Temperature-adjustable in-vitro tissue ablation heat-sink effect experimental device

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of biomedical experimental equipment technology, and particularly relates to an adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation heat sink effect experimental device, comprising: a box body with a groove inside the box body, and ring frames fixed on both sides of the bottom end of the inner wall of the groove, the ring frames being used to fix simulated blood vessels; a position adjustment mechanism disposed on one side of the groove, the drive end of which is equipped with a tray for placing ex vivo tissue; and a temperature control circulation system, the output end of which is connected to both ends of the simulated blood vessel, the temperature control circulation system and the simulated blood vessel forming a physiological circulation simulation section. This invention has the advantage of allowing adjustment of the distance between the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessel as needed, facilitating ablation heat sink effect experiments at different distances between the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of biomedical experimental equipment technology, and in particular relates to an experimental device for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation. Background Technology

[0002] Thermal ablation, as a minimally invasive and highly effective treatment, has been widely applied in clinical fields such as solid tumor treatment. This type of treatment uses physical methods such as radiofrequency, microwave, and cryotherapy to locally generate high or low temperatures within the target tissue, inducing cell necrosis and thus clearing the lesion. However, in actual treatment, if there are large blood vessels near the target area, the continuous heat loss due to blood flow can create a heat sink effect in that area, resulting in insufficient local tissue temperature and affecting the integrity of the ablation. This becomes one of the key factors affecting treatment efficacy and clinical prognosis. To optimize thermal ablation treatment strategies and improve treatment precision, research on the heat sink effect has become a key focus in the fields of biomedical engineering and thermotherapy in recent years.

[0003] Experimental studies on the heat sink effect mainly rely on experimental devices that simulate the tissue-blood flow environment. Currently, commonly used methods include in vivo experiments, static in vitro experiments, and simple circulatory devices. While these research methods provide some basic data and technical support for understanding the heat sink effect, they still have varying degrees of technical limitations and cannot meet the practical needs for quantitative, controllable, and reproducible studies of the heat sink effect.

[0004] In vivo experiments typically use small laboratory animals as models to perform heat ablation procedures within them to observe the heat sink effect. While these experiments accurately reflect the heat exchange process between tissues and blood flow and have high physiological relevance, they also present several significant challenges. First, animal experiments require ethical review, a cumbersome and time-consuming process, and the high costs of purchasing, raising, and managing experimental animals place a heavy economic burden on the researchers. Second, significant individual differences among animals, coupled with hemodynamic variations influenced by stress responses and autonomic nervous system regulation, make it difficult to fix experimental variables such as vascular status and flow velocity, thus hindering the independent isolation and quantification of the heat sink effect. Furthermore, real-time monitoring and control of in vivo parameters are challenging, resulting in poor reproducibility and comparability, and making it difficult to obtain stable heat diffusion data, ultimately limiting the value of in vivo experiments in in-depth research on the heat sink mechanism.

[0005] Static in vitro experiments involve immersing isolated tissue in a constant-temperature liquid and using an external heat source to control the tissue temperature to simulate the thermal ablation process. This method avoids the ethical and cost issues associated with in vivo experiments and allows for better control of environmental factors such as temperature, providing a degree of controllability in experimental conditions. However, due to the lack of blood flow in the static environment, only uniform heat conduction conditions are provided, failing to reproduce the process of heat removal by dynamic blood flow, resulting in a significant deviation from the actual heat sink environment. Especially in areas near vascular structures, heat migration is significantly affected by liquid flow, and static experiments cannot simulate this complex heat-fluid coupling behavior, leading to significant deviations in the obtained temperature field distribution and tissue ablation range from clinical conditions. Therefore, the clinical applicability and reference value of static experimental results are both low.

[0006] To compensate for the lack of blood flow simulation in static experiments, researchers have recently proposed using simplified ex vivo circulation devices to construct extracorporeal circulation models to simulate the heat sink effect under physiological conditions. These devices typically include basic units such as ex vivo tissue samples, a circulation pump, simulated blood vessels (flexible tubing), and temperature-controlled fluid. The fluid flow is maintained through a temperature-controlled circulation system to simulate the effect of intravascular blood flow on tissue heat diffusion. Although these methods have made progress in simulating dynamic heat sink effects compared to static experiments, existing circulation devices still have the following structural and functional problems:

[0007] First, the relative positions of simulated blood vessels and tissues are fixed. In existing devices, the distance between simulated blood vessels and tissues is mostly fixed, which makes it difficult to reflect the variability of blood vessel distribution in real anatomical structures.

