Integrated control method for automatic bladder cleaning apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device. The integrated control method for tube flushing and bladder flushing using an automatic bladder flushing device comprising: a supply tube connected to a flushing solution container according to the present invention; a discharge tube with one longitudinal end connected to a drainage container; and a catheter connecting tube connected to a connection part of a urethral catheter, comprises: a tube filling step of performing tube flushing by allowing flushing solution to flow through the supply tube and the discharge tube while simultaneously filling the supply tube and the discharge tube with flushing solution to remove internal air; and a bladder flushing step of injecting flushing solution into the bladder to which the urethral catheter is connected through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, and discharging flushing solution containing impurities from the bladder through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube. A tube cleaning step is provided for cleaning the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube by discharging the cleaning solution through the discharge tube while the cleaning solution is filled into the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube, and the tube filling step, the bladder cleaning step, and the tube cleaning step are controlled to be performed continuously to form a single cleaning cycle.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device, and more specifically, to an integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device that allows a patient or user, rather than a medical professional, to directly perform bladder flushing, and to facilitate tube (supply tube, catheter connecting tube, and discharge tube) flushing and bladder flushing by automatically controlling the amount and discharge of flushing fluid, as well as the infusion and discharge speeds of flushing fluid, through a built-in algorithm, and to enable the automatic performance of bladder flushing and tube (supply tube, catheter connecting tube, and discharge tube) flushing in an integrated manner, thereby enabling multiple uses and long-term use. Background Technology

[0003] A continuous bladder flushing device is a device that flushes the bladder by inserting a catheter through the urethra to drain urine or blood clots or inject medication. In this process, the flushing solution is injected into the bladder through the catheter, and the procedure ends when the injected solution is discharged into a urine bag after flushing the bladder; therefore, the flushing solution must be continuously replaced and connected. Consequently, continuous management by medical staff and relevant personnel is required.

[0004] The conventional bladder flushing process is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional apparatus for bladder irrigation.

[0006] Conventional bladder irrigation is performed by medical personnel using a syringe (17) as shown in FIG. 1.

[0007] Medical staff insert the urethral insertion part (15) of the urethral catheter (13) into the patient's urethra (12) and then insert it into the bladder (11). Then, using a syringe (17), they immerse the syringe tip (16) in a washing solution container (19) filled with physiological saline or sterile distilled water and pull the plunger (18) to draw a certain amount into the syringe (17). Afterward, they connect the syringe tip (16) to the connection part (14) of the urethral catheter (13) and push the plunger (18) to inject the washing solution in the syringe (17) into the bladder (11) through the urethral catheter (13) at a constant rate.

[0008] When all the cleaning solution in the syringe (17) is injected into the bladder (11), the plunger (18) of the syringe (17) is pulled to withdraw the cleaning solution injected into the bladder back from the bladder (11). The cleaning solution withdrawn from the bladder (11) in this manner is the cleaning solution after it has been used to wash away impurities in the bladder, so it is discarded into a waste container.

[0009] Bladder irrigation is a very effective method for removing impurities and blood clots caused by urinary dysfunction in the patient's bladder, and based on this, it can be considered a major procedure for protecting the patient's health by lowering the probability of urinary tract infection.

[0010] However, the conventional method described above must be performed directly by medical staff, and since it is performed manually, it is difficult for each medical staff member to perform the flushing method quantitatively and identically. Furthermore, it causes inconvenience for patients who must travel to a hospital to periodically perform bladder flushing using this conventional method.

[0011] In addition, when flushing the bladder using the conventional method described above, the amount of flushing solution injected and discharged is controlled according to the judgment of the medical staff. Therefore, if the medical staff lack experience, the amount of flushing solution injected and discharged cannot be properly controlled, resulting in ineffective bladder flushing. Furthermore, since all auxiliary materials such as syringes and tubes are used as single-use items, only one intermittent bladder flush is possible, and they are discarded after a single use, there is a problem of severe resource waste. Prior art literature

[0013] (Patent Document 0001) KR 10-2023-0172060 A The problem to be solved

[0014] The present invention is proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide an integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device that facilitates bladder flushing by automatically controlling the amount and discharge of flushing fluid, as well as the injection and discharge speeds of flushing fluid, through an algorithm, and enables the integrated performance of bladder flushing and the cleaning of tubes (supply tube, catheter connection tube, and discharge tube), thereby allowing for hygienic and reusable use, long-term use, and easy bladder flushing by patients or users who are not medical personnel. means of solving the problem

