JP7438559B2 - Distance information providing device, distance calculating device, bubble ejecting device, distance information providing method, and distance calculating method - Google Patents

Description

The disclosure in this application relates to a distance information providing device that provides information for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejecting device and an object to which bubbles are ejected, a distance calculating device including the distance information providing device, and a bubble ejecting device. The present invention also relates to a distance information providing method for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejecting device and a bubble ejecting object, and a distance calculating method including the distance information providing method.

A disease called retinal vein occlusion is known. Retinal vein occlusion is a disease in which blood coagulates within the retinal vein, resulting in narrowing or occlusion of the lumen of the blood vessel. When a blood clot forms in a blood vessel, the obstruction of venous blood flow causes fundus hemorrhage, and the neural elements of the retina are degenerated due to hemorrhage and edema, often resulting in severe visual impairment. In recent years, the frequency of retinal vein occlusion has increased significantly, and it has become one of the important diseases in clinical ophthalmology.

Current treatments for retinal vein occlusion include drug therapy that involves intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents, retinal photocoagulation that uses laser light to coagulate the area where edema occurs, and treatment that involves removing the vitreous body and replacing it with an artificial fluid. Body surgery is known. However, all of these are countermeasures aimed at improving edema caused by vascular occlusion, and a method for treating the cause that targets vascular occlusion itself has not yet been established.

As for research targeting vascular occlusion itself, research on a method of locally applying physical stimulation from outside the blood vessel using microjet impact pressure is known (see Non-Patent Document 1).

Yoko Yamanishi et al., “Research to establish a new treatment method for retinal vein occlusion using electric field-induced bubbles”, Proceedings of the 9th Micro/Nano Engineering Symposium of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (2018.10.30-11.1) ,Sapporo)

As described in Non-Patent Document 1, research is already known in which physical stimulation is locally applied to blood vessels from the outside using the impact pressure of a microjet. Non-Patent Document 1 describes an experimental method in which a venous blood vessel of a chicken embryo having a diameter of approximately 120 μm and a diameter comparable to that of a retinal vein is used as a model of a retinal vein.

In the experiment described in Non-Patent Document 1, the tip of the bubble ejecting device is brought close to the chicken embryo placed in a container, and the distance between the blood vessel and the tip of the bubble ejecting device is adjusted by performing the operation under the field of view of a microscope etc. can be adjusted. However, when actually inserting the bubble ejection device into the eyeball, it is necessary to adjust the distance between the blood vessel and the tip of the bubble ejection device within the eyeball.

It is known that the distance between objects can be measured with a distance sensor that uses infrared rays or the like. However, it is desirable that surgical procedures be as minimally invasive as possible. Therefore, it is desirable to make the devices inserted into the eyeball as small as possible and to reduce the number of devices inserted. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to calculate the distance between the bubble ejection device and the object to which bubbles are ejected without using new devices such as a distance sensor, but such a device and method are not known at present.

The disclosure of the present application has been made in order to solve the above problems. After extensive study, we found that (1) the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to be ejected bubbles could be calculated by measuring the electrical characteristics between the electrode of the bubble ejecting device and the counter electrode; (2) Since the information in (1) above can be provided using the configuration of the bubble ejection device, there is no need to add a new configuration to the bubble ejection device. Ta.

That is, the object of the disclosure of the present application is to provide a distance information providing device and a distance information providing information for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejecting device and a bubble ejecting object, using the configuration of the bubble ejecting device. An object of the present invention is to provide a distance calculation device and a bubble ejection device including an information providing device. Further, other objects of the disclosure of the present application are a distance information providing method for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejecting device and a bubble ejecting object, using the configuration of the bubble ejecting device; An object of the present invention is to provide a distance calculation method including an information provision method.

The disclosure in this application relates to a distance information providing device, a distance calculating device, a bubble ejecting device, a distance information providing method, and a distance calculating method, which will be described below.

