Injection control device and operating method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to an injection control device and an operating method thereof. The injection control device according to one embodiment may comprise: a body to which a linear body including an injection needle connected to a tube integrating outlets of a plurality of cylinders is rotatably connected; a controller for receiving, from a user, a control manipulation instructing at least one of an operation for relative movement between a subject and the body, an operation for rotation of the linear body with respect to the body, or an operation for forward movement of the injection needle; and a processor for controlling the operation of at least one of the body, the linear body, or the injection needle on the basis of the control manipulation input through the controller.

Description

Injection control device and method of operation thereof

[0001] Below, technology is provided regarding a smart injection control robot capable of performing remote treatment.

[0002] X-ray imaging devices can obtain images of the internal structure of an object or human body by passing X-rays through a specimen. This is because the penetrability of X-rays varies depending on the properties of the material that makes up the specimen, so the internal structure of the specimen can be visualized by detecting the intensity or strength of the X-rays passing through the specimen. These X-ray imaging devices are used in various fields such as early detection and treatment of diseases, quality control of products, non-destructive testing, and security screening. In particular, in the medical field, X-ray imaging devices have the advantage of being able to obtain images easily and quickly, unlike magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound devices.

[0003] Fluoroscopy equipment continuously irradiates X-rays to acquire fluoroscopic images, which can be continuously digitized and output to a monitor or stored in a storage device. Among X-ray fluoroscopy equipment, the C-arm is a structure fixed to a "C"-shaped structure and can be used in operating rooms, emergency rooms, and other places where bones, joints, blood vessels, and nerves must be observed in real time. Because the C-arm allows for real-time diagnosis and treatment, it not only shortens consultation times but also allows for safe and accurate surgery or procedural treatment by minimizing the incision site or inserting only a needle. For example, doctors can perform procedures such as epidural injections, nerve blocks, neurolysis, and radiofrequency ablation, known as treatments for spinal diseases, by visually checking the C-arm image in real time while inserting an injection or catheter into a lesion around the spinal nerves. This allows for safe and accurate treatment.

[0004] The background technology described above is technology that the inventor possessed or acquired in the process of deriving the disclosure of the present application, and cannot necessarily be said to be publicly known technology disclosed to the general public prior to the present application.

[0005] An injection control device and its operating method according to one embodiment can remotely control an injection needle connected to a plurality of injection cylinders.

[0006] An injection control device and its operating method according to one embodiment can link the motion of a stick-shaped (e.g., pencil-shaped) pressure member with the rotational motion of a housing, the rotational motion of a linear body, and the forward motion of an injection needle.

[0007] According to one embodiment, an injection control device and an operating method thereof can transmit a sense of resistance to a component that the injection needle contacts to a controller based on the pressure received by the injection needle.

[0008] However, technical challenges are not limited to the technical challenges described above, and other technical challenges may exist.

[0009] In one embodiment, an injection control device may include a body rotatably connected to a linear body including an injection needle connected to a tube that integrates discharge ports of a plurality of cylinders, a controller that receives a control operation from a user to instruct at least one of a relative movement operation between a subject and the body, a rotation operation of the linear body with respect to the body, and a forward movement operation of the injection needle, and a processor that controls an operation of at least one of the body, the linear body, and the injection needle based on the control operation input through the controller.

[0010] The body includes a dome-shaped or C-shaped housing, and the device includes a linear body having the injection needle at one end and being movably connected to the inner surface of the housing at the other end, wherein the linear body can be configured to rotate about the center of a sphere corresponding to the dome-shaped or C-shaped housing.

[0011] The linear body may further include a holder for supporting the injection needle to be positioned at one end of the linear body, and a camera positioned above the holder for photographing an area including the injection needle.

[0012] The housing may be rotatable about at least one of a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, and the housing or the object may be movable based on at least one of movement along the first axis, movement along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and movement along a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes.

[0013] The controller may receive input from a user at least one of a control operation for moving the body relative to the object and a control operation for moving the object relative to the body in relation to a relative movement motion between the object and the body.

[0014] The controller may include a first controller that receives a control operation from the user that instructs a relative movement motion between the object and the body, and a second controller that receives a control operation from the user that instructs at least one of a rotational motion of the housing of the body, a rotational motion of the linear body with respect to the body, and a forward motion of the injection needle.

