Colored TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) particles for ultrasonic medical model and preparation method of colored TPE particles

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of TPE particles, and particularly relates to colored TPE particles for an ultrasonic medical model and a manufacturing method of the colored TPE particles, and the colored TPE particles comprise the following components in parts by weight: 8-12 parts of a linear styrene thermoplastic elastomer, 85-90 parts of a third solvent, 0.2-0.3 part of an antioxidant, 0.1-1.5 parts of a modified pigment and 0.5-2 parts of C5 petroleum resin, the modified pigment is prepared from the following components in parts by weight: 5 to 15 parts of star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer, 85 to 95 parts of second solvent and 35 to 40 parts of pigment pre-dispersion liquid; the pigment pre-dispersion liquid is prepared from the following components in parts by weight: 100 to 120 parts of a first solvent, 0.5 to 30 parts of pigment, 0.3 to 0.45 part of an oily dispersant and 0.1 to 0.15 part of a de-foaming agent. An ultrasonic medical model prepared from the colored TPE particles prepared from the raw materials is uniform in color and good in ultrasonic imaging effect, and the ultrasonic acoustic performance meets the requirements of real human body ultrasonic acoustic performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of TPE particles, and in particular relates to a colored TPE particle for use in ultrasound medical models and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the hardness of ultrasound medical models used for medical teaching is generally in the range of 5-15 Shore C. To ensure simulation and good ultrasound imaging, pigments are added during fabrication for coloring. Common coloring methods include pigment powder, pigment paste, or masterbatch. However, the fabrication process of ultrasound medical models typically involves high-temperature casting followed by room-temperature curing. Using pigment powder or pigment paste during this process can easily lead to uneven coloring and poor stability in the ultrasound medical model product. While masterbatch coloring improves dispersion uniformity to some extent, additives such as nano-calcium and stearates are added during the masterbatch manufacturing process to increase the coloring power and dispersibility of the pigment in its base material. These additives alter the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) substrate, such as increasing hardness, which affects the acoustic performance of ultrasound medical models made from TPE, thus impacting the quality of ultrasound medical teaching. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems and provide a colored TPE particle for ultrasound medical models and a method for manufacturing the same. The colored TPE particle manufactured by this method is used to manufacture ultrasound medical models, so as to achieve the purpose of uniform overall color, high product stability, and realistic and accurate ultrasound imaging of the ultrasound medical model after high-temperature casting and room temperature curing.

[0004] This application is achieved through the following technical solution: A type of colored TPE granules for use in ultrasound medical models, the raw material composition and the components by weight are as follows: 8-12 parts of linear styrene thermoplastic elastomer, 85-90 parts of third solvent, 0.2-0.3 parts of antioxidant, 0.1-1.5 parts of modified pigment, and 0.5-2 parts of C5 petroleum resin; The raw materials and components of the modified pigment, by weight, are as follows: 5-15 parts of star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer, 85-95 parts of second solvent, and 35-40 parts of pigment pre-dispersion solution; The raw materials and components of the pigment pre-dispersion liquid, by weight, are as follows: The first solvent is 100-120 parts, the pigment is 0.5-30 parts, the oily dispersant is 0.3-0.45 parts, and the defoamer is 0.1-0.15 parts.

[0005] Furthermore, the first solvent is 26# paraffin oil; the oily dispersant is at least one of polyaminoamides, polyurethanes, and acrylates; and the defoamer is a polyether silicone oil.

[0006] Furthermore, the multi-component aminoamide dispersant is a 12-hydroxystearic acid-polyamide amine block copolymer; the polyurethane dispersant is a polyester-type polyurethane block copolymer; the acrylate dispersant is an alkyl acrylate copolymer; and the polyether silicone oil defoamer is a polydimethylsiloxane-polyoxyolefin block copolymer.

[0007] Furthermore, the pigment includes at least one of modified titanium dioxide, phthalocyanine blue, permanent yellow, permanent red, and pigment carbon black.

[0008] Furthermore, the preparation steps of modified titanium dioxide are as follows: 95 parts by weight of anhydrous ethanol, 5 parts by weight of deionized water and 0.3-0.5 parts by weight of titanate coupling agent are mixed, the pH is adjusted to between 4.5 and 5.5, 30-40 parts by weight of titanium dioxide are added and mixed and stirred for 10-20 minutes, then allowed to stand, filtered and dried to obtain modified titanium dioxide.