(1) A distance information providing device that provides information for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejecting device and a bubble ejecting object,
The distance information providing device is
a bubble ejection device;
an electrical property measuring section;
comprising at least
The bubble ejection device is
an electrode formed of a conductive material;
an insulating material covering at least a tip portion of the electrode;
including;
at least a portion of the insulating material forms a bubble spout;
A gap covered with an insulating material is formed between the tip of the electrode and the bubble outlet.
The electrical property measurement section is
Providing information for calculating the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to be ejected the bubbles by measuring the electrical characteristics between the electrode of the bubble ejecting device and the counter electrode;
Distance information providing device.
(2) the electrical property measurement unit measures the impedance between the electrode of the bubble ejection device and the counter electrode;
The distance information providing device according to (1) above.
(3) the electrical property measurement unit measures the capacitance between the electrode of the bubble ejection device and the counter electrode;
The distance information providing device according to (1) above.
(4) further including a counter electrode, the counter electrode:
included separately from the bubble ejection device, or
Incorporated into a bubble ejection device,
The distance information providing device according to any one of (1) to (3) above.
(5) A distance calculation device that calculates the distance between the tip of a bubble jetting device and a bubble jetting object, the distance calculating device comprising:
The distance information providing device according to any one of (1) to (4) above;
storage section and
an arithmetic unit;
including;
The storage section is
Stores calculation information that predetermines the relationship between the distance and electrical characteristics between the tip of the bubble ejection device and the object to be ejected bubbles,
The calculation section is
Calculate the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to be ejected bubbles by comparing the measured value measured by the electrical property measuring section with calculation information.
Distance calculation device.
(6) The distance information providing device according to any one of (1) to (4) above;
a power supply device for ejecting bubbles from the bubble ejection device;
A bubble ejecting device, including:
(7) The distance calculation device according to (5) above;
a power supply device for ejecting bubbles from the bubble ejection device;
A bubble ejecting device, including:
(8) The bubble ejecting device according to (6) or (7) above, which is used for thrombus treatment.
(9) a bubble ejection device drive section;
a control unit;
including;
The bubble ejection device drive unit is
holding the bubble ejection device and driving the held bubble ejection device;
The control section is
controlling the bubble ejecting device drive unit so that the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to which the bubble ejecting is calculated by the calculation unit is a desired distance;
The bubble ejecting device according to (7) or (8) above.
(10) A distance information providing method for providing information for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejecting device and a bubble ejecting object, the method comprising:
The bubble ejection device is
an electrode formed of a conductive material;
an insulating material covering at least a tip portion of the electrode;
including;
at least a portion of the insulating material forms a bubble spout;
A gap covered with an insulating material is formed between the tip of the electrode and the bubble outlet.
The method of providing distance information is
a circuit forming step of forming a circuit between the electrode of the bubble ejecting device and the counter electrode by bringing the tip portion of the bubble ejecting device, the counter electrode, and the object to be ejected into contact with a conductive liquid;
an electrical property measuring step of measuring electrical properties between an electrode and a counter electrode of the bubble ejection device;
A method of providing distance information, including at least
(11) A distance calculation method for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejection device and a bubble ejection target, the method comprising:
The distance calculation method is
Compare the electrical property measurement values obtained by the distance information provision method described in (10) above with calculation information obtained in advance to determine the relationship between the distance and electrical properties between the tip of the bubble ejection device and the object to which bubbles are ejected. a distance calculation step of calculating the distance between the tip of the bubble ejection device and the object to be ejected the bubbles;
A distance calculation method that includes at least

When the distance information providing device and the distance information providing method disclosed in this application are used, information for calculating the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to be ejected bubbles can be obtained by using the configuration of the bubble ejecting device. can be provided.

FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining the outline of the distance information providing device 1A, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining the outline of the bubble ejecting device 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the reason why distance information E can be provided using the distance information providing device 1A. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the distance information providing method. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the distance calculation device 1B. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the distance calculation method. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the bubble ejecting device 1C according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the bubble ejecting device 1D according to the second embodiment. 8A to 8D are photographs substituted for drawings, which are photographs of the tip portions of various bubble ejection devices produced in Example 1. 9 is a photograph substituted for a drawing, FIG. 9A is a photograph of the state in which the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 is in contact with the object S to which bubbles are ejected, and FIG. This is a photograph taken 100 μm apart. FIG. 10 is a graph when impedance was measured as an electrical characteristic using physiological saline as the conductive liquid L. FIG. 11 is a graph when impedance was measured as an electrical characteristic using 20 mM KCl as the conductive liquid L. FIG. 12 is a graph when capacitance was measured as an electrical characteristic using physiological saline as the conductive liquid L. FIG. 13 is a graph when capacitance was measured as an electrical characteristic using 20 mM KCl as the conductive liquid L.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a distance information providing device, a distance calculating device, a bubble ejecting device, a distance information providing method, and a distance calculating method will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that, in this specification, members having the same type of function are given the same or similar symbols. Further, repeated descriptions of members labeled with the same or similar symbols may be omitted.

