Thermal insulation system for medical organ transportation

Abstract

The invention discloses a heat preservation system for medical organ transportation, and relates to the technical field of medical transportation and preservation. The heat preservation cabin module is used for constructing a sealed storage heat preservation space through a composite structure shell; the vibration supporting module is used for absorbing frequency vibration in the transportation process of the unmanned aerial vehicle through a damping assembly; the adaptive cooling module is used for maintaining the internal temperature of the sealed storage heat preservation space through a cold storage unit and a refrigeration unit; and the intelligent temperature control module is used for acquiring the internal temperature gradient and the external temperature of the sealed storage heat preservation space, and determining the operation states of the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit according to a comparison result between a preset stable temperature range in the cabin and an external preset temperature. Three different working modes can be intelligently switched according to the change of the temperature gradient in the heat preservation cabin and the change of the external environment temperature, and therefore it can be ensured that organs can be kept within the preset stable low-temperature range in the whole transportation process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical transport and preservation technology, specifically a temperature-preservation system for transporting medical organs. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, drone technology has demonstrated enormous potential in the field of medical transportation. Particularly in organ transplantation, time is often a critical factor determining the success or failure of a surgery. Currently, my country performs approximately 20,000 organ transplant surgeries annually, while the number of patients waiting for transplants far exceeds the supply capacity. Organs have extremely limited survival time after being removed from the body; for example, a heart may experience functional decline after being refrigerated for more than four hours, severely impacting the success rate of transplantation.

[0003] Traditional organ transport relies primarily on ground vehicles. While these methods offer some cold chain protection, transport time is highly unpredictable due to factors such as traffic conditions, route planning, and weather. Furthermore, existing medical insulated boxes often employ bulky structures and simple physical insulation methods (such as ice cooling), making precise temperature control difficult and prone to temperature fluctuations or localized low-temperature damage. Moreover, these insulated boxes fail to meet the stringent requirements of drone transport in terms of weight, compact design, and low energy consumption.

[0004] While drone transport offers advantages such as speed, flexible routes, and avoidance of ground traffic congestion, the limited payload space of drones makes existing thermal insulation systems ill-suited for their cramped compartments. Furthermore, because aircraft are extremely sensitive to weight distribution and aerodynamic performance, traditional thermal enclosure structures cannot meet their lightweight and streamlined design requirements. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a highly efficient and precise temperature control system suitable for air transport to maintain the stable low-temperature environment required for organ preservation even under complex conditions such as vibration and pressure changes. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a temperature-preserving system for transporting medical organs, comprising: Insulated compartment module: A sealed storage and insulated space is constructed through a composite structure shell. At the same time, an organ fixation component is set inside the sealed storage and insulated space for fixing and placing the organ to be transported. Vibration support module: Absorbs frequency vibrations during drone transportation by means of shock-absorbing components installed inside the sealed storage and insulation space; Adaptive cooling module: Maintains the internal temperature of the sealed storage and insulation space through the provided cold storage unit and refrigeration unit; Intelligent temperature control module: Through a sensor network, it collects the internal temperature gradient and external temperature of the sealed storage and insulation space, and compares them with the preset stable temperature range inside the chamber and the preset external temperature, respectively. Based on the comparison results, it determines the operating status of the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit, specifically: When the internal temperature gradient is within the preset stable temperature range inside the cabin and the external temperature is lower than the preset external temperature, the refrigeration unit is turned off and the cold storage unit is turned on; when the internal temperature gradient is greater than the upper limit of the preset stable temperature range inside the cabin or the external temperature is not lower than the preset external temperature, the refrigeration unit is turned on and the cold storage unit is turned off; otherwise, the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit are turned on simultaneously.

[0007] Furthermore, the composite structure shell includes a carbon fiber shell and a vacuum insulation panel, the vacuum insulation panel being disposed inside the carbon fiber shell. The carbon fiber shell includes multiple layers of prepreg carbon fiber cloth, and the vacuum insulation panel includes a porous core material and a barrier film bag, with the porous core material and the barrier film bag being sealed together by vacuum.