[0009] Furthermore, the second solvent is 10# paraffin oil; the star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer is at least one of star-shaped SEBS and star-shaped SEPS.

[0010] Furthermore, when star-shaped SEBS and star-shaped SEPS are used in combination, the mixing ratio by weight is 1-2:0.3-0.8.

[0011] Furthermore, the styrene content of the star-shaped SEBS is 25% to 33%; the styrene content of the star-shaped SEPS is 20% to 30%.

[0012] Furthermore, the third solvent is 26# paraffin oil or 10# paraffin oil, and the linear styrene thermoplastic elastomer is linear SEBS.

[0013] Furthermore, the styrene content of the linear SEBS is 20% to 30%.

[0014] Furthermore, the antioxidant is a phenolic antioxidant and a phosphorus antioxidant, and the weight ratio of the phenolic antioxidant to the phosphorus antioxidant is set to 0.1-0.25:0.05-0.1; wherein the phenolic antioxidant is at least one of antioxidant 1010, antioxidant 1078 and antioxidant 3114; and the phosphorus antioxidant is at least one of antioxidant 168 and antioxidant 626.

[0015] A method for fabricating colored TPE particles for ultrasound medical models, specifically comprising the following steps: S1. Mix the first solvent, oily dispersant and defoamer by weight and add them to a ball mill jar with multi-stage proportioned grinding balls. Add the pigment by weight to the ball mill jar for grinding and mixing to obtain a pigment pre-dispersion liquid. S2. Add the second solvent to the reactor according to the weight parts. After raising the temperature of the reactor to 150°C, add the star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer to the reactor in batches according to the weight parts. Raise the temperature to 190°C. Add the pigment pre-dispersion liquid obtained in step S1 to the reactor according to the weight parts and stir for 20-40 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, pulverize it to obtain the modified pigment. S3. The third solvent, linear styrene thermoplastic elastomer, antioxidant, modified pigment obtained in step S2, and C5 petroleum resin are mixed in parts by weight and then fed into a twin-screw extruder for extrusion, granulation, and drying to obtain colored TPE granules.

[0016] Furthermore, in step S1, the multi-grade grinding balls are three types of grinding balls with particle sizes of 1.5mm, 3mm, and 4mm, which are added to the grinding ball jar in a weight ratio of 2:5:3. The filling volume of the grinding balls accounts for 60-66% of the total volume of the ball mill. The grinding and mixing time is set to 40-50 hours, and the rotation direction of the grinding jar is adjusted every 6-8 hours. The mixing speed is set to 50-100 r / min.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S3, the extrusion temperature of the twin-screw extruder is set to 170–220°C.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: (1) In the process of making colored TPE particles in this application, a pigment pre-dispersion liquid is first prepared. The polyamino amide, polyurethane and acrylate dispersants used are oily dispersants, which can better disperse the pigment in the solvent. In the process of making modified pigment particles, star-shaped SEBS and / or star-shaped SEPS are used as pigment carriers. The three-dimensional network structure of star-shaped SEBS or star-shaped SEPS can effectively encapsulate and anchor pigment molecules, preventing the pigment from re-aggregating or migrating during subsequent high-temperature processing. (2) After the pigments are processed in these two steps, they are mixed with the raw materials in the following steps to obtain TPE particles. When used to make ultrasound medical models, the pigments do not aggregate during the process of high-temperature melting to low-temperature curing. They have good dispersibility and migration resistance, and the ultrasound simulation tissues produced have uniform color. (3) Furthermore, in this application, the pigment is pre-encapsulated and anchored with star-shaped SEBS and / or SEPS, avoiding stress concentration caused by direct dispersion of pigment in linear SEBS. This maximizes the preservation of the inherent mechanical properties of linear SEBS as the matrix material of this scheme. This makes the final colored TPE particles obtain excellent coloring stability while their mechanical properties meet the requirements of ultrasound medical models, thereby ensuring the acoustic performance of ultrasound medical models made using these colored TPE particles, making the ultrasound results real and accurate. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the simulated skin made from the TPE particles obtained in Example 16.