[0016] An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose, comprising: a supply tube with one longitudinal side connected to a flushing solution container; a discharge tube with one longitudinal side connected to a drainage container; and a catheter connecting tube with one longitudinal side connected to the other longitudinal side of the supply tube and the other longitudinal side of the discharge tube, and the other longitudinal side connected to a connection part of a urethral catheter; the method comprises: a tube filling step of performing tube flushing by allowing flushing solution to flow through the supply tube and the discharge tube, while simultaneously filling the supply tube and the discharge tube with flushing solution to remove internal air; and a bladder flushing step of injecting flushing solution into the bladder to which the urethral catheter is connected through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, and discharging flushing solution containing impurities from the bladder through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube. A tube cleaning step is provided for cleaning the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube by discharging the cleaning solution through the discharge tube while the cleaning solution is filled into the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube, and the tube filling step, the bladder cleaning step, and the tube cleaning step are controlled to be performed continuously to form a single cleaning cycle.

[0017] The above automatic bladder flushing device is equipped with an electronic control unit with a built-in algorithm, and can control the tube filling step, the bladder flushing step, and the tube flushing step to be performed continuously to form a single flushing cycle through the automatic injection and discharge of the flushing solution, control of the injection and discharge amounts of the flushing solution, and control of the injection and discharge speeds of the flushing solution.

[0018] Between the tube filling step and the bladder flushing step, a step of draining residual urine inside the bladder to which the urethral catheter is connected through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube may be further provided.

[0019] The bladder flushing step comprises: a step of repeatedly performing, for a certain period of time, the operation of injecting a flushing solution corresponding to a first injection amount, which is a part of a preset maximum supply amount of flushing solution, into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, and discharging an amount equal to the injected flushing solution through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube; and a step of injecting a second injection amount of flushing solution, which is relatively larger than the first injection amount, into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube at a first injection rate, and additionally injecting a third injection amount of flushing solution, which is the maximum supply amount of flushing solution minus the second injection amount, into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter at a second injection rate lower than the first injection rate, wherein the second injection amount has a relatively larger injection amount than the third injection amount. The method may include the step of discharging an amount of the flushing solution containing impurities inside the bladder through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube at a discharge rate equal to or similar to the first injection rate, and subsequently discharging an additional amount corresponding to the remainder of the flushing solution containing impurities inside the bladder at a discharge rate equal to or similar to the second injection rate.

[0020] The bladder flushing step comprises: a step of repeatedly performing, for a certain period of time, the operation of injecting a first injection amount of flushing fluid corresponding to a portion of a preset maximum supply amount of flushing fluid through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter, and discharging an amount equal to the injected flushing fluid through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube; and a step of repeatedly performing additional injection and discharge operations for a certain period of time, wherein, while injecting a second injection amount of flushing fluid relatively larger than the first injection amount into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, additionally injecting a third injection amount of flushing fluid relatively smaller than the second injection amount into the bladder and discharging an amount equal to the additionally injected third injection amount of flushing fluid, wherein the amount of flushing fluid obtained by adding the first injection amount and the second injection amount, or the amount obtained by adding the second injection amount and the third injection amount, is set to be equal to or less than the maximum supply amount of flushing fluid. The method may include a step of discharging all of the cleaning fluid containing impurities inside the bladder at a constant rate through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube.

[0021] The maximum supply amount of the above cleaning solution may be 150 to 300 ml.

[0022] The above automatic bladder flushing device may include: a first peristaltic metering pump installed on the supply tube to transfer flushing fluid in a flushing fluid container to the urethral catheter side; a second peristaltic metering pump installed on the discharge tube to transfer flushing fluid in the bladder connected to the urethral catheter to the drainage tank; a pinch valve installed on the catheter connection tube to control the flow of flushing fluid passing through the catheter connection tube; and an electronic control unit that performs operation control of the first peristaltic metering pump and the second peristaltic metering pump and operation control of the pinch valve.

[0023] The above automatic bladder flushing device may further include a check valve installed on the supply tube to prevent backflow of the flushing fluid.

[0024] The above tube cleaning step may comprise: a step of controlling, by control through the electronic control unit, that the cleaning solution in the cleaning solution container flows through the supply tube and passes through the pinch valve on the catheter connecting tube to the urethral catheter connection part so that the cleaning solution fills the entire supply tube and the catheter connecting tube; and a step of closing the pinch valve so that the cleaning solution flows through the supply tube and the discharge tube and is discharged into a drainage container.

