KR101056220B1 - Emergency signal transmitter for artificial heart and emergency signal transmitter for artificial heart - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, in operation of an artificial heart having a motor, a piezoelectric material is attached to one surface of a substrate, the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor, and a displacement occurs in the piezoelectric body by vibration of the substrate, thereby generating a current. A current generator; A rectifier circuit unit electrically connected to the current generator and configured to receive an alternating current from the current generator and convert the alternating current into a direct current; A charging unit for charging a capacitor with current generated from the rectifier circuit; A switch circuit unit configured to charge the capacitor with the rectified current when the motor of the artificial heart is driven and to start discharging the charged capacitor when the motor is not driven; And when the motor of the artificial heart is not driven provides an emergency signal transmitting apparatus for artificial heart comprising a signal transmitting unit for transmitting a rescue signal by using the electrical energy discharged from the capacitor. According to the present invention, patients who have artificial heart transplants, such as heart disease patients who live alone, can prevent the death of patients who are unable to receive first aid promptly because there is no one who can help the surroundings. The hassle of battery replacement can be avoided.

Artificial heart, emergency signal, first aid, piezoelectric

Description

An emergency signal transmission apparatus for artificial heart and a method of emergency signal transmission for artificial heart}

The present invention relates to an emergency signal transmission apparatus for artificial heart and an emergency signal transmission method for artificial heart using the same, and more specifically, to detect an emergency signal by detecting a failure or abnormality of an artificial heart without a separate independent power source using a piezoelectric body. An apparatus for transmitting and an emergency signal transmitting method for an artificial heart using the same are provided.

One of the common concerns of human history is the dream of prolonging life and one of its modern scientific attempts to develop an artificial heart that will replace the heart that represents vitality. December 2, 1982 Dr. University of Utah Hospital Devries implanted the pneumatic heart into the patient Barney Clark for permanent use, opening the clinical application of artificial heart, which is now benefiting a large number of people.

In the case of a fully artificial heart, it can be divided into a pneumatic drive type and an electric drive type according to its energy source. In the case of the pneumatically driven method, artificial heart composed of various types of ventricles has been developed by many research teams around the world and is currently being actively applied clinically in Japan, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Russia, etc. However, due to the large compressed air compressor, it is impossible to completely transplant the human body, and the life of the transplanted patient is limited.

In order to fundamentally solve the drawbacks of the pneumatic heart, the impossibility of full transplantation and the limited life of the transplanted patient, the pneumatic heart has begun to develop fully implantable artificial heart using a small motor. Immediately after the success. The electric heart currently under development is designed to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion using a small motor and to circulate blood using it. An electric heart can implant an energy conversion device of an artificial heart, but not an underlying energy source. To this end, a wireless energy transfer device using an electric induction phenomenon has been developed. In addition to energy, a communication method was developed to control the artificial heart externally. Therefore, all electric heart has internal battery which can store electric energy for a short period of time for sanitary purposes such as artificial heart and shower implanted in the body, secondary coil and internal heart controller which can receive electric energy from outside. It is completely embedded in the human body, and has an external controller and a primary coil designed to supply energy or regulate the motor of the artificial heart. The implanted artificial heart controller is made of hybrid PCB for miniaturization. The performance of the developed artificial heart can be evaluated in various ways, but ultimately, the survival criteria of the transplanted animal can be a good standard.

In advanced countries where civilization develops, the mortality rate of heart disease is higher, and it is found not only in adults but also in newborns, and the number and ratio are continuously increasing. In Seoul National University Hospital, 550 patients per year and 1500 patients nationwide have been reported to have open heart surgery, but in fact, about 10,000 patients per year have heart disease. First of all, it is believed that you can receive the benefits. In Korea, the early diagnosis is delayed due to less interest in heart disease than in the West, and many patients are found to have a worsening of heart condition. Therefore, the necessity or demand for artificial heart is more urgent than in foreign countries. Can be. When the artificial heart is put into practical use, it is possible to protect valuable human resources by treating patients who are forced to die from heart disease and returning to society.

Meanwhile, with the entry of an aging society, the development of medical blind spots caused by the increase in the population living alone is becoming a social problem. In particular, Korea is a fast-growing country with a low birth rate and aging society, and the number of single-person households is expected to increase rapidly. As a result, even in an emergency situation, a situation may occur in which emergency care is not received due to lack of assistance.

