JP2022033293A - Medical equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide medical equipment, for example, which is sanitary, and is capable of facilitating a disinfection sterilization work, and suppressing excess rise of a surface temperature.

SOLUTION: Medical equipment (10) includes a Peltier element (100) having a first surface (1001) and a second surface (1002), control means (830) for executing first energization control to the Peltier element, in which the first surface is used as an endothermic surface, and the second surface is used as a radiation surface, a latent heat storage agent (16) arranged on the second surface in the state where a thermal contact condition is kept, and a housing (11F, 11R) for housing the Peltier element and the latent heat storage agent in the state where a thermal-conductive member for covering the first surface or at least a part of the first surface is exposed.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a technical field of a medical device capable of alleviating puncture pain caused when, for example, driving a puncture needle.

In the art, a puncture pain relieving device for relieving puncture pain during dialysis has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

According to the puncture pain relief device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the surface temperature of the skin is adjusted to 22 degrees Celsius by bringing a pressing body cooled to 3 to 7 degrees Celsius into contact with the site where the puncture needle is to be driven. It is said that it can be cooled from 1 degree to 28 degrees.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-284330

The puncture pain relief device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the heat absorbed by the Pelche element is dissipated from the heat radiating portion by driving a cooling fan. An intake port and an exhaust port are required to drive the fan.

Here, medical devices often require disinfection and sterilization, but disinfection and sterilization work is difficult in such a configuration in which an intake port and an exhaust port must be formed outside the device. .. Further, if the intake port and the exhaust port are formed, the body fluid of the user (for example, a medical worker) or the user (for example, a patient) may enter the inside of the device through the intake port or the exhaust port. It is not hygienic as a medical device.

From another point of view, the surface temperature of the medical device at the time of use is set to an appropriate value or an upper limit according to the standard. In a configuration in which an exhaust port is formed in a housing that forms an outer portion of the device, the temperature near the exhaust port may violate this type of standard. Such a problem can occur without any change even in a configuration in which the exhaust port is not formed and heat is dissipated to the outside by a heat sink or a heat sink.

That is, the puncture pain relief device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is difficult to disinfect and sterilize, especially disinfecting and sterilizing using a liquid, is not hygienic, and the surface temperature of the device is an appropriate value or an upper limit. There is a technical problem that it is difficult to meet the conditions to be observed as a medical device, such as the possibility of exceeding the value.

The present invention has been made in view of, for example, the technical problems thereof, and for example, to provide a medical device which is easy to disinfect and sterilize, is hygienic, and can suppress an excessive increase in surface temperature. Is at least one of the issues.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the medical device according to claim 1 has a Pelche element having a first surface and a second surface, and the first surface has a heat absorption surface and a heat absorption surface with respect to the Pelche element. A control means for executing a first energization control in which the second surface serves as a heat dissipation surface, a latent heat storage agent arranged on the second surface while maintaining a thermal contact state, and the first surface or the said. It is characterized by comprising the Pelche element and a housing for accommodating the latent heat storage agent in a state where the heat conductive member covering at least a part of the first surface is exposed.

It is a schematic plan view of the puncture pain relief device which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a schematic side sectional view of the puncture pain relief device of FIG. It is a block diagram of the puncture pain relief device of FIG. It is a conceptual diagram of the operation mode of the puncture pain relief device of FIG. It is a figure which illustrates the control table of the puncture pain relief device of FIG.

<Medical device embodiment>

In the embodiment of the medical device of the present invention, the first surface is a heat absorbing surface and the second surface is a heat absorbing surface with respect to the Pelche element having a first surface and a second surface. A control means for executing a first energization control serving as a heat dissipation surface, a latent heat storage agent arranged on the second surface while maintaining a thermal contact state, and at least the first surface or the first surface. A housing for accommodating the perche element and the latent heat storage agent in a state where the heat conductive member covering a part thereof is exposed is provided (claim 1).

In the embodiment of the medical device, the Pelche element has its first surface as an endothermic surface and the second surface as a heat radiating surface by the first energization control by the control means. The first surface, which is an endothermic surface, is directly or indirectly pressed against a target site (for example, skin) of a user (for example, a patient) of a medical device, for example. When the first surface is indirectly pressed, at least a part of the first surface is covered with the heat conductive member of the user. When the first surface is directly or indirectly pressed against the target portion of the user, the endothermic action of the endothermic surface deprives the target portion of heat and cools the surface.

On the other hand, the heat taken from the part to be used is dissipated from the second surface of the Pelche element, which is the heat dissipation surface in the first control, and the latent heat storage agent is arranged on the second surface while maintaining a thermal contact state. Is supplied to.

Here, since the latent heat storage agent can store the supplied heat as latent heat, the temperature change of the latent heat storage agent is maintained within a predetermined range even when heat is dissipated from the second surface in the non-heat saturated state. .. Also, ideally, the temperature of the latent heat storage agent does not change. That is, according to the embodiment of the medical device, it is not necessary to release the heat taken from the target portion of the user to the outside world, for example, as part of the medical practice during the period when the latent heat storage agent is in a non-heat saturated state. ..

Therefore, according to the embodiment of the medical device, it becomes easy to comply with the standard required for the medical device in terms of the surface temperature of the device. Further, according to the embodiment of the medical device, it is not necessary to provide a vent related to heat exchange with the outside world, for example, the above-mentioned exhaust port and intake port, in the housing for accommodating the Pelche element and the latent heat storage agent. , Disinfection and sterilization work can be easily performed. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide a vent, body fluid scattered from the user (for example, a medical worker such as a doctor, a nurse, or an inspection engineer) or the user (for example, a patient or a person subject to medical practice). Etc. do not enter the inside of the device through the vent, and are hygienic.