[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of simulated skin made from TPE particles obtained in Comparative Example 5.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the comparative experimental results of ultrasound imaging of simulated skin made from TPE particles obtained in Example 16 and Comparative Example 5. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0023] All raw materials used in this application are commercially available products. Among them: 10# and 26# paraffin oils are food grade – Shenzhen Zhongruntong Chemical Co., Ltd. Multi-component aminoamide dispersants, polyurethane dispersants, acrylate dispersants – Koning New Materials; Polyether silicone oil defoamer – Foshan Nanhai Datian; Star-shaped SEBS, Star-shaped SEPS, Linear SEBS – Boruida; Antioxidant 1010, Antioxidant 1078, Antioxidant 3114 – Nanjing Jingtianwei Chemical Co., Ltd. Antioxidant 168, Antioxidant 626 – BASF; C5 petroleum resin – Puyang Ruicheng Chemical Co., Ltd. Pigments - commercially available; Among them, SEBS is chemically known as styrene-ethylene-butene-styrene block copolymer; SEPS is chemically known as styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer.

[0024] The following section uses phthalocyanine blue pigment as a base pigment to produce blue TPE particles as an example to illustrate the overall scheme of this application in detail.

[0025] The preparation of the phthalocyanine blue predispersant is step S1: Example 1

[0026] 105 parts by weight of 26# paraffin oil, 0.2 parts by weight of 12-hydroxystearic acid-polyamide amine block copolymer, 0.1 parts by weight of polyester-type polyurethane block copolymer, and 0.1 parts by weight of polydimethylsiloxane-polyoxyolefin block copolymer were mixed and then added to a ball mill jar. The ball mill jar contained grinding balls with particle sizes of 1.5 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm, with a weight ratio of 2:5:3 between the particle sizes. The filling volume of the grinding balls accounted for 60% of the total volume of the ball mill jar. Phthalocyanine blue was added to the ball mill jar at a rotation speed of 50 r / min for ball milling and mixing for 40 hours. The rotation direction of the ball mill was changed every 8 hours. After the mixed pigment was allowed to stand for 2 hours, the grinding balls and pigment were separated using a filter with a pore size of 1 mm to obtain a phthalocyanine blue pigment pre-dispersion liquid.

[0027] In this embodiment, the grinding balls are set to different particle sizes, with different weight ratios for each particle size, and the filling volume ratio of the grinding balls in the grinding jar is set so that the pigment can be fully dispersed in the 26# paraffin oil under the dual action of the grinding balls and the dispersant, resulting in a uniformly dispersed phthalocyanine blue pigment pre-dispersion that is not prone to stratification.

[0028] In this embodiment, the 26# paraffin oil used is food-grade paraffin oil with a kinematic viscosity of 20 mm² / s at 40°C and a flash point of 230°C. The purpose of selecting paraffin oil with these physical properties in this step is to ensure that no agglomeration occurs when the pigment and solvent are initially mixed, that the pigment is easily dispersed in the solvent, and that the prepared pigment pre-dispersion is stable and does not easily separate into layers, thus providing a stable foundation for the next step of producing modified pigment particles.

[0029] The difference between Example 2 and Example 1 is that 0.3 parts of 12-hydroxystearic acid-polyamide amine block copolymer were used, the filling volume of the grinding balls accounted for 66% of the total volume of the ball mill jar, the mixing time was 48 hours, and the rotation direction of the ball mill was changed every 6 hours.

[0030] The difference between Example 3 and Example 1 is that 0.1 parts of polyester-type polyurethane block copolymer are replaced with 0.2 parts of alkyl acrylate copolymer.

[0031] The difference between Example 4 and Example 1 is that 26# paraffin oil is 118 parts.

[0032] Comparative Example 1 Based on Example 1, 26# paraffin oil was replaced with an equal amount of 90# paraffin oil.

[0033] The preparation of modified phthalocyanine blue pigment is step S2: The star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer mentioned in this step is at least one of star-shaped SEBS and star-shaped SEPS. Specifically, the styrene content of the star-shaped SEBS is 25% to 33%, and the styrene content of the star-shaped SEPS is 20% to 30%. When star-shaped SEBS and star-shaped SEPS are used in combination in this step, the weight ratio of the two is 1 to 2: 0.3 to 0.8. Example 5

[0034] 85 parts by weight of 10# paraffin oil were added to the reactor. After the reactor temperature was raised to 150°C, 6 parts by weight of star-shaped SEBS were added to the reactor in two batches at a stirring speed of 240 r / min. The temperature was then raised to 190°C. After the star-shaped SEBS was completely melted, 35 parts by weight of the phthalocyanine blue pre-dispersion obtained in Example 1 were added to the reactor and stirred for 10 min. After cooling, the mixture was pulverized to obtain modified phthalocyanine blue pigment. In this example, the styrene content of the star-shaped SEBS was 25%. In this step, the three-dimensional network structure of the star-shaped SEBS carrier effectively encapsulated and anchored the phthalocyanine blue pigment, further preventing the opportunity for pigment aggregation. Furthermore, the modified pigment particles obtained in this step were less prone to clumping, facilitating mixing with other raw materials in step S3.