[0008] Furthermore, the carbon fiber shell and the vacuum insulation panel are bonded and fixed together with thermally conductive silicone, and the vacuum insulation panel is provided with a protective layer on the outside, which includes, but is not limited to, microporous polyurethane foam or nano aerogel felt.

[0009] Furthermore, the organ fixation assembly includes a base support, the lower end of which is fixedly connected to a pre-embedded threaded part at the bottom of the sealed storage and insulation space by a buckle or bolt. The upper end of the base support is provided with multiple flexible silicone fixing cups, and the flexible silicone fixing cups are adapted to the shape and size of the organ to be transported. At the same time, a high-damping silicone shock absorber is provided between the flexible silicone fixing cups and the base support.

[0010] Furthermore, the vibration damping components include low-frequency vibration damping components, medium-frequency vibration damping components, and high-frequency vibration damping components, which are arranged in order from low to high, and the vibration damping components are located at the four corners inside the sealed storage and heat preservation space.

[0011] Furthermore, the low-frequency vibration damping component is configured as a silicone vibration damping base, and the silicone vibration damping base has a central metal screw hole in the middle. The medium-frequency vibration damping component and the low-frequency vibration damping component are connected by threads through the central metal screw hole. Meanwhile, the high-frequency vibration damping component is configured as a piezoelectric stack actuator, which is located on top of the medium-frequency vibration damping component and is connected to the inner wall of the sealed storage and insulation space.

[0012] Furthermore, the intermediate frequency damping component includes a helical spring and a viscous fluid damper. The helical spring is sleeved on the outside of the viscous fluid damper, and the central connecting rod of the viscous fluid damper is threadedly connected to the central metal screw hole. Meanwhile, the high frequency damping component is located at the upper end of the helical spring.

[0013] Furthermore, the refrigeration unit includes at least two thermoelectric cooling elements. The hot end of the thermoelectric cooling element is attached to a copper water-cooled block, and the hot end of the thermoelectric cooling element is connected to a radiator via a micro ceramic pump. Meanwhile, the cold end of the thermoelectric cooling element exchanges heat with the interior of the sealed storage and insulation space via a thermal bridge.

[0014] Furthermore, the cold storage unit includes multiple PCM encapsulation tubes connected in parallel. The PCM encapsulation tubes are disposed on the inner wall of the sealed storage and insulation space, and the PCM encapsulation tubes are connected to quick-connect interfaces via coils. The quick-connect interfaces are disposed on the outside of the sealed storage and insulation space, and the PCM encapsulation tubes are connected to an external portable pre-cooling unit via quick-connect interfaces.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: Firstly, this invention, through the coordinated operation of the intelligent temperature control module and the adaptive cooling module, can intelligently switch between three different working modes according to the temperature gradient inside the insulated chamber and the changes in the external ambient temperature. This ensures that the organs are maintained within a preset stable low temperature range throughout the transportation process, effectively avoiding the temperature fluctuations or local low temperature damage that may be caused by the use of ice in traditional insulated boxes, and greatly improving the preservation quality of organs. Secondly, the vibration support module of this invention adopts a three-level composite vibration reduction design of low frequency, medium frequency and high frequency, which can not only effectively absorb and isolate the full-frequency vibration generated during the transportation of drones, but also provide comprehensive mechanical protection for transplanted organs, thereby preventing organ and tissue damage caused by vibration. Thirdly, this invention constructs a composite structure shell using a carbon fiber shell and a vacuum insulation panel, which achieves lightweight and high strength while ensuring extremely high thermal insulation performance, thereby meeting the requirements of UAVs for payload weight and space. Fourthly, this invention reduces the power consumption of the drone by coordinating the operation of the active cooling unit and the passive cold storage unit, thereby increasing the drone's single flight endurance. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a system block diagram of the thermal insulation system in this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the transport drone in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the transport drone in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] refer to Figures 1-3 This embodiment provides a thermal insulation system for medical organ transportation. The system includes a thermal insulation chamber module, a vibration support module, an adaptive cooling module, and an intelligent temperature control module. The thermal insulation chamber module is constructed using a composite outer shell and organ fixation components. Sensor components inside the thermal insulation chamber module adjust their operation based on the control signals from the intelligent temperature control module. Simultaneously, a vibration support module is constructed using low-frequency, medium-frequency, and high-frequency vibration damping components to reduce vibration during transport by drone. An adaptive cooling module is constructed using a cold storage unit and a refrigeration unit to determine the optimal operating mode based on changes in external ambient temperature and the internal temperature of the thermal insulation chamber. The intelligent temperature control module detects and acquires sensor data through a sensor network and determines the corresponding adjustment signal based on this data using an adaptive PID control algorithm.

