Pipeline liquid heating system and method based on focused ultrasound and temperature control method
By using a focused ultrasound-based tubular liquid heating system, the liquid inside the tubing is directly heated, solving the problem of nutrient solution temperature difference affecting cell culture. This achieves efficient and precise temperature control, avoiding energy waste and thermal hysteresis.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SUZHOU INST OF BIOMEDICAL ENG & TECH CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCI
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
In the existing technology, the temperature difference during the process of transporting the nutrient solution from a low temperature environment of 4°C to a culture room of 37°C causes the cell culture temperature environment to be disrupted, affecting cell growth. In addition, the existing pipeline heating method has problems of energy waste and inaccurate temperature control.
A pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound is adopted. The ultrasonic heating module generates focused ultrasonic waves to directly heat the liquid in the pipeline. Combined with a temperature feedback module and a control module, the working status and output power of the ultrasonic transducer are adjusted in real time to achieve precise temperature control.
It improves energy utilization, reduces thermal hysteresis, achieves efficient heating and precise temperature control of liquids with different pipe diameters, and protects the cell culture environment.
Smart Images
Figure CN122062373A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of cell culture technology, and in particular to a tubular liquid heating system and method based on focused ultrasound, and a temperature control method. Background Technology
[0002] Cell culture requires the provision of nutrient solutions and medium replacement. In automated equipment, no manual intervention is needed. Reagents (nutrient solutions) are mostly stored at a low temperature of 4°C. When replenishment or medium replacement is required, the fluidization system transports the nutrient solution from the 4°C reagent chamber to the 37°C culture chamber. Because of the significant temperature difference between the reagent chamber and the culture chamber, directly transporting the nutrient solution from the reagent chamber to the culture chamber can disrupt the cell culture temperature environment, affecting culture results and potentially leading to cell death. Therefore, the nutrient solution needs to be heated during the transport from the 4°C low-temperature environment to the culture chamber. Ideally, the temperature of the nutrient solution arriving in the chamber should be the same as the culture temperature, which is beneficial for cell culture.
[0003] One method is to heat the nutrient solution to maintain it at 37°C. This is possible for single or manual operations, but in long-term, automated equipment nutrient systems, the nutrient solution must be stored in a low-temperature environment of 4°C. A prolonged environment of 37°C will deactivate the nutrients.
[0004] Another method is to heat the pipe through which the liquid flows, transferring heat to the liquid inside the pipe. Existing infusion pipe heating devices (e.g., patent applications CN202510465111.8, CN202510504264.9, CN202510669833.5) transfer heat to the liquid inside the pipe using a heating element (such as a heating wire or heating plate). The pipe is typically made of silicone tubing. In resistance heating, the coil wound with the resistance wire heats both its inner and outer sides. Only the heat from the inner surface in contact with the pipe is ultimately conducted to the liquid inside, while most of the heat that overflows is lost to the air, resulting in unnecessary energy loss and waste. Furthermore, due to the significant heat loss, heating efficiency is significantly affected; the resistance heating temperature is often much higher than the set target temperature of the liquid inside the pipe, exhibiting a noticeable thermal hysteresis and making precise temperature control difficult. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives and other advantages of the present invention, a first objective of the present invention is to provide a pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound, comprising: An ultrasonic heating module is used to generate and emit focused ultrasonic waves, which penetrate the pipe wall and act directly on the liquid flowing inside the pipe to heat it. A temperature control module, electrically connected to the ultrasonic heating module, is used to control the working state of the ultrasonic heating module according to the target temperature. The liquid temperature feedback module is located at the liquid outlet or downstream of the heated pipeline to detect the temperature of the outflowing liquid in real time and feed the detected temperature signal back to the temperature control module.
[0006] Furthermore, the ultrasonic heating module includes: The module body has internal channels for accommodating and securing liquid pipelines; At least one focused ultrasound transducer is disposed on the module body and configured to focus the generated ultrasound waves onto the central region of the liquid conduit within the channel.
[0007] Furthermore, the module body is an openable and closable structure, including a first half and a second half arranged symmetrically, which together enclose the channel when closed.