[0008] Second, the liquid flow rate setting lacks dynamic simulation capability. Most existing devices use static liquid flow rate settings, which cannot simulate the pulsating heat exchange changes caused by cardiac cycle or local vasoconstriction. This makes it difficult to capture the dynamic characteristics of the heat sink effect in the living environment, further limiting in-depth research on the complex mechanism of the heat sink effect and reducing the correlation between experimental results and clinical practice.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an experimental device that can flexibly adjust the relative position of blood vessels and tissues and simulate dynamic blood flow characteristics to improve the authenticity and reliability of the heat sink effect experiment of ex vivo tissue ablation, and provide experimental evidence that is closer to clinical practice for the optimization of energy-based ablation technology. Utility Model Content

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned technical problems by providing an adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation heat sink effect experimental device. This device can simulate physiological blood circulation, precisely control the temperature of the circulating fluid, and flexibly adjust the distance between the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessels, thus providing a reliable ex vivo experimental platform for studying the heat sink effect during the thermal ablation process.

[0011] In view of this, the present invention provides an experimental device for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation, comprising:

[0012] The box body has a groove inside, and two ring frames are fixed to the inner wall of the groove. The two ring frames are used to fix the simulated blood vessels.

[0013] A position adjustment mechanism is installed in the box groove, and its drive end is equipped with a tray for placing the ex vivo tissue. The position adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the distance between the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessel.

[0014] The temperature-controlled circulation system is equipped with a drive pump and a temperature control device to drive the flow rate and temperature of the circulating liquid. Its output and input ends are respectively connected to the two ends of the simulated blood vessel, thereby forming a physiological circulation simulation segment with temperature control capability with the simulated blood vessel.

[0015] As a preferred example of this application, the position adjustment mechanism includes a long plate fixedly installed on the rear end of the inner wall of the box groove. The front end of the long plate has a long groove extending in a vertical direction. A connecting block is inserted into the long groove. A movable block is fixed to the front end of the connecting block. The tray is installed on the movable block. A rotating rod is rotatably connected to the upper end of the long plate. A screw is fixed to the bottom end of the rotating rod. The screw passes through the connecting block and is threadedly connected to it. When the rotating rod rotates, it can drive the connecting block to slide up and down along the long groove.

[0016] As a preferred example of this application, the upper end of the box is provided with a detachable cover, and a rotating rod is rotatably connected to the cover. The bottom end of the rotating rod extends into the box groove and is fixed with a gear two. The top end of the rotating rod two is fixed with a gear one, and the gear one and gear two are meshed together.

[0017] As a preferred example of this application, gear one and gear two are on the same horizontal plane.

[0018] As a preferred example of this application, a turntable is fixed to the top of the rotating rod, a threaded groove is formed on the upper surface of the turntable, a bracket is fixed to the upper end of the sealing cover, a screw rod is internally threaded to the bracket, the bottom end of the screw rod extends into the threaded groove and is threadedly connected, and a turntable is fixed to the top of the screw rod.

[0019] As a preferred example of this application, the tray is integrally molded from ceramic material, and the upper end of the tray is provided with a mesh structure or groove structure for stably placing three-dimensional tissues, and a through hole is provided at the bottom end of the inner wall of the groove structure.

[0020] As a preferred example of this application, the temperature-controlled circulation system includes a connector 1 connected to one end of the simulated blood vessel. One end of the connector 1 penetrates through the housing, and the other end of the connector 1 is fitted with a pipe 1. The drive pump is installed at the other end of the pipe 1, and the other end of the drive pump is fitted with a pipe 4. The other end of the pipe 4 is connected to a pipe 3 via a temperature control device. The other end of the pipe 3 is fitted with a connector 2. One end of the connector 2 penetrates through the housing and extends into the tank, and the other end of the connector 2 is connected to the other end of the simulated blood vessel.

