Vascular management device using electrical stimulation

Abstract

This vascular management device capable of managing blood vessels by using electrical stimulation comprises: a patch unit including a first patch attached to a first portion of any one blood vessel of a body to sense a first blood flow rate (V1) that is a blood flow rate at the first portion and a second patch attached to a second portion of the same blood vessel as the blood vessel to which the first patch is attached to sense a second blood flow rate (V2) that is a blood flow rate at the second portion; a terminal unit that quantitatively calculates whether the blood vessel is abnormal on the basis of a rate difference between the first and second blood flow rates received from the patch unit; and a pad unit attached to a location close to the blood vessel between the first patch and the second patch and applying electrical stimulation to the blood vessel when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the blood vessel.

Description

Vascular management device using electrical stimulation

[0001] The present invention relates to a vascular management device capable of managing blood vessels using electrical stimulation.

[0002] Vascular problems cause a variety of diseases and abnormalities in the vascular system. These vascular problems can be categorized into cardiovascular disease, arterial disease, venous disease, and other vascular diseases.

[0003] Cardiovascular diseases include coronary artery disease, which causes symptoms such as angina and myocardial infarction; cardiac arrhythmia, which is an abnormal heart rhythm; and heart failure, which is a condition in which the heart does not work effectively and does not pump blood effectively throughout the body.

[0004] Arterial diseases include high blood pressure, which puts excessive pressure on the artery walls and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and arteriosclerosis, which is a buildup of lipids and calcium in the blood on the artery walls, hardening and narrowing the arteries, which can lead to blood clots and heart disease.

[0005] Venous diseases include varicose veins, which are swollen and abnormally enlarged veins, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a condition in which blood clots form within veins, especially in the deep veins of the legs, and can move to cause blockages and other serious complications.

[0006] Other vascular diseases include stroke and aneurysm.

[0007] Early detection and management are important because vascular problems can lead to serious complications.

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention discloses a blood vessel management device capable of managing blood vessels using electrical stimulation.

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vascular management device capable of managing blood vessels using electrical stimulation.

[0010] A vascular management device using electrical stimulation according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a patch unit including a first patch attached to a first portion of a blood vessel of a body to sense a first blood flow velocity (V1) which is a blood flow velocity in the first portion; and a second patch attached to a second portion of the same blood vessel as the blood vessel to which the first patch is attached to sense a second blood flow velocity (V2) which is a blood flow velocity in the second portion; a terminal unit quantitatively calculating whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel based on a difference in the first and second blood flow velocities received from the patch unit; A pad unit is attached to a position close to the blood vessel between the first patch and the second patch, and when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the blood vessel, an electrical stimulation is applied to the blood vessel; the pad unit includes a pad control unit that varies the intensity, frequency, and period of the electrical stimulation, and the pad control unit varies the intensity, frequency, and period of the electrical stimulation while tracking the difference between the peak of the first blood flow velocity and the peak of the second blood flow velocity calculated from the terminal unit, and obtains an optimal intensity, frequency, and period that minimizes the difference between the peak of the first blood flow velocity and the peak of the second blood flow velocity, and then operates the pad unit to generate the electrical stimulation at the obtained optimal intensity, frequency, and period.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a vascular management device capable of managing blood vessels using electrical stimulation can be provided.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a vascular management device using electrical stimulation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a patch section.

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal portion.

[0015] Figure 4 is an example diagram to explain the process of calculating blood flow velocity.

[0016] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the blood flow velocity in the first and second parts, respectively.

[0017] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the blood flow velocity in the first and second parts superimposed.

[0018] Figure 7 is a drawing showing an example of a screen provided through a display unit.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical components in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of identical components are omitted.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a vascular management device using electrical stimulation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, a vascular management device using electrical stimulation according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, “vascular management device”) includes a patch unit (100: 101, 102), a terminal unit (200), a pad unit (300), and a display unit (400).

[0023] The patch portion (100) includes a first patch (101) attached to a first portion of a blood vessel of the subject's body, and a second patch (102) attached to a second portion of the blood vessel.

[0024] The first patch (101) senses the blood flow velocity in the first part (hereinafter, the first blood flow velocity), and the second patch (102) senses the blood flow velocity in the second part (hereinafter, the second blood flow velocity). The first part and the second part refer to different locations of the same blood vessel. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the first part may be the upper part of the arm, and the second part may be the lower part of the arm. The detailed configuration of the first patch (101) and the second patch (102) constituting the patch portion (100) will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

[0025] The terminal unit (200) receives the first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity from the patch unit (100), and quantitatively calculates whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel based on the difference in velocity between the received first and second blood flow velocities. Depending on the calculation result, the terminal unit (200) can operate the pad unit (300) to apply an electrical stimulus to the subject. This terminal unit (200) will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0026] The pad part (300) applies electrical stimulation to the blood vessels so that the first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity become close to each other.