[0015] The second controller may include a pressure applying member formed in a stick shape that is linked to the rotational motion of the housing, the rotational motion of the linear body, and the forward motion of the injection needle, a pressure gauge that detects pressure by the pressure applying member and displays the detected pressure, a display that displays an image generated by photographing an area including the injection needle by a camera, and a button unit that receives a control operation input from the user that directs adjustment of pressure in the tube or discharge of liquid in the plurality of cylinders.

[0016] The processor can generate coordinates of the other end of the pressure member that does not contact the surface, control the rotational motion of the housing and the rotational motion of the linear body based on the generated coordinates, and control the forward motion of the injection needle based on the pressure detected by the pressure gauge.

[0017] The above injection needle can contain air, a drug in a fluid state, or saline solution inside it during a forward motion.

[0018] The button section may include a liquid injection button for receiving a control operation input from the user to instruct the liquid in the plurality of cylinders to be discharged into the tube, a number panel for receiving an input of the amount of the liquid, and a negative pressure generation button for receiving a control operation input from the user to instruct the negative pressure to be generated in the tube.

[0019] The above button section may further include a positive pressure generation button that receives a control operation from the user to instruct positive pressure to be generated within the tube.

[0020] The processor can generate the negative pressure or the positive pressure by driving a piston of a cylinder containing air or fluid among the plurality of cylinders based on an input of the negative pressure generating button or the positive pressure generating button from the user.

[0021] The injection needle is connected to a needle pressure sensor that senses pressure within the needle, and the processor can provide feedback to the user based on the pressure sensed by the needle pressure sensor.

[0022] The processor may apply pressure feedback to the pressurizing member when the sensed pressure increases by more than a predetermined amount of change for a predetermined period of time, continuously display information about the sensed pressure on the display, and stop the forward movement of the injection needle when the sensed pressure decreases by more than a predetermined amount of change for a predetermined period of time.

[0023] The above plurality of cylinders may be connected in parallel, and a one-way valve may be provided at a portion where the plurality of cylinders and the tube are connected.

[0024] A one-way valve is provided at the part where the above tube and the injection needle are connected, and an additional tube for discharging liquid inside the tube can be additionally connected to the part where the one-way valve and the tube are connected.

[0025] The above plurality of cylinders can contain one or more of saline, a steroid drug, a local anesthesia (L / A) drug, and a contrast agent inside each cylinder.

[0026] A method of operating an injection control device according to one embodiment may include a step of receiving a control operation from a user that instructs at least one of a relative movement operation between a target object and a body, a rotation operation of a linear body including an injection needle connected to a tube that integrates discharge ports of a plurality of cylinders with respect to the body, and a forward movement operation of the injection needle, a step of controlling an operation of at least one of the body, the linear body, and the injection needle based on the input control operation, and a step of providing feedback to the user based on a pressure sensed by a needle pressure sensor connected to the injection needle.

[0027] The above controlling step may include a step of generating a position coordinate of a controller into which the control operation is input, a step of controlling a rotational motion of a housing included in the body and a rotational motion of the linear body based on the generated position coordinate, and a step of controlling a forward motion of the injection needle based on pressure by the controller.

[0028] The step of performing the above feedback may include, when the sensed pressure increases by more than a predetermined amount of change for a predetermined period of time, providing pressure feedback to the user and providing information about the sensed pressure to the user, and, when the sensed pressure decreases by more than a predetermined amount of change for a predetermined period of time, stopping the forward movement of the injection needle.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the injection control device and its operating method can remotely control an injection needle connected to a plurality of injection cylinders, thereby enabling control from a long distance, such as from another region or overseas.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the injection control device and its operating method link the motion of a stick-shaped (e.g., pencil-shaped) pressure member with the rotational motion of a housing, the rotational motion of a linear body, and the forward motion of an injection needle, so that when performing a procedure using a C-arm, the user (e.g., a doctor) is not directly exposed to radiation from the C-arm, thereby reducing the risk of radiation exposure, and delicate procedures can be performed without the user having to wear protective equipment.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the injection control device and its operating method can increase the sense of realism in remote control by transmitting to the controller a sense of resistance to a component that the injection needle has contacted based on the pressure received by the injection needle.

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 2a exemplarily illustrates a body structure of an injection control device according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2b exemplarily illustrates another body structure of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 3 exemplarily illustrates the rotational motion of a linear body within an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0035] Fig. 4 exemplarily illustrates a controller structure of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a relative movement motion between a target and a body in an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates an injection needle according to each position where pressure is changed in an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0038] Fig. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an operation method of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0039] FIG. 8 exemplarily illustrates information about pressure sensed during the entire period provided to a user in a method of operating an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0040] Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and may be modified and implemented in various forms. Therefore, the actual implementation is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and the scope of this specification includes modifications, equivalents, or alternatives within the technical concepts described in the embodiments.

