JPH0438962A - Heating type tube for medical use and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a flexible tube itself with a heating function as composing a passing path of a suction gas, a body humor or an auxiliary liquor by burying electric heating bodies along the length of a tube body within a tube wall of the tube body. CONSTITUTION:Four heating bodies 3 are buried into a tube wall of a tube body 2 and extend almost over the entire length to a longitudinal direction of the tube body 2. The ends of the heating bodies 3 are exposed outside from an end face of the tube body 2 and electric connectors 4 as power receiving sections are connected to the tips thereof. The four heating bodies 3 are buried at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the tube body 2 to heat the tube body 2, evenly over the entire cross-section thereof. The heating bodies 3 can employ slender nichrome wires, for instance, so as not to check flexibility of the tube body 2. A heating type tube thus obtained can be applied widely as medical tube which is used at a part where heating is required or desired, for example, a tube for supplying a Ringer's solution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a medical heating tube used in a respirator or an artificial lung scale, and a method for manufacturing the same.

(Prior Art and its Problems) In the medical field, respiratory gas, body fluids such as blood, and replacement fluids such as Ringer's solution are exchanged between medical devices such as artificial respirators and artificial lungs and patients. In this case, respiratory gases, body fluids,
The flow path for replacement fluid is often configured by a flexible tube.

By the way, in an artificial respirator, a humidifier is connected in the middle of the intake gas supply path in order to provide appropriate humidity to the intake gas. In this case, moisture in the inspiratory gas tends to condense in the path downstream of the humidifier, and when cold inspiratory gas is supplied, the patient's body temperature cools down rapidly. It will also happen. For this reason, conventionally, an elongated linear electric heating element is inserted into the intake gas supply path downstream of the humidifier to heat the intake gas.

However, the method of inserting a heating element into the intake gas supply path not only causes flow path resistance, but also inserting a heating element from the outside into the supply path is important to prevent contamination from bacteria, etc. It also becomes undesirable.

On the other hand, when supplying blood to a patient using an artificial lung, etc.
In order to prevent a patient's body temperature from dropping, blood is heated. In this case, if a foreign object such as a heating element is present in the blood supply route, thrombotic disorders are likely to occur. I have to. However, in this case, a problem arises in that a fairly large heating device must be placed near the patient.

(Object of the invention) The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a medical heating tube in which a flexible tube constituting a circulation path for intake gas, body fluid, or replacement fluid has a heating function, and a method for manufacturing the same.

(Structure of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following first structure. That is, it includes a tube body having flexibility and electrical insulation, and an electric heating element embedded in the tube wall of the tube body along the longitudinal direction of the tube body, and is flexible as a whole. and a power receiving end of the heating element is exposed to the outside of the tube main body.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a second configuration as follows. That is, the electric heating wire includes: a flexible tube body; and an electric heating wire that is spirally wound around the outer peripheral surface of the tube body and integrated with the tube body; The wires are configured like a device, each consisting of a flexible central heating section and an electrically insulating layer covering the central heating section.

The medical heating tube having the second configuration may be manufactured as follows.

That is, it is preferable to extrude the tube body and wind the electric heating wire around the outer periphery of the tube body immediately after extrusion molding.

(Operations and Effects of the Invention) In any case, in the medical heating tube configured as described above, the inspiratory gas, blood, or replacement fluid flowing inside through the tube wall of the tube body is heated. . Since the flexible tube is flexible as a whole and has an electrically insulated structure on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces, it can be used as is like conventional flexible tubes. can.

Further, according to the manufacturing method described in 11, the steps include forming the tube body, spirally winding the electric heating wire around the outer peripheral surface of the tube body, and melting the tube body and the electric heating wire. Integration can be performed almost simultaneously.

More preferred embodiments of the invention and its advantages will become apparent from the following description of the examples.

(Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the attached drawings.

In FIG. 1, a heating tube 1 according to the present invention has a tube body 2 and an electric heating element 3. As shown in FIG. The tube body 2 is made of a flexible material, such as vinyl chloride, as in the conventional art.