[0025] The above tube cleaning step may further comprise a step of removing residual cleaning fluid from the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube. Effects of the invention

[0027] According to the present invention, the amount of flushing solution injected and discharged, and the injection and discharge speeds of the flushing solution can be automatically controlled through an algorithm to facilitate bladder flushing. Additionally, it is possible to perform bladder flushing and the flushing of tubes (supply tube, catheter connecting tube, and discharge tube) in an integrated manner, which allows for hygienic and reusable use, long-term use, and has the advantage of enabling bladder flushing to be easily performed by patients or users who are not medical personnel. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional device for bladder washing, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an automatic bladder washing device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation sequence of an integrated control method of the automatic bladder washing device of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a graph of a first embodiment showing a bladder washing control process using the automatic bladder washing device of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a graph of a second embodiment showing a bladder washing control process using the automatic bladder washing device of FIG. 2. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] An embodiment of an automatic bladder washing device according to the present invention and a bladder washing control method using the same will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an automatic bladder washing device according to the present invention.

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the automatic bladder flushing device (100) according to the present invention is a device that integrates the flushing of the tube and the flushing of the bladder, making it usable by a patient or other user and enabling long-term use rather than single use.

[0033] The above automatic bladder flushing device (100) removes impurities and blood clots from the patient's bladder (11) caused by urinary dysfunction by repeating the process of injecting a flushing solution into the patient's bladder (11) and then draining the flushing solution from the bladder (11) for bladder flushing, and for tube flushing performed after bladder flushing, flushing is performed by injecting a flushing solution into the tube and draining it.

[0034] For this purpose, an automatic bladder flushing device (100) according to the present invention comprises: a supply tube (110) having one longitudinal side (left end in FIG. 2) connected to a flushing solution container (20); a discharge tube (120) having one longitudinal side (left end in FIG. 2) connected to a drainage container (30); a catheter connecting tube (130) having one longitudinal side (left end in FIG. 2) connected to the other longitudinal side (right end in FIG. 2) of the supply tube (110) and the other longitudinal side (right end in FIG. 2) of the discharge tube (120), and having the other longitudinal side (right end in this embodiment) connected to a connection part of a urethral catheter (13); a first peristaltic metering pump (111) installed on the supply tube (110) to transfer flushing solution within the flushing solution container (20) to the urethral catheter (13); and a discharge tube (120) installed on the discharge tube (120) It includes a second peristaltic metering pump (121) that delivers the flushing fluid in the bladder (11) connected to the urethral catheter (13) to the drainage tank (30). The flushing fluid may include physiological saline or sterile distilled water.

[0035] When the first peristaltic metering pump (111) is operated for bladder flushing, the flushing fluid in the flushing fluid container (20) is transferred to the urethral catheter (13) along the supply tube (110) and the catheter connecting tube (130), and then injected into the patient's bladder (11) connected (inserted) to the urethral catheter (13). At this time, since the second peristaltic metering pump (121) remains in a stopped state, the flushing fluid supplied to the catheter connecting tube (130) through the supply tube (110) does not flow to the second peristaltic metering pump (121) but is entirely transferred to the urethral catheter (13).

[0036] When the flushing solution is injected into the patient's bladder (11), impurities such as sludge and blood clots inside the bladder (11) are mixed with the flushing solution. When this condition occurs, the operation of the first peristaltic metering pump (111) is stopped and the second peristaltic metering pump (121) is operated. When the first peristaltic metering pump (111) is operated, the flushing solution inside the bladder (11) (more specifically, the flushing solution mixed with impurities) is discharged into the drainage container (30) by sequentially passing through the urethral catheter (13), the catheter connecting tube (130), and the discharge tube (120). The injection and discharge of the flushing solution as described above may be repeated a predetermined number of times according to the condition of the patient's bladder (11), and the number of repetitions may increase or decrease depending on the amount of impurities and blood clots discharged into the drainage container (30).

[0037] At this time, it is preferable that a check valve (112) be installed on the supply tube (110) to prevent backflow of the cleaning solution (more specifically, flow toward the first peristaltic metering pump (111)) so that the cleaning solution mixed with impurities is not delivered toward the first peristaltic metering pump (111). The check valve (112) is a type of check valve that allows the cleaning solution to flow from the first peristaltic metering pump (111) toward the catheter connecting tube (130) but prevents the cleaning solution from flowing in the opposite direction. Since such check valves are commercially available in various fields, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0038] Additionally, a pinch valve (131) may be further included, which is installed on the catheter connecting tube (130) to control the flow rate of the cleaning fluid passing through the catheter connecting tube (130). The pinch valve (131) is a type of valve that increases or decreases the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path within the catheter connecting tube (130), and the user can control the flow of the cleaning fluid flowing along the catheter connecting tube (130) by operating the pinch valve (131). The pinch valve (131) may be provided as a three-way valve in which the other end in the longitudinal direction of the supply tube (110), the other end in the longitudinal direction of the discharge tube (120), and one side in the longitudinal direction of the catheter connecting tube (130) are connected, or it may be provided as a two-way valve on the catheter connecting tube (130).