(Embodiment of distance information providing device)
An embodiment of a distance information providing device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining the outline of the distance information providing device 1A, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining the outline of the bubble ejecting device 2. The distance information providing device 1A includes at least a bubble ejecting device 2 and an electrical property measuring section 3.

The bubble ejection device 2 includes an electrode 21 made of a conductive material and an insulating material 22 covering at least the tip 211 of the electrode 21. Further, at least a portion of the insulating material, in the example shown in FIG. 1B, a bubble spout 23 is formed at the tip 221 of the insulating material 22. A gap 24 covered with an insulating material is formed between the tip 211 of the electrode 21 and the bubble outlet 23. The symbol D in FIG. 1B represents the distance between the tip 211 of the electrode 21 and the bubble outlet 23 (the gap of the void 24).

The conductive material forming the electrode 21 is not particularly limited as long as it conducts electricity and can be used as an electrode. Examples include metals such as gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. Other examples include alloys in which small amounts of tin, magnesium, chromium, nickel, zirconium, iron, silicon, etc. are added to the above metals.

The insulating material 22 is not particularly limited as long as it insulates electricity. For example, inorganic insulating materials such as glass, mica, quartz, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, ceramic, and alumina, rubber materials such as silicone rubber and ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer resin, silane-modified olefin resin, and epoxy resin. , polyester resin, vinyl chloride resin, acrylic resin, melamine resin, phenolic resin, polyurethane resin, polystyrene resin, fluorine resin, silicone resin, polysulfide resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, cellulose resin , and insulating resins such as UV curing resins.

The bubble ejection device 2 can be manufactured by inserting the electrode 21 into a cylindrical insulating material 22. When manufacturing using this method, it is desirable that the size of the electrode 21 and the size of the inner surface of the insulating material 22 be approximately the same size so that a gap does not occur between the electrode 21 and the inner surface of the insulating material 22.

Moreover, the bubble ejection device 2 can also be produced by inserting the electrode 21 into the cylindrical insulating material 22, heating it, and cutting it off. In this method, (1) due to the difference in viscoelasticity between the insulating material 22 and the electrode 21, the insulating material 22 further extends from the tip of the electrode 21 to form a gap 24; The bubble ejection device 2 formed so as to be in close contact with the outer periphery of the cell 211 can be manufactured. More specifically, reference can be made to International Publication No. 2013/129657. The matters described in International Publication No. 2013/129657 are included in this specification.

The electrical property measuring section 3 measures electrical properties between the electrode 21 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the counter electrode 4. As shown in the examples described later, when the distance E between the tip of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the object S to which bubble ejecting is changed, the measured value measured by the electrical property measuring section 3 changes. Therefore, the measured value measured by the electrical property measurement unit 3 is information for calculating the distance E between the tip of the bubble ejection device 2 and the object S for ejecting bubbles (hereinafter, information for calculating the distance E). It can be used as "distance information E" (sometimes referred to as "distance information E"). Note that in this specification, "the tip of the bubble ejection device" means the tip 221 of the insulating material 22. Moreover, when it is described as “the tip portion of the bubble ejection device”, it means the portion on the tip side of the bubble ejection device 2 including at least the tip 211 of the electrode 21.

The electrical property measuring section 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the electrical property between the electrode 21 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the counter electrode 4. Examples of the electrical properties include impedance and capacitance. The electrical property measuring section 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the above-mentioned electrical properties. When measuring impedance, a known impedance measuring device may be used, and when measuring capacitance, a known capacitance measuring device may be used. When measuring electrical properties other than impedance and capacitance, a device capable of measuring the electrical properties may be used.