In addition, "arranged while maintaining a thermal contact state" means that the second surface and the latent heat storage agent are in a full or partial surface contact state as a preferred embodiment. It does not necessarily mean only this kind of physical contact. That is, the positional relationship between the two, in which most of the heat radiated from the second surface (for example, heat corresponding to a predetermined ratio or more of the heat radiation amount) can be received, is "arranged while maintaining a thermal contact state". It is the purpose included in the state.

In one aspect of the embodiment relating to the medical device, the control means has the first energization control and the second energization control in which the first surface is a heat dissipation surface and the second surface is an endothermic surface. One of the above is selectively executed (claim 2).

According to this aspect, the control means can execute the second energization control in addition to the first energization control. In the second energization control, by reversing the polarity of energization with respect to the Pelche element, the first surface becomes a heat dissipation surface and the second surface becomes an endothermic surface. That is, in the second energization control, the heat accumulated in the latent heat storage agent is absorbed by the second surface of the Pelche element and dissipated from the first surface.

Therefore, according to this aspect, for example, the heat storage amount of the latent heat storage agent can be reduced or the heat storage state can be reset (that is, the heat storage amount is set to zero) by the second energization control at a desired time. Allows semi-permanent use of the device. Further, since the control means can selectively execute the first energization control and the second energization control in response to, for example, an operation input to select either one, the medical device is not used. This second energization control can be performed during a period of time in a state or the like, and consideration for safety can be easily given.

In this aspect, the medical device includes a power source configured to be rechargeable, the control means executes energization of the Pelche element by the power supplied from the power source, and the control means is the power source of the power source. The second energization control may be executed at the time of charging (claim 3).

In this case, since the control means can perform the first energization control by supplying electric power from the power source, the operability of the medical device is improved and the degree of freedom of the usage environment is also improved. Further, since the second energization control is executed when the power supply is charged, the latent heat storage agent can be reset at the same time without a special operation input instructing the execution of the second energization control, which is efficient. be.

In another aspect of the medical device embodiment, the housing has a hermetically sealed structure according to a predetermined standard (claim 4).

According to this aspect, the housing of the medical device has a sealed structure according to a predetermined standard such as JIS. Therefore, maintenance such as sterilization and disinfection is easy and hygienic. It should be noted that such a closed structure can be realized only when there is a structure peculiar to the embodiment of the medical device in which the heat released from the second surface by the Pelche element in the first energization control is absorbed by the latent heat storage body. Can be done.

In another embodiment of the medical device, the housing is made of a heat insulating material (claim 5).

According to this aspect, since the housing is made of a heat insulating material, it is possible to suppress the temperature change of the housing even if the temperature rises due to, for example, the latent heat storage agent falling into a heat saturation state.

In another embodiment of the medical device, the detection means for detecting the saturation of the latent heat storage agent is provided (claim 6).

According to this aspect, since the heat saturation of the latent heat storage agent can be detected, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the latent heat storage agent from rising.

In this aspect, the notification means for notifying the saturation of the detected latent heat storage agent may be provided (claim 7).

By doing so, for example, various notification means such as an alarm and an indicator can be used to notify the user of the saturation of the latent heat storage agent, which is more effective.

In another aspect of the medical device embodiment, the latent heat storage agent is housed in a thermally conductive container arranged on the second surface while maintaining a thermal contact state (claim 8).

According to this aspect, the latent heat storage agent is housed in a heat conductive container. This heat conductive container is arranged in a thermal contact state on the second surface of the Pelche element, and heat exchange between the latent heat storage agent and the second surface of the Pelche element is smoothly performed.

On the other hand, in a configuration in which the latent heat storage agent is not housed in the heat conductive container, the positional relationship and contact state between the latent heat storage agent and the Pelche element may change inside the device, and the heat absorption characteristics of the latent heat storage agent with respect to the Pelche element may change. There is sex. On the other hand, if the latent heat storage agent is housed in a heat conductive container whose outer shape is less likely to change than the latent heat storage agent, the change in the endothermic characteristics can be suppressed and the performance of the medical device can be guaranteed for a long period of time. can.

Such effects and other gains of the present invention will be demonstrated by the examples described below.

Hereinafter, the puncture pain relieving device 10 will be described as a suitable embodiment for realizing the present invention with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The puncture pain relief device 10 is a medical device as an example of the "medical device" according to the present invention, which can be used by hand to relieve the puncture pain of a patient in various medical practices such as injection.

<Structure of Example>
First, the configuration of the puncture pain relief device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the puncture pain relief device 10. 1A is a front view and FIG. 1B is a rear view.

In FIG. 1A, two substantially rectangular holes are formed in the front side case 11F forming a part of the outer shell of the puncture pain relief device 10. A part of the operation unit 500 is exposed from one of the holes on the upper side of the device (upper side in the figure), and one of the light emitting parts 600 is exposed from the other hole on the lower side of the device (lower side in the figure). The part is exposed. These two holes and the exposed portions of the operation unit 500 and the light emitting unit 600 are joined to each other while maintaining airtightness in accordance with a sealed structure described later, and the inside of the puncture pain relief device 10 passes through these holes. It has a structure that does not communicate with the outside world.

The operation unit 500 is a button switch for operating the puncture pain relief device 10, and includes a heat absorbing button 510 and a power button 520.

The endothermic button 510 is a button switch that promotes the activation of the first operation mode (heat absorption mode), which is one of the operation modes described later of the puncture pain relief device 10. The power button 520 is a button switch for turning on the power of the puncture pain relief device 10. The configuration of the operation unit 500 is an example, and any configuration of the operation means for urging the user of the puncture pain relief device 10 to operate various functions may be used.

The light emitting unit 600 is an LED (Light Emitting Diode) indicator for notifying the user of the state of the puncture pain relief device 10, and is composed of each LED indicator of the indicators 610, 620, 630 and 640.

The indicator 610 is an indicator indicating whether or not the main board 15 of the puncture pain relief device 10, which will be described later, is energized.

