KR102170327B1 - Medical cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a nozzle part for spraying a coolant, and a cryogen temperature pressure controller for controlling temperature and pressure of the coolant through heat; And a control unit to control the heat applied to the coolant temperature and pressure control unit, including effective destruction of lesion cells, minimization of destruction of surrounding normal cells, cooling anesthesia, and cooling conditions required for various clinical effects such as immune activation by cooling. Provides a medical cooling device that can be stably implemented.

Description

Medical cooling device

The present invention relates to a medical cooling device using a coolant, and more particularly, to a medical cooling device for treating or anesthesia by selectively cooling a desired tissue by spraying a coolant on a local area of the skin.

In general, cryotherapy is to cool a local area to remove-treat lesion cells, massage by ice cubes, a method using conduction by a pre-cooled cooling rod, and a coolant sprayed through a nozzle (e.g. : Dry ice, liquid nitrogen), etc., by cooling parts of the body such as skin or organs. This local cooling destroys lesion cells at low temperatures and is used for removal-treatment, as well as various clinical trials such as cell function decline (eg, nerve paralysis), immune activation, and apoptosis, depending on the cooling temperature applied to the treatment site. Since it can bring an effect, it can be used for various clinical purposes such as cold anesthesia, immune disease treatment, etc., compared to laser or RFA, which is mainly used for removal-treatment through high-temperature apoptosis.

As a technology related to the conventional local cooling device as described above, Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2010-0054097 is disclosed.

Looking at the publicly available conventional technologies developed for local cooling for medical use, local cooling is used using cryogenic coolants such as liquid nitrogen and dry ice, and the intrinsic temperature of these coolants is significantly lower than the cell death temperature. It is difficult to stably implement the cooling conditions in which the effects such as immune activation, etc. are exhibited, and thus its use is limited for various clinical purposes. This lack of technology is fundamentally due to the large specific heat of cells, and it is difficult to precisely control the temperature of a coolant with a high-power cooling amount required for efficient cell cooling in an engineering manner outside its intrinsic temperature range. Because.

In the case of cold anesthesia, which is an extended use example of the above-described cold therapy, unlike local anesthetics (Lidocaine), which takes the time for chemical substances to diffuse to the nerves, when the nerve temperature is physically cooled, the anesthesia state of the area is immediately relieved. As it can be generated, it is useful for rapid local anesthesia required in various medical procedures. Incidentally, in the case of anesthetics for local anesthesia, it takes a long time for the anesthetic to penetrate the thick skin layer and reach the palpable nerve, and in the case of skin that does not diffuse well, anesthesia without direct injection. The disadvantage is that the effect is often insufficient. For the purpose of such anesthesia, conventional medical cooling devices have been developed that reduce pain in local areas of the skin using cooled air, but due to the low heat capacity of the air, it is difficult to lower the temperature of the treatment site to the temperature at which the anesthetic effect appears. .

On the other hand, conventional medical cooling devices that require high-power cooling for lesion cell removal-treatment use coolants such as liquefied nitrogen and CO2, and have a strong and quick cooling effect due to the latent heat that these coolants have during phase change. Done. However, the current cooling technology has a limitation in that the cooling temperature is limited at the evaporation point or liquefaction point of the coolant used. In particular, if the temperature of the coolant is not properly controlled because the general medical coolant including the specified liquid nitrogen and CO2 is significantly lower than the killing temperature at which the cells are physically destroyed, the temperature of the treatment area falls below the safe range, causing excessive damage to the surrounding normal cells. There is a problem that it can cause destruction. Side effects caused by such excessive destruction of normal cells include blood, swelling, blistering, infection, pigmentation, paresthesia, and scar formation.

In order to prevent overcooling, the spraying amount or spraying time of the coolant can be adjusted, but in this case, the temperature of the coolant itself applied to the treatment area remains at a dangerous temperature that causes cell destruction, so it is difficult to reduce the risk due to overcooling.

As such, the medical cooling device capable of stably controlling the nerve paralysis temperature or the immune activation temperature including apoptosis, not the intrinsic temperature of the coolant, implements various clinical effects of cold therapy quantitatively without depending on the skill of the practitioner. It can be said to be the key to doing.

The present invention was created to solve the above-described problems, and the cooling conditions required for various clinical effects such as effective destruction of lesion cells, minimization of destruction of surrounding normal cells, cooling anesthesia, and immune activation by cooling can be stably implemented. Its purpose is to provide a medical cooling device that can be used.

The medical cooling apparatus according to the present invention includes a nozzle part for spraying a coolant, and a cryogen temperature pressure controller for controlling a temperature and pressure of the coolant through heat; And a control unit for controlling heat applied to the coolant temperature and pressure control unit.

At this time, the coolant temperature pressure control unit according to the present invention includes a heating unit that generates heat and a heat transfer medium that transfers heat generated from the heating unit to the coolant, and the heating unit is composed of a thermoelectric element, or the heating unit is electrically It can be composed of a heater.

And the heat transfer medium according to the present invention includes a flow path made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W / mK or more, the heat transfer medium is formed with a plurality of fins so that the heat transfer area is enlarged, the heat transfer medium is the heating element It may be composed of itself, or the heat transfer medium may have a porous structure so that the heat transfer area is enlarged.

Here, the porous structure according to the present invention plays a role of at least one of reduced pressure or sound absorption.

In addition, the coolant temperature pressure control unit according to the present invention has a small contact area with the surrounding equipment, or is insulated from the surrounding equipment through an insulating member having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or less, and the coolant temperature pressure control unit Heat exchange is made with at least one of the coolant sprayed from the coolant, the coolant input to the nozzle, or the coolant flowing through a hose connected to the coolant storage unit, and the coolant temperature pressure control unit selectively generates heat after the cooling device is used. Remove the coolant remaining on the flow path.