[0039] In addition, the automatic bladder flushing device (100) according to the present invention may be equipped with an electronic control unit (140) that automatically controls the operation of the various pumps and valves mentioned above.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic control unit (140) is configured to include a pump control unit (141) that outputs an operation signal for the first interlocking metering pump (111) and the second interlocking metering pump (121), a valve control unit (142) that outputs an operation signal for the pinch valve (131), and an MCU (144) that controls the pump control unit (141) and the valve control unit (142).

[0041] By controlling the electronic control unit (140), the first interlocking metering pump (111) and the second interlocking metering pump (121) can be controlled to transfer only a preset amount of cleaning fluid, and it is possible to transfer the cleaning fluid at a preset injection speed. This is also the case for the pinch valve (131), and selective control of the flow and blockage of the cleaning fluid is possible by controlling the electronic control unit (140). In addition, flow rate control may be possible by allowing the cleaning fluid to flow in a desired amount as needed.

[0042] The electronic control unit (140) stores a bladder flushing algorithm that can be set by a user or medical staff, and the electronic control unit (140) is configured to automatically control the automatic injection and discharge of the flushing solution, the control of the injection and discharge volume of the flushing solution, and the control of the injection and discharge speeds of the flushing solution through an algorithm embedded in the electronic control unit. Through this, it is possible to control the automatic flushing of tubes such as the supply tube, catheter connection tube, and discharge tube, and to control the bladder flushing.

[0043] When the electronic control unit (140) is provided in this manner, the user can operate the electronic control unit (140) to precisely control the operation time of the first interlocking metering pump (111) and the second interlocking metering pump (121) and the operation of the pinch valve (131), and also control the operation time of each pump and valve in advance, thereby having the advantage of being able to wash the bladder (11) more conveniently.

[0044] Additionally, the electronic control unit (140) may be further equipped with a display unit (143) that outputs information related to the supply and discharge of the cleaning solution so that the current status of the bladder cleaning can be immediately identified.

[0045] By using the automatic bladder flushing device (100) according to the present invention, unlike the conventional technology in which medical personnel perform manual flushing, the amount of flushing fluid injected and discharged, and the injection and discharge speeds of the flushing fluid are automatically controlled through an algorithm embedded in the electronic control unit (140), thereby facilitating tube flushing of the supply tube, catheter connecting tube, and discharge tube, as well as bladder flushing. Additionally, it is possible to perform bladder flushing and tube flushing in an integrated manner, which has the advantage of enabling multiple uses and long-term use.

[0046] Furthermore, by using the automatic bladder washing device (100) according to the present invention, even if the user is not a medical professional, a patient or a non-medical user can directly wash the bladder (11), thereby reducing the cost and time required for bladder washing. Additionally, since bladder washing can be performed in a space other than a hospital, the advantage of significantly increased convenience can also be obtained.

[0048] The integrated control method of the automatic bladder flushing device of FIG. 2 will be explained below through FIG. 3 to 5.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation sequence of an integrated control method of an automatic bladder washing device (100) according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a graph of a first embodiment showing a bladder washing control process using an automatic bladder washing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a graph of a second embodiment showing a bladder washing control process using an automatic bladder washing device according to the present invention.

[0050] Tube cleaning and bladder cleaning using the automatic bladder cleaning device (100) according to the present invention may be configured to proceed automatically through a cleaning algorithm that is pre-set and stored in the electronic control unit (140) simply by the user pressing a start button. Here, settings such as the time or amount of cleaning solution to be injected for the patient's bladder cleaning may be performed in advance by medical staff or device experts, taking into consideration the patient's condition.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the integrated cleaning control using the automatic bladder cleaning device (100) according to the present invention is performed such that the tube filling step (S110), the bladder cleaning step (114), and the tube cleaning step (S116) are performed sequentially at the start to form a single cleaning cycle.

[0052] Here, a bladder residual urine discharge step (S112) for discharging residual urine in the bladder may be included between the tube filling step (S110) and the bladder washing step (114), but this is performed only when residual urine is present and may be omitted if residual urine discharge is not required.

[0053] The above tube filling step (S110) involves confirming whether the cleaning solution container (20) is properly installed and allowing the cleaning solution to flow through the supply tube (110) and the discharge tube (120) to fill the supply tube (110) and the discharge tube (120) with the cleaning solution to remove as much air as possible from inside. Here, if necessary, it is also possible to perform the process of filling the cleaning solution for the catheter connecting tube (130) through precise control.

