C to 180°C, the heat conducting effect of the heat conducting seat 322 can ensure that the heat pipe 31 is heated to 130°C to 180°C, ensuring that the sterile water is instantly vaporized into water vapor when entering the heat conducting pipe 31. This prevents the temperature of the heat conducting pipe 31 from being too low, resulting in the sterile water not being able to reach the boiling point when entering the heat conducting pipe 31, and prevents the temperature of the heat conducting pipe 31 from being too high, thereby damaging the related pipes connected to the heat conducting pipe 31 and avoiding the risk of leakage caused by this. In addition, the high temperature of 130°C to 180°C can also sterilize the sterile water in the heat conducting pipe 31.

[0053] The heat conducting seat 322 may be configured to be heated by the heating element 321 to 130° C., 140° C., 150° C., 160° C., 170° C., 180° C. or other suitable temperatures.

[0054] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, the heat pipe 31 is a coil, and the heating element 321 is separated from the coil and located inside the coil.

[0055] It can be understood that by arranging the heating element 321 on the inner side of the heat pipe 31, it can be ensured that the heat generated by the heating element 321 is conducted to the location of the heat pipe 31 through the heat seat 322 along the shortest path. By configuring the heat pipe 31 as a coil, the contact area between the heat pipe 31 and the heat seat 322 can be ensured. This design reduces the loss generated in heat conduction.

[0056] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the steam generator further includes: a pressure relief valve 5, which is arranged between the heat pipe 31 and the end device 42. The working pressure of the pressure relief valve 5 is set between 120Kpa and 150Kpa. For example, the working pressure of the pressure relief valve 5 can be 120Kpa, 125Kpa, 130Kpa, 135Kpa, 140Kpa, 145Kpa, 150Kpa and other suitable pressure values.

[0057] It is understandable that the pressure relief valve 5 does not normally work. Only when the pipeline pressure between the heat pipe 31 and the end device 42 exceeds the pressure range of 120Kpa to 150Kpa, the pressure relief valve 5 will start to relieve pressure. This design ensures the stability of the pressure of the water vapor output by the steam generator and also ensures the safety of the operation of the steam generator.

[0058] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the water vapor generator further includes: a control module 6 , which is electrically connected to the water delivery component 1 , the first control valve 2 , the heating element 32 and the second control valve 41 .

[0059] It is understandable that the control module 6 can be a PLC controller or a single-chip microcomputer. The control module 6 is provided with a computer program for executing the control method of the water vapor generator shown in the following embodiment. Based on the computer program, the control module 6 can automatically control the working states of the water delivery component 1, the first control valve 2, the heating element 32 and the second control valve 41. The specific control method is referred to the following embodiment and will not be described in detail here. In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the steam generator further includes a detector 7 , which is electrically connected to the control module 6 , and the control module 6 can also be configured to be electrically connected to the early warning module 10 ; wherein the detector 7 is used to detect water supply information on the water inlet side of the first control valve 2 .

[0060] It can be understood that the water supply information detected by the detector 7 includes whether there is sterile water in the water pipe corresponding to the water inlet side of the first control valve 2 or whether there are bubbles in the sterile water. The control module 6 can control the switching state of the first control valve 2 and the warning state of the warning module 10 according to the water supply information feedback from the detector 7.

[0061] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the steam generator also includes a first temperature sensor 8 , which can be a thermal resistor temperature sensor or a thermistor temperature sensor. The first temperature sensor 8 is electrically connected to the control module 6 and is used to detect temperature information of the heating element 32 .

[0062] It is understandable that if Figure 3 As shown, a groove 301 is provided on the thermal seat 322, and an internal thread can be provided on the inner wall of the groove 301. The first temperature sensor 8 is embedded in the groove 301, and an external thread can be provided on the surrounding wall of the first temperature sensor 8. Based on the thread matching between the internal thread and the external thread, the first temperature sensor 8 can be detachably installed on the thermal seat 322.