The effects exhibited by the medical cooling device according to the present invention are as follows.

By continuously maintaining the pressure of the coolant at a position adjacent to the nozzle, the coolant can reach a preset thermodynamic state with a rapid dynamic reaction. In addition, there is an effect that the thermodynamic phase of the coolant can be controlled immediately before spraying onto the treatment site, so that the temperature of the coolant sprayed onto the treatment site can be sprayed while being controlled to a desired temperature. In addition, it has the effect of preventing excessive cooling from occurring outside the target area by controlling heat in the treatment area other than the cooling target area.

By rapidly controlling the temperature of such a coolant and controlling the cooling area, various clinical effects, such as cooling anesthesia, lesion cell therapy using immune activation, lesion cell death therapy with minimal normal cell destruction, or various clinical trials It is possible to stably implement a cooling protocol for various treatment protocols such as treatment that combines the effects, for example, a cooling condition corresponding to cooling anesthesia first, and then the lesion cell death treatment performed in a state where pain is minimized. Has an effect.

1A is a view showing the configuration of a cooling system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
1B is a view showing the appearance of a cooling system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
1C is a diagram showing a temperature control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
1D is a view showing a temperature control state according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
1E is a flow chart showing the operation of the control unit of the cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
2A is a view showing a configuration of a cooling pressure maintaining unit of a medical cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
2B is a view showing a configuration of a cooling temperature pressure maintaining unit of a medical cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3A is a view showing the configuration of a coolant temperature and pressure control unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3B is an exploded view of a coolant temperature and pressure control unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3C is a view showing a cross-section of a coolant temperature and pressure control unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3D is a view showing the mounting state of the heating unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
3C is a view showing the configuration of a holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
4A is a view showing a coolant rotating part of a medical cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4b is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a coolant rotation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
4C is a diagram showing the configuration of a cyclone generator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5A is a view showing an example of use of a boundary heat supply unit for a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5B is a view showing the configuration of a boundary heat supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5C is a view showing an embodiment of the boundary heat supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5D is a view showing an embodiment of the boundary heat supply unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, terms or words used in the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, and the inventors appropriately explain the concept of terms in order to explain their own invention in the best way. Based on the principle that it can be defined, it should be interpreted as a meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention.

Accordingly, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not represent all the technical spirit of the present invention, so at the time of the present application, they are equivalent to It should be understood that there may be variations.

I. Dynamic boundary cooling control

1A to 1E are diagrams showing the configuration of a cooling system and a cooling device for dynamic boundary cooling control according to the present invention. In the present invention, it is possible to control the temperature of the coolant according to the path in which the coolant moves. Temperature control of coolant is possible.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, cooling of a cryogen pressure keeper constituting a cooling device, heating of a cryogen temperature pressure controller, or a heat providing barrier ) Through cooling or heating, it is possible to perform precise temperature control of the coolant.

1A and 1B are views showing the configuration and appearance of a cooling system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in cooling a target area through a coolant, a medical cooling system includes a storage unit 10 for storing a coolant and for transferring the coolant to a cooling device. It may include a delivery unit 20 and a cooling device 100. The cooling device 100 includes a coolant pressure keeper (30), a coolant temperature pressure controller (40), a coolant rotating part (Cryogen Cyclone Generator: 50), and a heat providing barrier (Heat Providing Barrier). : 60) and a control unit 70 for controlling the components.

According to another embodiment, the cooling device 100 may be divided into an input unit 110 for inputting a coolant for each area, a processing unit 120 for processing the coolant, and an output unit 130 for outputting the coolant. The input unit 110 is provided with a coolant pressure keeper (30), and the processing unit 120 has a coolant temperature pressure controller (40) or a coolant rotating unit (Cryogen Cyclone Generator: 50). It may be provided, and the output unit 130 may be provided with a boundary heat supply unit (Heat Providing Barrier: 60).

In the medical cooling system, the storage unit 10 may be implemented in the form of a coolant tank, etc., and the delivery unit 20 performs a function of transferring the coolant from the storage unit 10 to the cooling device 100, It can be implemented in the form of a hose or the like.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an opening/closing part may be provided where necessary according to a moving path of the coolant, and the opening/closing part is electrically connected to the control unit 70 and is opened and closed by the control of the control unit 70. Can be controlled. The opening/closing unit may be implemented as a solenoid valve to control whether or not to open/close, and may be implemented as an actuator to control the flow rate of the coolant. The at least one opening/closing unit is electrically connected to the control unit 70 and the injection button, so that a signal generated as a user manipulates the injection button is input to the control unit 70, and the control unit 70 is based on this By controlling, it is possible to smoothly spray the coolant.

The medical cooling device according to the present invention relates to a medical cooling device for controlling the temperature of the injected coolant, and the medical cooling device may control to spray the coolant to a target area at a temperature different from the instantaneous temperature of the coolant. According to an embodiment, the temperature of the coolant may be dynamically controlled by including at least one of a cooling target temperature, a cooling rate, a thawing target temperature, and a thawing speed. In controlling this cooling temperature, the coolant The target region may be cooled to a preset temperature by using a parameter including the applied heat.

The above-described medical cooling device may be any body part, and may be, for example, skin, eyes, or gums. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a description will be given mainly on the case of applying a medical cooling device to the skin, but it is natural that the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the medical cooling device is not only a treatment using cooling, but also when anesthesia or hemostasis is required, when antibacterial is required, when local areas such as skin spots, warts, and corn removal are frozen and removed, hair removal, peeling, and Botox procedures. Of course, it can be applied to cases where local anesthesia is required in a relatively short time, such as a small-scale laser procedure, such as.

In addition, the body portion of the medical cooling device has an ergonomic shape so that the user can grip it with his or her hand. For example, it may be formed in the form of a pen or a pistol. Hereinafter, in the present invention, the shape of the body portion is described based on the shape of the pistol, but it is not limited thereto and may be selectively implemented in various shapes.