[0021] As a preferred example of this application, the first connector and the second connector are replaceable connectors of different diameters or standardized interfaces.

[0022] As a preferred example of this application, the box, pipe one, pipe two, pipe three, pipe four, and simulated blood vessel are all transparent structures, and pipe one, pipe two, pipe three, and pipe four are all flexible pipelines.

[0023] As a preferred example of this application, the upper end of the box body is provided with a groove, the sealing cover is detachably inserted into the groove, the upper end of the sealing cover is fixed with a handle for assisting the opening and closing of the sealing cover, and several pillars are fixed on the lower surface of the box body.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0025] This invention, by setting up a temperature-controlled circulation system and a simulated blood vessel to form a physiological circulation simulation section, can simulate the circulation state of physiological fluids such as blood in blood vessels, providing a physiological environment basis close to that in vivo for ex vivo tissues.

[0026] The position adjustment mechanism can drive the tray to move the isolated tissue, which can flexibly adjust the relative position of the isolated tissue and the simulated blood vessels on the ring. This adjustability allows the experimenters to simulate the heat transfer relationship between the isolated tissue and blood vessels at different distances according to the research needs, which is convenient for systematically exploring the influence of distance factors in the heat sink effect and greatly improves the experimental flexibility and applicability of the device.

[0027] Compared to existing technologies, this device specifically integrates functions such as ex vivo tissue support, vascular circulation simulation, and position adjustment. It is specifically designed for the study of the heat sink effect in ex vivo tissue ablation. It can focus on the core elements of the heat sink effect, such as circulating blood flow and the relative position of tissue and blood vessels. It provides a reliable experimental tool for analyzing the formation mechanism of the heat sink effect and optimizing ablation treatment plans, and has strong professional relevance and scientific research application value. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a first-view perspective three-dimensional schematic diagram of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 2This is a first-view sectional view of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ring frame of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature control circulation system of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the sealing cap portion of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the sealing cap portion of this utility model;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the long plate of this utility model;

[0035] The markings in the diagram are as follows:

[0036] 1. Support column; 2. Pipe 1; 3. Box body; 4. Sealing cover; 5. Pipe 2; 6. Pipe 3; 7. Temperature control device; 8. Pipe 4; 9. Drive pump; 10. Box groove; 11. Groove; 12. Gear 1; 13. Gear 2; 14. Long plate; 15. Ring frame; 16. Simulated blood vessel; 17. Connector 1; 18. Connector 2; 19. Tray; 20. Handle; 21. Rotating rod 1; 22. Turntable 1; 23. Threaded groove; 24. Turntable 2; 25. Screw 1; 26. Support; 27. Long groove; 28. Screw 2; 29. ​​Connecting block; 30. Rotating rod 2; 31. Moving block. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0038] It should be noted that all directional and positional terms used in this utility model, such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," "back," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "top," "lower," "lateral," "longitudinal," and "center," are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and connections between components in a specific state (as shown in the accompanying drawings). They are merely for the convenience of describing this utility model and do not require that this utility model be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., in this utility model are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated.

[0039] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0041] Please see Figures 1 to 7 This application discloses an experimental device for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation, comprising:

[0042] Box 3, with a box groove 10 inside the box 3. Ring frames 15 are fixed on both sides of the bottom of the inner wall of the box groove 10. The ring frames 15 are used to fix the simulated blood vessels 16. The fixing method can be a fixed connection, or the simulated blood vessels 16 can be inserted into the ring frames 15 by plugging and the position can be stabilized by friction. Only the position of the simulated blood vessels 16 in the vertical space is fixed, and the simulated blood vessels 16 can move left and right.

[0043] The position adjustment mechanism is set on one side inside the box 10. Its drive end is equipped with a tray 19. The tray 19 is used to put in the ex vivo tissue. The position adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the distance between the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessel 16.