The development of medical technology is expected to increase the population using artificial heart, and accordingly the safety device of artificial heart is required. Here, the safety device (safety device) means a device that can detect the risk that can be caused by the artificial heart due to mechanical or power loss. In the case of an emergency caused by a failure or abnormality of an artificial heart, the countermeasures against it are very poor. However, conventional products not only had no consideration for this technology, but also required an independent power source to operate the safety devices, if any. However, it is always difficult to replace and maintain batteries, which can cause big problems due to inoperability due to discharge. In particular, if a patient using artificial heart does not have the help of another person, if the artificial heart breaks down or becomes abnormal, a serious problem directly related to the patient's life may occur.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an apparatus for transmitting an emergency signal by detecting a failure or abnormality of an artificial heart without a separate independent power source by using a piezoelectric material capable of converting physical energy into electrical energy.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for transmitting an emergency signal by detecting a failure or abnormality of the artificial heart without a separate independent power supply using a piezoelectric body.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an artificial heart having a device for transmitting an emergency signal by detecting a failure or abnormality of the artificial heart without a separate independent power source using a piezoelectric body.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention

In the operation of an artificial heart with a motor, a piezoelectric material is attached to one surface of the substrate, the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor, and the current is generated by the vibration of the substrate causing displacement in the piezoelectric body to generate a current. part;

A rectifier circuit unit electrically connected to the current generator and configured to receive an alternating current from the current generator and convert the alternating current into a direct current;

A charging unit for charging a capacitor with current generated from the rectifier circuit;

A switch circuit unit configured to charge the capacitor with the rectified current when the motor of the artificial heart is driven and to start discharging the charged capacitor when the motor is not driven; And

When the motor of the artificial heart is not driven provides an emergency signal transmitting apparatus for artificial heart including a signal transmitting unit for transmitting a rescue signal by using the electrical energy discharged from the capacitor.

In order to solve the above other problem, the present invention

In the operation of the artificial heart with a motor, a piezoelectric material is attached to one surface of the substrate, the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor and the displacement occurs in the piezoelectric due to the vibration of the substrate to generate a current;

A rectifying step electrically connected to the current generating unit and converting an AC current from the current generating unit into a DC current;

A charging step in which a rectified current is charged in a capacitor when the artificial heart motor is driven; And

When the motor of the artificial heart is not driven, the electrical energy discharged from the capacitor is transmitted to the microcontroller, and provides a method for transmitting an emergency signal for artificial heart, comprising transmitting a rescue signal using a communication module.

In order to solve the above another problem, the present invention

It provides an artificial heart having the emergency signal transmitting device.

Due to the present invention, patients who have received artificial heart transplants, such as heart disease patients who live alone, can prevent the death due to rapid emergency treatment because there are no people who can help the surroundings. The hassle of exchanging can be avoided.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

According to the present invention, in operation of an artificial heart having a motor, a piezoelectric material is attached to one surface of a substrate, the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor, and a displacement occurs in the piezoelectric body by vibration of the substrate, thereby generating a current. A current generator; A rectifier circuit unit electrically connected to the current generator and configured to receive an alternating current from the current generator and convert the alternating current into a direct current; A charging unit for charging a capacitor with current generated from the rectifier circuit; A switch circuit unit configured to charge the capacitor with the rectified current when the motor of the artificial heart is driven and to start discharging the charged capacitor when the motor is not driven; And when the motor of the artificial heart is not driven provides an emergency signal transmitting apparatus for artificial heart comprising a signal transmitting unit for transmitting a rescue signal by using the electrical energy discharged from the capacitor.

The current generating unit includes a piezoelectric body attached to the substrate, and the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor, and displacement occurs in the piezoelectric body by the vibration, thereby generating a current. A piezoelectric material is a material that generates electrical energy when mechanical energy is applied, and on the contrary, generates mechanical energy when electrical energy is applied. The property of converting the double mechanical energy into electrical energy is called a piezoelectric property, and the present invention is intended to be made using such piezoelectric properties. In order to fabricate the piezoelectric material, various processes such as synthesis of a sample, ball mill, polling, and electrode doping are performed.

The piezoelectric direct effect refers to a phenomenon in which an electrical signal is generated at the output terminal when an external stress or vibration displacement is applied to the piezoelectric element as a voltage generating function, and is applied to an ignition piezoelectric element or various sensors. In the piezoelectric direct effect, the output voltage does not occur in a state where the piezoelectric element is free from external stress. However, when compressive force is applied, positive and negative electrodes generate voltages, respectively, and the device thickness decreases. On the contrary, when extensive force is applied, negative and negative voltages are generated on the upper and lower electrodes, respectively. It increases from the initial non-stress state, and the opposite occurs when compressing force is applied.

1 briefly illustrates an artificial heart having a piezoelectric substrate according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the artificial heart 11 allows the substrate 12 to which the piezoelectric body 15 is attached to be fixed by the holder 13. The cross-shaped cogwheel 14 rotated by the driving motor installed in the artificial heart exerts a certain physical impact on the substrate 12 provided with the piezoelectric body 15. Here, the piezoelectric body 15 may be directly impacted. However, since the piezoelectric body 15 is a brittle ceramic, it may be damaged or damaged by impact, and thus, the piezoelectric body 15 is attached to the substrate 12 so that vibration is indirectly transmitted. . The substrate 12 to which the piezoelectric body 15 is attached may be made of a metal component.