[0054] To this end, the electronic control unit (140) controls the operation of the first peristaltic metering pump (111) and the second peristaltic metering pump (121) so that the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid container (20) is discharged to the drainage tank (30) via the first peristaltic metering pump (111) and the check valve (112) on the supply tube (110) and the second peristaltic metering pump (121) on the discharge tube (120). Through this tube filling step (S110), it is possible to remove as much air as possible from the tubes constituting the supply tube (110) and the discharge tube (120), and each tube is filled with cleaning liquid. At this time, the cleaning solution is blocked through the pinch valve (131) so that it does not flow into the catheter connecting tube (130), but it may be possible to remove air by controlling it to flow into the catheter connecting tube (130) as needed.

[0055] Since cleaning of the supply tube (110) and the discharge tube (120) may be required, a process of cleaning the tubes by allowing a cleaning solution to flow through the supply tube (110) and the discharge tube (120) may be added as needed before performing the tube filling step (S110).

[0056] Subsequently, the above-mentioned residual urine discharge step (S112) is performed, but if it is determined that there is no residual urine in the bladder, this process may be omitted. The residual urine in the bladder is controlled to be discharged to the drainage container (30) through the discharge tube (120) by passing through the urethral catheter (13), the catheter connecting tube (130), and the pinch valve (131) via the discharge catheter (133). At this time, the electronic control unit (140) controls the second peristaltic metering pump (121) on the discharge tube (120) to operate and the first peristaltic metering pump (111) on the supply tube (110) not to operate, and controls the check valve (112) so that the residual urine is not introduced into the supply tube (110) but is discharged to the drainage container (30) through the discharge tube (120).

[0057] Subsequently, the bladder flushing step (S114) for flushing the inside of the bladder is controlled to be performed continuously. The bladder flushing step (S114) can be controlled in various embodiments. Generally, the amount of urine in the bladder when an adult feels the need to urinate is known to be about 200 to 250 ml, but in the present invention, it is assumed that the maximum supply amount of the flushing solution injected into the bladder is 150 to 300 ml in order to respond to various environments and various people.

[0058] And, for the bladder washing step (S114), such as automatic injection and automatic discharge of the washing solution, the electronic control unit (140) precisely controls the operation of the first peristaltic metering pump (111), the second peristaltic metering pump (121), and the pinch valve (131) according to a specified algorithm.

[0059] The first embodiment of the bladder flushing step (S114) is controlled to proceed through an initial stimulation step, an intermediate injection step, and a final discharge step, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0060] First, as a stimulation step, a small amount of washing fluid corresponding to a first injection amount (e.g., 10 to 45 volume% of the maximum washing fluid supply amount (e.g., 50 ml)) which is part of a preset maximum washing fluid supply amount (e.g., 200 ml) is injected into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter (13) through the supply tube (110) and the catheter connection tube (130), and an amount equal to the injected washing fluid is discharged through the catheter connection tube (130) and the discharge tube (120) is controlled to be performed repeatedly for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 to 50 seconds).

[0061] This is intended to suspend and expel impurities, such as sludge or blood clots, accumulated in the bladder into the flushing solution by stimulating them to detach from the bottom (surface) of the bladder. By repeating the stimulation action of injecting and expelling a small amount of flushing solution at a constant rate, the bladder is stimulated to cause impurities, such as sludge or blood clots accumulated at the bottom of the bladder, to fall off. This injection and expulsion action can be repeated 3 to 5 times, and the number of repetitions can be increased or decreased as needed, and the injection and expulsion amounts can also be adjusted.

[0062] Next, the injection step controls the injection of a second injection amount (e.g., 55 to 90 volume% of the maximum supply amount of the cleaning solution (e.g., 150 ml)) which is relatively larger than the first injection amount, into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter (13) at a first injection rate (e.g., 7.5 ml / sec) through the supply tube (110) and the catheter connection tube (130), and additionally injects a third injection amount (e.g., 45 to 10 volume% of the maximum supply amount of the cleaning solution (e.g., 50 ml)) which is equal to the difference between the maximum supply amount of the cleaning solution and the second injection amount, into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter (13) at a second injection rate (e.g., 2.5 ml / sec) which is lower than the first injection rate, thereby controlling the injection of the maximum supply amount of the cleaning solution (e.g., 200 ml). Here, the second injection amount is set to have a relatively larger injection amount than the third injection amount, and the sum of the second injection amount and the third injection amount can be set to correspond to the maximum supply amount of the cleaning solution.