[0063] In actual application, the first temperature sensor 8 is used to feed back the temperature information of the heating element 32 to the control module 6 in real time. Only when the temperature of the heating element 32 is within the range of 130℃~180℃, the control module 6 will control the first control valve 2 and the second control valve 41 to open respectively. In the process of the water vapor generator outputting water vapor, if the temperature of the heating element 32 is about to exceed the range of 130℃~180℃, the control module 6 will control the working state of the conveying component and the heating element 32 to adjust the water supply of the water conveying component 1 and / or adjust the heating power of the heating element 32, so as to control the temperature of the heating element 32 to be maintained within the range of 130℃~180℃.

[0064] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the water vapor generator also includes a second temperature sensor 9, which can be a thermal resistor temperature sensor or a thermistor temperature sensor. The second temperature sensor 9 is electrically connected to the control module 6 and is used to detect the temperature information of the water vapor output by the heating component 3.

[0065] It is understood that the second temperature sensor 9 is disposed on the pipeline between the heating component 3 and the steam delivery component 4, and is disposed as close as possible to the steam delivery component 4. A metal pipe can be disposed on the pipeline between the heating component 3 and the steam delivery component 4, and the second temperature sensor 9 can be connected to the metal pipe by welding.

[0066] In this way, when the water vapor output by the heating component 3 passes through the metal pipe, the temperature of the metal pipe increases, and the second temperature sensor 9 captures the pipe wall temperature of the metal pipe to indirectly measure the temperature of the water vapor output by the heating component 3.

[0067] In actual application, the second temperature sensor 9 is used to detect whether the temperature of the water vapor output by the heating component 3 is around 103°C. For example, the temperature of the water vapor can be set to 102°C~105°C. When the temperature of the water vapor is lower than the lower limit of 102°C~105°C, the control module 6 will control the working status of the conveying component and the heating element 32, or the control module 6 will control the early warning module 10 to issue an early warning.

[0068] In some embodiments, as Figure 5 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a control method for a water vapor generator as described in any of the above embodiments. The execution subject of the control method may be a server or a control module of the water vapor generator. The control method includes but is not limited to the following steps: Step 510: Control the working states of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water.

[0069] It is understandable that in actual application, the operator can input a start input instruction to the control module of the steam generator through the touch screen and other human-computer interaction modules. The control module responds to the operator's input start input and controls the working status of the water delivery component and the first control valve respectively. The control process can refer to the steps shown below: Control the heating element of the heating component to shut down, control the water delivery component to start running, and control the first control valve to open; obtain the water supply information on the water inlet side of the first control valve, and when sterile water appears on the water inlet side of the first control valve, control the water delivery component to stop running, and control the first control valve to close.

[0070] Step 520, control the heating element to start running and obtain the temperature information of the heating element. When the temperature of the heating element is within the first temperature range, control the water delivery component to start running, and control the first control valve and the second control valve to open respectively; wherein the first temperature range is a temperature that can instantly vaporize the sterile water in the heat pipe into water vapor.

[0071] It can be understood that in response to the operator's input start input, when the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water, the control module also controls the heating element to start running. During this process, the first temperature sensor feeds back the temperature information of the heating element to the control module in real time. When the temperature of the heating element is within the range of 130℃~180℃, the water delivery component is controlled to start running, and the first control valve and the second control valve are controlled to open respectively. At this time, the water delivery component continuously inputs sterile water into the heat pipe of the heating component. Since the temperature of the heat pipe has been heated to 130℃~180℃, the sterile water will instantly boil when entering the heat pipe, and a large amount of water vapor can be generated instantly, while ensuring the pressure of the water vapor, the instant output of a large amount of water vapor is achieved.

[0072] Furthermore, when water vapor is not needed, the operator can input a stop input instruction to the control module of the water vapor generator through the human-computer interaction module. After receiving the stop input, the control module will respond to the stop input, control the first control valve and the second control valve to close, and control the water delivery component and the heating element to stop running, so as to immediately stop the delivery of water vapor.

[0073] It can be seen that compared with the method of using water heating to generate water vapor, the control method shown in the present invention can not only quickly generate high-pressure water vapor in an energy-saving manner, but also facilitate the control of immediate cessation of water vapor delivery, which is conducive to expanding the scope of application of steam ablation.