The indicator 620 is an indicator for notifying that the latent heat storage agent 16 described later is in a heat saturated state, and is an example of the "notifying means" according to the present invention. The "notifying means" according to the present invention is not limited to this type of lighting means, and may be, for example, a voice notifying means that outputs voice information via a speaker.

The indicator 630 is an indicator for notifying the operation mode of the puncture pain relief device 10, and is an indicator indicating whether or not the puncture pain relief device 10 is operating in the first operation mode described later.

The indicator 640 is another indicator for notifying the operation mode of the puncture pain relief device 10, and is an indicator indicating whether or not the puncture pain relief device 10 is operating in the second operation mode described later.

The configuration of the light emitting unit 600 is an example, and any means may be used to notify the user of the state of the puncture pain relief device 10.

In FIG. 1 (b), the back side case 11R forming a part of the outer shell of the puncture pain relief device 10 is formed with a circular hole on the upper side of the device. A part of the pressing portion 18 is exposed from this hole.

The pressing portion 18 is a heat conductive member that comes into contact with the skin of the user (for example, a patient) of the puncture pain relief device 10 when the puncture pain relief device 10 is used, and the exposed portion has a gentle spherical shape. It has become. The pressing portion 18 is made of various heat conductive materials such as a metal material, a heat conductive ceramic material, and a heat conductive resin material. The hole formed in the back side case 11R and the exposed portion of the pressing portion 18 are joined while maintaining airtightness in accordance with a closed structure described later, and the inside of the puncture pain relief device 10 is connected to the outside world through this hole. It has a structure that does not communicate with.

In the following description, when referring to the entire case of the puncture pain relief device 10 composed of the front side case 11F and the back side case 11R, the term "case 11" shall be used as appropriate. do. Case 11 is an example of the "housing" according to the present invention.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the puncture pain relief device 10 will be further described. Here, FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view of the puncture pain relief device 10. In FIG. 2, the parts overlapping with FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. FIG. 2 corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA'in FIG. 1 (a).

In FIG. 2, the puncture pain relief device 10 has a configuration in which each part is housed in a case 11. The front side case 11F and the back side case 11R constituting the case 11 are pressure-welded via various sealing members including an O-ring 12, and the puncture pain relief device 10 has a closed structure as a whole.

The sealed structure of the puncture pain relief device 10 according to this embodiment is equivalent to a waterproof structure having a grade of the second characteristic number “7” or higher of the JIS standard “JIS C 0920”. The JIS standard is an example of the "predetermined standard" according to the present invention.

As the sealed structure (waterproof structure) of the puncture pain relief device 10 conforming to the JIS standard, various known methods for constructing a sealed structure such as a sealed structure in precision equipment such as watches and cameras are applied. It may be a general closed structure realized by the above, and the puncture pain relief device 10 has no special technical feature in the closed structure itself.

On the other hand, such a closed structure has a vent in the outer shell of the device (in the case of the puncture pain relief device 10, the case 11 including the front side case 11F and the back side case 11R and the portion exposed from the holes formed therein). It goes without saying that if there is a part that inevitably communicates with the inside of the device, such as, it is fundamentally impossible to realize it. That is, the puncture pain relief device 10 realizes this kind of closed structure by having no portion in the outer shell of the device that communicates with the inside of the device. This point is a special technical feature of the puncture pain relief device 10.

Further, the case 11 is made of various heat insulating materials such as heat insulating ceramic and heat insulating resin, and the puncture pain relief device 10 having the sealed structure has a kind of heat insulating structure. Therefore, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the influence of the heat that can be generated inside the device on the surface temperature of the case 11 is extremely small.

The "heat insulating structure" according to the present invention is not limited to a heat insulating structure in a strict sense, such that heat conduction between the outer shell of the device and the inside of the device is completely cut off. That is, the heat insulating property of the puncture pain relief device 10 is a heat insulating property in a relative sense that is influenced by the heat insulating property of the heat insulating material constituting the case 11.

Since the puncture pain relief device 10 is a medical device, the temperature of the surface of the device has an allowable value based on, for example, JIS standard (T0601-1). Therefore, the adiabatic properties required for Case 11 are preferably this tolerance and the amount of heat that can be generated inside the device or the estimation inside the device that can be estimated experimentally, empirically or theoretically in advance. The temperature of the surface of the device is determined to be less than this allowable value based on the maximum temperature and the like. The selection of the heat insulating material constituting the case 11 is preferably based on this required heat insulating property.

Inside the puncture pain relief device 10, the battery 200 is housed in the space on the lower side (right side in the figure) of the device. The battery 200 is, for example, a DC power source as an example of the "power source" according to the present invention, in which a plurality of secondary battery cells are arranged in series. The battery 200 is electrically connected to the main board 15 by a cable (reference numeral omitted). Further, below the battery 200 (on the right side in the figure), there is a connector which is an interface for charging the battery 200. 300 is formed. Normally, the connector 300 is concealed from the outside world by a sealing member 13 for ensuring the above-mentioned sealing structure (that is, the sealing member 13 is also a part of the outer shell of the device forming the above-mentioned sealing structure). .. Further, the connector 300 is electrically connected to the main board 15, and is an electric signal indicating whether or not the connector 300 is connected to an external power source to the energization control unit 800, which will be described later, formed on the main board. Can be supplied.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the operation unit 500 and the light emitting unit 600 whose part is exposed on the front side of the device are electrically connected to the switch substrate 14 inside the puncture pain relief device 10. .. The switch board 14 is formed with an operation signal generation unit (not shown) that generates an electric signal according to the operation content when the operation unit 500 is operated, a light emission drive circuit (not shown) of the light emitting unit 600, and the like. There is. The switch board 14 is electrically connected to the main board 15.

In the internal space of the puncture pain relief device 10, the Pelche element 100 is installed on the upper side (left side in the figure) of the device on the back side (lower side in the figure) of the device.