2 illustrates a substrate having a piezoelectric body according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a piezoelectric body 15 is attached to the center portion, and one side of the piezoelectric body 15 has a fixing portion 18 for fixing the substrate 12, and inside the fixing portion 18. The fixing pin 16 is inserted. On one side of the piezoelectric body 15 is a vibrating portion 17 that can vibrate when a physical impact is applied. 3 illustrates a side of a substrate having a piezoelectric body according to an embodiment of the present invention. When a physical shock is applied by a motor installed in the artificial heart, the vibrating part of the substrate 12 vibrates up and down, and the vibration is transmitted to the piezoelectric body 15 attached to the substrate 12 so that mechanical energy generates electrical energy. Done. Since the piezoelectric body 15 is a ceramic material, there is a risk of breakage when directly hitting, so it is important to manufacture the device so that an indirect impact can be applied. By indirectly providing vibration energy to the piezoelectric body 15 using the substrate 12 using a metal (eg, stainless steel), it may be manufactured in various forms to prevent breakage of the material and generate energy. In addition, it is possible to manufacture a substrate with elasticity can be produced to generate more energy by converting a single blow into aftershock.

The rectifier circuit part is electrically connected to the current generating part, and receives the AC current from the current generating part and converts the DC current into the current generating part. The rectifier circuit can be constructed in a conventional manner such as a bridge diode. Figure 4 shows an embodiment constituting a circuit according to the present invention, V1 represents the current generated by the DC current through the rectifier circuit the current generated from the current generator.

The piezoelectric body attached to the artificial heart generates energy and charges the charging unit (capacitor). It is preferable that two or more capacitors of the charging unit are connected in parallel. When the charging power is off, the AVR circuit is driven by the electric energy charged in the capacitor to request a rescue signal through RF communication. The determination of the on / off of the charging power may serve as a switching role by connecting a p-channel mosfet (eg, IRF 9540) to the piezoelectric power generation part.

The switch circuit unit may be in a state in which a signal enters the gate electrode when the current is applied, and a short circuit occurs between the drain electrode and the source electrode. When the signal is disconnected to the gate electrode, the switch circuit may be electrically connected between the drain electrode and the source electrode.

The switch circuit part enters a signal into the gate electrode G when a current is applied by using a MOSFET (eg, IRF9540), so that a short circuit between the drain electrode D and the source electrode S occurs. At this time, only the capacitor is charged. However, when the current supply is cut off, the signal does not enter the gate electrode G, and the drain electrode D and the source electrode S are connected and energized. That is, the capacitor and the microcontroller are connected, and the energy discharged from the capacitor enters the microcontroller.

The signal transmitter transmits a rescue signal by using electric energy discharged from the capacitor when the motor of the artificial heart is not driven. The signal transmitter is preferably composed of a microcontroller and a communication module. The communication module is composed of two sets, one is formed on the substrate of the artificial heart, the other is preferably wirelessly connected to the external computing device. When no electric signal is input to the MOSFET and the capacitor unit and the microcontroller are connected, the electric energy stored in the capacitor is discharged to the microcontroller. At this time, the microcontroller may operate the communication module by using the discharged energy.

The communication module may consist of, for example, a set of Zig-100 sets and a Zigbee-serial. The Zig-100 set is a two-piece set, with the Zig (1) attached to the microcontroller connected to the heart and the other Zig (2) installed to connect to the computer via an external computer, eg USB. . When an emergency occurs (when the heart stops beating), electrical energy is discharged from the capacitor to the microcontroller and the microcontroller sends a rescue signal to the Zig (2) using the Zig (1).

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the operation of the artificial heart with a motor, a piezoelectric material is attached to one surface of the substrate, the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor and the piezoelectric element by the vibration of the substrate. Displacement occurs in the generating a current; A rectifying step electrically connected to the current generating unit and converting an AC current from the current generating unit into a DC current; A charging step in which a rectified current is charged in a capacitor when the artificial heart motor is driven; And when the motor of the artificial heart is not driven, electric energy discharged from the capacitor is transferred to a microcontroller, and transmitting a rescue signal using a communication module. .

The present inventors install the piezoelectric element near the motor of the artificial heart, pressurize the piezoelectric body with the motor, generate energy by using the pressure, and store the energy in the capacitor to operate the safety device. When stress is applied to the substrate due to periodic (heartbeat) mechanical stress, the piezoelectric material indirectly causes tensile and compressive stresses to generate current and store it in the capacitor. If the heart stops or has a non-periodic heartbeat, it can no longer be stored in the capacitor and the capacitor starts to discharge. This discharged energy (usually collected in beats) enters the microcontroller and the microcontroller transmits a rescue signal.