[0035] In this embodiment, the No. 10 paraffin oil has a kinematic viscosity of 10 mm² / s at 40°C and a flash point of 200°C. Using this paraffin oil with these physical properties in this step helps anchor the star-shaped SEBS to the pigment, resulting in a stronger bond between the pigment and the star-shaped SEBS.

[0036] The difference between Example 6 and Example 5 is that 88 parts of No. 10 paraffin oil and 8 parts of star-shaped SEPS are added. In this example, the styrene content of the star-shaped SEPS is 28%.

[0037] The difference between Example 7 and Example 5 is that the added phthalocyanine blue pre-dispersion is the one obtained in Example 2, and the star-shaped SEBS is 5 parts, the star-shaped SEPS is 1.5 parts, the styrene content of the star-shaped SEBS is 30%, and the styrene content of the star-shaped SEPS is 20%.

[0038] The difference between Example 8 and Example 5 is that the phthalocyanine blue pre-dispersion solution with 93 parts of 10# paraffin oil added is the same as that obtained in Example 3, and the star-shaped SEBS has 8 parts, the star-shaped SEPS has 6 parts, the styrene content of the star-shaped SEBS is 25%, and the styrene content of the star-shaped SEPS is 30%.

[0039] The difference between Example 9 and Example 5 is that the added phthalocyanine blue predispersant is the same as that obtained in Example 4.

[0040] Granulation is step S3: In this step, the third solvent is 26# paraffin oil and 10# paraffin oil; the linear thermoplastic elastomer is linear SEBS, and the styrene content of the linear SEBS is 20% to 30%; the antioxidant is a phenolic antioxidant and a phosphorus antioxidant, and the weight ratio of the phenolic antioxidant to the phosphorus antioxidant is set to 0.1 to 0.25: 0.05 to 0.1; wherein the phenolic antioxidant is at least one of antioxidant 1010, antioxidant 1078, and antioxidant 3114; the phosphorus antioxidant is at least one of antioxidant 168 and antioxidant 626; and C5 petroleum resin is used to improve the toughness of the substrate. Example 10

[0041] The following mixtures were prepared by weight: 80 parts of 26# paraffin oil, 6 parts of 10# paraffin oil, 8 parts of linear SEBS, 0.2 parts of antioxidant 1078, 0.1 parts of antioxidant 168, 0.1 parts of modified phthalocyanine blue obtained in Example 5, and 1 part of C5 petroleum resin. The mixture was then fed into a twin-screw extruder with an aspect ratio of 32 (L / D=32) for extrusion granulation, followed by drying to obtain phthalocyanine blue TPE granules. In this embodiment, the extrusion temperature of the twin-screw extruder was set to 170℃, 180℃, 190℃, 200℃, 210℃, 220℃, 220℃, 210℃, and 200℃ for each section of the barrel from the feed port to the die head. The linear SEBS contained 20% styrene. In this step, the phthalocyanine blue pigment does not come into direct contact with the linear SEBS, but is uniformly dispersed in the linear SEBS under the coating of star-shaped SEBS, thus maintaining the mechanical properties of the linear SEBS itself.

[0042] The difference between Example 11 and Example 10 is that 84 parts of 26# paraffin oil, 4 parts of 10# paraffin oil, and 10 parts of linear SEBS are used, and the styrene content of the linear SEBS is 25%.

[0043] The difference between Example 12 and Example 10 is that 1.8 parts of C5 petroleum resin were added, and the modified phthalocyanine blue added was obtained in Example 6.

[0044] The difference between Example 13 and Example 10 is that 80 parts of 26# paraffin oil, 10 parts of 10# paraffin oil, 12 parts of linear SEBS, 0.6 parts of C5 petroleum resin, and the modified phthalocyanine blue added is the one obtained in Example 7. The antioxidant can be 0.2 parts of antioxidant 1078 and 0.1 parts of antioxidant 626.