[0008] Furthermore, there are multiple focused ultrasound transducers arranged in a linear array or spiral arrangement along the axial direction of the channel.
[0009] Furthermore, an ultrasonic coupling agent is filled between the inner wall of the channel and the outer wall of the liquid pipeline fixed therein.
[0010] A second objective of this invention is to provide a method for heating tubular liquids based on focused ultrasound, employing the aforementioned system and comprising the following steps: The liquid pipeline to be heated is fixedly installed in the channel of the ultrasonic heating module; An ultrasonic coupling agent is filled between the outer wall of the liquid pipeline and the inner wall of the channel. Set the target temperature for liquid heating; Start the system to allow liquid to flow through the liquid pipeline; The liquid temperature feedback module detects the temperature of the outflowing liquid in real time and feeds it back to the temperature control module. The temperature control module compares the feedback temperature with the target temperature and adjusts the output power of the ultrasonic heating module accordingly to control the heating temperature of the liquid in the pipeline.
[0011] Furthermore, the temperature control module adjusts the output power of the ultrasonic heating module in at least one of the following ways: Adjust the number of focused ultrasonic transducers in operation; Adjust the magnitude of the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducer; The duty cycle of the electrical signal driving the focused ultrasound transducer is modulated.
[0012] Furthermore, the temperature control module also includes a frequency tracking unit, which is used to acquire the electrical signals of the focused ultrasound transducer and adjust the frequency of the drive signal to make the focused ultrasound transducer work in a resonant state.
[0013] A third objective of this invention is to provide a temperature control method applied to the aforementioned focused ultrasound-based tubular liquid heating system, comprising: Receive the target temperature for liquid heating and the real-time liquid temperature detected by the liquid temperature feedback module; Based on the deviation between the target temperature and the real-time liquid temperature, a power control strategy for the ultrasonic heating module is determined. The power control strategy includes: controlling the number of focused ultrasound transducers turned on, and / or adjusting the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducers, and / or modulating the duty cycle of the driving signal; The power control strategy is executed to adjust the ultrasonic energy applied by the focused ultrasonic transducer to the liquid in the pipeline.
[0014] Furthermore, while adjusting the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducer or modulating the duty cycle of the driving signal, the method also includes the following steps: Monitor the phase relationship between the voltage and current of the focused ultrasound transducer; The frequency of the drive signal is dynamically adjusted to maintain the voltage and current in phase, ensuring that the focused ultrasound transducer operates at the resonant frequency.
[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention proposes a novel method for heating liquids inside pipelines based on focused ultrasound. This method uses focused ultrasound heating technology to directly heat the liquid inside the pipeline, overcoming problems such as temperature lag and high energy consumption associated with heating liquids in pipelines. The structure and temperature control strategy of the ultrasonic heating module proposed in this method can meet the liquid heating requirements of different pipe diameters.
[0016] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are given in detail in the following embodiments and their accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound. Figure 2 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the ultrasonic heating module; Figure 3 This is a block diagram of pipeline liquid heating temperature control based on focused ultrasound. Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a pipeline liquid heating method based on focused ultrasound. Figure 5 Here is a flowchart of the temperature control method; Figure 6 Flowchart for automatic frequency tracking. Detailed Implementation
[0018] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.
[0019] Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.
[0020] The drawing numbers in this application are only used to distinguish the steps in the scheme and are not used to limit the execution order of the steps. The specific execution order is as described in the specification.
[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.
[0022] To address the problems in the existing technology, this invention proposes a liquid pipeline heating system and method based on focused ultrasound. This system uses focused ultrasound to heat the liquid inside the pipeline. Utilizing the penetrability and focusability of focused ultrasound, low-energy ultrasound waves from outside the pipeline are focused and applied to the liquid inside. This invention directly heats the liquid inside the pipeline without heating the pipeline wall, resulting in high energy utilization and minimal thermal hysteresis. The specific solution is as follows: Example 1 A tubular liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, it includes: An ultrasonic heating module is used to generate and emit focused ultrasonic waves, which penetrate the pipe wall and act directly on the liquid flowing inside the pipe to heat it. A temperature control module, electrically connected to the ultrasonic heating module, is used to control the working state of the ultrasonic heating module according to the target temperature. The liquid temperature feedback module is located at the liquid outlet or downstream of the heated pipeline to detect the temperature of the outflowing liquid in real time and feed the detected temperature signal back to the temperature control module.