[0041] Although terms such as "first" or "second" may be used to describe various components, these terms should be interpreted solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

[0042] When it is said that a component is "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there may also be other components in between.

[0043] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprises" or "has" should be understood to indicate the presence of a described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but not to exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the description with reference to the attached drawings, identical components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0046] C-arms provide real-time X-ray images and are used in various procedures (e.g., interventional procedures). However, although C-arms do not expose users to a large amount of radiation compared to fixed X-ray imaging devices, they still generate a certain amount of radiation, and users (e.g., doctors, nurses, surgical assistants, etc.) must directly operate the device during the procedure or intervention, which may result in repeated exposure to a certain amount of radiation during a single procedure.

[0047] A user may perform, for example, approximately 30 procedures involving C-arms per day, and perform 5 to 10 C-arm checks per simple block. Furthermore, when performing neuroplasty, the user may perform dozens of C-arm checks. If the user or trainee is a woman of childbearing age or in early pregnancy, the user may be exposed to radiation without knowing that she is pregnant, or may be excluded from procedures or training. Furthermore, users or trainees who are not of childbearing age or in early pregnancy may be excluded from choosing related specialties due to the risk of radiation exposure.

[0048] As an alternative to reducing the aforementioned radiation exposure, users can use radiation protection equipment. However, these devices can only reduce a portion of total radiation exposure, and because they are made of heavy materials, including lead, they not only impair the user's ability to perform procedures, but can also cause musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., back pain) or worsen existing conditions.

[0049] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0050] To solve the above-mentioned problem, the injection control device (100) of the present invention can perform remote treatment. The injection control device (100) can include a body (110), a controller (120), and a processor (130).

[0051] The body (110) can be rotatably connected to a linear body (112) including an injection needle (115) connected to a tube (t) that integrates the discharge ports of a plurality of cylinders. A detailed description of the structure of the body (110) will be described later in FIG. 2.

[0052] The controller (120) can receive a control operation from a user that directs at least one of a relative movement motion between a subject (s) and a body (110), a rotational motion of a linear body (112) with respect to the body (110), and a forward motion of an injection needle (115). A detailed description of the structure of the controller (120) is described later in FIG. 4.

[0053] The processor (130) can control the operation of at least one of the body (110), the linear body (112), and the injection needle (115) based on a control operation input through the controller.

[0054] The object (s) may be placed on a bed. Accordingly, a relative movement motion between the object (s) and the body (110) may be performed by an actuator that changes the position of the bed on which the object (s) is placed or an actuator that changes the position of the body (110). For example, when the actuator is connected to the body (110), if a control operation that instructs at least one of a movement motion, a rotation motion, and a forward motion is input from a user through the controller (120), the processor (130) may control the actuator to perform at least one of a movement motion, a rotation motion, and a forward motion on the body (110). For example, the actuator for the movement motion may include a mechanical structure and a driving unit (e.g., a motor) that can change the relative position between the body and the bed. An actuator for a rotational motion may include a mechanical structure and a driving unit (e.g., a motor) that can rotate an arm or a linear body about one axis. An actuator for a forward motion may include a mechanical structure (e.g., a plunger and a piston) and a driving unit that can advance a needle (115) in a linear body (112). The control of the actuator described above may be performed not only when the body (110) has a C-shaped structure but also when it has a dome-shaped structure. In addition, as an additional example in the case of a dome-shaped structure, the processor (130) may control the actuator to move the linear body (112) so that the linear body (112) can freely move inside the dome-shaped structure in polar coordinates of the linear body (112) formed by a distance from a center point (e.g., (0,0)) of the dome-shaped structure and an azimuth from a preset reference line. The linear body (112) moved to a predetermined coordinate forms a dome-shaped structure and a certain angle (e.g., 90 degrees), so that it can form a certain angle with the (e.g., virtual) surface that the end of the linear body (112) touches.Thereafter, when the user instructs a forward motion, the processor (130) controls the actuator that advances the linear body (112) to advance the linear body (112) and additionally controls the actuator that advances the injection needle (115) to advance the injection needle (115).

[0055] Fig. 2a exemplarily illustrates a body structure of an injection control device according to one embodiment. In addition, Fig. 2b exemplarily illustrates another body structure of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0056] The body (110) may include a housing (111), a linear body (112), a holder (113), a camera (114), and an injection needle (115).