The coolant tank, which is the storage unit 10, is a conventional cylinder for accommodating liquefied gas, and may accommodate low temperature and high pressure liquefied nitrogen (N) or carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, a valve that opens and closes automatically or manually by a user is provided at the outlet of the coolant tank, which is the storage unit 10, and the high-pressure coolant accommodated in the coolant tank, which is the storage unit 10 by selective opening of the valve. Outflow occurs.

One end of the delivery unit 20 is connected to a valve provided at the outlet of the storage unit 10, and the delivery unit 20 transfers a high-pressure coolant discharged from the storage unit 10 by opening the valve. ) Provides a flow path leading from one side to the other. At this time, the delivery unit 20 is preferably made of a material having pressure resistance/weather resistance/heat resistance so that the high-pressure coolant does not leak to the outside, and may be implemented in the form of a hose or the like.

In addition, the temperature and pressure control unit 40 is connected to the other end of the transfer unit 20 to selectively spray the coolant introduced through the transfer unit 20, and the part where the coolant is sprayed is in the form of a nozzle, etc. Can be implemented as The coolant sprayed from the nozzle sprays the coolant jetted to the correct target area, that is, the treatment site through the coolant output unit according to the present invention, and may further include a boundary heat supply unit 60 to prevent cooling outside the target area. have.

Here, a coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 may be provided in a region where the temperature pressure adjusting unit 40 and the transmitting unit 20 are connected, the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 being the temperature pressure adjusting unit 40 The coolant before flowing into the furnace is maintained at a high pressure, so that pressure loss of the coolant is prevented and the coolant is sprayed at a fast response speed.

Referring to Fig. 1b, the exterior of the cooling device according to the present invention is shown. According to an embodiment, the cooling device 100 may include a hand-held body part. The body portion may be formed in a pen, pistol, polygon or other shape for ease of operation during treatment or use, and may provide a gripping portion that can be gripped by the user.

That is, the body portion of the cooling apparatus according to the present invention includes an elongated body and a non-elongated body, and the non-elongated structure includes an open structure and a closed structure. Here, the non-elongated structure includes a polygonal structure or a curved structure, and the polygonal structure and the curved sphere may be configured in an open type or a closed type.

According to one embodiment, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 may be provided in the cooling device 100, and according to one embodiment, the body unit may be composed of a plurality of body unit units, The coolant pressure holding unit 30 may be configured such that the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is located in a body unit that can be gripped by a user.

A plurality of buttons electrically connected to the control unit 70 and a display unit are provided on the outer periphery of the body portion to be exposed to the outside, and spraying of the coolant and temperature of the coolant can be controlled through the plurality of buttons, and the coolant through the display unit You can check the temperature/pressure of and the temperature of the area to be treated, and the condition of the device. For example, one of the plurality of buttons may be a button used to automatically implement a preset cooling protocol from the control unit, and other buttons may block or supply power to the coolant temperature and pressure regulator when operating, so that the user can It can be used to manually adjust the cooling conditions.

1C and 1D are diagrams showing a temperature control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention dynamically controls the spraying temperature of the coolant to cool the target area while dynamically controlling the temperature of the coolant according to the treatment area of various areas and various depths according to the treatment or purpose of use, and an optimized protocol according to the treatment purpose. I can.

Referring to FIG. 1C, it can be seen that the temperature of the target region is dynamically controlled in response to the temperature control of the coolant. According to one embodiment, the dynamic temperature control of the medical cooling device according to the present invention allows the temperature of the treatment site to be within a corresponding temperature range in which cells are not destroyed in order to prevent the cells of the treatment site from being destroyed by cooling. By controlling to be maintained, the temperature of the treated area can be dynamically adjusted by stopping the cooling of the coolant or heating the coolant when the cooling material is cooled below the reference temperature while checking the injection of the coolant and tracking the temperature of the area to be treated.

That is, through precise temperature control of the coolant, the coolant can be sprayed to the target area at a temperature different from the basic property temperature of the coolant. The temperature control of this coolant is one of the cooling target temperature, cooling rate, thawing target temperature, and thawing speed. It can be controlled including at least one.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling parameter that can be used in calculating the amount of heat Q (unit: W) applied to the coolant by the control unit 70 is determined by the thermal properties of the target treatment site and the coolant. Can be set. Here, the cooling amount by the coolant is the amount of cooling per unit mass including at least one of the phase change latent heat or specific heat of the coolant (C, unit: J/g), the coolant flow rate (V, unit: g/sec), and It may be determined by at least one of the intrinsic temperature (T0, unit: K). However, when the distance from the treatment site deviates from the preset distance, it is obvious that the heat quantity Q is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, so it will not be included in the parameters to be introduced in the future. For example, the Q required to reach the cooling target temperature is changed to Q/x² when the distance to which the coolant is sprayed is increased x times the preset distance.

And the cooling parameter may be defined as follows. Surface cooling target temperature (Tc,₁, unit: K), cooling rate (unit: K/sec), thawing target temperature (Tc,₂, unit: K), defrosting speed (unit: K/sec) The depth from the surface of the cooling site (d, unit: mm), the cooling area at the surface (A, unit: mm²), the specific heat of the treatment site (Ct, unit: J/g) and the cooling amount of the coolant In addition, by using a thermal formula having the amount of heat applied to the coolant (Q, unit: W) as a domain, the amount of heat Q applied to the coolant can be expressed as two parameters (G₁, G₂). These cooling parameters may determine the minimum Q required to implement the cooling target temperature and the thawing target temperature given at 30° C. or less than the intrinsic temperature To of the coolant in an embodiment of the present invention. On the one hand, the required Q can be determined so that the absolute values of the cooling rate and the thawing rate have a speed of 0.001 K/sec or more, and each Q linked to the cooling-thawing target temperature and the cooling rate-thawing speed is two parameters. It can be expressed as a range of variables.