The Pelche element 100 is a plate-shaped heat transfer element having a first surface 1001 corresponding to the back surface side of the device and a second surface 1002 corresponding to the front surface side (upper side in the drawing) of the device. The first surface 1001 is an example of the "first surface" according to the present invention, and the second surface 1002 is an example of the "second surface" according to the present invention. When the Pelche element 100 is energized, one of the first surface 1001 and the second surface 1002 serves as an endothermic surface, and the other surface serves as a heat dissipation surface. The Pelche element 100 is electrically connected to the main substrate 15.

The first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 is in full surface contact with the pressing portion 18, and the second surface 1002 of the Pelche element 100 is in full surface contact with the accommodating portion 17 described later.

The accommodating portion 17 is a heat conductive case opened on the front side of the device. The accommodating portion 17 is an example of the "thermally conductive container" according to the present invention, which is made of various thermally conductive materials such as a metal material, a thermally conductive ceramic material, and a thermally conductive resin material. The latent heat storage agent 16 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 17. The opening of the accommodating portion 17 is closed by the canopy portion 19 with the latent heat storage agent 16 accommodating.

The latent heat storage agent 16 is a heat storage body composed of a latent heat storage agent capable of storing (that is, heat storage) heat supplied from the outside as latent heat. As the latent heat storage agent 16, an inorganic material such as calcium chloride hydrate, sodium thiosulfate hydrate, sodium sulfate hydrate, or sodium acetate hydrate, or an organic material such as paraffin can be used. can.

The latent heat storage agent 16 becomes a solid phase state in a low temperature region lower than a predetermined phase change temperature and becomes a liquid phase state in a high temperature region higher than the phase change temperature, but in the phase change process from the solid phase state to the liquid phase state. , Can store thermal energy. In the state where the latent heat storage agent 16 is not heat-saturated (that is, the non-heat-saturated state), the phase change process continues, and the temperature of the latent heat storage agent 16 is maintained substantially constant at the phase change temperature. When the latent heat storage agent 16 is given heat energy equal to or greater than the storage limit, the latent heat storage agent 16 becomes heat-saturated, and the temperature of the latent heat storage agent 16 rises according to the heat supply.

The storage space of the latent heat storage agent 16 in the storage portion 17 has a shape so that the bottom surface and the side surface of the latent heat storage agent 16 are housed (in other words, in surface contact) without a gap in the storage space. It has been decided. Therefore, the position of the latent heat storage agent 16 hardly changes in the process of using the puncture pain relief device 10 for a long period of time.

Here, the second surface 1002 of the Pelche element 100 and the outer bottom surface portion of the accommodating portion 17 are in surface contact as shown in the drawing, and the accommodating portion 17 is in a “thermal contact state with the second surface” according to the present invention. It is in a state of being kept and placed. On the other hand, although the latent heat storage agent 16 is housed in the accommodating portion 17, since the accommodating portion 17 has thermal conductivity, the thermal conductivity to the outside world is guaranteed. That is, the heat conduction between the second surface 1002 of the Pelche element 100 and the latent heat storage agent 16 is not hindered, and the latent heat storage agent 16 also has a "thermal contact state with the second surface" according to the present invention. It is in a state of being kept and placed.

The temperature sensor 700 is a sensor configured to be able to detect the temperature of an object. The temperature detection terminal of the temperature sensor 700 is fixed to the latent heat storage agent 16, and the temperature sensor 700 can measure the heat storage agent temperature T1 which is the temperature of the latent heat storage agent 16. The temperature sensor 700 is electrically connected to the main board 15. The temperature sensor 700 is an example of the "detection means" according to the present invention.

The temperature sensor 900 is a sensor configured to be able to detect the temperature of an object. The temperature detection terminal of the temperature sensor 900 is fixed to the pressing portion 18 and can detect the pressing portion temperature T2 which is the temperature of the pressing portion 18. As described above, since the pressing portion 18 is in full surface contact with the Pelche element 100, the pressing portion temperature T2 can also be treated as the temperature of the Pelche element 100. The temperature sensor 700 is electrically connected to the main board 15.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the configuration of the puncture pain relief device 10 will be further described. Here, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the puncture pain relief device 10. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the parts overlapping with FIG. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

In FIG. 3, a driver IC 400 and an energization control unit 800 are formed on the main board 15.

The driver IC 400 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) that controls the energization state of each part in the puncture pain relief device 10. The driver IC 400 is configured to be able to switch the energized state of each part of the Pelche element 100 according to the switching state of the switching element (not shown). The energized state of the puncture pain relief device 10 is defined as three types of energized states, a power-on state, a first energized state, and a second energized state, depending on the driving state (switching state) of the driver IC 400. In this embodiment, it is premised that the puncture pain relief device 10 is a medical device that can be operated by hand, and a driver IC suitable for miniaturization of the device is used, but the Pelche element 100 is energized. As the device to be controlled, a relay circuit or the like can be used in addition to the driver IC.

In the power-on state, the battery 200 is energized to the main board 15. On the other hand, the power supply from the battery 200 to the Pelche element 100 is cut off. That is, in the power-on state, the Pelche element 100 is not energized. The power-on state corresponds to a standby state, so to speak.

In the first energized state, in addition to energizing the main board 15 which is equivalent to the power-on state, the Pelche element 100 is energized. At this time, in the first energization state, energization is performed with an energization polarity in which the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 is an endothermic surface and the second surface 1002 is a heat dissipation surface.

In the second energized state, in addition to energizing the main board 15 which is equivalent to the power-on state, the Pelche element 100 is energized. At this time, in the second energization state, energization is performed with an energization polarity in which the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 is the heat dissipation surface and the second surface 1002 is the endothermic surface.