[0057] The housing (111) may be hemispherical (e.g., dome-shaped) or C-shaped, and may be rotatable relative to a structure supporting the housing (111), and the rotatable motion may be operated by an actuator of the housing (111). The housing (111) may be mechanically coupled to a support member (210) that supports the body (110) about a plurality of rotational axes so as to be rotatable relative to the support member (210). Rotation may be possible about at least one of a first rotational axis, a second rotational axis, and a third rotational axis. The first rotational axis may be the z-axis, the second rotational axis may be the y-axis, and the third rotational axis may be the x-axis, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] For example, the second rotational axis may be perpendicular to the first rotational axis. The housing (111) may be mechanically coupled to the support member (210) via an actuator (e.g., a first rotational actuator). The housing (111) may rotate about the support member (210). In FIG. 2, a first rotational motion (191) about the first rotational axis and a second rotational motion (192) about the second rotational axis are exemplarily illustrated. The first rotational actuator may include a mechanical structure and a driving unit (e.g., a motor) that can rotate the housing (111) about the first rotational axis (e.g., the z-axis) with respect to the support member (210). For example, the housing (111) may be connected at a point where it contacts the support member (210), and the first rotational actuator may rotate the housing (111) about the first rotational axis. The second rotation actuator may include a mechanical structure and a driving unit (e.g., a motor) that can rotate the linear body (112) about a second rotation axis with respect to the housing (111). For example, the second rotation actuator may perform a second rotation operation (192) about the second rotation axis through a protrusion (not shown) of the linear body (112) and a moving guide of the housing (111) that are movably coupled to each other. For reference, in FIG. 2, the second rotation operation (192) is illustrated as an operation of rotating the linear body (112) in the xz plane about the y-axis as the second rotation axis, but is not limited thereto. The second rotation axis may also rotate along with the first rotation operation (191). For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 2, when rotated 90 degrees with respect to the first rotation axis (e.g., z-axis), the second rotation axis that serves as the reference for the second rotation operation (192) is the x-axis, and the housing (110) can be rotated in the yz plane with respect to the x-axis. However, the above-described rotation operations and actuators are purely exemplary, and various mechanical structures and driving units that allow the movement trajectory of the linear body to fall within the shape of a hemispherical shell can be implemented.

[0059] In addition, the housing (111) or the object (s) may be movable based on at least one of movement along a first axis, movement along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and movement along a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes for a relative movement motion. This means that the actuator that changes the position of the aforementioned body (110) may be an actuator of the housing (111), and the actuator of the housing (111) may include an actuator that can perform a movement motion that moves forward, backward, left, and right (e.g., x-axis, y-axis) as well as an actuator that can perform a rotational motion.

[0060] The linear body (112) may include an injection needle (115) at one end and may be movably connected to the inner surface of the housing (111) at the other end. For example, a rail may be formed on the inner surface of the housing (111) so that the linear body (112) may be movable according to the shape of the housing (111). The holder (113) may support the injection needle (115) so that it is positioned at one end of the linear body.

[0061] The camera (114) can be positioned above the holder (113) to capture an area including the injection needle (115). For example, the camera (114) can be used to provide an image to the user in an aspiration test performed before the injection needle (115) is inserted or invasive into the subject (s) and the contained liquid (e.g., a drug or a medicinal solution) is injected. Since the aspiration test requires confirmation of whether blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow back into the injection needle, the user can confirm whether there is a backflow through the image captured by the camera (114). In addition, the processor (130) can analyze whether there is a backflow based on the image captured by the camera during the aspiration test and can stop performing the aspiration test if a backflow occurs.