[0063] Here, the reason for injecting the washing solution corresponding to the second injection amount at the first injection rate (e.g., 7.5 ml / sec) is to ensure that a sufficient amount of washing solution is injected so that impurities such as sludge separated from the inner wall (surface) of the bladder by the stimulation step can be suspended.

[0064] In addition, the reason for additionally injecting the flushing solution corresponding to the third injection amount into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter (13) at a second injection rate (e.g., 2.5 ml / sec) lower than the first injection rate is that the sensation of the bladder filling with urine can vary from person to person, and if the flushing solution is injected rapidly all at once, the patient may be startled or feel pain. Therefore, the purpose is to inject a relatively large amount at a relatively high rate first, and then inject a small amount slowly at a low rate thereafter to reduce the change in sensation so that the patient can accept it gently. The injection step can be performed for approximately 30 to 50 seconds and can be increased or decreased depending on the patient's condition.

[0065] Next, the discharge step proceeds in the opposite manner to the injection step mentioned above.

[0066] For the total infusion flush containing impurities inside the bladder (e.g., 200 ml + impurities), an amount similar to the second infusion amount (e.g., 55 to 90 volume% of the maximum supply of flushing fluid (e.g., 150 ml + impurities)) is discharged through the catheter connecting tube (130) and the discharge tube (120) at a discharge rate equal to or similar to the first infusion rate, and subsequently, an amount similar to the third infusion amount (e.g., 45 to 10 volume% of the maximum supply of flushing fluid (e.g., 50 ml + impurities)) corresponding to the remainder of the total infusion flush containing impurities inside the bladder (e.g., 200 ml + impurities) is additionally discharged at a discharge rate equal to or similar to the second infusion rate.

[0067] Similar to the infusion stage, the discharge stage is also divided into two stages with different speeds; this is intended to minimize changes in sensation, just as with the infusion stage, so that the patient can accept it gently. The discharge stage can be performed for approximately 30 to 50 seconds and may be increased or decreased depending on the patient's condition.

[0068] Meanwhile, the second embodiment of the bladder flushing step (S114) is controlled to consist of a first stimulation step, an injection step, a second stimulation step, and a final discharge step, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0069] First, as a first stimulation step, a small amount of washing fluid corresponding to a first injection amount (e.g., 10 to 45 volume% of the maximum washing fluid supply amount (e.g., 50 ml)) which is part of a preset maximum washing fluid supply amount (e.g., 250 ml) is injected into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter (13) through the supply tube (110) and the catheter connection tube (130), and an amount equal to the injected washing fluid is discharged through the catheter connection tube (130) and the discharge tube (120), and this operation is repeated for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 to 50 seconds).

[0070] This is intended to irritate impurities such as sludge or blood clots accumulated in the bladder and flush them out of the bladder by suspending them in the flushing solution.

[0071] Accordingly, by repeating the action of injecting and draining a small amount of flushing solution at a constant speed, the bladder is stimulated to dislodge impurities such as sludge or blood clots accumulated at the bottom of the bladder. This injection and drainage action can be repeated 3 to 5 times, and the number of repetitions can be increased or decreased as needed, and the amount of injection and drainage can also be adjusted.

[0072] Next, the injection step involves injecting a second injection amount (e.g., 55 to 90 volume% of the maximum supply amount of the cleaning solution (e.g., 250 ml)) which is relatively larger than the first injection amount (e.g., 150 ml)) into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter (13) at a constant rate through the supply tube (110) and the catheter connection tube (130). This is intended to inject a sufficient amount of cleaning solution capable of suspending impurities, such as sludge, separated from the inner wall of the bladder by the first stimulation step. Here, the injection step can also be controlled to be injected at a first injection rate and a second injection rate, in the same manner as the injection step described through FIG. 4.

[0073] Next, the second stimulation step can be performed in the same manner as the first stimulation step. With the second amount of cleaning solution injected by the injection step, a third amount of cleaning solution (e.g., 45 to 10 volume% of the maximum supply amount of cleaning solution (e.g., 50 ml)) which is relatively smaller than the second amount of cleaning solution is additionally injected into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter (13) through the supply tube (110) and the catheter connecting tube (130), and an amount corresponding to the third amount of cleaning solution, which is the amount of additionally injected cleaning solution, is discharged through the catheter connecting tube (130) and the discharge tube (120), and this operation is repeated for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 to 50 seconds). This is intended to stimulate the sludge or blood clots accumulated in the bladder to spread evenly throughout the entire cleaning solution, thereby allowing the cleaning solution and impurities to be uniformly mixed and facilitating discharge. The injection step and the second stimulation step can be performed for approximately 60 to 70 seconds, and can be increased or decreased as needed.