[0027] The display unit (400) provides visualized quantitative data of blood vessels produced from the terminal unit (200).

[0028] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a patch section.

[0029] The patch section (100:101, 102) includes a first patch (101) and a second patch (102), and the first patch (101) and the second patch (102) are formed with substantially the same configuration, except that the attachment portion is different.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 2, each patch (101, 102) may include a blood flow sensor (110), a control unit (120), a communication unit (130), and a battery (140).

[0031] The battery (140) can provide the power voltage required for the operation of the blood flow sensor (110), the control unit (120), and the communication unit (130). The battery (140) may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery.

[0032] The communication unit (130) can perform wired or wireless communication with the terminal unit (200) via wired or wireless communication. For example, the communication unit (130) can transmit and receive data with the terminal unit (200) via cable or Bluetooth communication.

[0033] The blood flow sensor (110) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of a blood vessel located at the bottom and provide it to the control unit (120).

[0034] For example, a blood flow sensor (110) included in a first patch (101) can sense a blood flow velocity (BV) in a first portion located at the bottom and provide the sensed blood flow velocity (BV) to a control unit (120), and a blood flow sensor (110) included in a second patch (102) can sense a blood flow velocity (BV) in a second portion of the same blood vessel and provide the sensed blood flow velocity (BV) to a control unit (120).

[0035] The blood flow sensor (110) may be a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. The PPG sensor is used to measure and monitor the body's bio-signals, such as blood pressure and pulse, and can detect changes in blood pressure that occur according to the body's blood circulation. Generally, the blood flow sensor (110) can detect changes in blood pressure from the blood flow velocity by utilizing the inversely proportional relationship between blood flow velocity and blood pressure. Since the configuration and operation of the PPG sensor are widely known, a detailed description of the operation of the blood flow sensor (110) is omitted here.

[0036] In addition, the blood flow sensor (110) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of a blood vessel by utilizing the Doppler effect of ultrasound. For example, the blood flow sensor (110) can sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of a blood vessel by radiating ultrasound of a certain frequency to a blood vessel located below, sensing the frequency of the ultrasound reflected by red blood cells in the blood flowing in the blood vessel, and then sensing the blood flow velocity (BV) of the blood vessel based on the difference between the frequency of the radiated ultrasound and the frequency of the reflected ultrasound. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the blood flow sensor (110) can also sense the blood flow velocity (BV) of a blood vessel by various methods known in the art.

[0037] The control unit (120) can transmit the blood flow velocity (BV) received from the blood flow sensor (110) to the terminal unit (200) through the communication unit (130).

[0038] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal portion.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 3, the terminal unit (200) may include a communication unit (210), a quantification unit (220), a storage unit (230), and a control unit (240).

[0040] The communication unit (210) can communicate with the patch unit (100) and the display unit (400) via wired or wireless communication. The communication unit (210) can receive the first and second blood flow rates from the patch unit (100) via wired or wireless communication. The communication unit (210) can transmit data visualizing whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel to the display unit (400). The storage unit (230) stores various data required for operating the terminal unit (200), and the control unit (240) controls the overall function of the terminal unit (200).

[0041] The quantification unit (220) quantitatively calculates whether there is an abnormality in a blood vessel based on the difference in velocity between the first blood flow velocity (V1) and the second blood flow velocity (V2) received from the patch unit (100). This will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the process of calculating blood flow velocity.

[0042] Referring to Figure 4, the velocity of normal blood flow changes periodically between peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) according to the cardiac cycle.

[0043] However, the blood flow velocity at end-diastolic can be very small, and in some cases, blood may temporarily flow backward at end-diastolic, resulting in a negative end-diastolic velocity (EDV). Therefore, when comparing the magnitude of the blood flow velocity at the first site with the magnitude of the blood flow velocity at the second site to determine whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel using the end-diastolic velocity (EDV), inaccurate results may be obtained.

[0044] Therefore, it is desirable to quantify whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel by comparing the magnitude of the first blood flow velocity (V1) and the second blood flow velocity (V2) based on the maximum systolic blood flow velocity (PSV) corresponding to the peak value in the blood flow velocity graph at the first site and the maximum systolic blood flow velocity (PSV) corresponding to the peak value in the blood flow velocity graph at the second site.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the first blood flow velocity (V1) in the first part and the second blood flow velocity (V2) in the second part, respectively, FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the two blood flow velocities superimposed, and FIG. 7 is a drawing showing an example of a screen provided through a display unit.