[0045] The difference between Example 14 and Example 10 is that the modified phthalocyanine blue added is the same as that obtained in Example 8, consisting of 0.2 parts of antioxidant 3114 and 0.25 parts of antioxidant 168.

[0046] The difference between Example 15 and Example 10 is that the modified phthalocyanine blue added is the same as that obtained in Example 9.

[0047] The above embodiments illustrate the process conditions for producing colored TPE particles using phthalocyanine blue pigment as an example. In this application, other pigments such as modified titanium dioxide, carbon black, permanent yellow, permanent red, and phthalocyanine blue can be combined in any way within a weight range of 0.5 to 30 parts, depending on the color requirements of the ultrasound medical model. Here, the weight range of 0.5 to 30 parts refers to the total amount of all pigments added in step S1. Through the above process steps, TPE particles of pure white, pure black, pure yellow, pure red, and pure blue can be produced. Alternatively, in the step of preparing the pigment pre-dispersion liquid, modified titanium dioxide, carbon black, phthalocyanine blue, permanent yellow, and permanent red can be combined in any way as needed and added to a ball mill for mixing to obtain a pre-dispersion liquid of the desired color.

[0048] The modified titanium dioxide is prepared by mixing 95 parts by weight of anhydrous ethanol, 5 parts by weight of deionized water and 0.3 parts by weight of titanate coupling agent, adjusting the pH to between 4.5 and 5.5, adding 30 parts by weight of titanium dioxide, mixing and stirring for 10 minutes, letting stand, filtering and drying to obtain modified titanium dioxide.

[0049] In some embodiments, the titanate coupling agent is 0.5 parts, the titanium dioxide is 40 parts, and the mixing time is 20 minutes.

[0050] Comparative Example 2 Taking phthalocyanine blue pigment as an example, the modified phthalocyanine blue particles prepared in Example 5 were converted according to the actual mass of phthalocyanine blue pigment they contained, and replaced with an equal amount of the original phthalocyanine blue pigment that had not been encapsulated. They were then mixed with other raw materials in Example 10, extruded in a twin-screw extruder in step S3, granulated, and dried to obtain phthalocyanine blue TPE particles.

[0051] Comparative Example 3 Taking phthalocyanine blue pigment as an example, the modified phthalocyanine blue particles prepared in Example 5 are converted according to the actual mass of phthalocyanine blue pigment they contain, and replaced with a masterbatch containing an equal amount of phthalocyanine blue pigment. They are then mixed with other raw materials in Example 10, extruded in a twin-screw extruder in step S3, granulated, and dried to obtain phthalocyanine blue TPE particles.

[0052] Comparative Example 4 The difference between the comparative example and Example 10 is that the 26# paraffin oil and 10# paraffin oil in Example 10 were replaced with an equal amount of naphthenic oil, and the linear SEBS was replaced with an equal amount of linear SBS. Example 16

[0053] This embodiment involves mixing various pigments according to a weight ratio to create colored TPE particles for the fabrication of simulated skin. The specific steps are as follows: S1. Mix 100 parts by weight of 26# medical paraffin oil, 0.3 parts by weight of 12-hydroxystearic acid-polyamide amine block copolymer, 0.1 parts by weight of polyester-type polyurethane block copolymer, and 0.1 parts by weight of polydimethylsiloxane-polyoxyolefin block copolymer, and then put them into a ball mill jar. The ball mill jar contains grinding balls with particle sizes of 1.5 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm, with a weight ratio of 2:5:3 between the particle sizes. The filling volume of the grinding balls accounts for 60% of the total volume of the ball mill jar. At a rotation speed of 50 r / min, add modified titanium dioxide, permanent red, permanent yellow, and pigment carbon black in a weight ratio of 1:0.2:0.1:0.05 (Note: the weight of the mixed pigment obtained by this ratio is between 0.5 and 30 parts) into the ball mill jar for ball milling and mixing. The total weight of the pigment mixture is 2 parts. The mixing time is 40 hours, and the rotation direction of the ball mill is changed every 8 hours to obtain a pigment pre-dispersion liquid. S2. Add 85 parts by weight of 10# paraffin oil to the reactor. After raising the temperature of the reactor to 150°C, add 6 parts by weight of star-shaped SEBS and 2.4 parts by weight of star-shaped SEPS in two batches at a stirring speed of 240 r / min. Continue to raise the temperature to 190°C. After the star-shaped SEBS and star-shaped SEPS are completely melted, add 35 parts by weight of the pigment pre-dispersion liquid obtained in step S1 to the reactor and stir for 10 min. After cooling, pulverize it to obtain the modified pigment. S3. Mix 82 parts by weight of 26# paraffin oil, 5 parts by weight of 10# paraffin oil, 12 parts by weight of linear SEBS, 1.5 parts by weight of C5 petroleum resin, 0.1 parts by weight of antioxidant 1010, 0.1 parts by weight of antioxidant 168, and 0.15 parts by weight of modified pigment. Then feed the mixture into a twin-screw extruder for extrusion, granulation, and drying to obtain TPE particles suitable for ultrasonic simulated skin.