[0023] In this embodiment, the liquid temperature feedback module collects the liquid temperature at the pipeline outlet. It can use a contact temperature sensor, such as an NTC or thermocouple, or a non-contact ultrasonic or infrared temperature measurement.
[0024] Since different systems have different lengths and routes of liquid pipelines, it is preferable to install the ultrasonic heating module at the liquid inlet of the culture chamber. This can reduce heat loss of the liquid in the pipeline and reduce system power consumption.
[0025] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic heating module includes: The module body has internal channels for accommodating and securing liquid pipelines; At least one focused ultrasound transducer is disposed on the module body and configured to focus the generated ultrasound waves onto the central region of the liquid conduit within the channel.
[0026] The temperature controller receives the target temperature and feedback temperature of the liquid for heating, and adjusts the number of transducers and output power in real time to achieve stable control of the liquid temperature.
[0027] The system works as follows: the liquid pipeline is clamped in the ultrasonic heating module. When liquid flows through the pipeline, the temperature controller controls the ultrasonic transducer to work and outputs ultrasonic power to heat the liquid in the pipeline. The temperature of the liquid is detected at the outlet of the pipeline. The temperature controller adjusts the output power of the ultrasonic transducer in real time according to the liquid temperature at the outlet of the pipeline and the set target temperature, thereby achieving the purpose of heating the liquid in the pipeline.
[0028] The ultrasonic heating module can be cylindrical, prismatic, or other shapes, with a cylindrical groove at its center for placing liquid tubing. A number of focused ultrasonic transducers are placed on the outer wall of the ultrasonic heating module as needed.
[0029] Preferably, the module body is an openable structure, including a first half and a second half arranged symmetrically, which together enclose the channel when closed.
[0030] The structure of the ultrasonic heating module is as shown above. Figure 2 As shown, this module is typically connected by a hinge and can be divided into two symmetrical halves. After opening, the liquid pipeline is straightened and fixed at the center of the cylindrical slot of the heating module.
[0031] To accommodate different pipe diameters within a certain range, an ultrasonic coupling agent is filled between the inner wall of the channel and the outer wall of the liquid pipeline fixed therein. This serves two purposes: firstly, it is compatible with different pipe diameters, and secondly, it allows ultrasound to be efficiently coupled to the liquid inside the pipeline for heating.
[0032] Preferably, there are multiple focused ultrasound transducers arranged in a linear array or spiral arrangement along the axial direction of the channel.
[0033] Example 2 A method for heating liquid in a pipeline based on focused ultrasound, employing the system described above, is explained in detail in the corresponding descriptions of the system embodiments described above, and will not be repeated here. Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps: S1. The liquid pipeline to be heated is fixedly installed in the channel of the ultrasonic heating module; The structure of the ultrasonic heating module is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, this module is typically connected by a hinge and can be divided into two symmetrical halves. After opening, the liquid pipeline is straightened and fixed at the center of the cylindrical slot of the heating module.
[0034] S2. Fill the space between the outer wall of the liquid pipeline and the inner wall of the channel with an ultrasonic coupling agent; To accommodate different pipe diameters within a certain range, after the pipeline is fixed, an ultrasonic coupling agent needs to be applied between the wall of the liquid pipeline and the inner wall of the heating module. This ensures compatibility with different pipe diameters and allows the ultrasound to be efficiently coupled to the liquid inside the pipeline for heating.
[0035] S3, Set the target temperature for liquid heating; S4. Start the system to allow liquid to flow through the liquid pipeline; S5. The liquid temperature feedback module detects the temperature of the outflowing liquid in real time and feeds it back to the temperature control module. S6. The temperature control module compares the feedback temperature with the target temperature and adjusts the output power of the ultrasonic heating module accordingly to control the heating temperature of the liquid in the pipeline.