[0046] Referring to Figure 5, it can be confirmed that the peak values ​​of the two blood flow velocities are shifted (S). The shift size is proportional to the distance between the measurement sites, and the shift itself is unrelated to the presence or absence of a blood vessel abnormality.

[0047] Referring to Fig. 6, it can be confirmed that the peak values ​​(P1, P2) of the two blood flow velocities differ by H. In this way, if the blood flow velocities of the first part and the second part in the same blood vessel are not the same but differ, it means that there is an abnormality in the blood vessel, such as the blood vessel between the first and second parts being widened or narrowed.

[0048] The quantification unit (220) quantitatively calculates whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel using the following equation (1).

[0049] Equation (1): Result = {(V1 - V2) / max(V1, V2)} X 100 [Unit: %]

[0050] In Equation (1), if V1 = V2, that is, if the two peaks are P1 = P2, the result is calculated as 0. In this case, the corresponding blood vessel is a normal blood vessel. If V1 = 20, V2 = 10, the result is calculated as 50. And, if V1 = 10, V2 = 20, the result is calculated as -50. If the result is positive, it can be quantified as V1 > V2, indicating that the blood flow in the second part is slow, and if the result is negative, it can be quantified as V1 < V2, indicating that the blood flow in the first part is slow.

[0051] The result value produced by the quantification unit (220) is displayed through the display unit (400). The display unit (400) displays the result value by distinguishing it in blue if it is positive, in red if it is negative, etc., and displays it in a block proportional to the size of the result value, so that the practitioner (or user) can intuitively understand the difference in blood flow rate in two parts of the same blood vessel. The block displayed on the display unit (400) reflecting the result value produced by the quantification unit (220) is called a measurement block (see FIG. 7, B). This display unit (400) is provided only for the convenience of the user and is not essential.

[0052] The pad part (300) is attached to the skin and transmits an electrical stimulus to the blood vessel. The part of the pad part (300) attached to the skin forms a conductor for transmitting electricity. When a weak electrical stimulus is transmitted to the blood vessel by the pad part (300), the blood vessel widens, and when a strong electrical stimulus is transmitted to the blood vessel by the pad part (300), the blood vessel narrows. Therefore, the pad part (300) can selectively apply a weak or strong electrical stimulus to the blood vessel based on whether the peak value (P1) of the first blood flow velocity (V1) is greater or less than the peak value (P2) of the second blood flow velocity (V2).

[0053] Specifically, the pad unit (300) includes a pad control unit (not shown) that provides a function for controlling parameters such as the intensity, frequency, and duration (cycle) of the electrical stimulation.

[0054] The pad control unit can obtain optimal stimulation variables (intensity, frequency, period of electrical stimulation, etc.) that minimize the difference between the peak values ​​(P1, P2) of the two blood flow rates calculated by the quantification unit (220) by operating the pad unit (300) while periodically or aperiodically varying the intensity, frequency, period, etc. of the electrical stimulation. That is, the pad control unit can automatically change stimulation variables such as intensity, frequency, period, etc. of the electrical stimulation while tracking the result value calculated from the quantification unit (220), and obtain optimal stimulation variables that make the result value as close to 0% as possible.

[0055] When the optimal stimulation parameters are obtained, the pad control unit operates the pad unit (300) with the optimal stimulation parameters for a certain period of time to generate an electrical stimulation corresponding to the optimal stimulation parameters. Afterwards, after a certain period of time has elapsed, the blood vessels may develop inertia against the electrical stimulation, and the effect of the electrical stimulation may become minimal. In this case, the pad control unit may again vary the stimulation parameters to obtain the optimal stimulation parameters that minimize the difference between the peak values ​​(P1, P2) of the two blood flow rates, and operate the pad unit (300) with the obtained optimal stimulation parameters for a certain period of time.

[0056] In this way, the vascular management device of the present invention can operate the pad unit (300) to automatically find the optimal stimulation variable and generate an electrical stimulation corresponding thereto.

[0057] Meanwhile, the vascular management device of the present invention can provide a measurement block (B) visualizing the result value calculated from the quantification unit (220) to the practitioner (or user) through the display unit (400). While observing the measurement block displayed on the display unit (400), the practitioner can apply an appropriate electrical stimulation to the blood vessels of the subject through the pad unit (300).

[0058] Specifically, the practitioner can obtain optimal stimulation parameters that make the result value displayed on the measurement block (B) as close to 0% as possible by attaching the pad portion (300) between the first patch (101) and the second patch (102) and applying electrical stimulation to the blood vessel while changing the stimulation parameters (intensity, frequency, cycle, etc. of the electrical stimulation). Thereafter, the practitioner can generate electrical stimulation by fixing the stimulation parameters to the obtained optimal stimulation parameters.