Here, ΔT may be expressed as Tc,1-To or Tc,2-To, respectively, depending on the cooling process or the thawing process, and this may also be expressed as Tt-To based on the target temperature (Tt).

According to an embodiment, the present invention may satisfy the following conditions in the range of the parameter G₁ in order to implement a temperature of 30°C or lower To or higher, for example.

On the other hand, the cooling parameter G₂ related to the cooling rate and the thawing rate is defined as follows, and is limited as follows in order to have an absolute value of the cooling rate-thawing rate of 0.001 K/sec or more.

Here, ΔT may be expressed as Tc,₁-To or Tc,₂-To, respectively, depending on the cooling process or the thawing process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a parameter G3 representing the reaction rate (K/sec) to the cooling target temperature or the thawing target temperature may be defined in relation to the above variables, and specifically, the reaction rate of dynamic control G₃ corresponding to 1℃/sec or more is limited as follows.

The cooling target temperature and the thawing target temperature, which are used in the above three cooling parameters, include the surface of the target area and, according to an embodiment, refer to a temperature measured between a depth of 1 mm from the target area. When the cooling target temperature of the medical cooling device according to the present invention corresponds to the surface temperature of the treatment site, it may have a range of -200°C to 0°C, and the target cooling temperature is -70°C as the cell suicide temperature range. It may have a range of not less than 0 ℃, the target thawing temperature may have a range of not less than 37 ℃ the cooling target temperature.

In addition, the medical cooling device according to the present invention may have a multi-stage cooling protocol consisting of a plurality of cooling target temperatures, a plurality of cooling rates, a plurality of target thawing temperatures, and a plurality of thawing rates for multi-stage cooling control.

1E is a flow chart showing the operation of the control unit of the cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The control unit 70 of the cooling device according to the present invention may control each component of the cooling device independently or in connection to dynamically adjust the temperature of the coolant and the temperature of the target region corresponding thereto. Hereinafter, the control unit 70 of the cooling device according to the present invention will be used interchangeably with the dynamic temperature control unit in the sense of dynamically controlling the temperature for convenience of description.

The dynamic temperature controller may control each component according to a preset cooling protocol. The cooling protocol control unit performs dynamic cooling control based on the temperature of the coolant and the temperature of the treatment site according to the non-contact cooling protocol.For precise temperature control, the treatment site temperature real-time measurement technology and error correction control and control considering the time difference between the treatment site and coolant temperature The control can be operated according to the protocol corresponding to the indication.

The control unit 70 according to the present invention may control the spraying speed, spraying temperature, spraying pressure, and the like of the coolant according to the cooling distance. According to another embodiment, the cooling effect can be optimized through the control of a physical cooling distance maintaining unit for maintaining a separation distance between the injection unit and the target area installed adjacent to the injection unit where the coolant is injected. .

For this control, the present invention provides a first temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the target area, a second temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the injection unit, and the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 A temperature sensor unit including at least one of a third temperature sensor unit for measuring and a fourth temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the coolant may be included.

In this case, it is preferable that the first temperature sensor unit be configured as a non-contact temperature sensor, and the non-contact temperature sensor is preferably configured to measure a temperature near the center of the target area by adjusting an angle according to a separation distance given from the cooling distance maintaining unit. For example, the medical cooling device of the present invention may include the cooling distance maintaining unit corresponding to a plurality of distances, and in this case, the cooling distance maintaining unit is mechanically interlocked with the non-contact temperature sensor to determine the cooling center for the corresponding cooling distance. The installation angle of the non-contact temperature sensor for irradiation can be adjusted.

For example, the control unit 70 is electrically connected to the nozzle unit and the heating unit to control the injection of the coolant from the nozzle unit, and controls the temperature of the treated area by controlling the temperature of the coolant by controlling the driving of the heating unit. . At this time, the control unit controls the nozzle unit and the heating unit based on the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor unit and the second temperature sensor unit, and the first temperature sensor unit is electrically connected to the control unit 70, and the nozzle It is provided at the front end of the negative, and measures the temperature of the gaseous coolant sprayed from the nozzle and outputs it to the control unit.

And the second temperature sensor unit is electrically connected to the control unit 70, is provided at the front end of the nozzle unit, measures the temperature of the area to be treated, and outputs it to the control unit, wherein the second temperature sensor unit It is preferable to be provided in a non-contact type that measures the temperature of the area to be treated at a distance from

The control unit may control at least one of heat applied to the coolant temperature pressure control unit 200 or a coolant injection time by using at least one of a preset cooling condition or temperature information measured by the temperature sensor unit. .

In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control unit includes a mode that automatically operates according to a preset protocol and a mode that operates according to a command input from a user according to the user operation mode. In this case, the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor unit can be stored and used in various fields in the future for the stored big data.

The control unit according to the present invention may be configured to achieve efficient control and power supply by optimizing electrical signals and power supply connectors between each component and the control unit. Here, the controller may include all types of devices capable of processing data, such as a processor. Here, the'processor' may refer to a data processing device embedded in hardware having a circuit physically structured to perform a function represented by a code or instruction included in a program. As an example of a data processing device built into the hardware as described above, a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) ), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, the control unit is a cooling medium, and may control the cooling generating unit so that the coolant is maintained at a constant temperature. In another embodiment, the control unit may control the cooling generator so that at least one temperature value is set in advance and the coolant has each temperature value sequentially or periodically during a time during which cooling is performed.