[0074] Here, the amount of cleaning solution obtained by adding the first injection amount and the second injection amount, or the amount obtained by adding the second injection amount and the third injection amount, may be set to be equal to or less than the maximum supply amount of cleaning solution.

[0075] Finally, the discharge step proceeds in the opposite manner to the injection step. That is, all of the flushing solution mixed with impurities injected into the bladder through the supply tube (110) and the catheter connecting tube (130) is discharged at a constant speed, and this can be performed for approximately 20 to 30 seconds and can be increased or decreased as needed. Here, the discharge step can also be divided into two stages with different speeds, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0076] When the bladder flushing step (S114) described above is completed, the tube flushing step (S116) is controlled to be performed continuously.

[0077] The above tube cleaning step (S116) can clean the supply tube (110), the catheter connecting tube (130), and the discharge tube (120) by discharging the cleaning solution through the discharge tube (120) while the cleaning solution is filled into the supply tube (110), the catheter connecting tube (130), and the discharge tube (120).

[0078] The above tube cleaning step (S116) can be divided into a process of draining any urine that may remain in the catheter connecting tube (130) and filling it with cleaning solution, and a process of cleaning the entire tube.

[0079] First, by controlling through the electronic control unit (140), the cleaning solution in the cleaning solution container (20) flows through the supply tube (110), passes through the pinch valve (131) on the catheter connecting tube (130), and flows to the connection part of the urethral catheter (130), thereby controlling the cleaning solution to fill the entire supply tube (110) and the catheter connecting tube (130).

[0080] Afterward, for the cleaning of the entire tube, the cleaning solution is allowed to flow into the supply tube (110) and the discharge tube (120) while the pinch valve (131) is closed, thereby cleaning the supply tube (110) and the discharge tube (120). Afterward, the cleaning solution is controlled to be discharged into the drainage container (30). Then, with the urethral catheter (13) separated from the automatic bladder cleaning device (100), a process of removing residual cleaning solution inside the supply tube (110), the catheter connecting tube (130), and the discharge tube (120) is added. The removal of residual cleaning solution can be performed by injecting air into the supply tube (110), the catheter connecting tube (130), and the discharge tube (120). At this time, the cleaning solution filled in the catheter connecting tube (130) is emptied, and thereby the cleaning of the catheter connecting tube (130) is also completed.

[0081] Subsequently, when bladder irrigation is required, it is possible to continuously perform tube filling (S110), bladder irrigation (S114), and tube irrigation (S116) through the integrated control described above. Accordingly, safe multiple uses and long-term use become possible.

[0082] As described above, according to the present invention, bladder flushing can be facilitated by automatically controlling the amount and discharge of flushing fluid and the infusion and discharge rates of flushing fluid through an algorithm, and it is possible to perform bladder flushing and the flushing of tubes (supply tube, catheter connecting tube, and discharge tube) in an integrated manner, thereby enabling hygienic use, multiple uses, and long-term use, and making it possible to easily perform bladder flushing by a patient or user who is not a medical professional.

[0083] Although the present invention has been described in detail using preferred embodiments, the scope of the invention is not limited to specific embodiments and should be interpreted by the appended claims. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0084] 11: Bladder 12: Urethra 13: Urethral catheter 14: Connection part 15: Urethral insertion site 16: Syringe tip 17: Syringe 18: Plunger 20 : Cleaning solution container 30 : Drainage container 100 : Bladder flushing device 110 : Supply tube 111: First peristaltic metering pump 112: Check valve 120 : Discharge tube 121 : Second peristaltic metering pump 130: Catheter connection tube 131: Pinch valve 140: Electronic control unit 141: Pump control unit 142: Valve control unit 143: Display unit 144 : MCU