[0059] Of course, instead of the practitioner manually changing the stimulation parameters, the pad control unit automatically varies the stimulation parameters to apply electrical stimulation. However, the difference in peak blood flow velocity (P1, P2) according to the varying electrical stimulation can be visualized through a measurement block to provide user convenience. The process of re-acquiring the optimal stimulation parameters by considering the inertial effect is identical to that described above.

[0060] Meanwhile, the closer the pad part (300) and the blood vessel that is the target of the electrical stimulation are, the better the electrical stimulation by the pad part (300) is transmitted. Therefore, it is preferable for the practitioner to attach the pad part (300) to a location close to the blood vessel that is the target of the electrical stimulation.

[0061] In the above description, the operator and recipient are distinguished for convenience. However, the operator is not necessarily required. In other words, a single user can perform both the operator and recipient simultaneously.

[0062] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computing device (TN100) of FIG. 8 may be a hardware configuration of the vascular management device described herein.

[0063] In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the computing device (TN100) may include at least one processor (TN110), a transceiver (TN120), and a memory (TN130). In addition, the computing device (TN100) may further include a storage device (TN140), an input interface device (TN150), an output interface device (TN160), and the like. The components included in the computing device (TN100) may be connected by a bus (TN170) to communicate with each other.

[0064] The processor (TN110) can execute program commands stored in at least one of the memory (TN130) and the storage device (TN140). The processor (TN110) may refer to a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor in which methods according to embodiments of the present invention are performed. The processor (TN110) may be configured to implement procedures, functions, methods, etc. described in relation to embodiments of the present invention. The processor (TN110) may control each component of the computing device (TN100).

[0065] The memory (TN130) and the storage device (TN140) can each store various information related to the operation of the processor (TN110). The memory (TN130) and the storage device (TN140) can each be configured with at least one of a volatile storage medium and a non-volatile storage medium. For example, the memory (TN130) can be configured with at least one of a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

[0066] The transceiver (TN120) can transmit or receive wired or wireless signals. The transceiver (TN120) can be connected to a network to perform communication.

[0067] Meanwhile, the present invention can also be implemented as a computer program. The present invention can be implemented as a computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium, combined with hardware.

[0068] Methods according to embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of readable programs via various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Here, the recording medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., singly or in combination.

[0069] The program commands recorded on the recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software.

[0070] For example, recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CDROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories.

[0071] Examples of program instructions may include machine language, such as that produced by a compiler, as well as high-level languages ​​that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0072] Such hardware devices may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0073] Above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but a person having ordinary skill in the art will be able to modify and change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting or adding components, etc., within the scope that does not depart from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims, and this will also be considered to be included within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A patch unit including a first patch attached to a first portion of a blood vessel of a body to sense a first blood flow velocity (V1) which is a blood flow velocity in the first portion, and a second patch attached to a second portion of the same blood vessel as the blood vessel to which the first patch is attached to sense a second blood flow velocity (V2) which is a blood flow velocity in the second portion; A terminal unit that quantitatively calculates whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel based on the difference in the first and second blood flow velocities received from the patch unit; and It includes a pad part that is attached to a location close to the blood vessel between the first patch and the second patch, and applies electrical stimulation to the blood vessel when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the blood vessel. The above pad part includes a pad control part that varies the intensity, frequency, and cycle of the electric stimulation, A vascular management device using electrical stimulation, wherein the pad control unit tracks the difference between the peak of the first blood flow velocity and the peak of the second blood flow velocity produced from the terminal unit while varying the intensity, frequency, and cycle of the electrical stimulation, and obtains an optimal intensity, frequency, and cycle that minimizes the difference between the peak of the first blood flow velocity and the peak of the second blood flow velocity, and then operates the pad unit to generate the electrical stimulation at the obtained optimal intensity, frequency, and cycle.

2. In claim 1, A vascular management device using electrical stimulation, wherein the first patch and the second patch include a photoplethysmographic pulse sensor.

3. In claim 1, The terminal unit includes a quantification unit that quantitatively calculates whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel based on the speed difference between the first blood flow velocity (V1) and the second blood flow velocity (V2). The above quantification unit quantitatively calculates whether there is an abnormality in the blood vessel using the following equation (1). Equation (1): Result = {(V1 - V2) / max(V1, V2)} X 100 Vascular management device using electrical stimulation.

4. In claim 3, A vascular management device using electrical stimulation, further comprising a display unit that displays the result value produced by the quantification unit, wherein the display unit outputs a measurement block reflecting the result value produced by the quantification unit.

5. In claim 4, A vascular management device using electrical stimulation, wherein the above measurement block is output in a size proportional to the result value, allowing the operator to intuitively determine the difference between the first blood flow velocity and the second blood flow velocity.

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