The distance information providing device 1A according to the embodiment provides distance information E from the electrical characteristic measuring section 3. By operating the bubble ejecting device 2 while comparing the provided distance information E and the relationship information between the distance E and the electrical characteristics measured in advance, the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the bubble ejecting target S The distance E can be adjusted to a desired distance.

With reference to FIG. 2, the reason why the distance information E can be provided using the distance information providing device 1A will be explained. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 and the counter electrode 4 are immersed in the conductive liquid L, a circuit is formed between the electrode 21 of the bubble ejection device 2 and the counter electrode 4. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2A, if the distance E between the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 and the object S to eject bubbles is long, the object S ejects bubbles because the electron e1 between the electrode 21 and the counter electrode 4 do not obstruct the flow of On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the distance E is short, for example, when the tip 221 is in contact with the bubble spouting object S, the bubble spouting object S is Blocks the flow of e2. In other words, the shorter the distance E becomes, the more difficult it becomes for electrons to flow between the electrode 21 and the counter electrode 4. Therefore, by measuring the electrical characteristics between the electrode 21 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the counter electrode 4, information for calculating the distance between the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the bubble ejecting object S can be obtained. Can be provided.

In the bubble ejection device 2, air bubbles are generated in the gap 24, and the air bubbles are ejected from the air bubble ejection port 23. Therefore, the insulating material 22 needs to extend from the tip 211 of the electrode 21. Therefore, when the bubble ejection device 2 is brought close to the object S for ejecting bubbles, the electrode 21 is inevitably covered with the insulating material 22 and the object S for ejecting bubbles, and the conduction between the electrode 21 and the counter electrode 4 is interrupted. It becomes difficult. As described above, the distance information providing device 1A disclosed in this application can provide the distance information E using the configuration of the bubble ejecting device 2 itself.

The distance information E is provided according to the distance between the configuration of the bubble ejection device 2 itself and the object S to eject bubbles without using a distance sensor or the like. Therefore, the distance information providing device is particularly useful for a bubble ejection target S in a place where it is difficult to confirm the distance from the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2, such as a retinal vein in an eyeball. is not limited to retinal veins. The distance information E is useful if the object S is a bubble spouting object whose distance to the tip 221 of the bubble spouting device 2 is to be adjusted within a predetermined range. Bubble ejection targets S other than retinal veins include, for example, blood vessels in a living body; stem cells isolated from human or non-human animal tissues, skin cells, mucosal cells, hepatocytes, pancreatic islet cells, nerve cells, cartilage cells, Examples include endothelial cells, epithelial cells, bone cells, muscle cells, egg cells, etc.; cells such as plant cells, insect cells, Escherichia coli, yeast, and mold; plants; animals; resins; substrates such as silicon; etc. However, it is not limited to these. Any object that can perform ablation (cutting) or injection (introduction) by ejecting air bubbles, or whose state can be changed by stimulation of air bubbles, can be used as the object S for ejecting air bubbles.

Further, the conductive liquid L is not particularly limited as long as electricity flows therein, and examples include solutions containing ions such as biological fluids, physiological saline, and culture media.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a counter electrode 4 is shown. However, the counter electrode 4 may be used when using the distance information providing device 1A, and does not need to be provided as an essential component of the distance information providing device 1A. The counter electrode 4 is not particularly limited as long as it conducts electricity, and the conductive material exemplified as the material for forming the electrode 21 may be used. Note that when the counter electrode 4 is provided as a component of the distance information providing device 1A, it may be provided separately from the bubble ejection device 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, since the counter electrode 4 only needs to be able to form a circuit with the electrode 21, as shown in FIG. It may be one of the configurations of the device 2. Note that when forming the counter electrode 4 on the outside of the insulating material 22 of the bubble ejecting device 2, it is desirable to form a conductive material into a thin film by vapor deposition or the like in order to avoid increasing the width of the bubble ejecting device 2. .

(Embodiment of distance information providing method)
An embodiment of a distance information providing method will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the distance information providing method. The distance information providing method is implemented using the bubble ejecting device 2, the electrical property measuring section 3, and the counter electrode 4 described in the embodiment of the distance information providing device. The distance information providing method includes a circuit forming step (S100) and an electrical characteristic measuring step (S110).