According to the present invention, through high power and high-precision cooling temperature control, an optimized protocol for skin cancer, benign tumor, inflammatory disease, immune abnormal disease or disease is set according to the treatment purpose, and the cooling device is controlled according to the protocol. can do. In addition, it is possible to prevent the death of surrounding normal cells through precise cooling control through the control unit, and to provide accurate and safe customized cooling treatment for each skin cancer, benign tumor, inflammatory disease, immune disorder or disease.In addition, through technical or clinical differentiation Not only can it be expanded to the skin area and other treatment areas, it is also possible to implement a diagnostic and therapeutic fusion cooling system using this cooling device.

The control unit 70 according to the present invention induces the procedure to be performed at a predetermined distance from the target area in response to the protocol, and when the distance to the treatment site measured by the distance sensor deviates from the static cooling distance, yes For example, when approaching a target area within an appropriate distance or falling more than a certain distance from the target area, the operation of the cooling device may be restricted, or a warning sound may be sounded so that the user can recognize it. That is, the control unit according to the present invention includes a control unit for controlling a cooling distance for maintaining a separation distance between the injection unit and the target area, and the control unit 70 receives temperature information from the temperature sensor unit, and the The cooling device may be controlled using temperature information, and such a temperature sensor unit includes a first temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the target area, a second temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the injection unit, and the coolant temperature pressure. It may include at least one of a third temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the control unit and a fourth temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the coolant.

Here, the non-contact temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature near the center of a target area by adjusting an angle according to a separation distance given from the cooling distance maintaining unit, and the control unit is a preset cooling condition or a temperature measured by the temperature sensor unit. Using at least one of the information, at least one of heat applied to the coolant temperature and pressure control unit or the coolant injection time may be controlled.

The control unit includes a mode that automatically operates according to a preset protocol and a mode that operates according to a command input from the user according to the user operation mode. In the case of the user mode, the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor unit is stored. , You can use these data. In addition, in the case of a mode that requires attention when cooling and when the temperature is lower than a preset temperature, it is limited to operate when a plurality of button manipulations are input from a user, thereby preventing malfunction due to a user's manipulation mistake.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 1E, a method for controlling the temperature of a target area of the cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described step by step as follows.

A step-by-step look at the method of controlling the temperature of the target area of the local cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

First, in the case of providing heat to the coolant to keep the temperature of the treatment site within the corresponding temperature range,

In step a-1), the spray of the coolant is checked. Here, the coolant is sprayed by the user manipulating the button exposed to the outside from the nozzle housing. When the user manipulates the button, the control unit senses this, and the control unit passes the flow path through the solenoid valve with the signal of the detected button. When opened, the coolant that has maintained the high pressure through the coolant pressure holding unit flows into the temperature pressure control unit, and the coolant is sprayed through the nozzle.

At this time, the control unit 50 may check whether the coolant is sprayed, and if the coolant is not sprayed, a corresponding operation may be performed or the operation of the cooling device may be terminated.

Next, in step b-1), the temperature of the sprayed coolant and the area to be treated is measured.

Here, the temperature of the sprayed coolant and the area to be treated may be measured through a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor provided in the temperature pressure control unit 30.

When the spraying of the coolant is confirmed in step a-1), the first temperature sensor measures the temperature of the sprayed coolant in real time and applies the measured value to the control unit, and the second temperature sensor is the temperature of the area to be treated. Is measured in real time and the measured value is applied to the control unit.

Next, in step c-1), it is compared whether the measured temperature of the coolant and the area to be treated is lower than the preset lower limit reference temperature, respectively. Here, the lower limit reference temperature is a lower limit reference of the temperature range that prevents the cells of the area to be treated from being destroyed, and may be set differently according to the treatment site and the purpose of treatment in accordance with one implementation. It is preferable that the lower limit reference temperature is preset in the control unit, but if necessary, the user can arbitrarily change it by operating a button provided in the temperature pressure control unit.

Therefore, in step b), when the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor measure the temperature of the sprayed coolant and the area to be treated and apply the measured value to the control unit, the control unit performs the first temperature sensor and the second temperature. A measurement temperature lower than a preset lower limit reference temperature can be detected by comparing the temperature of the coolant and the treatment area measured in real time through the sensor with a preset lower limit reference temperature.

Next, in step d-1), when the measured temperature is lower than the lower limit reference temperature, the heating unit provides heat to the coolant to adjust the temperature of the area to be treated. Here, when the control unit detects that the temperature of the area to be treated measured in step c-1) is lower than the lower limit reference temperature, power is applied to the heating unit provided in the temperature pressure control unit, and the driving is turned on. As the heat generating part generates heat, the temperature of the coolant is increased by providing heat to the coolant flowing along the nozzle hole, so that the coolant having a higher temperature than the previous point is sprayed onto the treatment area to be treated. Adjust. For example, the power applied to the temperature and pressure control unit may be controlled by a PID (proportional, integral, differential) technique.

Next, in step e-1), the temperature of the sprayed coolant and the treated part is measured again.

Here, with the implementation of step d), when the heating unit is driven, the temperature of the coolant and the treatment unit that is injected again is measured, and also at this time, measured by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor provided in the temperature pressure control unit. And, the first temperature sensor measures the temperature of the sprayed coolant in real time and applies the measured value to the control unit, and the second temperature sensor measures the temperature of the area to be treated in real time and applies the measured value to the control unit.

Next, in step f-1), it is compared whether the measured temperature of the coolant and the area to be treated is higher than the preset upper limit reference temperature, respectively. Here, the upper limit reference temperature is a point in time when the heating unit that does not provide heat to the coolant is driven off or the power applied to the heating unit is reduced, and is preferably preset in the control unit, but the user provides the temperature and pressure control unit as necessary. It is also possible to change arbitrarily by operating the button. For example, the power applied to the temperature and pressure control unit may be controlled by a PID (proportional, integral, differential) technique.

