Cryogen Heater Control for Stable Pressure in Cryotherapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cryogenic devices experience pressure fluctuations during treatment cycles, leading to inconsistent cryozone formation and suboptimal cryotherapy outcomes due to insufficient pressure stabilization and recovery.
Innovation Solution
A cryogenic device with a heater mechanism to actively regulate pressure by applying targeted heater power based on flow rate and pressure data, stabilizing pressure during and after treatment cycles, and adjusting heater power to maintain consistent cryozone formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple treatment cycles are performed in rapid succession, then productivity is improved, but pressure stability deteriorates leading to inconsistent cryozone formation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the cryogen cartridge between treatment cycles to pre-stabilize pressure conditions. This preliminary action ensures that when the next treatment cycle begins, the pressure is already optimized, enabling rapid succession of cycles without compromising cryozone consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors pressure within the cryogen cartridge and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust heater power. This closed-loop control maintains pressure stability even during rapid treatment cycles by compensating for pressure fluctuations in real-time, ensuring consistent cryozone formation across multiple cycles.
2Reliability
If pressure stabilization is enhanced through active heating control, then cryozone formation consistency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the cryogen cartridge's own heater element to self-regulate its internal pressure. By controlling the heating element based on pressure feedback, the system achieves self-stabilization without requiring external pressure regulation equipment, maintaining reliability while limiting complexity growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the cryogen cartridge through controlled heating to achieve the desired pressure stability. By manipulating temperature as the control parameter, the system indirectly regulates pressure through the thermodynamic properties of the cryogen, simplifying the control mechanism compared to direct pressure manipulation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures consistent cryozone formation and pressure recovery, enhancing the effectiveness and reliability of cryotherapy treatments by maintaining optimal pressure conditions throughout multiple cycles.
Implementation Method 1
applying the first target heater power during the first treatment cycle so as to heat the cryogen and stabilize pressure within the cryogenic device
Implementation Method 2
Other cryogenic probes may include closed needle tips, in which case the needles may be cooled (e.g., by a flow of the cryogen), and the target tissue adjacent to the cooled needles may thereby be cooled by conduction
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for stabilizing pressure within a cryogenic device include receiving a flow rate value corresponding to an expected average mass flow rate of a cryogen through a needle probe of the cryogenic device during a cryotherapy treatment cycle; determining, based on the flow rate value, a target heater power to be applied to a heater associated with the cryogenic device for a treatment cycle, wherein the heater is configured to heat the cryogen; receiving an input for the treatment cycle; causing the cryogen to flow for a period of time toward the needle probe in response to the input; and apply the target heater power to the heater during the treatment cycle so as to heat the cryogen and stabilize pressure within the cryogenic device.