Soft robot for assisting child in single ventricle

Abstract

The utility model discloses a soft robot for assisting a child in a single ventricle, which relates to the technical field of medical instruments and mainly comprises a deformation system, a power system, a flow monitoring system and a control system. Wherein the deformation system is used for wrapping the outer wall of a blood vessel, and the deformation system can deform to extrude the blood vessel or release the blood vessel; the power system is connected with the deformation system and is used for enabling the deformation system to deform; the flow monitoring system is used for being arranged on the blood vessel so as to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time; the power system and the flow monitoring system are both in signal connection with the control system. The auxiliary blood pumping device can achieve auxiliary blood pumping, is high in applicability and can achieve accurate control and implementation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle. Background Technology

[0002] Functional single ventricle is a complex type of congenital heart disease, specifically referring to unilateral ventricular hypoplasia or a severe defect in the heart that causes the heart to function as only one ventricle.

[0003] Currently, the Fontan circulation procedure is commonly used to treat functional single ventricle, which involves leaving the ventricle below the pulmonary artery and performing a direct anastomosis between the vena cava and the pulmonary artery, thus separating the systemic and pulmonary circulations. This procedure has saved the lives of over 20 million patients with functional single ventricle worldwide. However, this circulatory modality (Fontan circulation) is inefficient, a palliative treatment, and ultimately leads to circulatory failure.

[0004] To improve the efficiency of the Fontan circulation, Fontan circulation assist devices have appeared on the market. However, existing assist devices all involve placing a power unit inside the blood vessel to promote blood flow. Since the power unit needs to be inserted into the blood vessel, the operation is complicated and the applicability is poor. In addition, existing assist devices cannot monitor blood flow in real time and the control accuracy is poor.

[0005] Therefore, a soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle is provided to solve the aforementioned problems existing in the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It can assist in blood pumping, has high applicability, and can also achieve precise control and implementation.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following solution:

[0008] This utility model provides a soft robot for assisting children with a single ventricle, comprising:

[0009] A deformation system for wrapping around the outer wall of a blood vessel, and the deformation system is capable of deforming to compress the blood vessel or to release the blood vessel;

[0010] A power system, which is connected to the deformation system, is used to cause the deformation system to deform.

[0011] A flow monitoring system, which is installed on the blood vessel to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time;

[0012] The control system, the power system, and the flow monitoring system are all connected to the control system via signals.

[0013] Preferably, the deformation system includes an air bladder arranged around the blood vessel, and the air bladder is inflatable and deflatable to cause deformation.

[0014] Preferably, the airbag is made of a high-molecular-weight, highly elastic material.

[0015] Preferably, the power system includes a gas storage device, a gas pump, and a gas pipeline. The gas storage device is used to store gas, and the gas storage device is connected to the gas pipeline through the gas pump. The end of the gas pipeline away from the gas pump is connected to the airbag to realize the inflation and deflation of the airbag. The gas pump is powered by a battery.

[0016] Preferably, the gas stored in the gas storage device is an inert gas.

[0017] Preferably, both the control system and the power system are implanted subcutaneously in the human body;

[0018] The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle also includes a wireless charging coil that can be placed close to the human chest to charge the battery.

[0019] Preferably, the flow monitoring system includes a laser emitting device, a laser receiving device, and a processor. The laser emitting device can emit laser light into the blood vessel, the laser receiving device can receive the laser light reflected back after contact with the blood, and the processor is signal-connected to the laser emitting device and the laser receiving device to measure blood flow.

[0020] Preferably, the system further includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system, which is used to monitor the patient's ECG in real time, and the ECG monitoring system is signal-connected to the control system.

[0021] Preferably, the electrocardiogram monitoring system includes monitoring electrodes that are attached to the surface of the patient's chest to monitor the patient's electrocardiogram in real time.

[0022] Preferably, the electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system includes a wireless wearable device, which is used to receive ECG monitoring signals and is connected to the control system.

[0023] The present invention achieves the following technical advantages over the prior art:

[0024] This invention incorporates a deformation system that, through deformation, can compress or release blood vessels, thereby assisting in blood pumping and enhancing the efficiency of the Fontan circulation. Furthermore, the deformation system is wrapped around the outer wall of the blood vessel without needing to be implanted inside, making installation simple and highly applicable. It can be used for assisting ventricular function treatment in children with various single ventricle diseases or for treating circulatory failure after various Fontan surgery procedures. Further, this invention includes a flow monitoring system that monitors blood flow in the blood vessel in real time. The control system receives and analyzes the blood flow signal transmitted by the flow monitoring system, calculates the optimal real-time deformation of the deformation system, and sends commands to the power system to control the deformation system to perform auxiliary blood pumping, achieving precise control and implementation. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of a soft robot for assisting children with a single ventricle in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is an overall schematic diagram of the soft robot used to assist children with a single ventricle in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the power system in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In the diagram: 100 - Soft robot for assisting children's single ventricle, 1 - Control system, 11 - Central processing unit, 2 - Flow monitoring system, 3 - ECG monitoring system, 31 - Monitoring electrodes, 4 - Power system, 41 - Gas pipeline, 42 - Air pump, 43 - Gas storage device, 44 - Battery, 45 - Wireless charging coil, 5 - Deformation system, 51 - Airbag. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0031] The purpose of this invention is to provide a soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It can assist in blood pumping, has high applicability, and can also achieve precise control and implementation.