The heating element 3 is embedded in the tube wall of the tube body 2 and extends over almost the entire length of the tube body 2 in the longitudinal direction. The end of the heating element 3 is exposed to the outside from the end surface of the tube body 2, and an electrical connector 4 serving as a power receiving section is connected to the tip. The heating element 3 uniformly heats the tube body 2 over its entire cross section (the second
As shown in the figure, a total of four tubes are embedded at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the tube body 2.

The heating element 3 generates so-called Joule heat, and can be any known electrical resistor as appropriate. For example, a thin nichrome wire can be used so as not to interfere with the flexibility of the tube body 2. Preferably, the heating element 3 may be configured as follows in order to have sufficient flexibility itself. That is, after preparing silicon carbide powder as an electrical resistor and a synthetic resin such as vinyl chloride that is sufficiently flexible when solidified, and uniformly mixing the silicon carbide powder into the molten synthetic resin, The synthetic resin may be solidified. At this time, the linear heating element 3 can be easily obtained by extrusion molding the melted mixture.

Here, it is preferable to form the synthetic resin for the heating element 3 described above and the synthetic resin for the tube body 2 from the same material, for example vinyl chloride, in order to improve the adhesion between the two. It is also possible to co-extrude the tube body 2 and the heating element 3, but in this case it is particularly preferable to use the same synthetic resin as described above.

Note that it is preferable that the connector 4 as a power receiving part be gathered at one end of the tube body 2, but due to the connection to the positive terminal and negative terminal of the power supply, the connector 4 is placed at one end and the other end of the tube body 2. They may be distributed on both sides.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of FIG. 2, in which the heating element 3 is formed into an annular shape.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show other examples of heating tubes. In this embodiment, the heating tube 11 has a tube body 12 and an electric heating wire 13 spirally wound around the outer periphery of the tube body 12.
and are integrated with each other by adhesive or welding.

The tube body 2 is formed in the same manner as in the embodiment described above, but its wall thickness (thickness of the tube wall) is made sufficiently thinner than in the embodiment described above.

As shown in FIG. 5, the heating wire 13 is composed of an electrical resistor for generating Joule heat, a central heating section 14 at 17, and an electrical insulating layer 15 covering the central heating section 14. ing. This central heat generating part 14 itself is configured as the same as the heat generating element 3 in the above embodiment,
Preferably, as mentioned above, a material having flexibility itself is used. Further, as a material constituting the insulating layer 15, for example, vinyl chloride can be used.

Note that a power receiving connector 1 is provided at the end of the central heat generating section 13.
6 is connected.

Here, it is preferable that the central heat generating portion 13 be constructed as a mixture of silicon carbide and a synthetic resin as in the above embodiment, and the insulating layer 15 and the tube body 12 be constructed of the same synthetic resin as the synthetic resin.

Next, a preferred example of forming a heated tube as shown in FIG. 4 will be described below with reference to FIG. 6.

In FIG. 6, 21 is an extrusion molding machine for the tube body 12, and a winding tool 22 is disposed in the immediate vicinity of the extrusion part 21a of this extrusion molding machine 21. This winding tool 22
is rotated at a predetermined speed around the outer periphery of the tube body 12 (immediately after molding) extruded from the extrusion section 21a, that is, the tube body 12 which has not yet been sufficiently cooled and solidified, and the rotating surface is The surface is perpendicular to the direction (the surface perpendicular to the paper surface). By means of such a winding tool 22, the heat generating wire 13 let out from a winding roll (not shown) is rotated around the tube body 12 immediately after being extruded. Since the tube body 12 is displaced to the right in the figure at a predetermined extrusion speed, the heating wire 13 is wound helically around the outer periphery of the tube body 12 as a result. Then, the heating wire 13 is wound around the tube body 12 which is not yet sufficiently solidified and is in a slightly molten state (therefore, both 12 and 13 are welded together).