[0044] The temperature-controlled circulation system has its output and input ends connected to the two ends of the simulated blood vessel 16, respectively. The temperature-controlled circulation system and the simulated blood vessel 16 constitute a physiological circulation simulation section. A drive pump 9 and a temperature control device 7 are installed on the temperature-controlled circulation system to accurately control the temperature of the liquid in the temperature-controlled circulation system.

[0045] This application discloses an experimental device for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation. By integrating the box body 3, the position adjustment mechanism, and the temperature control circulation system, an experimental platform capable of simulating the effect of blood flow output from ex vivo tissue on heat diffusion during clinical ablation is constructed. The box body 3 provides support for the overall structure and defines the experimental area. A longitudinally extending groove 10 is formed within the box body 3 as a functional cavity. Two ring frames 15 for inserting simulated blood vessels 16 are fixed to the bottom of the inner walls on both sides of the groove 10, forming a basic circulatory vascular pathway, ensuring the simulated blood vessels 16 are firmly positioned. The position adjustment mechanism is installed on one side of the groove to adjust the distance between the tray 19 holding the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessel 16. This allows for flexible adjustment of the distance between the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessel 16. In some examples of this application, the tray 19 can be adjusted laterally and / or longitudinally relative to the simulated blood vessel 16 (for example, an electric slide can be added between the tray 19 and the drive end of the position adjustment mechanism, which drives the tray 19 to move horizontally to achieve lateral position adjustment relative to the simulated blood vessel 16). This allows researchers to select different spatial configurations to simulate different anatomical structures according to experimental purposes. The circulation pipeline system connects the two ends of the simulated blood vessel 16 to form a closed-loop structure, which is equipped with a drive pump 9 to maintain a constant or pulsating flow state, and is also equipped with a temperature control device 7 such as a heater or heat exchanger to control the temperature of the circulating liquid. In use, the simulated blood vessel 16 is first fixed by the inner ring frame 15 of the box 3 and connected to the circulation pipeline system to form a blood flow channel. On this basis, the ex vivo tissue sample is placed on the tray 19 and the position of the tray 19 is adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism to achieve precise control of the distance between the tissue sample and the simulated blood vessel 16, so as to construct different physiological structure models. Then, the temperature control circulation system is started, and the drive pump 9 pushes the temperature control liquid to circulate continuously in the simulated blood vessel 16. The temperature control device 7 realizes precise heating or cooling of the liquid. When a heat ablation source is applied to the tissue sample, the heat diffuses to the surrounding tissue, and the flowing liquid carries away the heat of the adjacent area through the simulated blood vessel 16, thus forming a heat sink effect at the tissue-blood vessel interface. This effect directly affects the temperature distribution and ablation range of the tissue area. By comparing the thermal field change data under different distances, flow rates and temperature conditions, the system realizes quantitative research on heat sink behavior to support the optimization of ablation parameters and the establishment of precise energy control strategies.

[0046] The adjustable-temperature ex vivo tissue ablation heat sink effect experimental device described in this application overcomes the limitations of traditional static and simplified flow models in terms of spatial adjustment and thermal-fluid coupling control. By introducing a structurally adjustable tray system, it solves the experimental rigidity caused by fixed tissue sample and blood vessel positions, significantly improving the anatomical variability and experimental flexibility of the simulation. Simultaneously, by establishing a closed-loop circulation system with controllable temperature and flow rate, the fluid state within the simulated blood vessel 16 more closely resembles physiological blood flow conditions, making it particularly suitable for exploring the effects of different flow rate pulsation patterns and temperature differences on the heat sink effect. Furthermore, this device enables systematic research on blood flow heat sink behavior in a non-in vivo manner, avoiding the ethical and cost burdens of animal experiments and offering higher experimental repeatability and control precision. It provides a standardized and reliable experimental platform for mechanism research, parameter optimization, and equipment testing of radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and other energy-based hyperthermia methods. It also provides strong experimental support and theoretical basis for hyperthermia technology in individualized treatment pathway planning and preoperative parameter adjustment.