[0062] A one-way valve (142) is provided at a portion where a plurality of cylinders (e.g., syringes) (141) and a tube (t) are connected to prevent mixing due to backflow to other cylinders during liquid supply (e.g., drug injection). A pressurizing member that pressurizes the piston of each cylinder is arranged at the plurality of cylinders (141), and when the processor (130) receives a liquid supply control operation from a user, it controls the actuator of the pressurizing member to pressurize the piston and simultaneously control the valve of the corresponding cylinder to be on and the valve of the other cylinder to be off. In addition, a one-way valve may be provided at a portion where a tube (t) and a syringe needle (115) are connected. An additional tube that discharges the liquid inside the tube may be additionally connected to the portion where this one-way valve and the tube (t) are connected. When liquid is supplied through the tube (t), there may be a problem that the previously used liquid remains and is mixed in the next drug injection, and a problem that the required amount of liquid is not supplied as some of the liquid fills the tube (t) when the liquid is injected. This problem can be solved by performing priming using a one-way valve and an additional tube. When performing priming before drug injection through the tube (t), the processor (130) can first control the valve of the injection needle (115) to be turned off. Thereafter, the processor (130) can introduce the drug to be injected into the tube (t) so that the existing liquid remaining in the tube (t) can be discharged through the additional tube. At this time, the introduced drug is not included in the injection volume, and the existing residual liquid can be discharged from the tube (t) and filled with the drug to be injected. In addition, a plurality of cylinders (141) are connected in parallel, and some of the plurality of cylinders (1 to 3 of 141) can contain one or more of saline, a steroid drug, a local anesthesia (L / A) drug, and a contrast agent inside each cylinder.

[0063] FIG. 3 exemplarily illustrates the rotational motion of a linear body within an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0064] The linear body (112) may be configured to be rotatable around the center (311) of a (for example, virtual) sphere corresponding to the hemispherical housing (111). For example, when it is desired to advance (for example, insert or invade) an injection needle (115) to a target object (s) at point 312, as in 310, the processor (130) may control the actuator of the linear body (112) to rotate the linear body (112) along the rail of the housing (111) to form an almost right angle with the housing (111), thereby placing the linear body (112) at a target position. In addition, when it is desired to advance the injection needle (115) to a target object (s) at point 322, as in 320, the processor (130) may control the actuator of the linear body (112) to rotate the linear body (112) to a target position forming an acute angle with the housing (111) based on the left angle. In addition, when it is desired to advance the injection needle (115) to the target object (s) at point 332, such as 330, the processor (130) can control the actuator of the linear body (112) to rotate the linear body (112) to a target position forming an obtuse angle with the housing (111) based on the left angle.

[0065] Fig. 4 exemplarily illustrates a controller structure of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0066] The controller (120) may include a first controller (410) and a second controller (420).

[0067] The first controller (410) can receive control manipulations from the user that direct relative movement movements between the object (s) and the body (110). The first controller (410) can receive movement manipulations in the forward, backward, left, and right directions (e.g., x-axis, y-axis direction) from the user. Detailed movement manipulations using the first controller (410) are described later in FIG. 5.

[0068] The second controller (420) can receive a control operation from the user that instructs at least one of a rotational motion of the housing (111) of the body (110), a rotational motion of the linear body (112) relative to the body (110), and a forward motion of the injection needle (115).

[0069] The second controller (420) may include a pressure applying member (421), a pressure gauge (422), a display (423), and button sections (424 to 427).

[0070] The pressure member (421) may be formed in a stick shape (e.g., pencil shape) that is linked to the rotational motion of the housing (111), the rotational motion of the linear body (112), and the forward motion of the injection needle (115). The pressure member (421) has a structure in which only one end is in contact with and connected to a pad to which a pressure gauge (422) is connected, and the rotational motion of the housing (111) and the rotational motion of the linear body (112) can be performed based on the angle formed during rotation as the user rotates the other end of the pressure member (421). This may mean that the processor (130) generates coordinates of the position of the other end where the pressure member does not contact the surface, and controls the rotational motion of the housing and the rotational motion of the linear body based on the generated coordinates. In addition, the processor (130) can control the forward motion of the injection needle (115) based on the pressure detected by the pressure gauge (422). The forward motion of the injection needle (115) may be performed based on the motion of the pressure member (421) pressing against the surface. For example, the processor (130) may drive the actuator of the linear body (112) to insert or invasive the injection needle (115) into the body of a subject (e.g., a patient) when the pressure applied to the pressure member (421) by the user exceeds a predefined threshold pressure. During the forward motion, the injection needle (115) may contain air, a drug in a fluid state, or saline solution.

[0071] The pressure gauge (422) can detect the pressure applied by the pressurizing member (421) and display the detected pressure numerically. The display (423) can display an image generated by photographing an area including the injection needle (115) by the camera (114).

[0072] The button section (424 to 427) can receive control operations from the user to control the pressure within the tube (t) or to direct the discharge of liquid within the plurality of cylinders (142). The button section (424 to 427) can include a liquid injection button (424), a number panel (425), a negative pressure generation button (426), and a positive pressure generation button (427).

