Nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle
By using nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles, the problems of traditional acupuncture needles being easily bent and causing great stimulation to patients are solved, achieving greater durability, safety, and therapeutic effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SUZHOU MEDICAL SUPPLY FACTORY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-28
AI Technical Summary
Traditional stainless steel and silver acupuncture needles are prone to loss of elasticity, bending, or breakage during use, which reduces the accuracy and safety of acupuncture treatment, causes greater stimulation to the patient's tissues, increases pain, and makes it difficult to meet the treatment needs of complex acupoint locations.
The acupuncture needles, made of nickel-titanium alloy, combine superelasticity and shape memory properties with a progressive tip and smooth outer surface, and are coated with diamond-like carbon to improve durability, safety and biocompatibility.
It improves the durability and safety of acupuncture needles, reduces patient pain, enhances the accuracy and comfort of acupuncture treatment, and adapts to the treatment needs of complex acupoint locations.
Smart Images
Figure CN224166599U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of acupuncture technology, specifically to nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles. Background Technology
[0002] Acupuncture, an important component of traditional Chinese medicine, has a history of thousands of years and is widely used globally. Acupuncture therapy primarily aims to treat diseases by stimulating specific acupoints on the body with acupuncture needles. Traditional acupuncture needles are mostly made of materials such as stainless steel or silver, which are widely used clinically due to their relatively good mechanical properties and affordability. However, with the continuous development of acupuncture therapy and the increasing demands for therapeutic effects, some shortcomings of traditional acupuncture needle materials have gradually become apparent in practical applications.
[0003] Stainless steel and silver acupuncture needles are prone to loss of elasticity, bending, and even breakage during use. These problems not only affect the accuracy and safety of acupuncture treatment but also pose additional risks to patients. Furthermore, due to the inherent physical properties of these materials, they can easily cause significant irritation to patient tissues during puncture, increasing pain and reducing the patient's treatment experience.
[0004] When dealing with complex acupoint locations or special treatment needs, stainless steel and silver acupuncture needles are difficult to adapt flexibly, limiting the further improvement of acupuncture treatment effects. Taking the treatment of facial paralysis as an example, acupoints on the head and face, such as Yifeng, Jiache, and Dicang, are densely distributed and surrounded by rich blood vessels and nerves. When operating with stainless steel and silver acupuncture needles, due to their relatively fixed thickness and length, it is difficult to accurately stimulate acupoints without damaging surrounding tissues for patients with thin facial muscles or special acupoint locations. If the angle and depth are not well controlled, it may puncture the facial nerve or important structures of the ear, affecting the recovery effect of facial paralysis.
[0005] Therefore, how to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology mentioned above has become the subject of this utility model. Utility Model Content
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:
[0008] Nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle, including needle body and needle handle;
[0009] The needle body is configured as a nickel-titanium alloy needle body;
[0010] The needle body includes an integrally formed needle body and needle tip; the needle handle is connected to the needle body;
[0011] The size of the needle tip gradually decreases along the direction from the needle shank toward the needle tip;
[0012] The direction of the needle handle toward the needle tip is parallel to the length direction of the needle body.
[0013] In the above procedure, during clinical use, the doctor first selects a nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle of appropriate specifications based on the patient's condition and the distribution of acupoints; after routine disinfection of the nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle, the needle is inserted into the patient's acupoints according to the traditional acupuncture operation method.
[0014] The needle body is made of nickel-titanium alloy, in which the atomic ratio of nickel and titanium is optimized to give the needle excellent superelasticity and shape memory properties. The superelasticity of the nickel-titanium alloy makes the acupuncture needle less prone to bending and breakage under external force, improving its durability and safety. At room temperature, the nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle exhibits good flexibility and elasticity, quickly returning to its original shape after being bent by external force, preventing the needle from bending during puncture and manipulation and affecting treatment. Simultaneously, when the temperature rises to a certain level (such as human body temperature), the needle will return to its pre-set shape, ensuring that the needle maintains optimal working condition within the body, better adapting to the complex physiological environment and improving treatment efficacy.
[0015] The superior elasticity of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles makes insertion smoother, thus reducing patient pain. During the needling process, doctors can easily adjust the angle and depth of the needle as needed, and the superior elasticity of the nickel-titanium alloy ensures that the needle will not undergo permanent deformation due to external forces.
[0016] Along the needle handle towards the needle tip, the size of the needle tip gradually decreases. This special design can be seen as the needle tip having a progressively sharp shape, which makes the needle tip have good penetration. This not only ensures that the patient's pain is reduced due to the reduced puncture resistance when puncturing the skin and tissue, but also avoids unnecessary damage to surrounding tissues, thereby improving the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment.
[0017] In a further technical solution, the outer surface of the needle tip is an arc surface.