[0047] As a preferred example of this application, a groove 11 is provided on the upper surface of the box 3, and a sealing cover 4 can be detachably inserted into the groove 11. A handle 20 is fixed on both sides of the upper surface of the sealing cover 4. The position adjustment mechanism includes a long plate 14 fixedly installed on the rear end of the inner wall of the box groove 10. A long groove 27 is provided at the front end of the long plate 14, and a connecting block 29 is inserted into the long groove 27. A moving block 31 is fixed at the front end of the connecting block 29. A tray 19 is installed at the front end of the moving block 31. A rotating rod 30 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the long plate 14. A screw 28 is fixed at the bottom end of the rotating rod 30. The bottom end of the screw 28 passes through the connecting block 29 and is threadedly connected.

[0048] This application further optimizes the sealing structure and position adjustment mechanism. By setting a detachable sealing cover 4 on the top of the box 3 and an operating handle 20 on the cover, the experimenter can quickly and conveniently complete the entire process of opening the cover, loading samples, adjusting and sealing operations. This effectively improves the operating efficiency and significantly reduces the interference of the external environment on the temperature field and flow field during the experiment. It helps to maintain the consistency and stability of experimental conditions, thereby improving the reliability and repeatability of measurement data. In terms of the adjustment system, a transmission structure of screw-connecting block 29-moving block 31 is used instead of the traditional slide rail mechanism. While maintaining a compact structure, it realizes the smooth lifting and lowering of the tray 19 and adjusts the longitudinal distance between the tray 19 and the simulated blood vessel 16. This avoids the problems of gap loosening, unstable lifting and lowering or vertical offset that occur in common slide rail structures during long-term use, and significantly improves the stability and accuracy of the distance control between the tissue sample and the simulated blood vessel 16.

[0049] Preferably, four pillars 1 arranged in a rectangular array are fixed on the lower surface of the housing 3. The array of pillars 1 provides overall stability to the device and adapts to the vibration environment of the experimental platform.

[0050] As a preferred example of this application, a gear 12 is fixed at the top of the rotating rod 30, and a rotating rod 21 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the sealing cover 4. The bottom end of the rotating rod 21 extends into the box groove 10 and is fixed with a gear 13. The gear 12 and the gear 13 are meshed and connected.

[0051] Through the meshing transmission of gear 12 and gear 13, the rotational motion of rotating rod 21 is converted into the rotation of rotating rod 30, thereby indirectly controlling screw 28. This design allows the operator to adjust the height of tray 19 from outside the sealed cover 4 via turntable 22, significantly improving the problems of inconvenient operation position and limited adjustment path of traditional tray height adjustment mechanisms. It enables researchers to perform real-time and precise adjustment of the vertical distance between tissue samples and simulated blood vessels 16 while the experimental chamber is closed, effectively avoiding problems such as temperature disturbance, environmental pollution, and unstable experimental parameters caused by frequent opening of the sealed cover 4. This improves the thermal environment control capability and data consistency of the experimental system during the simulation of heat sink effects. Furthermore, by integrating the manual adjustment interface onto the outside of the enclosure, not only is the human-machine interface of the equipment structure optimized, but an interface foundation is also provided for subsequent modular control or electric adjustment upgrades. This allows the experimental device to meet current research needs while possessing good scalability and upgrade potential, providing a more efficient, accurate, and user-friendly experimental support platform for experimental verification of thermal ablation treatment effects and parameter optimization research.

[0052] As a preferred example of this application, gear 12 and gear 23 are on the same horizontal plane to ensure the synchronicity and reliability of power transmission, reduce jamming or wear problems caused by gear misalignment, and extend the service life of the device.

[0053] As a preferred example of this application, a turntable 22 is fixed to the top of the rotating rod 21. A threaded groove 23 is provided on the upper surface of the turntable 22. A bracket 26 is fixed to the upper end of the sealing cover 4. A screw 25 is threadedly connected to the bracket 26. The bottom end of the screw 25 extends into the threaded groove 23 and is threadedly connected. A turntable 24 is fixed to the top of the screw 25.

[0054] By adding a locking structure between screw 25 and threaded groove 23, after the position of tray 19 is adjusted, rotating turntable 24 can cause screw 25 to press against turntable 22, preventing the gear set from rotating unexpectedly due to vibration during the experiment and ensuring the fixation of the tissue sample position. Support 26 provides rigid support to prevent deformation of the sealing cap 4 during locking.