That is, the second energized state is an energized state in which only the energized polarity is different from the first energized state. In the Pelche element 100, by reversing the current-carrying polarity in this way, it is possible to switch between a surface that functions as an endothermic surface and a surface that functions as a heat dissipation surface. The puncture pain relief device 10 utilizes such a function reversal action of the Pelche element 100.

The energization control unit 800 includes each subprocessor of the charge determination unit 810, the operation determination unit 820, the IC control unit 830, the light emission control unit 840, the saturation determination unit 850, and the temperature control unit 860, and operates the puncture pain relief device 10. It is a controller that controls.

The charge determination unit 810 determines whether or not the battery 200 is in a charged state. As described above, the connector 300 connected to the battery 200 is electrically connected to the energization control unit 800, and the charge determination unit 810 is an electric signal indicating whether or not the connector 300 is connected to an external power source. By referring to, it is possible to determine whether or not the battery 200 is in a charged state. The connector 300 is connected to an external power source via the connector CN of the charger CG.

The operation determination unit 820 is electrically connected to the above-mentioned endothermic button 510 and the power button 520 constituting the operation unit 500, and determines the operation state of each button.

The IC control unit 830 is an example of the "control means" according to the present invention, which controls the operating state of the driver IC 410. The IC control unit 830 supplies a control signal for the driver IC 410 to control the energization state of each part in the puncture pain relief device 10 according to the state of each part of the puncture pain relief device 10.

The light emission control unit 840 is electrically connected to each indicator constituting the light emission unit 600, and controls the light emission operation of each of these indicators. The light emission control unit 840 is an example of the "notifying means" according to the present invention.

The saturation determination unit 850 is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 700, and determines whether or not the latent heat storage agent 16 is in the heat saturation state based on the above-mentioned heat storage agent temperature T1 detected by the temperature sensor 700. The saturation determination unit 850 is an example of the "detection means" according to the present invention.

The temperature control unit 860 is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 900 and controls the temperature state of the Pelche element 100 based on the above-mentioned pressing unit temperature T2 detected by the temperature sensor 900.

For example, the temperature control unit 860 controls the driver IC 400 via the IC control unit 830, so that the temperature of the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 is maintained in a desired temperature range corresponding to various operation modes described later. To control. Further, the temperature control unit 860 is further configured to stop energization of the Pelche element 100 when the temperature of the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 exceeds the upper and lower limit values corresponding to various operation modes described later. You may.

<Operation of the embodiment>
Next, the operation of the puncture pain relief device 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

<Details of operation mode>
The puncture pain relief device 10 is set with three types of operation modes, a power supply mode, a first operation mode, and a second operation mode, which correspond one-to-one to the above-mentioned energized state. The power supply mode is an operation mode in which the energized state is controlled to the power-on state described above, the first operation mode is an operation mode controlled to the first energized state also described above, and the second operation mode is also described above. This is an operation mode controlled by the second energized state.

Here, with reference to FIG. 4, the details of the first and second operation modes will be described. Here, FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of an operation mode of the puncture pain relief device 10. FIG. 4 corresponds to an enlarged view of the periphery of the Pelche element 100 in FIG. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the parts overlapping with FIG. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 4A is a conceptual diagram of the first operation mode. The first operation mode is an operation mode in which the energized state of each part of the puncture pain relief device 10 is the above-mentioned first energized state. That is, in the first operation mode, the IC control unit 830 controls the driver IC 400 to realize the first energization state.

As shown in FIG. 4A, in the first operation mode, the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 serves as an endothermic surface and the second surface 1002 serves as a heat radiating surface. Here, when the puncture pain relief device 10 is used, the heat conductive pressing portion 18 is pressed against the target portion of the user. Therefore, in the first operation mode, the heat possessed by the target portion to be used by the user is absorbed by the Pelche element 100 via the pressing portion 18 and the first surface 1001. For example, when the puncture pain relief device 10 is used prior to driving the puncture needle into the patient's skin, the heat absorbing action of the Pelche element 100 in this first operation mode lowers the temperature of the patient's skin and causes puncture. The puncture pain when driving the needle into the skin is relieved. It has already been clarified by various studies that the puncture pain perceived by the patient can be alleviated by lowering the skin temperature.

Further, the heat absorbed by the Pelche element 100 in the first operation mode is radiated from the second surface 1002 which is the heat dissipation surface. Here, the second surface 1002 is in contact with the accommodating portion 17 having thermal conductivity, and the latent heat storage agent 16 is accommodating in the internal space of the accommodating portion 17. Therefore, the heat absorbed by the Pelche element 100 is stored in the latent heat storage agent 16. As described above, the heat storage agent temperature T1, which is the temperature of the latent heat storage agent 16, does not change until the latent heat storage agent 16 reaches the heat saturation state. Therefore, the puncture pain relief device 10 does not generate heat during normal use.

FIG. 4B is a conceptual diagram of the second operation mode. The second operation mode is an operation mode in which the energized state of each part of the puncture pain relief device 10 is the above-mentioned second energized state. That is, in the second operation mode, the IC control unit 830 controls the driver IC 400 to realize the second energized state.

As shown in FIG. 4B, in the second operation mode, the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 serves as a heat dissipation surface and the second surface 1002 serves as an endothermic surface. Here, the second surface 1002 is in contact with the accommodating portion 17 having thermal conductivity, and the latent heat storage agent 16 is accommodating in the internal space of the accommodating portion 17. Therefore, in the second operation mode, the heat accumulated in the latent heat storage agent 16 in the first operation mode is absorbed by the Pelche element 100 via the accommodating portion 17 and the second surface 1002.

On the other hand, the heat absorbed by the Pelche element 100 is radiated from the first surface 1001 which is the heat dissipation surface. Here, the first surface 1001 is in contact with the pressing portion 18 having thermal conductivity, and the heat radiated from the first surface 1001 is finally released to the outside world through the pressing portion 18.