[0073] The liquid injection button (424) can receive a control operation input from the user to instruct the liquid in the plurality of cylinders (141) to be discharged into the tube (t). The number panel (425) can receive an input of the liquid volume.

[0074] The negative pressure generating button (426) can receive a control operation input from the user to instruct that negative pressure be generated within the tube. The positive pressure generating button (427) can receive a control operation input from the user to instruct that positive pressure be generated within the tube. The processor (130) can generate negative or positive pressure by driving the piston of a cylinder (4 of 141) containing air or a fluid (e.g., saline solution) among the plurality of cylinders (141) based on the input of the negative pressure generating button (426) or the positive pressure generating button (427) from the user. The negative pressure generating button (426) and the positive pressure generating button (427) can be operated even when a drug is injected. For example, when the negative pressure generating button (426) is input during a drug injection, the processor (130) can generate negative pressure so that the user can check for reflux of blood or cerebrospinal fluid through the camera even while the drug is being injected.

[0075] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a relative movement motion between a target and a body in an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0076] The controller (120) (e.g., the first controller (410)) can receive a control operation from the user for relative movement between the object (s) and the body (110). The relative movement between the object (s) and the body (110) can include, for example, at least one of an operation of moving the body (110) relative to the object (s) and an operation of moving the object (s) relative to the body (110). In other words, the relative movement motion between the object (s) and the body (110) may include an motion of moving the bed (b) relative to the fixed body (110) by operating an actuator connected to the bed (b), an motion of moving the body (110) relative to the fixed bed (b) by operating an actuator connected to the body (110), or motion of actuators of both the body (110) and the bed (b). The injection control device may perform one of the actuator motion of the body (110) and the actuator motion of the bed (b) on which the object (s) is placed, in response to a control operation input by the first controller (410) described above.

[0077] The injection needle (115) may be connected to a needle pressure sensor that senses the pressure within the needle. Accordingly, the processor (130) may measure the absolute value and the pressure change value through the needle pressure sensor. The processor (130) may provide feedback to the user based on the pressure sensed by the needle pressure sensor. In addition, a separate pressure sensor may be connected to the tube. The separate pressure sensor connected to the tube may sense the pressure at which the liquid (e.g., drug) is injected into the tube when the liquid is injected. If the pressure at which the liquid is injected is high, the patient may feel severe procedural pain, and nerve-related complications may also occur, so confirmation of this may be necessary. Accordingly, the user may adjust the drug injection speed within the tube based on the pressure value sensed by the pressure sensor.

[0078] FIG. 6 illustrates an injection needle according to each position where pressure is changed in an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0079] For example, when a user performs an epidural injection, the injection needle (115) can reach the epidural space, which is a location for liquid injection, while injecting positive pressure. If a negative pressure detection sensor is additionally connected to the injection needle (115), the positive pressure injection configuration and operation can be omitted. In order for the injection needle (115) to reach the epidural space, it must sequentially pass through the skin, subcutaneous tissue, supraspinous ligament (or muscle), interspinous ligament (or muscle), and ligamentum flavum of the subject (s).

[0080] At 610, the injection needle (115) passes through the interspinous ligament, and the processor (130) can sense the absolute value of the pressure through the needle pressure sensor. In addition, the processor (130) can continuously display information about the sensed pressure on the display during the procedure. The information about the sensed pressure can be a numerical value representing the pressure sensed through the needle pressure sensor, a graph representing the numerical value, and a slope value of the pressure change.

[0081] However, since the injection needle (115) at 620 must pass through a very hard yellow ligament (f), the processor (130) can sense a strong pressure through the needle pressure sensor. If the sensed pressure increases (e.g., rapidly) by a predetermined amount for a predetermined period of time (e.g., the slope of the pressure change is positive), the processor (130) can apply pressure feedback to the pressure member (421). For example, if the pressure change for the previous 0.5 seconds and the pressure change for the current 0.5 seconds are more than double, the processor (130) can equally transmit the pressure sensed through the needle pressure sensor to the user through the pressure between the pressure member (421) and the pad to which the pressure gauge (422) is connected. This may mean that as the sensed pressure increases, the pressure transmitted to the user also increases, so that the user must apply a greater pressure to counter the increased pressure in order to advance the injection needle when performing the procedure. This allows the user to feel the resistance of the injection needle at that location, allowing them to make judgments about that location and increasing the realism of remote control (e.g., during a procedure).

