Flexible Cryoprobe Flow Regulating Assembly for Stable Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryotherapy technologies face issues with unstable flow, severe loss of cold energy, and a narrow adjustable range of operating pressure and flow, leading to inefficiencies in cryoablation and cryoadhesion procedures.
Innovation Solution
A flow regulating assembly with a mandrel featuring a regulating chamber, large and small air outlets, and a sealing member driven by a traction member to adjust effective air outlets, allowing for precise control of gas flow through a flexible cryoprobe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If flow regulation is implemented through internal control of host (on-off control of air inlet valve, flow controller, or pressure reducing valve), then flow can be controlled, but the response at probe end is delayed and flow becomes unstable causing severe loss of cold energy
Solution Approach 1:
The flow regulation function is extracted from the host control system and relocated to the probe end through the sealing member mechanism. This allows direct local control of gas flow at the point of application, eliminating the delayed response and instability caused by remote host-based control valves and flow controllers.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member acts as an intermediary mechanism between the gas supply and the probe outlet. By moving the sealing member along the mandrel, it directly regulates gas flow without requiring remote control valves, achieving stable and responsive flow control at the probe end.
2Ease of operation
If flow regulation is implemented through internal control of host, then flow control is achieved, but the adjustable range of operating pressure and flow becomes excessively narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is designed to be movable along the mandrel rather than fixed, enabling dynamic adjustment of the gas passage cross-sectional area. This dynamic structure allows continuous variation of gas flow and operating pressure within a wide range, significantly expanding the adjustable range compared to fixed host-based control systems.
3Temperature
If high flow is used during cooling of needle, then cooling is effective, but gas consumption is high and cold energy is lost when maintaining low temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The movable sealing member enables dynamic adjustment of gas flow rates. During needle cooling, high flow can be supplied for effective cooling; after cooling, the sealing member position can be adjusted to reduce flow to a minimum value for maintaining low temperature, thereby reducing gas consumption and cold energy loss while preserving freezing performance.
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
Enables stable and adjustable gas flow regulation, reducing cold energy loss and expanding the operating pressure and flow range, enhancing the effectiveness of cryoablation and cryoadhesion procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a second end portion of the mandrel is connected to a front end of a J-T slot
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a flow regulating assembly, including a mandrel, where a regulating chamber is provided in the mandrel; a first end portion of the mandrel is provided with a large air outlet, a side wall of the mandrel is provided with a small air outlet, and the large air outlet has an inner diameter less than that of the regulating chamber; a second end portion of the mandrel is connected to a front end of a J-T slot, and a rear end of the J-T slot is connected to a bypass pipe; a sealing member is arranged in the regulating chamber, and the sealing member has an outer diameter less than or equal to the inner diameter of the regulating chamber and greater than the inner diameter of the large air outlet; the sealing member is connected to one end of a traction member, and the other end of the traction member is led out through the bypass pipe. The sealing member axially moves in the regulating chamber under an action of the traction member, and a quantity of effective air outlets is changed by adjusting a position of the sealing member. This solves the problems that flow regulation methods in related technologies are all implemented through internal control of a host, which is prone to unstable flow, a severe loss of cold energy, an excessively-narrow adjustable range of an operating pressure, and a corresponding excessively-narrow adjustable flow range.