[0055] As a preferred example of this application, the tray 19 is integrally molded from ceramic material, and the upper end of the tray 19 has a mesh structure or groove structure for stably placing three-dimensional tissues. Preferably, the tray 19 has through holes for guiding the drainage of tissue exudate.

[0056] This application effectively solves the technical problems of structural loosening, liquid accumulation, and cross-contamination in high-temperature experiments caused by traditional spliced ​​trays by adopting a one-piece molded ceramic tray combined with a surface mesh or groove-like tissue support structure and a bottom through-hole design. The moderate thermal conductivity of ceramic material, combined with the seamless one-piece structure, gives the tray good thermal stability and dimensional retention under high-temperature conditions, while also providing high biosafety and ease of cleaning, avoiding result deviations or impacts on subsequent experiments due to biological residues. The through-hole design significantly improves the smoothness of the tray's heat conduction path, preventing exudate from forming a thermal barrier, thereby improving the stability and uniformity of temperature conduction. When used in conjunction with a position adjustment mechanism, the moderate thermal conductivity and non-deformability of ceramic itself allow it to maintain structural stability and uniform heat field distribution under high-temperature or continuous heat load conditions. At the same time, it can avoid the excessively rapid heat conduction or uncontrolled heat diffusion of metal trays in high-temperature environments, ensuring precise control of the thermal gradient in the tissue ablation zone. It is particularly suitable for evaluating the temperature changes and ablation boundary stability of different tissue types under the influence of the heat sink effect. In the example of this application, the tray 19 may also be made of a heat-insulating material.

[0057] As a preferred example of this application, the temperature-controlled circulation system includes a connector 17 connected to one end of the simulated blood vessel 16. One end of the connector 17 extends through the housing 3 (a rubber sealing gasket can be fitted at the part of the connector 17 that extends through the housing 3 to ensure a seal, while also allowing for easy docking with simulated blood vessels 16 of different lengths). The other end of the connector 17 is fitted with a pipe 2. A drive pump 9 is installed at the other end of the pipe 2. The other end of the drive pump 9 is fitted with a pipe 4 8. The other end of the pipe 4 8 is connected to a pipe 3 6 via a temperature control device 7. The temperature control device 7 includes a heating / cooling device. The system consists of three parts: a cooling unit, a temperature sensor, and a digital temperature controller. The heating / cooling unit uses a ring heater or a ring heat exchanger to heat or cool the liquid inside the pipe. It works in conjunction with a temperature sensor installed in the pipe and an external temperature controller to regulate the temperature of the fluid in the pipe. The other end of pipe 6 is fitted with connector 2 18. One end of connector 2 18 extends through the housing 3 into the tank 10 (a rubber sealing gasket can be fitted at the point where connector 2 18 penetrates the housing 3 to ensure a seal), and the other end of connector 2 18 connects to the other end of the simulated blood vessel 16. The position of the simulated blood vessel 16 within the tank 10 can be adjusted by moving connector 1 17 or connector 2 18 externally (the length of the simulated blood vessel 16 is greater than the distance between the two ring frames 15). In another embodiment, connector 1 17 and connector 2 18 can also be fixedly inserted through the housing 1, while the ring frame 15 is slidably disposed within the tank 10. By adjusting the position of the ring frame 15 within the tank 10, the horizontal position of the simulated blood vessel 16 relative to the tray 19 can be adjusted.