[0074] In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention further includes but is not limited to the following steps: Obtain temperature information of water vapor output by the heating component; When the temperature of the heating element is outside the first temperature range and / or the temperature of the water vapor is outside the second temperature range, the water supply of the water delivery component is adjusted and / or the heating power of the heating element is adjusted.

[0075] It can be understood that when it is detected that the temperature of the heating element is higher than the maximum value of the first temperature range and / or the temperature of the water vapor is higher than the maximum value of the second temperature range, the control module can control to increase the water supply of the water delivery component and / or reduce the heating power of the heating element.

[0076] When it is detected that the temperature of the heating element is lower than the minimum value of the first temperature range and / or the temperature of the water vapor is lower than the minimum value of the second temperature range, the control module can control to reduce the water supply of the water delivery component and / or increase the heating power of the heating element.

[0077] In actual applications, in order to simplify the control process, the water supply of the water delivery component is usually set to remain unchanged, and the control module only controls the heating power of the heating element separately to ensure that the temperature of the heating element is within the first temperature range and that the temperature of the water vapor is within the second temperature range.

[0078] In some embodiments, the control method of the present invention further includes but is not limited to the following steps: Acquiring water supply information on the water inlet side of the first control valve; In the event of water supply anomaly on the water inlet side of the first control valve, the heating element is controlled to stop running, and the early warning module is controlled to issue an early warning.

[0079] It can be understood that when an abnormal situation of water shortage occurs on the water inlet side of the first control valve, the heating element is controlled to stop running, and the early warning module is controlled to issue an early warning. At this time, the sterile water output by the water delivery component directly reaches the heat pipe corresponding to the heating component. The sterile water can be used to cool the heat pipe and the heating element, so that when the inspection personnel hear the early warning prompt issued by the early warning module and arrive at the scene, the temperature of the heating component has dropped significantly, which is convenient for the inspection personnel to perform relevant maintenance operations.

[0080] In actual applications, a short period of continuous water shortage may cause bubbles to appear in the corresponding water delivery components. When the abnormal bubble situation occurs on the water inlet side of the first control valve, the control will also stop the operation of the heating element, and the control early warning module will issue an early warning, so that the inspection personnel can immediately perform relevant maintenance operations according to the early warning prompts.

[0081] Furthermore, it can be configured that when the frequency of bubbles appearing in the pipeline corresponding to the water inlet side of the first control valve exceeds N per second and lasts for a first duration, the heating element is controlled to stop operating and the warning module is controlled to issue a warning. The number N can be set to 2-5, and the first duration can be set to 2-5 seconds.

[0082] Figure 6 An example of a physical structure diagram of an electronic device is shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device may include: a processor 610, a communications interface 620, a memory 630, and a communication bus 640, wherein the processor 610, the communications interface 620, and the memory 630 communicate with each other via the communication bus 640. The processor 610 may call logic instructions in the memory 630 to execute a method for controlling a water vapor generator, the method comprising: controlling the working states of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water; Controlling the heating element to start operation and obtaining temperature information of the heating element; when the temperature of the heating element is within a first temperature range, controlling the water delivery component to start operation and controlling the first control valve and the second control valve to open respectively; The first temperature range is a temperature at which the sterile water in the heat-conducting tube can be instantly vaporized into water vapor.

[0083] Furthermore, the logic instructions in the aforementioned memory 630 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the portion that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0084] On the other hand, the present invention further provides a computer program product, the computer program product including a computer program, the computer program being storable on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer is capable of executing the water vapor generator control method provided by the above methods, the method including: controlling the working state of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water; Controlling the heating element to start operation and obtaining temperature information of the heating element; when the temperature of the heating element is within a first temperature range, controlling the water delivery component to start operation and controlling the first control valve and the second control valve to open respectively; The first temperature range is a temperature at which the sterile water in the heat-conducting tube can be instantly vaporized into water vapor.