<Details of operation mode control>
Next, the execution conditions of these operation modes will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a control table related to motion control of the puncture pain relief device 10.

In FIG. 5, the leftmost column shows the control pattern number of the puncture pain relief device 10.

Further, the second to fifth rows counting from the left represent the state of the puncture pain relief device 10, the second row is the operating state of the power button 520, and the third row is the operating state of the heat absorption button 510. The fourth row corresponds to the charging execution state (connection state with the external power source), and the fifth row corresponds to the presence or absence of heat saturation of the latent heat storage agent 16. In the second and third columns, the symbol "○" indicates that it is pressed (that is, it is ON), and the symbol "x" indicates that it is not pressed (that is, it is OFF). In the fourth column, the symbol "○" indicates that the battery 200 is connected to an external power source via the connector 300, the connector CN, and the charger CG, and the symbol "x" indicates that the battery 200 is connected to the external power source. Indicates that there is no such thing. In the fifth column, the symbol "◯" indicates that the latent heat storage agent 16 is in the heat saturated state, and the symbol "x" indicates that the latent heat storage agent 16 is not in the heat saturated state. Further, in the second to fifth columns, the blank indicates that either of them may be used.

Further, the sixth to eighth columns counting from the left represent the operation mode of the puncture pain relief device 10, the sixth column is the power supply mode, the seventh column is the first operation mode, and the eighth column. Corresponds to the second operation mode respectively. In the sixth to eighth columns, the symbol "◯" indicates that the puncture pain relief device 10 is controlled by the operation mode, and the blank indicates that the operation mode is not controlled.

Further, the 9th and 12th columns counting from the left represent the light emitting state of each indicator of the light emitting unit 600, the 9th column is the indicator 610, the 10th column is the indicator 620, and the 11th column is the indicator. At 630, the twelfth column corresponds to the indicator 640, respectively. In each of these columns, the symbol "○" indicates that light is emitted, and the blank indicates that light is not emitted. Further, when it is described as "blinking", it means that it emits light intermittently.

Hereinafter, the operation of each part of the puncture pain relief device 10 will be described for each of the control patterns P1 to P7. The control patterns P1 to P7 are examples of operating conditions that can be taken by the puncture pain relieving device 10, and are not necessarily all of the operating conditions that can be taken by the puncture pain relieving device 10.

<Control pattern P1>
In the control pattern P1, when the operation determination unit 820 determines that the power button 520 is not pressed, and the charge determination unit 810 determines that the battery 200 is not connected to an external power source. It is a control pattern corresponding to.

In the control pattern P1, the operation mode of the puncture pain relief device 10 is not any operation mode, and the puncture pain relief device 10 is in a stopped state. In the stopped state, each indicator of the light emitting unit 600 is also in the non-light emitting state.

<Control pattern P2>
In the control pattern P2, the operation determination unit 820 determines that the power button 520 is not pressed, and the charge determination unit 810 determines that the battery 200 is connected to an external power source, and is saturated. This is a control pattern corresponding to the case where the determination unit 850 determines that the latent heat storage agent 16 is not in the heat saturated state.

In the control pattern P2, the second operation mode is executed by the control of the driver IC 400 by the IC control unit 830. That is, the heat dissipation operation via the pressing portion 18, that is, the reset operation of the latent heat storage agent 16 described with reference to FIG. 4B is performed.

Further, in the control pattern P2, the light emission control unit 840 causes the indicator 640 of the light emission unit 600 to emit light. Further, in the control pattern P2, since the battery 200 is charged by the power supply from the external power source, the light emission control unit 840 intermittently causes the indicator 610 to emit light. The reason for intermittently emitting light is to distinguish it from the light emitting state when the power button 520 is pressed.

Whether or not the latent heat storage agent 16 is in a heat saturated state is determined by the saturation determination unit 850. As described above, when the latent heat storage agent 16 is in the non-heat saturated state, the heat storage agent temperature T1 becomes a value equal to or lower than the phase change temperature. Therefore, when the heat storage agent temperature T1 detected by the temperature sensor 700 becomes higher than the phase change temperature, it can be determined that the latent heat storage agent 16 has fallen into a heat saturation state.

In this embodiment, the saturation determination unit 850 is configured to perform the determination operation with reference to the detection value of the temperature sensor 700, but the saturation / unsaturated determination operation is not always necessary. For example, the saturation determination unit 850 simply outputs a signal (for example, a Hi / Lo binary signal) according to the comparison result between the heat storage agent temperature T1 detected by the temperature sensor 700 and the preset phase change temperature. It may be configured. The same can be applied to the charge determination unit 810 and the operation determination unit 820.

<Control pattern P3>
In the control pattern P3, the operation determination unit 820 determines that the power button 520 is not pressed, and the charge determination unit 810 determines that the battery 200 is connected to an external power source, and is saturated. This is a control pattern corresponding to the case where the determination unit 850 determines that the latent heat storage agent 16 is in a heat-saturated state.

In the control pattern P3, the second operation mode is executed by the control of the driver IC 400 by the IC control unit 830. That is, the heat dissipation operation via the pressing portion 18, that is, the reset operation of the latent heat storage agent 16 described with reference to FIG. 4B is performed.

Further, in the control pattern P3, the light emission control unit 840 causes the indicator 640 and the indicator 620 of the light emission unit 600 to emit light. Further, in the control pattern P2, since the battery 200 is charged by the power supply from the external power source, the light emission control unit 840 intermittently causes the indicator 610 to emit light.

<Control pattern P4>
In the control pattern P4, the operation determination unit 820 determines that the power button 520 is pressed and the endothermic button 510 is not pressed, and the saturation determination unit 850 determines that the latent heat storage agent 16 is pressed. This is a control pattern corresponding to the case where it is determined that the state is not thermally saturated. When the power button 520 is pressed, the presence or absence of the connection between the battery 200 and the external power source does not affect the control. Therefore, the charge determination unit 810 may or may not determine whether or not the battery 200 is connected to an external power source.