[0019] In this embodiment, the insulated cabin module is equipped with multiple temperature monitoring probes to detect and obtain the temperature at multiple different locations inside the insulated cabin module, and to intelligently adjust the internal insulation temperature according to the detected temperature to ensure the stability of the insulation temperature of the drone during transportation.

[0020] Furthermore, the drone is equipped with a streamlined storage compartment. This insulated compartment module is constructed through a composite structure shell to create a sealed, insulated storage space. Inside this sealed storage space, an organ fixation component is installed to secure the organs to be transported. Specifically, the composite structure shell includes a carbon fiber shell and a vacuum insulation panel, with the vacuum insulation panel located inside the carbon fiber shell. The exterior of the insulated compartment module features a streamlined design and is fitted to fit the streamlined storage compartment on the drone. In this embodiment, the carbon fiber shell includes multiple layers of prepreg carbon fiber cloth, obtained by impregnating epoxy resin into the carbon fiber cloth. The vacuum insulation panel in this embodiment includes a porous core material (such as fumed silica) and a barrier film bag (such as a metal composite membrane), with the porous core material and the barrier film bag sealed together by vacuum. It is worth noting that when the carbon fiber shell and the vacuum insulation panel are bonded and fixed together with high-performance thermally conductive silicone, a protective layer is provided on the outside of the vacuum insulation panel, and this protective layer includes, but is not limited to, microporous polyurethane foam or nano aerogel felt.

[0021] Furthermore, the organ fixation assembly includes a base support, which can be quickly installed onto pre-embedded threaded parts at the bottom of the sealed, insulated storage space via clips or bolts. The upper end of the base support is equipped with multiple flexible silicone fixation cups of different shapes; that is, a corresponding flexible silicone fixation cup is set according to the shape and size of the organ to be transported. A high-damping silicone shock absorber is also installed between the flexible silicone fixation cups and the base support to act as a mechanical buffer barrier between the two.

[0022] In this embodiment, the vibration support module is equipped with low-frequency damping components, medium-frequency damping components, and high-frequency damping components, all of which are disposed inside the sealed storage and insulation space. Specifically, the low-frequency damping component is configured as a cylindrical or square silicone damping base, with a central metal screw hole in the middle. The low-frequency damping component is also positioned at the four corners of the sealed storage and insulation space to form the main vibration isolation layer. Through its lower natural frequency, it effectively avoids the main low-frequency vibrations generated by the UAV rotor, thereby achieving basic isolation.

[0023] Furthermore, the mid-frequency damping component is configured with a helical spring and a viscous fluid damper, with the helical spring sleeved on the outside of the viscous fluid damper. At the same time, the mid-frequency damping component is located at the upper end of the low-frequency damping component, that is, the central connecting rod of the viscous fluid damper is connected to the central metal screw hole of the silicone damping base, thereby attenuating and absorbing mid-frequency vibrations that can penetrate the primary isolation caused by the resonance of the body structure and airflow disturbance.