Therefore, in step e-1), when the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor measure the temperature of the sprayed coolant and the treatment area and apply the measured value to the control unit, the control unit 2 It is possible to detect a measurement temperature higher than the preset upper limit reference temperature by comparing the temperature of the coolant and the treatment area measured in real time with the preset upper limit reference temperature through the temperature sensor.

Next, in step g-1), when the measured temperature is higher than the upper limit reference temperature, the driving of the heating unit is turned off or the power applied to the heating unit is reduced to adjust the temperature of the treatment area.

Here, when the control unit detects that the temperature of the area to be treated measured in step f-1) is higher than the upper limit reference temperature, power is disconnected from the heating unit provided in the temperature pressure control unit to turn off or heat generation. By reducing the power applied to the part, a gaseous coolant with a temperature lower than the previous point is sprayed onto the treatment site to control the temperature of the treatment site. For example, the power applied to the temperature and pressure control unit may be controlled by a PID (proportional, integral, differential) technique.

II. Coolant Pressure Keeper

2A to 2B are views showing the configuration of a cooling pressure maintaining unit of a medical cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In the medical cooling device according to the present invention, when cooling a target area through a coolant, in the storage unit 10 for storing the coolant, the transfer unit 20 for transferring the coolant to the cooling device and the coolant temperature and pressure control of the cooling device Inflow into the part 40, the coolant is sprayed at a preset temperature and pressure.

Here, due to the transfer path of the transfer unit 20 and the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40, the coolant moves and makes thermal-mechanical contact with the transfer unit 20, resulting in loss of temperature and pressure, Also, the reaction time of spraying coolant according to the button control may be delayed. The present invention is provided with a coolant pressure holding unit 30 adjacent to the input end of the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40, irrespective of the loss occurring in the delivery unit 20, the coolant is stably divided at a preset temperature or pressure. By supplying to the sand part, the coolant can be sprayed by minimizing the time for the coolant to reach a steady state at a preset temperature. This fast steady state arrival time is a key performance for the dynamic cooling control described above. In addition, according to an embodiment, when the delivery path is long, a plurality of coolant pressure holding units 30 may be configured to correspond to the delivery path.

As described above, the dynamic temperature control unit according to the present invention can control the temperature of the coolant according to the path, and according to the embodiment, the storage unit 10, the delivery unit 20, and the cooling device are It is possible to control the temperature of the coolant through heating or cooling selectively or in connection with each component.

According to an embodiment, cooling of a coolant pressure keeper (30) constituting a cooling device, heating of a coolant temperature pressure controller (40) or a heat providing barrier (Heat Providing Barrier) : It is possible to perform precise temperature control of the coolant through cooling or heating of 60). Hereinafter, the configuration of the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 2A.

Referring to Figure 2a, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 is provided between the delivery unit 20 made of a hose, etc. and the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 for spraying the coolant at a preset temperature and pressure, the When the coolant is sprayed, the pressure of the coolant is maintained above a preset pressure even if a predetermined amount of coolant is discharged when the coolant is supplied to the spraying unit so as to rapidly reach and disperse a preset condition.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 may store more coolant on a mass basis than the coolant sprayed from the injection unit, as an example, than the mass injected from the injection unit for 1 second. Coolant with more than 10 times the mass can be stored. In addition, the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 may store the coolant of a much larger mass in the same volume by storing the stored coolant in a liquid state, thereby maintaining the pressure of the coolant when the coolant is consumed in the spray unit.

According to an embodiment, the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 according to the present invention is located at the proximal end of the coolant temperature pressure adjusting unit 40, that is, at the coolant inlet side, and the coolant temperature pressure adjusting unit 40 and the coolant pressure The holding unit 30 is coupled through a coupling unit including a coolant transfer path. The coupling portion includes a high-pressure valve, and it is possible to manually or automatically control whether or not to operate.

According to an embodiment, the flow rate may be controlled to become a preset cooling condition according to the control of the controller 70. In this case, the valve of the coupling part may adjust the flow rate through a rotational motion such as a needle valve or a motorized actuator, and the coolant introduced through the coolant pressure maintaining part 30 is contained in the body part. A flow path for guiding the temperature pressure control unit 40 is provided, and a control unit for controlling the injection of coolant and temperature may be incorporated into an electronic circuit such as a PCB.

In one embodiment, the high-pressure valve may be composed of a solenoid valve that performs an on-off function, and in this case, a preset flow rate may be controlled by adjusting the periodic opening time of the solenoid valve.

According to an embodiment, as described above, in order to store a coolant having a greater mass per unit volume, the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 maintains the temperature of the coolant at a temperature less than the temperature of the storage unit to store the coolant. It can be kept in a liquid state. According to one embodiment, the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 maintains the stored coolant in a pre-set thermodynamic state to maintain the pressure of the coolant during spraying, so that the coolant sprayed from the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 May reach a preset thermodynamic state within 5 seconds, and according to another embodiment, the thermodynamic state may be reached within 1 second. Here, the thermodynamic state of the sprayed coolant may include at least one of a solid or a liquid state.

2A, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is generated in a coolant reservoir 31 for storing a coolant, a cooling generating unit 32 for cooling the coolant reservoir 31, and the cooling generating unit 32. A heat dissipation unit 33 for dissipating the heat generated and a heat pipe 34 thermally coupling the cooling generation unit 32 and the heat dissipation unit 33 to each other. The coolant stored in the coolant reservoir 31 is cooled by a thermoelectric element, which is a cooling generator 32 provided on one side of the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30, and is present in a liquid state or a gaseous state, and the control unit 　 and 　 cooling Through cooling through the generator 32, the coolant present in the reservoir 31 is preferably maintained in a thermodynamic state as a coolant in a liquid state.

According to one embodiment, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is located within a distance of 30 cm or less from the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40, and this coolant pressure holding unit 30 is a thermodynamic material stored therein. In order to keep the phase constant, it may be made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 10W/mK or more. In addition, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is insulated with a heat insulating member made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/m-K or less, so that influence from the outside can be minimized.