Claims

Claim 1 A method for controlling an automatic bladder flushing device, comprising: a supply tube with one longitudinal side connected to a flushing solution container; a discharge tube with one longitudinal side connected to a drainage container; and a catheter connecting tube with one longitudinal side connected to the other longitudinal side of the supply tube and the other longitudinal side of the discharge tube, and the other longitudinal side connected to a connection part of a urethral catheter; wherein the method comprises: a first step of controlling the supply tube and the discharge tube to fill the supply tube and the discharge tube with flushing solution so that internal air is removed; A second step of controlling the injection of a cleaning solution into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge of the cleaning solution containing impurities from the bladder through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube; and a third step of controlling the cleaning of the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube by discharging the cleaning solution through the discharge tube while the cleaning solution is filled in the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube, wherein the second step comprises: a step of controlling the operation of injecting a cleaning solution corresponding to a first injection amount, which is a part of a preset maximum supply amount of cleaning solution, into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, and discharging an amount equal to the injected cleaning solution through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube, to be performed repeatedly for a certain period of time; and a relatively larger amount than the first injection amount through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube A step of injecting a second amount of flushing solution into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter at a first injection rate, and additionally injecting a third amount of flushing solution into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter at a second injection rate lower than the first injection rate, wherein the second amount of flushing solution is subtracted from the maximum supply amount of flushing solution; and controlling the second amount of flushing solution to be relatively larger than the third amount of flushing solution.An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device, characterized by comprising the step of controlling the flushing solution containing impurities inside the bladder through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube to discharge an amount corresponding to the second injection amount at a discharge rate equal to the first injection rate, and subsequently to additionally discharge an amount corresponding to the remainder of the flushing solution containing impurities inside the bladder at a discharge rate equal to the second injection rate. Claim 2 An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic bladder flushing device comprises an electronic control unit having an algorithm embedded therein, and controls the first step, the second step, and the third step to be performed continuously to form a single flushing cycle through the automatic injection and automatic discharge of the flushing fluid, control of the injection amount and discharge amount of the flushing fluid, and control of the injection speed and discharge speed of the flushing fluid. Claim 3 An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to claim 1, further comprising a step of controlling the discharge of residual urine inside the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube between the first step and the second step. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A method for controlling an automatic bladder flushing device, comprising: a supply tube with one longitudinal side connected to a flushing solution container; a discharge tube with one longitudinal side connected to a drainage container; and a catheter connecting tube with one longitudinal side connected to the other longitudinal side of the supply tube and the other longitudinal side of the discharge tube, and the other longitudinal side connected to a connection part of a urethral catheter; wherein the method comprises: a first step of controlling the supply tube and the discharge tube to fill the supply tube and the discharge tube with flushing solution so that internal air is removed; A second step of controlling the injection of a cleaning solution into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge of the cleaning solution containing impurities from the bladder through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube; and a third step of controlling the cleaning of the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube by discharging the cleaning solution through the discharge tube while the cleaning solution is filled in the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube, wherein the second step comprises: a step of repeatedly performing for a certain period of time the operation of injecting a first injection amount of cleaning solution corresponding to a part of a preset maximum supply amount of cleaning solution into the bladder connected to the urethral catheter through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube, and discharging an amount equal to the injected cleaning solution through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube; and a second injection amount of cleaning solution, which is relatively larger than the first injection amount, through the supply tube and the catheter connecting tube. A step of repeatedly performing additional injection and discharge operations for a certain period of time, wherein, while the urethral catheter is connected and injected into the bladder, a third amount of flushing fluid relatively smaller than the second amount is additionally injected into the bladder, and an amount equal to the amount of the third amount of flushing fluid additionally injected is discharged, wherein the amount of flushing fluid obtained by adding the first amount and the second amount, or the amount obtained by adding the second amount and the third amount, is set to be equal to or less than the maximum supply amount of flushing fluid;An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device, characterized by comprising the step of discharging all of the flushing solution containing impurities inside the bladder at a constant speed through the catheter connecting tube and the discharge tube. Claim 6 An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to claim 1 or claim 5, characterized in that the maximum supply amount of the flushing solution is 150 to 300 ml. Claim 7 An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to claim 1 or claim 5, wherein the automatic bladder flushing device comprises: a first peristaltic metering pump installed on the supply tube to transfer flushing fluid in a flushing fluid container to the urethral catheter side; a second peristaltic metering pump installed on the discharge tube to transfer flushing fluid in the bladder connected to the urethral catheter to the drainage container; a pinch valve installed on the catheter connection tube to control the flow of flushing fluid passing through the catheter connection tube; and an electronic control unit that performs operation control of the first peristaltic metering pump and the second peristaltic metering pump and operation control of the pinch valve. Claim 8 An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to claim 7, wherein the automatic bladder flushing device further comprises a check valve installed on the supply tube to prevent backflow of the flushing fluid. Claim 9 An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to claim 7, wherein the third step comprises: a step of controlling, by control through the electronic control unit, that the flushing fluid of the flushing fluid container flows through the supply tube and passes through the pinch valve on the catheter connecting tube to the urethral catheter connection part so that the flushing fluid fills the entire supply tube and the catheter connecting tube; and a step of controlling, with the pinch valve closed, so that the flushing fluid flows through the supply tube and the discharge tube and is discharged into a drainage container. Claim 10 An integrated control method for an automatic bladder flushing device according to claim 9, wherein the third step further comprises the step of removing residual flushing fluid from the supply tube, the catheter connecting tube, and the discharge tube.

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