In the circuit forming step (S100), the tip portion including the tip 211 of the electrode 21 of the bubble ejecting device 2, the counter electrode 4, and the bubble ejecting object S are brought into contact with a conductive liquid, thereby forming the bubble ejecting device 2. A circuit is formed between the electrode 21 and the counter electrode 4. In the electrical property measuring step (S110), electrical properties between the electrode 21 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the counter electrode 4 are measured. Then, by providing the measured value measured in the electrical property measuring step (S110) as the distance information E, as explained in the embodiment of the distance information providing device, the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the bubble ejecting object S are connected. The distance E between them can be adjusted to a desired distance.

(Embodiment of distance calculation device)
An embodiment of a distance calculation device will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the distance calculation device 1B. The distance calculation device 1B includes a distance information providing device 1A, a storage section 5, and a calculation section 6. The distance information providing device 1A has already been described in the embodiment of the distance information providing device, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The storage unit 5 stores calculation information obtained in advance to determine the relationship between the distance E between the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 and the object S to eject bubbles and the electrical characteristics. The storage unit 5 is not particularly limited as long as it can store calculation information, and any known storage device may be used.

By comparing the measured values (distance information E) measured by the calculation unit 6 and the electrical property measurement unit 3 with the calculation information stored in the storage unit 5, it is possible to determine the relationship between the tip 221 of the bubble jetting device 2 and the bubble jetting object S. Calculate the distance between. As the calculation section 6, a known calculation device may be used. Although not shown, the distance calculation device 1B may include a device for transmitting the distance calculated by the calculation unit 6 to the operator of the bubble ejection device 2. Examples include a display section that displays the calculated distance and/or a voice section that emits the distance as sound.

The distance information providing device 1A only provides distance information E. On the other hand, when the distance calculation device 1B is used, the distance between the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 and the bubble ejection target S is calculated by comparing the measured value measured by the electrical property measuring section 3 with the calculation information. It has the effect of being able to do it.

(Embodiment of distance calculation method)
An embodiment of the distance calculation method will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the distance calculation method. In the distance calculation method, the distance calculation step (S120) is performed after the distance information providing method is performed, that is, after the circuit formation step (S100) and the electrical characteristic measurement step (S110) are performed. The circuit forming step (S100) and the electrical characteristic measuring step (S110) have already been explained in the embodiment of the distance information providing method, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In the distance calculation step (S120), the electrical property measurement value (distance information E) obtained by the distance information providing method is calculated by calculating the distance E between the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the bubble ejecting object S and the electrical property. The distance between the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the object S for ejecting bubbles is calculated by comparing the relationship with calculation information obtained in advance. Although not shown, the distance calculation method may include a distance transmission step of transmitting the calculated distance to the operator of the bubble ejection device 2. Examples of the distance conveying step include a display step of displaying the calculated distance and/or a vocalizing step of emitting the distance as voice.

The distance information providing method is limited to providing distance information E. On the other hand, if the distance calculation method is used, the distance between the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 and the bubble ejection target S can be calculated by comparing the measured value measured by the electrical property measuring section 3 with calculation information. This effect is achieved.

(First embodiment of bubble ejecting device)
A first embodiment of the bubble ejecting device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 4, and 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the bubble ejecting device 1C according to the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the bubble ejecting device 1C includes a distance calculation device 1B and a power supply device 7. The distance calculation device 1B has already been described in the embodiment of the distance calculation device, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The power supply device 7 is not particularly limited as long as it can eject bubbles from the bubble ejection port 23 of the bubble ejection device 2 by applying electricity to the bubble ejection device 2 and the counter electrode 4; It is preferable that the strength of the ejected bubbles can be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, it is preferable that the power supply device 7 can adjust the applied current value, voltage value, and pulse width as appropriate. Examples of the power supply device 7 that can adjust the applied current value, voltage value, and pulse width include the general-purpose electric scalpel power supply Hyfrecator 2000 (ConMed Co., Ltd.), CFB16-HB (manufactured by Bex Co., Ltd.), etc. It is not limited to these. Further, although not shown in the drawings, a non-inductive resistor, a voltage amplification circuit, an input/output port (DIO; Digital Input Output), a control device such as a PC for controlling the power supply device 7, etc. may be provided as necessary.