[0054] Comparative Example 5 The difference between Comparative Example 5 and Example 16 is that the modified pigments added in step S2 are converted into the original pigments modified titanium dioxide, permanent red, permanent yellow and pigment carbon black in the same weight ratio and directly mixed with the other raw materials in step S3. After extrusion in a twin-screw extruder, the mixture is granulated and dried to obtain TPE particles suitable for ultrasonic simulated skin.

[0055] Experimental Test The performance test results of the pigment predispersant are shown in Table 1 below: Table 1

[0056] The experimental data above show that the pigment pre-dispersion liquid obtained by this application has good stability and good fluidity, which provides a favorable foundation for the subsequent production steps. The poor fluidity of the 90# paraffin oil in Comparative Example 1 is not conducive to the collection of the pigment pre-dispersion liquid, which increases the difficulty of production operation.

[0057] 2. The performance test results of the modified pigments are shown in Table 2 below: Table 2

[0058] The modified pigment obtained in step S2 should have poor self-adhesion. The worse the self-adhesion, the less likely the modified pigments are to agglomerate, which is beneficial for mixing the modified pigments with the raw materials in the next step.

[0059] 3. The experimental results are based on the phthalocyanine blue TPE particles prepared in Examples 10-15, the phthalocyanine blue TPE particles obtained in Comparative Example 2, the phthalocyanine blue TPE particles obtained by adding a color masterbatch in Comparative Example 3, and the phthalocyanine blue TPE particles obtained in Comparative Example 4; and the TPE particles with mixed pigments obtained in Examples 16 and Comparative Example 5. These samples were subjected to high-temperature injection molding to obtain test samples. The samples underwent contact migration resistance testing, ultrasonic testing for ultrasonic acoustic performance, hardness testing, and aging testing. The results are shown in Table 3. Table 3

[0060] The experimental data above show that the pigments in the ultrasound medical model made using the colored TPE obtained in this application are evenly dispersed, the product has good stability, and the ultrasound imaging effect during use is guaranteed. Its ultrasound acoustic performance is consistent with that of real human tissue (the sound velocity of real human tissue is generally 1540±10 m / s during ultrasound examination), thus ensuring the authenticity and accuracy of ultrasound images, which is beneficial to medical teaching.

[0061] (2) The experimental results, using the colored TPE obtained through the manufacturing processes of Example 16 and Comparative Example 5, are used to fabricate ultrasonic simulated skin to illustrate the beneficial effects of this application. Specific experimental results are as follows: Figures 1-2 As shown, Figure 1 The colored TPE prepared in Example 16 was used to obtain ultrasonic simulated skin through high-temperature injection molding. This ultrasonic simulated skin has uniform color, no pigment aggregation, and good pigment dispersion. Figure 2 The colored TPE prepared for Comparative Example 5 was used to obtain ultrasonic simulated skin through high-temperature injection molding. This ultrasonic simulated skin showed pigment aggregation and poor pigment dispersion. Figure 3(a) is used Figure 1 The image shows the result of ultrasound imaging of simulated skin, with clear and uniform ultrasound imaging. Figure 3 (b) for use Figure 2 The image shows the result of ultrasound imaging of simulated skin, indicating uneven ultrasound imaging.

[0062] In summary, the colored TPE particles produced using this application exhibit significantly improved dispersion and migration resistance, regardless of whether they are used to create single-color or mixed-color ultrasound medical models. This solves the problem of uneven pigment dispersion and pigment aggregation, which is common in traditional methods involving direct mixing of pigment base materials, high-temperature casting, and low-temperature cooling, thus affecting the product's appearance. Furthermore, the acoustic properties of ultrasound medical models made using these colored TPE particles are similar to those of real human tissue, ensuring the realism and accuracy of ultrasound imaging.