[0018] Setting the outer surface of the needle tip to be curved can reduce the difficulty of needle tip manufacturing and further reduce resistance when piercing the skin, making the acupuncture process smoother, reducing skin damage, and reducing patient pain.
[0019] A further technical solution is that, along the axial direction of the needle body, the edge of the cross-section of the needle tip has a first intersection point, a second intersection point, and a third intersection point;
[0020] The first intersection point and the second intersection point are symmetrically arranged in the radial direction of the needle body;
[0021] The distance between the first intersection point and the third intersection point is equal to the distance between the second intersection point and the third intersection point.
[0022] The cross-section of the needle tip is symmetrical, and the line of symmetry is the axis of the needle body.
[0023] The settings in this section reduce the processing difficulty of the needle body and the needle tip, ensuring the consistency of the processing of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles, and thus ensuring the stability of the quality of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles.
[0024] In a further technical solution, the angle between the line connecting the first intersection point and the third intersection point and the horizontal line ranges from 60 degrees to 76 degrees.
[0025] This section actually restricts the curvature of the needle tip surface.
[0026] By limiting the aforementioned angle, resistance during skin puncture is further reduced, making the acupuncture process smoother.
[0027] In a further technical solution, the outer side of the needle body is covered with a coating.
[0028] The coating improves the biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles, effectively prevents nickel ions from being released into human tissues, avoids allergic reactions, and enhances the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of acupuncture needles, thus extending their service life.
[0029] In a further technical solution, the coating is configured as a diamond-like carbon coating.
[0030] Diamond-like carbon coating has good biocompatibility, low coefficient of friction and high hardness. It can effectively prevent nickel ions in nickel-titanium alloy from being released into human tissues, avoiding allergic reactions. At the same time, it enhances the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of acupuncture needles, extends their service life and reduces medical costs.
[0031] A further technical solution is that a scale marking is provided on the outer surface of the needle body.
[0032] The graduated markings help doctors accurately control the depth of needle insertion, avoiding a decrease in the effectiveness of acupuncture due to insufficient needle depth, and avoiding increased pain for patients due to needle depth exceeding expectations.
[0033] The graduation markings can refer to the markings on existing rulers, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.
[0034] In a further technical solution, both the needle body and the needle tip have smooth outer surfaces.
[0035] It should be noted that the needle body and the needle tip are polished to form a smooth outer surface, and no specific restrictions are placed on the roughness of the smooth outer surface.
[0036] The smooth outer surface further reduces the friction between the acupuncture needle and the tissue during insertion and manipulation, reducing the difficulty of acupuncture and patient pain, while also reducing the risk of infection.
[0037] The specially designed needle tip, combined with the aforementioned smooth outer surface, helps to improve the accuracy and comfort of acupuncture treatment.
[0038] In a further technical solution, the needle handle is configured as any one of a stainless steel needle handle, a plastic needle handle, and a copper needle handle.
[0039] The needle handles of the above-mentioned materials are existing designs and will not be described in detail here.
[0040] In a further technical solution, the needle handle is configured as any one of a flat handle, a ring handle, a flower handle, and a tube handle.
[0041] The above-mentioned needle handles are existing designs and will not be described in detail here.
[0042] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this article do not specifically refer to order or sequence, nor are they intended to limit this case; they are merely used to distinguish components or operations described using the same technical terms.
[0043] The terms "connection" or "positioning" as used in this article can refer to two or more components or devices making direct physical contact with each other, or making indirect physical contact with each other, or to two or more components or devices operating or moving with each other.
[0044] The terms “include,” “including,” and “have” used in this article are all open-ended, meaning they include but are not limited to.
[0045] Unless otherwise specified, the terms used herein generally have their ordinary meaning in the context of the art, the subject matter, and the specific context. Certain terms used to describe this case will be discussed below or elsewhere in this specification to provide additional guidance to those skilled in the art in describing the case.
[0046] The terms “front,” “back,” “up,” “down,” “left,” and “right” used in this article are directional terms. In this case, they are only used to describe the positional relationship between the structures and are not intended to limit the specific direction of the protection scheme or its actual implementation.