[0082] At 630, since the injection needle (115) has passed through the ligamentum flavum (f) and reached the epidural space (e), the processor (130) can sense the decreased pressure through the needle pressure sensor. If the sensed pressure has decreased (e.g., abruptly) by a predetermined amount or more for a predetermined period of time (e.g., the slope of the pressure change is negative), the processor (130) can simultaneously perform a signal (e.g., an alarm sound or display) indicating that a sudden pressure decrease has occurred and a stoppage of the forward movement of the injection needle (115).

[0083] Fig. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an operation method of an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0084] In step (710), the processor may receive a control operation from the user that directs at least one of a relative movement motion between the object and the body, a rotational motion for the body of the linear body including the injection needle connected to the tube that integrates the outlets of the plurality of cylinders, and a forward motion of the injection needle.

[0085] In step (720), the processor can control the operation of at least one of the body, the linear body, and the injection needle based on the input control operation.

[0086] In step (730), the processor may provide feedback to the user based on the pressure sensed by the needle pressure sensor connected to the injection needle.

[0087] The processor can generate position coordinates of a controller to which a control operation is input to control the motion of at least one of a body, a linear body, and an injection needle. The processor can control the rotational motion of a housing included in the body and the rotational motion of the linear body based on the generated position coordinates. The processor can control the forward motion of the injection needle based on the pressure applied by the controller.

[0088] FIG. 8 exemplarily illustrates information about pressure sensed during the entire period provided to a user in a method of operating an injection control device according to one embodiment.

[0089] The processor can continuously display information about the sensed pressure to the user (e.g., a clinician) during the procedure. This allows the user to perform pressure-based control, enabling a smooth procedure.

[0090] 1 can represent the pressure at the start of the procedure. 2 can represent the pressure at the time of needle insertion. 3 can represent the pressure when the needle is pressed to pass through the ligamentum flavum, which is when the sensed pressure increases by a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time. At this time, the processor can provide pressure feedback to the user when the sensed pressure increases by a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time. A can represent the pressure when the needle reaches the epidural space. In addition, the pressure at the moment the needle reaches the epidural space (the part where 3 transitions to A) decreases rapidly. At this time, the processor can stop the advancement of the needle when the sensed pressure decreases by a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time. B can represent the pressure when the needle is advanced in an improper position (e.g., colliding with bone) or to a deep position. The pressure at this time can be seen to reach a value greater than the pressure when passing through the ligamentum flavum. The processor may then perform an action to withdraw the needle or visually or audibly alert the user of the situation when the sensed pressure reaches a threshold, and stop the advancement of the needle. C may represent the pressure at which the needle is advanced to an inappropriate or deep position and then retracted.

[0091] The embodiments described above may be implemented using hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices, methods, and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing instructions and responding to them. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and software applications running on the operating system. Furthermore, the processing device may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing device is sometimes described as being used alone; however, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the processing device may include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processing device may include multiple processors, or one processor and one controller. Additionally, other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

[0092] Software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, and may configure a processing device to perform a desired operation or, independently or collectively, command the processing device. The software and / or data may be stored on any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium, or device for interpretation by the processing device or for providing instructions or data to the processing device. The software may also be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium.

[0093] The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination, and the program commands recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the embodiment or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of program commands include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0094] The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiment, and vice versa.

[0095] Although the embodiments described above have been described with limited drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various technical modifications and variations can be applied based on the described embodiments. For example, appropriate results can still be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents.

[0096] Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

Claims

1. In the injection control device, A body having a linear body rotatably connected to a tube that integrates the discharge ports of a plurality of cylinders and includes a syringe needle; A controller that receives a control operation from a user that instructs at least one of a relative movement motion between a subject and said body, a rotational motion of said linear body with respect to said body, and a forward motion of said injection needle; and A processor that controls the operation of at least one of the body, the linear body, and the injection needle based on the control operation input through the controller. An injection control device comprising:

2. In paragraph 1, The above body includes a dome-shaped or C-shaped housing, The above device, A linear body including the injection needle at one end and movably connected to the inner surface of the housing at the other end Including, The above linear body is, It is configured to be rotatable around the center of a sphere corresponding to the dome-shaped or C-shaped housing. Injection control device.

3. In paragraph 1, The above body, A holder for supporting the injection needle to be positioned at one end of the linear body; and A camera positioned above the holder to photograph the area including the injection needle An injection control device further comprising:

4. In paragraph 2, The above housing is capable of rotation about at least one of a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, The housing or the object, Movable based on at least one of movement along the first axis, movement along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and movement along a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes. Injection control device.