In the control pattern P4, the power supply mode is executed by the control of the driver IC 400 by the IC control unit 830, and the light emission control unit 840 causes the indicator 610 of the light emission unit 600 to emit light. The state of the puncture pain relief device 10 according to the control pattern P4 is a so-called standby state.

<Control pattern P5>
In the control pattern P5, the operation determination unit 820 determines that the power button 520 is pressed and the endothermic button 510 is not pressed, and the saturation determination unit 850 determines that the latent heat storage agent 16 is pressed. This is a control pattern corresponding to the case where it is determined that the state is thermally saturated.

In the control pattern P5, the power supply mode is executed by the control of the driver IC 400 by the IC control unit 830, and the light emission control unit 840 causes the indicator 610 and the indicator 620 of the light emission unit 600 to emit light. The state of the puncture pain relief device 10 according to the control pattern P5 is a state of notifying the user of the puncture pain relief device 10 that the latent heat storage agent 16 is in the heat saturation state in the so-called standby state.

<Control pattern P6>
In the control pattern P6, the operation determination unit 820 determines that the power button 520 is pressed and the endothermic button 510 is determined, and the saturation determination unit 850 determines that the latent heat storage agent 16 is pressed. This is a control pattern corresponding to the case where it is determined that the state is not thermally saturated.

In the control pattern P6, the first operation mode is executed by the control of the driver IC 400 by the IC control unit 830. That is, the endothermic operation via the pressing portion 18 described with reference to FIG. 4A is performed.

Further, in the control pattern P6, the light emitting control unit 840 causes the indicator 610 and the indicator 630 of the light emitting unit 600 to emit light.

<Control pattern P7>
In the control pattern P7, the operation determination unit 820 determines that the power button 520 is pressed and the endothermic button 510 is determined, and the saturation determination unit 850 determines that the latent heat storage agent 16 is pressed. This is a control pattern corresponding to the case where it is determined that the state is in a heat saturated state.

In the control pattern P7, the first operation mode is executed by the control of the driver IC 400 by the IC control unit 830. That is, the endothermic operation via the pressing portion 18 described with reference to FIG. 4A is performed.

Further, in the control pattern P7, the light emitting control unit 840 causes the indicator 610, the indicator 620, and the indicator 630 of the light emitting unit 600 to emit light.

<Effect of Examples>
The puncture pain relief device 10 has a practically beneficial effect peculiar to the puncture pain relief device according to the present invention, as described below.

<Effect of maintaining heat absorption and heat dissipation performance>
The puncture pain relief device 10 includes a heat conductive accommodating portion 17 between the second surface 1002 of the Pelche element 100 and the latent heat storage agent 16. That is, the latent heat storage agent 16 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 17. The internal space of the accommodating portion 17 is formed so as to match the physique and shape of the latent heat storage agent 16, and the latent heat storage agent 16 inhibits heat conduction between the second surface 1002 of the Pelche element 100 and the second surface 1002. It is protected from vibration and shock during the actual use process of the device. Therefore, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the three-dimensional positional relationship between the latent heat storage agent 16 and the Pelche element 100 does not change with time. Therefore, the endothermic and heat dissipation characteristics (for example, the amount of heat absorption and heat dissipation per unit area of the Pelche element 100) of the puncture pain relief device 10 do not change with time. That is, the puncture pain relief device 10 can maintain its endothermic and heat dissipation performance as much as possible over time.

<Trouble prevention effect>
As described above, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the first operation mode is executed when the endothermic button 510 is pressed while the power button 520 is pressed. Further, when the power button 520 is not pressed while the battery 200 is connected to the external power source, that is, when the battery 200 is charged, the second operation mode is executed. That is, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the point that the pressing portion 18 can be used as both a heat absorbing surface and a heat radiating surface by switching the conduction polarity with respect to the Pelche element 100 is taken into consideration, and heat absorption and heat dissipation are performed at the same time. It has a structure that does not break.

For example, when trying to reset the latent heat storage agent 16 by using a heat radiating member such as a heat radiating plate or a heat sink whose progress of heat radiating cannot be controlled, heat absorption through the pressing portion 18 and heat radiating member are used. The heat dissipation will proceed at the same time. If both proceed at the same time, for example, the patient may accidentally come into contact with the heat dissipation member. In this respect, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the heat stored in the latent heat storage agent 16 is not freely dissipated, but is dissipated only when the second operation mode is executed. That is, the pressing portion 18 functions as one of the functional members with the clear intention of the user as to whether the pressing portion 18 is used as a heat absorbing member or a heat radiating member. Therefore, such a situation does not occur.

Further, in the puncture pain relief device 10, there is no problem even if an operation button corresponding to the second operation mode is provided, but the device is configured so that the second operation mode is executed only at the time of charging. This will prevent such a situation even more strongly. That is, in general, the location of the external power source used for charging is often different from the location where the device is used. Inevitably, the second operation mode progresses quietly with a human body in the vicinity, at least in a place where there is no user. Therefore, it is safer. It is also possible to easily define the rules for using the device in this way.

<Effect of preventing temperature rise inside and outside the device>
The puncture pain relief device 10 can cool the part to be used by the user by the endothermic action of the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 in the first operation mode. At this time, the absorbed heat is released from the second surface 1002 of the Pelche element 100 inside the device, but the puncture pain relief device 10 can store the released heat in the latent heat storage agent 16. .. The latent heat storage agent 16 does not cause a temperature rise for a reasonable period of time until its heat storage capacity is filled (that is, until it is thermally saturated). That is, the puncture pain relief device 10 has substantially no heat source inside the device in the process of its use. Therefore, the outer temperature (mainly the temperature of the case 11) is maintained almost equal to the temperature of the usage environment (for example, the indoor temperature). There is a limit on the temperature of the medical device based on, for example, JIS standard (T0601-1), but it is easy to comply with the puncture pain relief device 10 which does not have a heat source inside the device.