[0058] The temperature-controlled circulation system, through a series arrangement of connector 17, pipe 2, drive pump 9, pipe 4, temperature control device 7, pipe 3, and connector 2, constructs a highly biomimetic fluid circulation environment, enabling the physiological circulation simulation section to realistically reproduce the heat exchange process between the blood vessel wall and surrounding tissues. Drive pump 9, as the core of the fluid dynamics, preferably employs an adjustable-speed pump (such as a peristaltic pump or centrifugal pump) to regulate the flow rate of the circulating fluid, simulating different blood flow velocities. Its adjustable-speed characteristics are transmitted to the entire system through pipe 2 and pipe 4, simulating different flow velocity states from capillaries to main blood vessels. The temperature control device 7 is located in the middle of the pipeline. The heating / cooling unit preferably uses a ring heat exchanger, which is arranged at the heat exchange interface between pipe 4 (8) and pipe 3 (6). It can achieve rapid heating and cooling within the range of 4℃ to 60℃, and is suitable for simulating local tissue environments under different clinical body temperature conditions or experimental requirements. The temperature sensor preferably uses a high-precision platinum resistance thermometer (such as PT100) or thermocouple (such as K-type), which is fixed at the front end of the connection section between pipe 3 (6) and simulated blood vessel 16, close to the inlet of the physiological circulation simulation section, to ensure real-time monitoring of the actual temperature of the liquid flowing into the tissue area. The digital temperature controller can be a PID closed-loop controller (such as Omron E5CC series or RKC series temperature controller), which reads the sensor signal, compares it with the set target temperature in real time, and automatically adjusts the working state of the heating / cooling unit to achieve a stable control effect with a temperature control accuracy better than ±0.5℃. This allows the liquid flowing through the simulated blood vessel 16 to quickly return to the set temperature after heat exchange, forming a stable temperature control closed loop.

[0059] As a preferred example of this application, the first connector 17 and the second connector 18 are replaceable connectors of different diameters or standardized interfaces. The standardized interface can adopt the Luer connector commonly used in the medical field or other internationally recognized quick-connect interface structures, which are suitable for quick docking with existing commercial simulated blood vessel products. The replaceable structure is designed with a variety of matching diameter plug-in connector assemblies, so that the device can flexibly select the connector form that matches the blood vessel model used in the current experiment. Through screwing, snap-fit ​​or sliding mechanical connection, the connector can be easily replaced without the aid of tools.

[0060] As a preferred example of this application, a pipe 2 5 is installed at one end of the outer wall of pipe 3 6, and pipe 2 5 is connected to pipe 3 6. A valve is provided on the outer wall of pipe 2 5.

[0061] Pipeline 2 (5) is integrated into the outer wall of pipe 3 (6) as a branch pipe. Its valve-equipped structure provides multi-dimensional functional expansion for the system. Under normal operating conditions, the valve is closed to maintain the airtightness of the temperature control circulation system and ensure unidirectional fluid flow along the main pipeline. When liquid replacement (physiological saline can be used in this embodiment) is required, opening the valve allows pipe 2 (5) to serve as a perfusion channel, quickly introducing fresh culture medium or removing air bubbles and impurities.

[0062] As a preferred example of this application, pipes 1-2, 2-5, 3-6, and 4-8 are all flexible pipes (such as silicone pipes and PVC pipes), and their material properties provide the necessary physical adaptability for the entire device. The box 3, pipes 1-2, 2-5, 3-6, 4-8, and simulated blood vessels 16 are all transparent structures, which facilitates observation of the internal conditions.

[0063] As a preferred example of this application, the box 3 of the adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation heat sink effect experimental device is also provided with an integrated data acquisition interface for connecting temperature sensors (such as thermocouples, fiber optic temperature probes) placed on the tissue sample to record the internal temperature distribution of the tissue in real time. A movable mounting bracket or robotic arm is also provided above the tray 19 for fixing the ablation probe (such as radio frequency needles, microwave antennas, cryoprobes).

[0064] The adjustable-temperature ex vivo tissue ablation heat sink effect experimental device described in this application integrates an adjustable-distance position adjustment mechanism, a temperature control circulation system, and a standardized simulated blood vessel 16 interface within a sealed enclosure 3. This constructs a highly controllable experimental platform that allows independent adjustment of three key factors: temperature, flow rate, and the distance between the tissue and the simulated blood vessel 16. Under ex vivo conditions, it can realistically reproduce the process of physiological blood circulation carrying away heat. By setting the flow rate and temperature, placing the ablation probe on the tissue surface and inserting multiple temperature sensors for real-time monitoring, it can intuitively present the influence of the heat sink effect on the tissue temperature field under different parameter conditions, including key indicators such as the maximum temperature, thermal damage boundary, and temperature response rate. This provides an effective, low-cost, and easily standardized experimental support platform for parameter optimization and mechanism research in thermal ablation technology. Compared with traditional in vivo or static ex vivo models, this device has comprehensive technical advantages such as compact structure, simple operation, strong parameter controllability, and high experimental repeatability.