In addition, although the example shown in FIG. 6 includes the distance calculation device 1B as the bubble ejection device 1C, it may include a distance information providing device 1A instead of the distance calculation device 1B. Furthermore, the bubble ejecting device 1C can be used to treat vascular occlusion by ejecting air bubbles, as described in Non-Patent Document 1. Therefore, the bubble ejecting device 1C disclosed in this application can also be used as a thrombus treatment device.

The conventional bubble ejecting device does not include a mechanism for measuring the distance E between the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the object S to which bubbles are ejected. On the other hand, the bubble ejecting device 1C disclosed in this application can adjust the distance E between the bubble ejecting object S and the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 by using the configuration of the bubble ejecting device 2 itself.

(Second embodiment of bubble ejecting device)
A second embodiment of the bubble ejecting device will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the bubble ejecting device 1D according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the bubble ejecting device 1D includes a bubble ejecting device drive section 8 and a control section 9 in addition to the bubble ejecting device 1C shown in FIG. Since the bubble ejecting device 1C shown in FIG. 6 has already been explained, detailed explanation will be omitted.

The bubble ejection device driving section 8 is not particularly limited as long as it is a device that can hold the bubble ejection device 2 and drive the held bubble ejection device 2. For example, a known mechanism such as an arm mechanism of a surgical support robot can be used. The control unit 9 controls the bubble ejecting device drive unit 8 so that the distance between the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the object S to which the bubble ejecting device becomes a desired distance. By setting a desired distance in the control section 9, feeding back the distance calculated by the calculation section 6 to the control section 9, and repeating the control of the bubble ejection device drive section 8, the bubble ejection target object S can be The tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 can be placed at a desired position.

If the bubble spouting object S and the tip 221 of the bubble spewing device 2 are too close, the force of the bubbles spouted to the bubble spouting object S may be too large, or the tip 221 of the bubble spouting device 2 may damage the bubble spouting object S. There is. On the other hand, if the bubble spouting object S and the tip 221 of the bubble spouting device 2 are too far apart, the effect of the bubbles on the bubble spouting object S becomes weak. Therefore, it is desirable to adjust the distance E on the order of μm, but when operated by a person, it requires a skilled technique to adjust the position on the order of μm. The bubble ejecting device 1D according to the second embodiment can automate the driving of the bubble ejecting device 2, and therefore has the effect of improving the operability of the bubble ejecting device 2.

Each embodiment will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but these examples are provided merely for reference of specific aspects thereof. These illustrations do not limit or restrict the scope of the invention.

<Example 1>
A distance information providing device was manufactured using the following procedure.

[Fabrication of bubble ejection device]
As the insulating material 22, a fluororesin tube (PFA) (manufactured by Hagitech Co., Ltd.) having a diameter of about 300 μm and an inner diameter of about 100 μm was used. For the electrode 21, tungsten (manufactured by Nilaco Co., Ltd.) with a diameter of about 100 μm was used. Next, a tungsten electrode was inserted into the fluororesin tube to fabricate a bubble ejection device 2. Note that a plurality of types of bubble ejection devices 2 were manufactured with different gaps D (distance between the tip 211 of the electrode 21 and the bubble ejection port 23). FIG. 8 is a photograph of the tip portion of the produced bubble ejection device 2. The gap D of the bubble ejection device 2 shown in FIG. 8A was 0 μm. The gap D of the bubble ejection device 2 shown in FIG. 8B was 10 μm. The gap D of the bubble ejection device 2 shown in FIG. 8C was 30 μm. The gap D of the bubble ejection device 2 shown in FIG. 8D was 100 μm. Note that three bubble ejection devices 2 having the same gap were produced for each gap.

[Production of distance information providing device]
The counter electrode 4 was fabricated with a connector (manufactured by Nippon Molex, 5289-2A) to have one pin. As the electrical property measuring section 3, an LCR meter (IM3536, manufactured by Hioki Electric Co., Ltd.) was used to measure impedance, and an LCR meter (IM3536, manufactured by Hioki Electric Co., Ltd.) was used to measure capacitance. A distance information providing device was manufactured by connecting the electrode 21 and counter electrode 4 of the bubble ejecting device 2 to the electrical property measuring section 3 using an electric wire.