Further, also in the puncture pain relief device 10, when the latent heat storage agent 16 falls into a heat saturation state, the temperature of the latent heat storage agent 16 gradually rises in the process of using the device. However, the puncture pain relief device 10 detects the heat saturation of the latent heat storage agent 16 by the action of the temperature sensor 700 and the saturation determination unit 850, and further, the detected heat by the action of the indicator 820 and the light emission control unit 840. The saturation can be promptly notified to the user. Therefore, it is possible to easily take appropriate measures (that is, in this embodiment, the operation of connecting the battery 200 to the external power source without pressing the power button 520) before the heat storage agent temperature T1 rises excessively. Is.

Further, the case 11 (front side case 11F and back side case 11R) that defines the outer shell of the puncture pain relief device 10 is made of a heat insulating material, and the puncture pain relief device 10 has a heat insulating structure as a whole. There is. Therefore, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the temperature inside the device is difficult to conduct to the surface of the device, and it is assumed that the device has been used for a while after the latent heat storage agent 16 has transitioned to the heat saturation state. However (a situation that is not uncommon in the field of medical practice), the rise in the surface temperature of the device can be prevented. That is, the puncture pain relieving device 10 has high practicality due to its temperature rise preventing effect.

<Easy sterilization and disinfection guarantee effect>
The puncture pain relief device 10 can use the pressing portion 18 as both a heat absorbing member and a heat radiating member by utilizing the function of switching between the endothermic surface and the heat radiating surface of the Pelche element 100. That is, during normal use of the puncture pain relief device 10, the pressing portion 18 is used as an endothermic member in the first operation mode to cool the target portion to be used by the target user, thereby puncturing the target user. Can relieve pain. Further, when the latent heat storage agent 16 falls into a heat saturation state, the heat accumulated by the latent heat storage agent 16 as latent heat is released to the outside by using the pressing portion 18 as a heat dissipation member in the second operation mode. The heat storage amount of the latent heat storage agent 16 can be reduced, and ideally the heat storage amount can be set to zero (that is, reset). That is, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the place where heat is exchanged with the outside world is limited to the pressing portion 18. This has great significance as a medical device.

That is, in terms of practical operation, medical devices require sterility and disinfection. It is also required to be hygienic.

There are various methods of sterilization and disinfection, but in any case, it is necessary that the communication between the outer shell of the device and the inside of the device is cut off. Also, in terms of hygiene, it is necessary to block communication between the outer shell of the device and the inside of the device. This is because if the outer shell of the device communicates with the inside of the device, the patient's body fluid or the like invades or infiltrates the inside of the device, which is unsanitary. Therefore, the ease of sterilization and disinfection and hygiene functions required for medical devices disappear at the stage when vents are formed on the outer shell of the device.

Here, if there is no technical idea of using the pressing portion 18 as an endothermic surface and a heat radiating surface, a method of using a cooling fan is one method for releasing the heat accumulated by the latent heat storage agent 16 to the outside world. Conceivable. However, the operation of the cooling fan requires an intake port and an exhaust port, and the above-mentioned ease of sterilization and disinfection is lost and it is not hygienic. Further, as another method, a method of using a heat radiating member such as a heat radiating plate or a heat sink can be considered. In this case, although it is possible to block the communication between the outer shell of the device and the inside of the device, as described above, there is no controllability in the heat dissipation action, so there is a concern in terms of safety. In addition, neither method can rule out the possibility that the temperature of the surface of the device exceeds the specified value in the actual usage environment of the device. That is, in any case, it is extremely difficult to comply with the matters to be observed as a medical device.

On the other hand, according to the puncture pain relief device 10, heat is exchanged only through the pressing portion 18, so that the entire device can have a closed structure, and sterilization and disinfection are easy. Moreover, since it has a closed structure, it is extremely good in terms of hygiene. Further, in the puncture pain relief device 10, controllability regarding heat absorption / heat dissipation is guaranteed. Therefore, the temperature of the outer shell of the device (the surface of the device) does not violate the regulation in the actual usage environment of the device. That is, in the puncture pain relief device 10, the matters to be observed as a medical device are cleared extremely well.

In the puncture pain relief device 10, the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 is covered with the pressing portion 18 and is not exposed to the outside world. Such a configuration is more desirable in terms of hygiene. However, on the other hand, in comparison with the concept of the medical device according to the present invention and the puncture pain relief device 10, the puncture pain relief device 10 does not necessarily have to have the pressing portion 18. That is, a part or the whole of the first surface 1001 of the Pelche element 100 may be exposed to the outside world. Even in this case, there is no problem in realizing the sealed structure as the whole device.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the claims and within the scope not contrary to the gist or idea of the invention that can be read from the entire specification. It is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

10 ... puncture pain relief device, 100 ... Pelche element, 200 ... battery, 300 ... connector, 400 ... driver IC, 500 ... operation unit, 510 ... heat absorption button, 520 ... power button, 600 ... light emitting unit, 610, 620, 630.640 ... Indicator, 700 ... Temperature sensor, 800 ... Energization control unit, 810 ... Charge determination unit, 820 ... Operation determination unit, 830 ... IC control unit, 840 ... Light emission control unit, 850 ... Saturation determination unit, 860 ... Temperature Control unit, 1001 ... 1st surface (Pelche element), 1002 ... 2nd surface (Pelche element), 900 ... Temperature sensor.

Claims (1)

A Pelche element having a first surface and a second surface,
A control means for executing a first energization control in which the first surface is an endothermic surface and the second surface is a heat dissipation surface with respect to the Pelche element.
A latent heat storage agent arranged on the second surface while maintaining a thermal contact state,
A medical device comprising:

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