In addition, in order to thermally separate the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 and the coolant temperature pressure adjusting unit 40, in a flow path to which the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 and the coolant temperature pressure adjusting unit 40 are connected, At least one component may have a thermal conductance of 10 W/K or less. In addition, according to an embodiment, the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 may be provided in plural along a flow path through which the coolant flows selectively.

According to the present invention, the coolant is supplied to the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 through a valve for opening and closing the coolant pressure holding unit 30 or adjusting the flow rate. Here, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a built-in solenoid valve 35 that is electrically connected to the control unit 70 and is controlled to open and close by the control of the control unit, the solenoid valve 35 Selectively opens and closes the flow path through which the coolant flows under the control of the controller.

At this time, the solenoid valve 35 is preferably disposed on a flow path between the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 and the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 so as to continuously maintain the high pressure of the coolant.

Therefore, the solenoid valve 35 is electrically connected to the control unit and the injection button, so that a signal generated as the user manipulates the injection button is input to the control unit 70, and the solenoid valve 35 By controlling the opening, the coolant is sprayed. In another embodiment, the solenoid valve 35 may automatically open a plurality of opening/closing operations according to a preset protocol from the control unit 70 to open the valve only for a certain amount of time during the treatment time. . For example, the control unit 70 may partially open the solenoid valve 35 periodically by using a Pulsed Width Modulation (PWM) technique. More specifically, the control unit 70 may open the solenoid valve 35 with a 50% duty cycle at a rate of 3 Hz.

2B is a cooling structure having when the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 additionally functions as a coolant temperature pressure maintaining unit that maintains a thermodynamic phase through cooling supplied from the cooling generating unit 32 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure shown. In more detail, it is apparent that the coolant temperature pressure maintaining unit, which is an embodiment derived from the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30, is distinguished from the coolant temperature pressure adjusting unit 40 that performs rapid dynamic control of the thermodynamic phase of the coolant.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 2B, the coolant temperature and pressure maintaining unit according to the present invention maintains cooling by a thermally coupled cooling generating unit 32, and the configuration of the cooling generating unit 32 is a coolant pressure maintaining unit 30 ) To supply cooling energy in any form, and may consist of one or more cooling elements capable of generating cooling energy.

The cooling element is a Joule-Thomson method using a thermodynamic cycle such as a stirring cooler or a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, liquid evaporation, or expanding gas. Cooling energy can be generated by using. In addition, the cooling device may generate cooling energy using liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide, or may supply cooling energy using a thermoelectric device such as a Peltier device. In the present invention, there is no limitation on the cooling method of the cooling device, but for convenience of explanation, the following description will focus on the case of using a thermoelectric device. Here, the Peltier effect refers to a phenomenon in which one side generates heat and the other side heats up (cools) when n,p-type thermoelectric materials are paired to allow current to flow. This Peltier effect may be referred to as a heat-pump capable of electrical feedback control in another sense.

When the cooling generator 32 uses a thermoelectric element, when a current is applied to the thermoelectric element, due to the Peltier effect, heat absorption occurs on the surface of the thermoelectric element in contact with the coolant temperature and pressure holding unit, and the heat dissipation unit 33 in the thermoelectric element The surface in contact with) may generate heat. Through this, the cooling heat in the area in which the cooling generator 32 and the object are in contact is transferred to the coolant sprayed through the cooling generator 32 and the coolant temperature and pressure maintenance unit, and the heat generated by the cooling generator 32 May be discharged to the outside through the heat dissipation unit 33 to be described later.

The heat dissipation unit 33 may discharge heat generated from the cooling generation unit 32 to the outside. The heat dissipation part 33 may also be referred to as a heat sink, a heat dissipation part, a heat dissipation part, a heat dissipation part, or the like. The heat dissipation unit 33 may be made of a thermally conductive material in order to efficiently discharge heat generated while the cooling generation unit 32 generates cooling energy. The heat dissipation unit 33 may be formed of two or more heat dissipation units and be combined for efficiency of heat dissipation.

The heat dissipation unit 33 and the cooling generation unit 32 are spaced apart through a heat transfer medium, and may maintain cooling of the coolant temperature and pressure maintaining unit. The radiating part 33 according to the present invention may have an inlet and an outlet formed between the radiating fins so that the air flow formed from the cooling fan passes. In another embodiment, the heat dissipation unit 33 may have suction ports and discharge ports corresponding to the number of cooling fins. In other words, the heat dissipation part 33 may have a plurality of suction ports and discharge ports passing through in a direction not parallel to the axial direction of the body part. By the action of the cooling fins, air may be sucked through the inlet of the heat dissipating unit 33 and air may be discharged through the outlet. At this time, the positions of the plurality of suction ports and the plurality of discharge ports correspond to overlap each other, and cooling fins may be disposed between the suction ports and the discharge ports. Through this, a plurality of air flows formed from a plurality of cooling fins may be formed through respective inlet and outlet ports, thereby maximizing heat transfer between the heat dissipation unit 33 and the air.

The heat pipe 34 according to the present invention serves to mediate heat transfer between the cooling generating unit 32 and the heat dissipating unit 33. The heat transfer medium composed of a heat pipe 34 and the like is a cooling generating unit 32 ) And the heat dissipation part 33 to perform the function of transferring the heat of the cooling generating part 32 to the heat dissipation part 33, and at the same time, it is possible to dispose the heat dissipation part composed of a cooling fan, etc. , It is possible to configure the body part in consideration of user convenience. That is, the body structure according to the present invention is composed of a plurality of body unit units, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is disposed in the first body unit, and the heat dissipation unit 34 is configured in the second body unit unit, Convenience of operation and heat dissipation efficiency of the cooling fan can be improved respectively.