[0085] In another aspect, the present invention further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method for controlling the water vapor generator provided by the above methods is implemented, the method comprising: controlling the working state of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water; Controlling the heating element to start operation and obtaining temperature information of the heating element; when the temperature of the heating element is within a first temperature range, controlling the water delivery component to start operation and controlling the first control valve and the second control valve to open respectively; The first temperature range is a temperature at which the sterile water in the heat-conducting tube can be instantly vaporized into water vapor.

[0086] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, i.e., they may be located in one location or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected based on actual needs to achieve the objectives of the present embodiment. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will be able to understand and implement the present invention without inventive effort.

[0087] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented using software plus a necessary general-purpose hardware platform, or of course, hardware. Based on this understanding, the essence of the above technical solution, or the portion that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, and includes a number of instructions for causing a computer device (such as a personal computer, server, or network device) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or certain portions of the embodiments.

[0088] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A steam generator, characterized in that: include: a water delivery assembly configured to deliver sterile water; a first control valve connected to a water outlet end of the water delivery assembly; a heating assembly comprising a heat pipe and a heating element, wherein an input end of the heat pipe is connected to the first control valve, and the heating element is used to heat the heat pipe so that the sterile water can be instantly vaporized into water vapor after entering the heat pipe; The steam delivery component includes a second control valve, which is used to control the discharge of water vapor output by the heat pipe.

2. The steam generator according to claim 1, characterized in that The heating element includes: Heating element; A heat-conducting seat, wherein the heat-conducting pipe and the heating element are respectively arranged in the heat-conducting seat, and the heating element is used to heat the heat-conducting seat to 130° C. to 180° C.

3. The water vapor generator according to claim 2, characterized in that The heat-conducting pipe is a coil, and the heating element is separated from the coil and located inside the coil.

4. The water vapor generator according to claim 1, characterized in that The water delivery assembly comprises: a water pipe, one end of which is configured to communicate with a sterile water source, and the other end of which is connected to the heat transfer pipe via the first control valve, wherein the inner diameter of the water pipe does not exceed 8 mm; A water delivery pump is provided on the water delivery pipe.

5. The water vapor generator according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A pressure relief valve is provided between the heat conducting pipe and the steam delivery assembly, and the working pressure of the pressure relief valve is set between 120KPa and 150KPa.

6. The water vapor generator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Also includes: A control module is electrically connected to the water delivery component, the first control valve, the heating element and the second control valve.

7. The water vapor generator according to claim 6, characterized in that Also includes: a detector, the detector being electrically connected to the control module and configured to detect water supply information on a water inlet side of the first control valve; and / or, a first temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor being electrically connected to the control module, and the first temperature sensor being used to detect temperature information of the heating element; and / or, a second temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor being electrically connected to the control module, and the second temperature sensor being used to detect temperature information of water vapor output by the heating component.

8. A method for controlling a steam generator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: include: Controlling the working states of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water; Controlling the heating element to start operation and obtaining temperature information of the heating element; when the temperature of the heating element is within a first temperature range, controlling the water delivery component to start operation and controlling the first control valve and the second control valve to open respectively; The first temperature range is a temperature at which the sterile water in the heat-conducting tube can be instantly vaporized into water vapor.

9. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: Receive stop input; In response to the stop input, the second control valve is controlled to be closed, and the water delivery component and the heating element are controlled to stop operating.

10. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of controlling the working states of the water delivery component and the first control valve so that the space between the water delivery component and the first control valve is filled with sterile water comprises: Controlling the water delivery assembly to start operation and controlling the first control valve to open; The water supply information of the water inlet side of the first control valve is obtained, and when sterile water appears on the water inlet side of the first control valve, the water delivery component is controlled to stop running, and the first control valve is controlled to close.

11. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: Obtaining temperature information of water vapor output by the heating component; When the temperature of the heating element is outside the first temperature range and / or the temperature of the water vapor is outside the second temperature range, the water supply of the water delivery component is adjusted and / or the heating power of the heating element is adjusted.

12. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: Acquiring water supply information on the water inlet side of the first control valve; When a water supply anomaly occurs on the water inlet side of the first control valve, the heating element is controlled to stop running, and the early warning module is controlled to issue an early warning.

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