[0024] Furthermore, the high-frequency damping component is configured as a piezoelectric stack actuator, which is located on top of the medium-frequency damping component and connected to the inner wall of the sealed storage and insulation space. That is, based on the vibration magnitude monitored by the vibration acceleration sensor installed on the sealed storage and insulation space, the piezoelectric stack actuator applies a corresponding counterforce to actively counteract the high-frequency vibrations and transient impacts transmitted to the enclosure. It is worth noting that the applied force of the piezoelectric stack actuator is determined based on the vibration magnitude monitored by the vibration acceleration sensor. This force is determined by the control system, such as a feedforward or feedback algorithm (a conventional technique, therefore not specifically described in this embodiment), to determine the corresponding applied counterforce. Based on the determined counterforce, a control command is sent to the piezoelectric stack actuator to determine the applied force.

[0025] In this embodiment, the adaptive cooling module includes a cold storage unit and a refrigeration unit to determine the optimal operating mode based on the temperature change between the external ambient temperature and the internal temperature of the insulated chamber. That is, the refrigeration unit is activated in a normal temperature environment, and the internal temperature of the sealed storage and insulated space is maintained through the coordinated operation between the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit after pre-cooling or in a low temperature environment, thereby saving the power of the drone and extending the drone's flight time.

[0026] Specifically, the refrigeration unit in this embodiment includes at least two thermoelectric cooling elements. The hot end of each thermoelectric cooling element is bonded to a copper water-cooled block, and the hot end is connected to a radiator via a micro-ceramic pump. Notably, the radiator in this embodiment is a high-density finned radiator, positioned at the ventilation opening of the UAV cargo compartment. During flight transport, forced airflow provides cooling, rapidly dissipating the heat generated by the thermoelectric cooling elements and maintaining the high refrigeration efficiency of the cold storage unit. Simultaneously, the cold end of the thermoelectric cooling elements exchanges heat with the sealed, insulated storage space via a thermal bridge, such as a vapor chamber.

[0027] Furthermore, the cold storage unit is configured as a phase change material (PCM) module. The PCM module comprises multiple parallel PCM encapsulation tubes, each containing liquid phase change material and a nucleating agent. These PCM encapsulation tubes are mounted on the inner wall of a sealed, insulated storage space. Specifically, the PCM encapsulation tubes on the inner wall of the sealed storage space are connected via coils to a quick-connect interface on the outside of the space, which in turn connects to an external portable pre-cooling unit. During operation, after the PCM encapsulation tubes are connected to the external portable pre-cooling unit via the quick-connect interface, refrigerants such as ethylene glycol-water can circulate, rapidly cooling the liquid phase change material within the PCM encapsulation tubes to a completely solidified state, thus storing a large amount of cold energy.

[0028] In this embodiment, the intelligent temperature control module determines the corresponding temperature gradient by measuring the temperature at multiple different locations inside the sealed and insulated space, and collects the corresponding external temperature, humidity and air pressure data through the set temperature and humidity sensors and air pressure sensors.

[0029] Specifically, in this embodiment, the obtained temperature gradient and external temperature are compared with the preset stable temperature range inside the chamber and the preset external temperature, respectively. Based on the comparison results, the operation of the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit is determined, specifically as follows: When the acquired temperature gradient is within the preset stable temperature range inside the cabin and the external temperature is lower than the preset external temperature, the refrigeration unit shuts down and the cold storage unit starts up. When the acquired temperature gradient is greater than the upper limit of the preset stable temperature range inside the cabin or the external temperature is not lower than the preset external temperature, the refrigeration unit starts up and the cold storage unit shuts down. Conversely, when the temperature gradient is not within the preset stable temperature range, both the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit start up simultaneously for rapid cooling.