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a soft robot 100 for assisting a child's single ventricle, mainly including a deformation system 5, a power system 4, a flow monitoring system 2, and a control system 1. The deformation system 5 is used to wrap around the outer wall of a blood vessel, and can deform to compress or release the blood vessel, thereby assisting in blood pumping and improving the efficiency of the Fontan circulation. The power system 4 is connected to the deformation system 5 and is used to cause the deformation system 5 to deform. The flow monitoring system 2 is installed on the blood vessel to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time. Both the power system 4 and the flow monitoring system 2 are signal-connected to the control system 1. The control system 1 can receive and analyze the blood flow signal transmitted by the flow monitoring system 2, calculate the most suitable real-time deformation of the deformation system 5, and control the deformation system 5 to deform for assisted blood pumping by sending instructions to the power system 4.

[0035] This embodiment includes a deformation system 5. The deformation of the deformation system 5 can compress or release the blood vessel, thereby assisting in blood pumping and improving the efficiency of the Fontan circulation. Furthermore, the deformation system 5 is wrapped around the outer wall of the blood vessel without needing to be implanted inside it, making installation simple and highly applicable. It can be used for assisting ventricular function treatment in children with various single ventricle diseases or for treating circulatory failure after various Fontan surgery procedures. Further, this embodiment also includes a flow monitoring system 2 to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time. The control system 1 can receive and analyze the blood flow signal transmitted by the flow monitoring system 2, calculate the most suitable real-time deformation of the deformation system 5, and send commands to the power system 4 to control the deformation system 5 to deform for assisting in blood pumping, achieving precise control and implementation.

[0036] In this embodiment, an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system 3 is also included. The ECG monitoring system 3 is used to monitor the patient's ECG in real time, that is, to collect the child's ECG activity. The ECG monitoring system 3 is connected to the control system 1. The control system 1 can analyze the ECG monitoring signal and calculate the most suitable real-time deformation so that the soft robot's blood pumping can be synchronized with its own heartbeat.

[0037] Furthermore, it should be noted that the control system 1 is a mature existing technology in the field and can be selected according to specific work needs. As a preferred embodiment, the control system 1 has a central processing unit 11, which can receive blood flow-related information and electrocardiogram activity information, analyze the blood flow and electrocardiogram activity information, calculate the most suitable real-time deformation, and send instructions to the power system 4 to cause the deformation system 5 to generate a certain deformation, thereby causing the blood vessel to be pressed or released, thus playing an auxiliary pumping function and achieving the effect of precise control and implementation.

[0038] The control system 1 can receive and send commands wirelessly or via wired means, which ensures both the need for individualized treatment and stable signal transmission, unaffected by high-intensity magnetic fields.

[0039] In this embodiment, the deformation system 5 mainly includes an air bladder 51, which can be a spiral tube and is arranged around the blood vessel. The air bladder 51 can be inflated and deflated to deform, so that the blood vessel is pressed or released, thereby playing an auxiliary role in pumping blood.

[0040] Furthermore, the airbag 51 is preferably made of high-molecular-weight, high-elasticity materials such as polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene, which have the characteristics of low repulsion, easy deformation, and high elasticity, meeting the functional requirements of the soft robot itself.

[0041] In this embodiment, the power system 4 mainly includes a gas storage device 43, a gas pump 42, and a gas pipeline 41. The gas storage device 43 is used to store gas, and the gas storage device 43 is connected to the gas pipeline 41 through the gas pump 42. The end of the gas pipeline 41 away from the gas pump 42 is connected to the airbag 51. The gas pump 42 provides power to the gas, realizing the inflation and deflation of the airbag 51, thereby causing the deformation system 5 to deform. The gas pump 42 is powered by electricity and has a battery 44 for power supply.

[0042] In this embodiment, the gas storage device 43 can be a gas storage tank, and the gas stored therein is preferably an inert gas such as nitrogen, which ensures the stability and safety of the gas.

[0043] In this embodiment, the power system 4 can be implanted under the skin of the human body, avoiding the impact on organs in the chest cavity; moreover, the battery 44 of the power system 4 can be wirelessly charged, and the soft robot 100 for assisting children's single ventricle also includes a wireless charging coil 45, which can be placed close to the human chest to charge the battery 44.