[0063] The above embodiments are preferred embodiments of this application, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention should be considered equivalent substitutions and are included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A type of colored TPE particle for use in ultrasound medical models, characterized in that, Its raw material composition and the components by weight are as follows: 8-12 parts of linear styrene thermoplastic elastomer, 85-90 parts of third solvent, 0.2-0.3 parts of antioxidant, 0.1-1.5 parts of modified pigment, and 0.5-2 parts of C5 petroleum resin; The raw materials and components of the modified pigment, by weight, are as follows: 5-15 parts of star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer, 85-95 parts of second solvent, and 35-40 parts of pigment pre-dispersion solution; The raw materials and components of the pigment pre-dispersion liquid, by weight, are as follows: The first solvent is 100-120 parts, the pigment is 0.5-30 parts, the oily dispersant is 0.3-0.45 parts, and the defoamer is 0.1-0.15 parts.

2. The colored TPE particles for ultrasound medical models according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first solvent is 26# paraffin oil; the oily dispersant is at least one of polyaminoamides, polyurethanes, and acrylates; and the defoamer is a polyether silicone oil.

3. The colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multi-amino amide dispersant is a 12-hydroxystearic acid-polyamide amine block copolymer; the polyurethane dispersant is a polyester-type polyurethane block copolymer; the acrylate dispersant is an alkyl acrylate copolymer; and the polyether silicone oil defoamer is a polydimethylsiloxane-polyoxyolefin block copolymer.

4. The colored TPE particles for ultrasound medical models according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pigments include at least one of modified titanium dioxide, phthalocyanine blue, permanent yellow, permanent red, and pigment carbon black.

5. The colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second solvent is 10# paraffin oil; the star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer is at least one of star-shaped SEBS and star-shaped SEPS.

6. The colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 5, characterized in that, When star-shaped SEBS and star-shaped SEPS are used in combination, the mixing ratio by weight is 1-2:0.3-0.

8.

7. A colored TPE particle for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The star-shaped SEBS has a styrene content of 25% to 33%; the star-shaped SEPS has a styrene content of 20% to 30%.

8. The colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third solvent is 26# paraffin oil and 10# paraffin oil, and the linear styrene thermoplastic elastomer is linear SEBS.

9. The colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 8, characterized in that, The linear SEBS has a styrene content of 20% to 30%.

10. The colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antioxidants are phenolic antioxidants and phosphorus antioxidants, and the weight ratio of the phenolic antioxidants to the phosphorus antioxidants is set to 0.1-0.25:0.05-0.1; wherein the phenolic antioxidants are at least one of antioxidant 1010, antioxidant 1078 and antioxidant 3114; and the phosphorus antioxidants are at least one of antioxidant 168 and antioxidant 626.

11. A method for manufacturing colored TPE particles for ultrasound medical models, characterized in that, Specifically, the production steps include the following: S1. Mix the first solvent, oily dispersant and defoamer by weight and add them to a ball mill jar with multi-stage proportioned grinding balls. Add the pigment by weight to the ball mill jar for grinding and mixing to obtain a pigment pre-dispersion liquid. S2. Add the second solvent to the reactor according to the weight parts. After raising the temperature of the reactor to 150°C, add the star-shaped styrene thermoplastic elastomer to the reactor in batches according to the weight parts. Raise the temperature to 190°C. Add the pigment pre-dispersion liquid obtained in step S1 to the reactor according to the weight parts and stir for 20-40 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, pulverize it to obtain the modified pigment. S3. The third solvent, linear styrene thermoplastic elastomer, antioxidant, modified pigment obtained in step S2, and C5 petroleum resin are mixed in parts by weight and then fed into a twin-screw extruder for extrusion, granulation, and drying to obtain colored TPE granules.

12. A method for manufacturing colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 11, characterized in that, In step S1, the multi-grade grinding balls are three types of grinding balls with particle sizes of 1.5mm, 3mm, and 4mm, which are added to the grinding ball jar in a weight ratio of 2:5:

3. The filling volume of the grinding balls accounts for 60-66% of the total volume of the ball mill. The grinding and mixing time is set to 40-50 hours. The rotation direction of the grinding jar is adjusted every 6-8 hours, and the mixing speed is set to 50-100 r / min.

13. A method for manufacturing colored TPE particles for an ultrasound medical model according to claim 11, characterized in that, In step S3, the extrusion temperature of the twin-screw extruder is set to 170–220°C.

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