[0036] In some embodiments, the temperature control module adjusts the output power of the ultrasonic heating module in at least one of the following ways: The number of focused ultrasonic transducers in operation is adjusted. Specifically, after setting the target temperature, the temperature controller is activated. Based on the deviation between the current liquid temperature and the target temperature measured by the feedback sensor, the temperature controller activates a certain number of focused transducers and outputs a certain amount of energy. By turning different numbers of focused transducers on and off, the heating power of the liquid in the pipeline can be controlled to meet the needs of different pipe diameters.
[0037] Adjust the power of the focused ultrasonic transducer; specifically, when the number of focused transducers turned on is fixed, the ultrasonic output power is controlled by adjusting the power of the ultrasonic drive circuit, thereby controlling the temperature of the liquid in the pipeline.
[0038] The electrical signal driving the focused ultrasonic transducer is subjected to duty cycle modulation. Specifically, when the output power of the ultrasonic drive circuit is constant, the electrical power entering the transducer is modulated by duty cycle (PWM) (either the excitation signal of the ultrasonic drive or the output power signal of the ultrasonic drive is modulated), which can also realize the control of the ultrasonic output power and further realize the control of the liquid temperature in the pipeline.
[0039] In some embodiments, the temperature control module further includes a frequency tracking unit for acquiring the electrical signals of the focused ultrasound transducer and adjusting the frequency of the drive signal to make the focused ultrasound transducer operate in a resonant state.
[0040] Specifically, the temperature controller collects the current and voltage signals of the focused transducer, and adjusts the frequency of the excitation signal to make the voltage and current in phase, so that the focused ultrasonic transducer always works at the resonant frequency, thereby improving the energy conversion efficiency and realizing the automatic frequency tracking function.
[0041] Example 3 A temperature control method is applied to the aforementioned focused ultrasound-based pipeline liquid heating system. For a detailed description of the system, please refer to the corresponding description in the above system embodiments; it will not be repeated here. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes: S100: Receive the target temperature for liquid heating and the real-time liquid temperature detected by the liquid temperature feedback module; S200. Determine the power control strategy for the ultrasonic heating module based on the deviation between the target temperature and the real-time liquid temperature. The power control strategy includes: controlling the number of focused ultrasound transducers turned on, and / or adjusting the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducers, and / or modulating the duty cycle of the driving signal; S300, Execute the power control strategy to adjust the ultrasonic energy applied by the focused ultrasonic transducer to the liquid in the pipeline.
[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, while adjusting the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducer or modulating the duty cycle of the driving signal, the method also includes the following steps: S400. Monitor the phase relationship between the voltage and current of the focused ultrasound transducer; S500: Dynamically adjust the frequency of the drive signal to maintain the voltage and current in phase, ensuring that the focused ultrasound transducer operates at the resonant frequency.
[0043] After setting the target temperature, the temperature controller is activated. Based on the deviation between the current liquid temperature and the target temperature measured by the feedback sensor, the temperature controller activates a certain number of focusing transducers and outputs a certain amount of energy. At the same time, the temperature controller collects the current and voltage signals of the focusing transducers and adjusts the frequency of the excitation signal to make the voltage and current in phase, so that the focusing ultrasonic transducer always works at the resonant frequency, thereby improving the energy conversion efficiency and realizing the automatic frequency tracking function.
[0044] Generally, by turning different numbers of focusing transducers on and off, the heating power of the liquid in the pipeline can be controlled to meet the needs of different pipe diameters.
[0045] With a fixed number of focused transducers in operation, the ultrasonic output power can be controlled by adjusting the power of the ultrasonic drive circuit, thereby controlling the temperature of the liquid in the pipeline.
[0046] With a fixed output power of the ultrasonic drive circuit, the ultrasonic output power can be controlled by modulating the duty cycle (PWM) of the electrical power entering the transducer (modulating the excitation signal of the ultrasonic drive or the output power signal of the ultrasonic drive), thereby further controlling the temperature of the liquid in the pipeline.