<Example 2>
A distance information providing method was implemented using the distance information providing device produced according to the following procedure.
[Experimental materials]
- Physiological saline (manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and 20 mM KCl (0.298 g of KCl, a special grade reagent manufactured by Fuji Film Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., was dissolved in pure water to make 200 mL) were used as the conductive liquid L.
- An acrylic plate (10 mm x 15 mm, thickness 2 mm) was used as the object S for bubble ejection.

[Experiment procedure]
(1) A conductive liquid L was placed in a Petri dish, a counter electrode 4 was placed on the wall of the Petri dish, and a bubble spouting object S was placed at a position approximately 10 mm away from the counter electrode 4. The bubble ejection device 2 was arranged so as to approach the bubble ejection object S from the side opposite to the counter electrode 4 via the bubble ejection object S. Note that the bubble ejection object S was arranged so as to be substantially parallel to the surface of the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 when the bubble ejection device 2 was approached (circuit formation step).
(2) The distance between the bubble ejection target S and the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 was measured using a micromanipulator. The state in which the tip 221 was in contact with the object S for ejecting bubbles was defined as 0 μm. FIG. 9A is a photograph showing a state in which the tip 221 and the bubble ejecting object S are in contact, and the portion indicated by the arrow in the photograph is the contact surface. Then, by operating the memory of the micromanipulator, the tip 221 was separated from the object S to which bubbles are ejected. FIG. 9B is a photograph when the tips 221 are separated by about 100 μm, and the arrow on the left in FIG. 9B represents the bubble ejection target S, and the arrow on the right represents the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2. The tip 221 and the bubble ejecting object S were set at a predetermined distance, and the electrical property measuring section 3 measured impedance and capacitance.

FIG. 10 is a graph when impedance was measured as an electrical characteristic using physiological saline as the conductive liquid L. The horizontal axis represents the distance between the bubble jetting object S and the tip 221 of the bubble jetting device 2, and the vertical axis represents the measured value of impedance. FIG. 11 is the same as FIG. 10 except that 20 mM KCl was used as the conductive liquid L instead of physiological saline.

FIG. 12 is a graph when capacitance was measured as an electrical characteristic using physiological saline as the conductive liquid L. The horizontal axis represents the distance between the bubble jetting object S and the tip 221 of the bubble jetting device 2, and the vertical axis represents the measured value of capacitance. FIG. 13 is the same as FIG. 12 except that 20 mM KCl was used as the conductive liquid L instead of physiological saline.

As is clear from FIGS. 10 to 13, regardless of whether impedance or capacitance is measured as the electrical property, the measured value changes depending on the distance between the object S for bubble ejection and the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2. It was confirmed that Note that although it depends on the electrical properties, the conductive liquid, and the size of the gap, when the distance between the bubble ejection target S and the tip 221 of the bubble ejection device 2 is between about 0 μm and about 200 μm, the electrical properties change. was big. Although it depends on the type of the object S for ejecting bubbles, the distance between the object S for ejecting bubbles and the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 is preferably about 200 μm or less. Therefore, by preparing calculation information in which the relationship between the distance between the tip 221 of the bubble jetting device 2 and the bubble jetting object S and the electrical characteristics is determined in advance, and comparing the measured value of the electrical characteristics with the calculation information, , it becomes possible to calculate the distance between the tip 221 of the bubble spouting device 2 and the bubble spouting object S.

From the above results, the distance information providing device and the distance information providing method disclosed in this application utilize the configuration of the bubble ejecting device 2, and the distance between the tip 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the bubble ejecting object S is determined. It has been confirmed that information for calculating distance can be provided.

Furthermore, the results of Example 2 revealed that the measured values of electrical properties differ depending on the type of conductive liquid and the size of the gap. Therefore, when using the bubble ejecting device 2 having multiple types of gap sizes, or when using the device in different environments (different types of conductive liquid L), use calculation information according to the gap size and the environment in which it is used. It has also become clear that it is desirable to prepare in advance.