[0044] Furthermore, the control system 1 can also be implanted under the skin of a human body.

[0045] In this embodiment, the flow monitoring system 2 mainly includes a laser emitting device, a laser receiving device, and a processor. The laser emitting device can emit laser light into the blood vessel. After the laser light comes into contact with the blood, it is reflected back and received by the laser receiving device. The processor is signal-connected to the laser emitting device and the laser receiving device, and can use the Doppler effect to calculate the blood flow, providing a strong basis for soft robot-assisted blood pumping.

[0046] Alternatively, other flow monitors, such as ultrasonic blood flow meters, can be selected according to work needs.

[0047] In this embodiment, the electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system 3 mainly includes a monitoring electrode 31, which is attached to the surface of the patient's chest to monitor the patient's ECG in real time; wherein, the ECG monitoring system 3 can transmit ECG signals to the control system 1 in a wired or wireless manner.

[0048] Alternatively, the ECG monitoring system 3 may include a wireless wearable device that can receive and display ECG monitoring signals, and the wireless wearable device is signal-connected to the control system 1; wherein, the wireless wearable device may be a smartwatch, a chest patch, etc., and transmits ECG information wirelessly.

[0049] The method of using the soft robot 100 for assisting children with single ventricle development in this embodiment is as follows:

[0050] After completing the Fontan circulation surgery, the surgeon assembles and debugs the soft robot, preparing it for placement on the artificial blood vessel. The deformation system 5 is attached around the artificial blood vessel, ensuring that the inflation and deflation of the airbag 51 deforms and compresses the vessel, thus assisting in blood pumping. The flow monitoring system 2 is attached to the surface of the artificial blood vessel to monitor the flow rate in real time. After closing the chest, the control system 1 and power system 4 are implanted subcutaneously, and the charging function is adjusted so that the external wireless charging coil 45 can charge the battery 44 in the power system 4. The monitoring electrodes 31 of the electrocardiogram monitoring system 3 are attached to the patient's chest, or a wireless wearable device is wirelessly connected to the control system 1 to ensure real-time monitoring of cardiac activity. Finally, the entire soft robot installation is complete.

[0051] The soft robot monitors the flow and electrocardiographic activity of the entire circulatory system through the electrocardiogram monitoring system 3 and the flow monitoring system 2, and transmits the information to the control system 1 wirelessly or via wire. The control system 1 calculates the required deformation of the soft robot through the central processing unit 11 and transmits the instructions to the power system 4. When powered by the battery 44, the power system 4 uses the air pump 42 to pump inert gas from the gas storage device 43 into the gas pipe 41. The gas pipe 41 is connected to the deformation system 5, which in turn causes the deformation system 5 to deform, thereby squeezing the artificial blood vessel and playing an auxiliary role in pumping blood, and so on.

[0052] This utility model uses specific examples to illustrate its principles and implementation methods. The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. In summary, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle, characterized in that: include: A deformation system for wrapping around the outer wall of a blood vessel, and the deformation system is capable of deforming to compress the blood vessel or to release the blood vessel; A power system, which is connected to the deformation system, is used to cause the deformation system to deform. A flow monitoring system, which is installed on the blood vessel to monitor the blood flow in the blood vessel in real time; The control system, the power system, and the flow monitoring system are all connected to the control system via signals.

2. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deformation system includes an air bladder arranged around the blood vessel, and the air bladder is inflatable and deflatable to deform.

3. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The airbag is made of a high-molecular-weight, highly elastic material.

4. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power system includes a gas storage device, a gas pump, and a gas pipeline. The gas storage device is used to store gas, and the gas storage device is connected to the gas pipeline through the gas pump. The end of the gas pipeline away from the gas pump is connected to the airbag to realize the inflation and deflation of the airbag. The gas pump is powered by a battery.

5. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas stored in the gas storage device is an inert gas.

6. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 4, characterized in that: Both the control system and the power system are implanted subcutaneously in the human body. The soft robot for assisting children with single ventricle also includes a wireless charging coil that can be placed close to the human chest to charge the battery.

7. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blood flow monitoring system includes a laser emitting device, a laser receiving device, and a processor. The laser emitting device can emit laser light into blood vessels, the laser receiving device can receive the laser light reflected back after contact with blood, and the processor is signal-connected to the laser emitting device and the laser receiving device to measure blood flow.

8. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system, which is used to monitor the patient's ECG in real time, and the ECG monitoring system is connected to the control system via signal connection.

9. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system includes monitoring electrodes that are attached to the surface of the patient's chest to monitor the patient's ECG in real time.

10. The soft robot for assisting a child's single ventricle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system includes a wireless wearable device, which is used to receive ECG monitoring signals and is connected to the control system.

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