[0047] Example 4 A cell culture system, comprising: Low-temperature storage devices for storing culture reagents; A culture chamber that maintains the set culture temperature; Liquid pipeline connecting the cryogenic liquid storage device and the culture chamber; The aforementioned focused ultrasound-based tubular liquid heating system is installed on the liquid pipeline and located near the inlet of the culture chamber. It is used to heat the culture reagent flowing in the liquid pipeline from the cryogenic storage device to a temperature substantially consistent with the set culture temperature of the culture chamber. For a detailed description of the system, please refer to the corresponding description in the above system embodiments; it will not be repeated here.
[0048] The number of devices and processing scale described herein are for the purpose of simplifying the description of the invention. Applications, modifications, and variations of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0049] Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. They can be applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other modifications can be easily made. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and illustrations shown and described herein.
[0050] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.
[0051] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.
[0052] The above description is merely an embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit the scope of one or more embodiments of this specification. Various modifications and variations can be made to one or more embodiments of this specification by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of one or more embodiments of this specification should be included within the scope of the claims of one or more embodiments of this specification.
Claims
1. A pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound, characterized in that, include: An ultrasonic heating module is used to generate and emit focused ultrasonic waves, which penetrate the pipe wall and act directly on the liquid flowing inside the pipe to heat it. A temperature control module, electrically connected to the ultrasonic heating module, is used to control the working state of the ultrasonic heating module according to the target temperature. The liquid temperature feedback module is located at the liquid outlet or downstream of the heated pipeline to detect the temperature of the outflowing liquid in real time and feed the detected temperature signal back to the temperature control module.
2. The pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ultrasonic heating module includes: The module body has internal channels for accommodating and securing liquid pipelines; At least one focused ultrasound transducer is disposed on the module body and configured to focus the generated ultrasound waves onto the central region of the liquid conduit within the channel.
3. The pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The module body is an openable and closable structure, including a first half and a second half arranged symmetrically. When the first half and the second half are closed, they together enclose the channel.
4. A pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The focused ultrasound transducers are multiple and arranged in a linear array or spiral pattern along the axial direction of the channel.
5. A pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The inner wall of the channel and the outer wall of the liquid pipeline fixed therein are filled with an ultrasonic coupling agent.
6. A method for heating liquid in a pipeline based on focused ultrasound, employing the system as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The liquid pipeline to be heated is fixedly installed in the channel of the ultrasonic heating module; An ultrasonic coupling agent is filled between the outer wall of the liquid pipeline and the inner wall of the channel. Set the target temperature for liquid heating; Start the system to allow liquid to flow through the liquid pipeline; The liquid temperature feedback module detects the temperature of the outflowing liquid in real time and feeds it back to the temperature control module. The temperature control module compares the feedback temperature with the target temperature and adjusts the output power of the ultrasonic heating module accordingly to control the heating temperature of the liquid in the pipeline.
7. A pipeline liquid heating method based on focused ultrasound as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The temperature control module adjusts the output power of the ultrasonic heating module in at least one of the following ways: Adjust the number of focused ultrasonic transducers in operation; Adjust the magnitude of the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducer; The duty cycle of the electrical signal driving the focused ultrasound transducer is modulated.
8. A pipeline liquid heating method based on focused ultrasound as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The temperature control module also includes a frequency tracking unit, which is used to acquire the electrical signals of the focused ultrasound transducer and adjust the frequency of the drive signal to make the focused ultrasound transducer work in a resonant state.
9. A temperature control method, applied to a pipeline liquid heating system based on focused ultrasound as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, include: Receive the target temperature for liquid heating and the real-time liquid temperature detected by the liquid temperature feedback module; Based on the deviation between the target temperature and the real-time liquid temperature, a power control strategy for the ultrasonic heating module is determined. The power control strategy includes: controlling the number of focused ultrasound transducers turned on, and / or adjusting the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducers, and / or modulating the duty cycle of the driving signal; The power control strategy is executed to adjust the ultrasonic energy applied by the focused ultrasonic transducer to the liquid in the pipeline.
10. A temperature control method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, While adjusting the electrical power driving the focused ultrasound transducer or modulating the duty cycle of the driving signal, the method also includes the following steps: Monitor the phase relationship between the voltage and current of the focused ultrasound transducer; The frequency of the drive signal is dynamically adjusted to maintain the voltage and current in phase, ensuring that the focused ultrasound transducer operates at the resonant frequency.