[0065] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation, characterized in that... ,include: Box (3), the box (3) has a box groove (10) inside, and two ring frames (15) are fixed on the inner wall of the box groove (10). The two ring frames (15) are used to fix the simulated blood vessels (16). A position adjustment mechanism is set in the box groove (10), and its drive end is equipped with a tray (19) for placing the ex vivo tissue. The position adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the distance between the ex vivo tissue and the simulated blood vessel (16). The temperature-controlled circulation system is equipped with a drive pump (9) and a temperature control device (7) for driving the flow rate and temperature of the circulating liquid. Its output end and input end are respectively connected to the two ends of the simulated blood vessel (16), thereby forming a physiological circulation simulation segment with temperature control capability with the simulated blood vessel (16).

2. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The position adjustment mechanism includes a long plate (14) fixedly installed on the rear end of the inner wall of the box groove (10). The front end of the long plate (14) has a long groove (27) extending in the vertical direction. A connecting block (29) is inserted into the long groove (27). A moving block (31) is fixed at the front end of the connecting block (29). The tray (19) is installed on the moving block (31). The upper end of the long plate (14) is rotatably connected to a rotating rod (30). The bottom end of the rotating rod (30) is fixed with a screw (28). The screw (28) passes through the connecting block (29) and is threadedly connected to it. When the rotating rod (30) rotates, it can drive the connecting block (29) to slide up and down along the long groove (27).

3. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper end of the box body (3) is provided with a detachable sealing cover (4), and a rotating rod (21) is rotatably connected to the sealing cover (4). The bottom end of the rotating rod (21) extends into the box groove (10) and is fixed with a gear (13). The top end of the rotating rod (30) is fixed with a gear (12), and the gear (12) meshes with the gear (13).

4. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first gear (12) and the second gear (13) are on the same horizontal plane.

5. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 4, characterized in that: The top of the rotating rod (21) is fixed with a turntable (22), and the upper surface of the turntable (22) is provided with a threaded groove (23). The upper end of the sealing cover (4) is fixed with a bracket (26), and the bracket (26) is threadedly connected with a screw rod (25). The bottom end of the screw rod (25) extends into the threaded groove (23) and is threadedly connected. The top of the screw rod (25) is fixed with a turntable (24).

6. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray (19) is integrally formed from ceramic material. The upper end of the tray (19) is provided with a mesh structure or groove structure for stable placement of three-dimensional tissues, and a through hole is provided at the bottom of the inner wall of the groove structure.

7. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature control circulation system includes a connector 1 (17) connected to one end of the simulated blood vessel (16). One end of the connector 1 (17) passes through the box body (3), and the other end of the connector 1 (17) is connected to pipe 1 (2). The other end of the pipe 1 (2) is equipped with the drive pump (9), and the other end of the drive pump (9) is connected to pipe 4 (8). The other end of the pipe 4 (8) is connected to pipe 3 (6) through a temperature control device (7). The other end of the pipe 3 (6) is connected to connector 2 (18). One end of connector 2 (18) passes through the box body (3) and extends into the box groove (10), and the other end of connector 2 (18) is connected to the other end of the simulated blood vessel (16).

8. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first connector (17) and the second connector (18) are replaceable connectors of different diameters or standardized interfaces.

9. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 7, characterized in that: The box (3), pipe one (2), pipe two (5), pipe three (6), pipe four (8), and the simulated blood vessel (16) are all transparent structures, and pipe one (2), pipe two (5), pipe three (6), and pipe four (8) are all flexible pipelines.

10. The experimental apparatus for the heat sink effect of adjustable temperature ex vivo tissue ablation according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper end of the box (3) is provided with a groove (11), and the sealing cover (4) is detachably inserted into the groove (11). The upper end of the sealing cover (4) is fixed with a handle (20) to assist in opening and closing the sealing cover. Several support pillars (1) are fixed on the lower surface of the box (3).

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