5. In paragraph 1, The above controller, Receiving input from a user at least one of a control operation for moving the body relative to the object and a control operation for moving the object relative to the body in relation to a relative movement motion between the object and the body. Injection control device.

6. In paragraph 1, The above controller, A first controller for receiving a control operation from the user that instructs a relative movement motion between the object and the body; and A second controller that receives a control operation from a user that instructs at least one of a rotational motion of the housing of the body, a rotational motion of the linear body with respect to the body, and a forward motion of the injection needle. An injection control device comprising:

7. In paragraph 6, The second controller above, A pressure applying member formed in a stick shape that is linked to the rotational motion of the housing, the rotational motion of the linear body, and the forward motion of the injection needle; A pressure gauge that detects the pressure applied to a surface in contact with one end of the pressurizing member and displays the detected pressure; A display that displays an image generated by photographing an area including the injection needle by a camera; and A button section that receives input from the user for a control operation that directs the adjustment of pressure within the tube or the discharge of liquid within the plurality of cylinders. An injection control device comprising:

8. In paragraph 7, The above processor, The above pressing member generates coordinates of the other end of the position that does not contact the surface, and controls the rotational motion of the housing and the rotational motion of the linear body based on the generated coordinates. Controlling the forward movement of the injection needle based on the pressure detected by the pressure gauge; Injection control device.

9. In paragraph 8, The above injection needle contains air, a drug in a fluid state, or saline solution inside during a forward motion. Injection control device.

10. In paragraph 7, The above button part, A liquid injection button for receiving a control operation from the user to instruct the liquid within the plurality of cylinders to be discharged into the tube; A numeric panel for entering the volume of the liquid; and A negative pressure generation button that receives a control operation input from the user to instruct the generation of negative pressure within the above tube. An injection control device comprising:

11. In paragraph 10, The above button part, A positive pressure generation button that receives a control operation input from the user to instruct positive pressure to be generated within the above tube. An injection control device further comprising:

12. In clause 10 or 11, The above processor, Based on the input of the negative pressure generating button or the positive pressure generating button from the user, the piston of a cylinder containing air or fluid among the plurality of cylinders is driven to generate the negative pressure or the positive pressure. Injection control device.

13. In paragraph 1, The above injection needle, Connected to a needle pressure sensor that senses the pressure inside the needle, The above processor, Providing feedback to the user based on the pressure sensed by the needle pressure sensor; Injection control device.

14. In paragraph 13, The above processor, If the sensed pressure increases by a predetermined amount or more for a predetermined period of time, pressure feedback is applied to the pressurizing member, Information about the sensed pressure is continuously displayed on the display. If the sensed pressure decreases by a predetermined amount or more for a predetermined period of time, the forward movement of the injection needle is stopped. Injection control device.

15. In paragraph 1, The above plurality of cylinders are connected in parallel, and a one-way valve is provided at the portion where the plurality of cylinders and the tube are connected. Injection control device.

16. In paragraph 1, A one-way valve is provided at the part where the above tube and the above injection needle are connected, The connection portion of the above one-way valve and the above tube is provided with an additional tube to discharge the liquid inside the tube. Injection control device.

17. In paragraph 1, The above plurality of cylinders contain at least one of saline, steroid drug, local anesthesia (L / A) drug and contrast agent inside each cylinder. Injection control device.

18. In the operation method of the injection control device performed by the processor, A step of receiving a control operation from a user that instructs at least one of a relative movement motion between a target and a body, a rotational motion of a linear body including an injection needle connected to a tube integrating discharge ports of a plurality of cylinders, and a forward motion of the injection needle; A step of controlling the operation of at least one of the body, the linear body, and the injection needle based on the input control operation; and A step of providing feedback to the user based on the pressure sensed by the needle pressure sensor connected to the injection needle. A method of operating an injection control device including a .

19. In paragraph 18, The above controlling step is, A step of generating position coordinates of a controller into which the above control operation is input; A step of controlling the rotational motion of the housing included in the body and the rotational motion of the linear body based on the generated position coordinates; and A step of controlling the forward movement of the injection needle based on the pressure by the controller. A method of operating an injection control device including a .

20. In paragraph 18, The steps to perform the above feedback are: If the sensed pressure increases by a predetermined amount or more for a predetermined period of time, pressure feedback is provided to the user. Provides information about the sensed pressure to the user; If the sensed pressure decreases by a predetermined amount or more for a predetermined period of time, the forward movement of the injection needle is stopped. Method of operation of an injection control device.

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