[0047] The working principle and advantages of this invention are as follows: In clinical use, the doctor first selects a suitable nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle based on the patient's condition and acupoint distribution. After routine disinfection, the needle is inserted into the patient's acupoints according to traditional acupuncture techniques. Due to the superelastic properties of the nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle, the insertion process is smoother, thus reducing patient pain. During the needling process, the doctor can easily adjust the angle and depth of the needle as needed. The superelasticity of the nickel-titanium alloy ensures that the needle will not undergo permanent deformation due to external forces. Simultaneously, when the temperature rises to a certain level (such as body temperature), the needle will return to its pre-set shape, ensuring that the needle maintains its optimal working state within the body, better adapting to the complex physiological environment and improving therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the size of the needle tip gradually decreases along the direction from the needle handle towards the tip. This special design can be seen as giving the needle tip a progressively sharp shape, which allows the needle tip to have good penetration. This not only ensures that the patient's pain is reduced due to the reduced puncture resistance when piercing the skin and tissue, but also avoids unnecessary damage to surrounding tissues, thereby improving the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment. Attached Figure Description
[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0049] Figure 2 This is a front view of the needle body according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0050] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the end of the nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle where the needle tip is located, according to an embodiment of this utility model.
[0051] In the above attached diagrams: 1. Needle body; 11. Needle body main body; 12. Needle tip; 121. First intersection point; 122. Second intersection point; 123. Third intersection point; 2. Needle handle; 3. Coating; 4. Scale markings. Detailed Implementation
[0052] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:
[0053] Example: The present invention will be clearly described below with illustrations and detailed description. Any person skilled in the art who understands the examples of the present invention can make changes and modifications based on the technology taught in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0054] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this work. Singular forms such as “a,” “this,” “this,” “the,” and “the” as used herein also include plural forms.
[0055] See Figures 1-3Nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle, including needle body 1 and needle handle 2;
[0056] The needle body 1 is configured as a nickel-titanium alloy needle body;
[0057] The needle body 1 includes an integrally formed needle body 11 and needle tip 12; the needle handle 2 is connected to the needle body 11;
[0058] Along the direction from the needle shank 2 toward the needle tip 12, the size of the needle tip 12 gradually decreases;
[0059] The direction of the needle handle 2 toward the needle tip 12 is parallel to the length direction of the needle body 11.
[0060] In clinical use, doctors first select appropriate nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles based on the patient's condition and the distribution of acupoints. After routine disinfection of the nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles, they insert them into the patient's acupoints according to traditional acupuncture procedures.
[0061] The needle body 1 is made of nickel-titanium alloy, in which the atomic ratio of nickel and titanium is optimized to give it excellent superelasticity and shape memory properties. The superelasticity of the nickel-titanium alloy makes the acupuncture needle less prone to bending and breakage under external force, improving its durability and safety. At room temperature, the nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle exhibits good flexibility and elasticity, quickly returning to its original shape after being bent by external force, preventing bending of the needle body 1 during puncture and needling from affecting treatment. Simultaneously, when the temperature rises to a certain level (such as human body temperature), the needle body 1 will return to its pre-set shape, ensuring that it maintains optimal working condition within the body, better adapting to the complex physiological environment and improving treatment efficacy.
[0062] Due to the superelastic properties of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles, the insertion process is smoother, thereby reducing the patient's pain. During the acupuncture procedure, the doctor can easily adjust the angle and depth of the needle body 1 as needed, and the superelasticity of the nickel-titanium alloy ensures that the needle body 1 will not undergo permanent deformation due to external forces.
[0063] Since the specific formulation of the nickel-titanium alloy material is not the point of invention in this case, those skilled in the art can flexibly select the required nickel-titanium alloy material based on the disclosed prior art, so this case will not elaborate on it.
[0064] Along the needle handle 2 toward the needle tip 12, the size of the needle tip 12 gradually decreases. This special design can be regarded as the needle tip 12 having a progressively sharp shape, which makes the needle tip 12 have good penetration. It can reduce the patient's pain when puncturing the skin and tissue due to the reduced puncture resistance, and avoid unnecessary damage to the surrounding tissues, thereby improving the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment.
[0065] See Figure 2 In this embodiment, the outer surface of the needle tip 12 is an arc surface.
[0066] Setting the outer surface of the needle tip 12 to be curved can reduce the difficulty of processing the needle tip 12 and further reduce the resistance when piercing the skin, making the acupuncture process smoother, reducing damage to the skin, and reducing the patient's pain.
[0067] In addition to the above-mentioned reduction in the machining difficulty of needle tip 12, the uniform transition of the arc edge in the arc surface makes it easier to achieve automated precision grinding, reducing machining difficulty and improving production efficiency.
[0068] See Figure 2 In this embodiment, along the axial direction of the needle body 1, the edge of the cross section of the needle tip 12 has a first intersection point 121, a second intersection point 122 and a third intersection point 123;
[0069] The first intersection point 121 and the second intersection point 122 are symmetrically arranged in the radial direction of the needle body 1;
[0070] The distance between the first intersection point 121 and the third intersection point 123 is equal to the distance between the second intersection point 122 and the third intersection point 123.
[0071] The cross-section of the needle tip 12 is symmetrical, and the line of symmetry is the axis of the needle body 1.