[0030] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended embodiments and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs, characterized in that, Including: Insulated compartment module: A sealed storage and insulated space is constructed through a composite structure shell. At the same time, an organ fixation component is set inside the sealed storage and insulated space for fixing and placing the organ to be transported. Vibration support module: Absorbs frequency vibrations during drone transportation by means of shock-absorbing components installed inside the sealed storage and insulation space; Adaptive cooling module: Maintains the internal temperature of the sealed storage and insulation space through the provided cold storage unit and refrigeration unit; Intelligent temperature control module: Through a sensor network, it collects the internal temperature gradient and external temperature of the sealed storage and insulation space, and compares them with the preset stable temperature range inside the chamber and the preset external temperature, respectively. Based on the comparison results, it determines the operating status of the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit, specifically: When the internal temperature gradient is within the preset stable temperature range inside the cabin and the external temperature is lower than the preset external temperature, the refrigeration unit is turned off and the cold storage unit is turned on; when the internal temperature gradient is greater than the upper limit of the preset stable temperature range inside the cabin or the external temperature is not lower than the preset external temperature, the refrigeration unit is turned on and the cold storage unit is turned off; otherwise, the cold storage unit and the refrigeration unit are turned on simultaneously.

2. The thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The composite structure shell includes a carbon fiber shell and a vacuum insulation panel. The vacuum insulation panel is disposed inside the carbon fiber shell. The carbon fiber shell includes multiple layers of prepreg carbon fiber cloth. The vacuum insulation panel includes a porous core material and a barrier film bag. The porous core material and the barrier film bag are sealed together by vacuum.

3. The thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 2, characterized in that, The carbon fiber shell and the vacuum insulation panel are bonded and fixed together with thermally conductive silicone, and the vacuum insulation panel is provided with a protective layer on the outside, which includes, but is not limited to, microporous polyurethane foam or nano aerogel felt.

4. The thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The organ fixation assembly includes a base support. The lower end of the base support is fixedly connected to a pre-embedded threaded part at the bottom of the sealed storage and heat preservation space by a buckle or bolt. The upper end of the base support is provided with multiple flexible silicone fixing cups, and the flexible silicone fixing cups are adapted to the shape and size of the organ to be transported. At the same time, a high-damping silicone shock absorber is provided between the flexible silicone fixing cups and the base support.

5. The thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vibration damping components include low-frequency vibration damping components, medium-frequency vibration damping components, and high-frequency vibration damping components, which are arranged in order from low to high. The vibration damping components are located at the four corners inside the sealed storage and heat preservation space.

6. The thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 5, characterized in that, The low-frequency vibration damping component is configured as a silicone vibration damping base, and the silicone vibration damping base has a central metal screw hole in the middle. The medium-frequency vibration damping component and the low-frequency vibration damping component are connected by threads through the central metal screw hole. Meanwhile, the high-frequency vibration damping component is configured as a piezoelectric stack actuator, which is located on top of the medium-frequency vibration damping component and is connected to the inner wall of the sealed storage and heat preservation space.

7. A thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The medium-frequency damping component includes a helical spring and a viscous fluid damper. The helical spring is sleeved on the outside of the viscous fluid damper, and the central connecting rod of the viscous fluid damper is threadedly connected to the central metal screw hole. Meanwhile, the high-frequency damping component is located at the upper end of the helical spring.

8. The thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration unit includes at least two thermoelectric cooling elements. The hot end of the thermoelectric cooling element is attached to a copper water-cooled block, and the hot end of the thermoelectric cooling element is connected to a radiator through a micro ceramic pump. Meanwhile, the cold end of the thermoelectric cooling element exchanges heat with the interior of the sealed storage and insulation space through a thermal bridge.

9. A thermal insulation system for transporting medical organs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cold storage unit includes multiple PCM encapsulation tubes connected in parallel. The PCM encapsulation tubes are disposed on the inner wall of the sealed storage and insulation space, and are connected to a quick-connect interface via a coil. The quick-connect interface is located on the outside of the sealed storage and insulation space, and is also connected to an external portable pre-cooling unit via the quick-connect interface.

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