Figure 4 shows a circuit diagram of the emergency signal transmitting apparatus for artificial heart according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, V1 represents a state in which a DC current is flowing after passing through a rectifying circuit to the power generating portion of the piezoelectric body. Initially, when the piezoelectric power generates electricity and generates power through V1, the energy flows into M1, C2, and C1. Here, M1 is a P-channel mosfet, and when a signal comes to the gate electrode, the capacitor part, U1 (microcontroller), and U2 (communication module) part are separated. As a result, the electric energy from V1 (piezoelectric generator) flows only in the direction of the capacitor, thereby charging. After that, when the electrical energy is disconnected from V1, the signal does not go to the gate electrode. Then, the capacitor, U1 (microcontroller), and U2 (communication module) are connected. When connected in this way, the discharged energy from the capacitor enters U1 (microcontroller) and U2 (communication module). At this time, U1 (microcontroller) communicates wirelessly through U2 (communication module) using the flowed electricity. The reason for separating C1 (Capacitor1), C2 (Capacitor2), U1 (Microcontroller) and U2 (Communication Module) is that U1 (Microcontroller) and U2 (Communication Module) are interrupted when energy is stored in C1 and C2. To prevent this. When R1 is absent, R1 is necessary because discharge occurs during charging. The higher the R1 resistance, the higher the voltage that can be stored in the capacitor being charged. The lower the resistance of R1, the lower the voltage that can be stored in the capacitor being charged, but the longer the discharge time can be.

Figure 5 shows a picture of an embodiment of the artificial heart and emergency signal transmission apparatus according to the present invention. Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to change the production in various forms.

The present invention provides an artificial heart having a device for transmitting an emergency signal by detecting a failure or abnormality of an artificial heart without a separate independent power source using the piezoelectric body as described above. As described above, by providing the artificial heart of the present invention, patients who have had artificial heart transplants, such as those who live alone, can prevent the death of a patient who is unable to help them quickly due to the lack of people who can help. Independent production of the battery can avoid the hassle of replacing the battery.

1 shows an artificial heart with a piezoelectric substrate according to the present invention.

2 illustrates a substrate having a piezoelectric body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 shows a side view of a substrate having a piezoelectric body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows a circuit diagram of the emergency signal transmitting apparatus for artificial heart according to the present invention.

Figure 5 shows a picture of an embodiment of the artificial heart and emergency signal transmission apparatus according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

11: artificial heart

12: substrate

13: fixture

14: Cross Gear

15: piezoelectric

16: push pin

17: vibrator

18: fixing part

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Claims (12)

In the operation of an artificial heart with a motor, a piezoelectric material is attached to one surface of the substrate, the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor, and the current is generated by the vibration of the substrate causing displacement in the piezoelectric body to generate a current. part; A rectifier circuit unit electrically connected to the current generator and configured to receive an alternating current from the current generator and convert the alternating current into a direct current; A charging unit for charging a capacitor with current generated from the rectifier circuit; A switch circuit unit configured to charge the capacitor with the rectified current when the motor of the artificial heart is driven and to start discharging the charged capacitor when the motor is not driven; And Emergency signal transmitting apparatus for artificial heart comprising a signal transmitting unit for transmitting a rescue signal by using the electric energy discharged from the capacitor when the motor of the artificial heart is not driven. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate to which the piezoelectric body is attached in the current generating unit is made of a metal component. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch circuit unit has a state in which a signal enters a gate electrode and a short circuit occurs between a drain electrode and a source electrode when a current is applied. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch circuit unit is electrically connected with the drain electrode and the source electrode when the signal is disconnected to the gate electrode. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein two or more capacitors are connected in parallel in the switch circuit unit. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter comprises a microcontroller and a communication module. In the operation of the artificial heart with a motor, a piezoelectric material is attached to one surface of the substrate, the substrate vibrates by the operation of the motor and the displacement occurs in the piezoelectric due to the vibration of the substrate to generate a current; A rectifying step electrically connected to the current generating unit and converting an AC current from the current generating unit into a DC current; A charging step in which a rectified current is charged in a capacitor when the artificial heart motor is driven; And And when the motor of the artificial heart is not driven, electric energy discharged from the capacitor is transferred to a microcontroller, and transmitting a rescue signal using a communication module. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the substrate to which the piezoelectric body is attached comprises a metal component. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein a signal enters the gate electrode when the current is applied, and the drain electrode and the source electrode are short-circuited. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal is disconnected to the gate electrode and the emergency signal transmission method for artificial heart, characterized in that the current is connected between the drain electrode and the source electrode. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication module is composed of two sets, one is formed on a substrate of an artificial heart, and the other is wirelessly connected to an external computing device. An artificial heart having an emergency signal transmitting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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