[0072] The configuration in this embodiment reduces the processing difficulty of the needle body 11 and the needle tip 12, ensures the consistency of the processing of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles, and thus ensures the stability of the quality of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles.
[0073] See Figure 2 In this embodiment, the angle between the line connecting the first intersection point 121 and the third intersection point 123 and the horizontal line ranges from 60 degrees to 76 degrees.
[0074] This embodiment actually limits the curvature of the needle tip 12 surface.
[0075] By limiting the aforementioned angle, resistance during skin puncture is further reduced, making the acupuncture process smoother.
[0076] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, the needle body 1 is covered with a coating 3 on its outer side.
[0077] The coating 3 improves the biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needles, effectively prevents nickel ions from being released into human tissues, avoids allergic reactions, and enhances the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of acupuncture needles, thus extending their service life.
[0078] It should be noted that when only the needle body 1 is described, the objects of description include the needle body 11 and the needle tip 12.
[0079] In this embodiment, the coating 3 is configured as a diamond-like carbon coating.
[0080] Diamond-like carbon coating has good biocompatibility, low coefficient of friction and high hardness. It can effectively prevent nickel ions in nickel-titanium alloy from being released into human tissues, avoiding allergic reactions. At the same time, it enhances the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of acupuncture needles, extends their service life and reduces medical costs.
[0081] Since the specific formulation and coating process of diamond-like carbon coating are not the inventive point of this case, those skilled in the art can flexibly use mature diamond-like carbon coating technology based on the disclosed prior art, so this case will not elaborate on them.
[0082] See Figure 2 In this embodiment, a scale mark 4 is provided on the outer surface of the needle body 11.
[0083] The scale marking 4 helps doctors accurately control the needle insertion depth, avoiding a decrease in acupuncture effect due to insufficient needle insertion depth, and avoiding increased pain for patients due to needle insertion depth exceeding expectations.
[0084] The marking 4 can be referenced from the markings on existing rulers, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.
[0085] In this embodiment, both the needle body 11 and the needle tip 12 have smooth outer surfaces.
[0086] It should be noted that the needle body 11 and the needle tip 12 are polished to form a smooth outer surface, and no specific restrictions are placed on the roughness of the smooth outer surface.
[0087] The smooth outer surface further reduces the friction between the acupuncture needle and the tissue during insertion and manipulation, reducing the difficulty of acupuncture and patient pain, while also reducing the risk of infection.
[0088] The specially designed needle tip 12, combined with the aforementioned smooth outer surface, helps to improve the accuracy and comfort of acupuncture treatment.
[0089] In this embodiment, the needle handle 2 is set to any one of a stainless steel needle handle, a plastic needle handle, and a copper needle handle.
[0090] The needle handles 2 made of the above-mentioned materials are existing designs and will not be described in detail here.
[0091] In some other embodiments, the needle handle 2 may be made of other materials.
[0092] In this embodiment, the needle handle 2 is configured as any one of a flat handle, a ring handle, a flower handle, and a tube handle.
[0093] The above-mentioned needle handles 2 are existing configurations and will not be described in detail here.
[0094] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this utility model, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this utility model and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.
Claims
1. A nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle, characterized in that: Includes needle body (1) and needle handle (2); The needle body (1) is configured as a nickel-titanium alloy needle body; The needle body (1) includes an integrally formed needle body (11) and needle tip (12); the needle handle (2) is connected to the needle body (11). Along the direction from the needle shank (2) toward the needle tip (12), the size of the needle tip (12) gradually decreases; The direction of the needle handle (2) toward the needle tip (12) is parallel to the length direction of the needle body (11); The outer surface of the needle tip (12) is an arc surface.
2. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Along the axial direction of the needle body (1), the edge of the cross section of the needle tip (12) has a first intersection point (121), a second intersection point (122) and a third intersection point (123). The first intersection point (121) and the second intersection point (122) are symmetrically arranged in the radial direction of the needle body (1); The distance between the first intersection point (121) and the third intersection point (123) is equal to the distance between the second intersection point (122) and the third intersection point (123).
3. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The angle between the line connecting the first intersection point (121) and the third intersection point (123) and the horizontal line ranges from 60 degrees to 76 degrees.
4. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The needle body (1) is covered with a coating (3) on the outside.
5. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The coating (3) is configured as a diamond-like carbon coating.
6. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The outer surface of the needle body (11) is provided with scale markings (4).
7. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: Both the needle body (11) and the needle tip (12) have smooth outer surfaces.
8. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The needle handle (2) is set to be any one of stainless steel needle handle, plastic needle handle and copper needle handle.
9. The nickel-titanium alloy acupuncture needle according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The needle handle (2) is set to any one of the following: flat handle, ring handle, flower handle, and tube handle.