Using the distance information E provided by the distance information providing device and distance information providing method disclosed in this application, the distal end 221 of the bubble ejecting device 2 and the bubble ejecting object S are arranged so as to have a desired distance. becomes possible. Therefore, it is useful in the medical industry, processing industries that require fine processing, agriculture, forestry and fisheries fields, etc.

1A...Distance information providing device, 1B...Distance calculation device, 1C, 1D...Bubble ejection device, 2...Bubble ejection device, 3...Electrical property measuring section, 4...Counter electrode, 5...Storage section, 6...Calculating section, 7 ...Power supply device, 8...Bubble ejection device drive unit, 9...Control unit, 21...Electrode, 22...Insulating material, 23...Bubble ejection port, 24...Gap, 211...Tip of electrode, 221...Tip of insulating material, D ... air gap, E... distance, L... distance conductive liquid, S... bubble ejection target, e1, e2... electron,

Claims (11)

A distance information providing device that provides information for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejecting device and a bubble ejecting object,
The distance information providing device is
a bubble ejection device;
an electrical property measuring section;
comprising at least
The bubble ejection device is
an electrode formed of a conductive material;
an insulating material covering at least a tip portion of the electrode;
including;
at least a portion of the insulating material forms a bubble spout;
A gap covered with an insulating material is formed between the tip of the electrode and the bubble outlet.
The electrical property measurement section is
Providing information for calculating the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to be ejected the bubbles by measuring the electrical characteristics between the electrode of the bubble ejecting device and the counter electrode;
Distance information providing device. The electrical property measurement unit measures the impedance between the electrode of the bubble ejection device and the counter electrode.
The distance information providing device according to claim 1. the electrical property measuring unit measures capacitance between the electrode of the bubble ejecting device and the counter electrode;
The distance information providing device according to claim 1. further comprising a counter electrode, the counter electrode comprising:
included separately from the bubble ejection device, or
Incorporated into a bubble ejection device,
The distance information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A distance calculation device that calculates a distance between a tip of a bubble jetting device and a bubble jetting object, the distance calculating device comprising:
A distance information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
storage section and
an arithmetic unit;
including;
The storage section is
Stores calculation information that predetermines the relationship between the distance and electrical characteristics between the tip of the bubble ejection device and the object to be ejected bubbles,
The calculation section is
Calculate the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to be ejected bubbles by comparing the measured value measured by the electrical property measuring section with calculation information.
Distance calculation device. A distance information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a power supply device for ejecting bubbles from the bubble ejection device;
A bubble ejecting device, including: A distance calculation device according to claim 5,
a power supply device for ejecting bubbles from the bubble ejection device;
A bubble ejecting device, including: The bubble ejecting device according to claim 6 or 7, which is used for thrombus treatment. a bubble ejection device drive unit;
a control unit;
including;
The bubble ejection device drive unit is
holding the bubble ejection device and driving the held bubble ejection device;
The control section is
controlling the bubble ejecting device drive unit so that the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to which the bubble ejecting is calculated by the calculation unit is a desired distance;
The bubble ejecting device according to claim 7 or 8. A distance information providing method for providing information for calculating a distance between a tip of a bubble ejecting device and an object to be ejected bubbles, the method comprising:
The bubble ejection device is
an electrode formed of a conductive material;
an insulating material covering at least a tip portion of the electrode;
including;
at least a portion of the insulating material forms a bubble spout;
A gap covered with an insulating material is formed between the tip of the electrode and the bubble outlet.
The method of providing distance information is
a circuit forming step of forming a circuit between the electrode of the bubble ejecting device and the counter electrode by bringing the tip of the bubble ejecting device, the counter electrode, and the object to be ejected into contact with a conductive liquid;
an electrical property measuring step of measuring electrical properties between an electrode and a counter electrode of the bubble ejection device;
A method of providing distance information, including at least A distance calculation method for calculating the distance between the tip of a bubble ejection device and a bubble ejection target, the method comprising:
The distance calculation method is
The electrical property measurement value obtained by the distance information providing method according to claim 10 is compared with calculation information obtained in advance to determine the relationship between the distance between the tip of the bubble ejecting device and the object to be ejected bubbles and the electrical property. A distance calculation step of calculating the distance between the tip of the bubble ejection device and the object to be ejected the bubbles,
A distance calculation method that includes at least