FIG. 7 shows a heated tube 1 or 11 according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows an example of a medical device in which a ventilator is used. In this FIG.
is supplied to the humidifier 33 via
It is supplied to the patient's lungs H from the tube 34. Expired gas from the patient is exhausted to the atmosphere through a tube 35, which includes an exhalation valve 36 and a flow sensor 3.
7 is connected. The device main body 31 includes a sensor 3
The opening degree of the exhalation valve 36 is adjusted while receiving the signal from 7.

In a respirator as described above, the tube 32.
As 34.35, the heated tube 1 or 11 according to the present invention is used. In particular, it is preferable to use it for the tube 34 in order to prevent water from condensing and to prevent the patient's body temperature from dropping.If it is also used for the tube 32, it will allow the inspiratory gas to flow slowly over a long path. It can be heated. Also, if used for the tube 35, it will prevent moisture condensation within the exhalation valve 36 (exhalation valve 35).
This is preferable in order to ensure reliable operation (6) and to prevent detection errors of the sensor 37 due to condensed water.

FIG. 8 shows a heated tube 1 or 11 according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows another example of medical equipment in which an artificial dialysis machine is used. In FIG. 8, blood from a patient S is returned to the patient S via a tube 41, a dialyzer 42, a tube 43, a circulation pump 44, and a tube 45. And, the above-mentioned heating type chilli according to the present invention
- tubes 1 or 11 can be used for the tubes 41, 43 or 45; In particular, the tube 45 that serves as the final blood supply (return) to the patient S.
It is preferable to use it for personal use to prevent patient S's body temperature.
In addition to this, if you use it for tubes 41 and 43,
This is preferable in that it prevents the temperature of the blood from decreasing during an intermediate stage and prevents the temperature of the blood from fluctuating greatly as a whole.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the heated tube according to the present invention can also be used in areas that require or are desirable to be heated, such as as a tube for an artificial heart, or as a tube for supplying Ringer's solution. It can be widely used as a medical tube.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an example of a heating tube according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line X2-X2M in FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a modification of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a heating tube showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the arrow Y portion in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a simplified side view showing an example of manufacturing the heating type tube shown in FIG. 4. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are simplified system diagrams showing examples of suitable medical equipment using the heating type tube according to the present invention 11: heating type tube 12: tube body 13: electric heating wire 14: central heating Wire 15: Electrical insulation layer 16: Connector 1: Heating tube 2: Tube body 3: Electric heating element 4: Connector Figure 1 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) A tube body having flexibility and electrical insulation, and an electric heating element embedded in the tube wall of the tube body along the longitudinal direction of the tube body. What is claimed is: 1. A heating tube for medical use, characterized in that the entire tube is flexible, and a power receiving end of the heating element is exposed to the outside of the tube body. (2) In claim 1, the electric heating element has flexibility. (3) Claim 2, wherein the electric heating element is made of a flexible synthetic resin mixed with silicon carbide powder. (4) A tube body having flexibility; and an electric heating wire integrated into the tube body in a spiral manner around the outer circumferential surface of the tube body; 1. A heating tube for medical use, characterized in that the heating wire is composed of a flexible central heating section and an electrically insulating layer covering the central heating section. (5) Claim 4, wherein the electric heating wire is made of a flexible synthetic resin mixed with silicon carbide powder. (6) Claim 5, wherein the electrically insulating layer is made of the same synthetic resin as the synthetic resin constituting the electric heating wire. (7) In the medical heating tube according to claim 4, the electric heating wire is wound around the outer periphery of the tube body immediately after extrusion molding while extrusion molding the tube body. manufactured by (8) In any one of claims 3, 5, and 6, the synthetic resin is vinyl chloride. (9) Any one of claims 1 to 6
In paragraph 1, the medical heating tube is a tube through which at least either inspiratory gas or expiratory gas flows in a ventilator. (10) In claim 9, the respirator includes a humidifier in the intake gas supply route, and the medical heating tube is provided with a humidifier for the intake gas supply route downstream of the humidifier. what is being done. (11) In any one of claims 1 to 6, the medical heating tube is used as a distribution route for body fluids or replacement fluids. (12) Claim 11, wherein the medical heating tube is used as a supply route for body fluids or replacement fluids to a patient.