In this case, the heat transfer medium according to the present invention may be a heat pipe 34 or a vapor chamber, and may include a pipe body and a phase change material provided in the pipe body. . The pipe body of the heat transfer medium may be made of a material having a high thermal conductivity in order to effectively transfer heat generated from the cooling generator 32 by contacting the cooling generator 32. Here, the phase change material is a material that stores thermal energy of many flavors or releases the stored thermal energy through a phase change process, and the phase change material has an inherent heat storage capability.

In addition, the medical cooling device minimizes the effect of air flow that may occur at the treatment site by placing a heat dissipation part 33 and a cooling fin at the rear end of the body part, which is spaced apart from the treatment part at the tip where the coolant is sprayed. Can be prevented. In this way, the heat dissipation unit 33 is not disposed adjacent to the coolant temperature and pressure holding unit, but is disposed spaced apart from each other, so that the cooling device of the present embodiment provides a structure that can be gripped to provide ease of operation to the user. At the same time, for efficiency of performance, a cooling device may be implemented with various other structures not described in the embodiments.

III. Cryogen Temperature Pressure Controller

3A to 3E are views showing the configuration of a temperature and pressure control unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, it is possible to adjust the thermodynamic phase (temperature, pressure) of the coolant in response to the path in which the coolant moves, and control the thermodynamic phase of the coolant through heating or cooling selectively or in connection with each component of the cooling device. Is possible. According to an embodiment, a description is mainly made of controlling the thermodynamic phase of the coolant through thermal energy, but it is possible to control the pressure using other energy, for example, mechanical energy. According to another embodiment, the coolant pressure holding unit is described focusing on cooling control, and the coolant temperature pressure adjusting unit 40 is heating control, but is not limited thereto, and temperature control of components may be performed in various ways. . For example, when a medical cooling device is used for cell death such as cancer treatment, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 may also receive cooling control.

Figure 3a is a view showing the configuration of the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3b is an exploded view of the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 Is a view showing a projection of the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

According to an embodiment, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 according to the present invention has a heat transfer medium structure between the coolant and the thermoelectric element, centering on a thermoelectric element-based heating control. In addition, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 includes a nozzle structure capable of optimizing the coolant injection amount and the Joule-Thomson effect.

Referring to Figure 3a, the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 of the medical cooling device according to the present invention can control the injection of the coolant sprayed to the treatment area to a preset pressure or temperature, such a coolant temperature pressure control unit ( The configuration of 40) includes a barrel portion through which the coolant flows in and flows to the nozzle portion 41, and a nozzle portion 41 for spraying the coolant introduced from the barrel portion.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one side of the barrel portion in which the coolant flows into the nozzle portion 41 is formed, through thermal contact with the coolant in the barrel, to the coolant before spraying the coolant. A heat transfer medium 42 for pre-heat treatment may be further provided.

The nozzle part 41 has a nozzle having a narrower width than the passage of the barrel part through which the high-pressure coolant flows, and as the passage is opened, the high-pressure coolant is guided to the nozzle along the passage. The coolant flowing out through the nozzle is sprayed in a cooled state through the nozzle by the Joule-Thomson effect.

Here, the Joule-Thomson effect is a phenomenon in which the temperature drops when the compressed gas expands. The temperature changes in relation to the thermodynamic phase consisting of pressure-temperature, and is a phenomenon applied to liquefying air or cooling through a refrigerant. When a stop, such as an orifice, is inserted into the fluid flow path, the temperature of the fluid decreases behind the stop. When gas freely expands, that is, when adiabatic expansion without exchanging work with the outside, the internal energy is almost unchanged. This is the effect of adiabatic free expansion in order to obtain a low temperature with the gas liquefaction device.

Due to the Joule-Thomson effect, the coolant sprayed through the nozzle is cooled by taking away heat around the coolant by rapid release of pressure, and when the coolant is sprayed on the area to be treated, the coolant is in contact with the area to be treated. Takes away the heat from the treatment area and cools the area to be treated.

Here, the precise temperature control of the sprayed coolant is performed by the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 provided in the nozzle part 41, and will be described below with a focus on the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40. . Hereinafter, the temperature control of the coolant through the heat transfer medium 43 of the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

The coolant dispersed in a cryogen temperature-pressure controller 40 that adjusts the temperature and pressure of the coolant is sprayed outside the cooling device through the nozzle part 41, that is, to the target area, Cool the desired temperature as well.

The coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 according to the present invention provides heat to the coolant before spraying to enable precise temperature control. According to one embodiment, the spraying temperature of the coolant is increased through this configuration. , The cooling temperature of the treatment site can be controlled so that the cells in the treatment site do not die due to supercooling.

Conventionally, cryotherapy / cold therapy using liquid nitrogen is mainly used, but the cooling conditions are not controlled, and thus there is a side effect of destroying a large amount of normal cells around when the lesion cells are killed. The cooling treatment according to the present invention is aimed at apoptosis including vascular cells below -40˚C, whereas in the range of -40˚C to 0˚C, it may aim for apoptosis or immune activation effect. . The present invention has the effect of spraying the coolant in response to an optimum temperature according to a target area, a treatment site, or a treatment purpose through the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 described above.

Referring to Figure 3c, looking at the configuration of the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 according to the present invention in more detail, the coolant temperature pressure control unit 40 has a hollow barrel formed inside, and heat generation on the outer circumferential surface It includes a holder part 42 formed with a contact surface for contacting the part 44, and the heating part 44 is thermally coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the holder part 42, so that the coolant temperature and pressure control part 40 It serves to supply heat to the coolant flowing in the barrel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heat transfer medium 43 for efficiently performing heat transfer of the coolant may be accommodated at one side of the barrel, that is, the hollow of the holder part 42. According to an embodiment, the heat transfer medium 43 may be made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/m-K or higher, and is formed at the inlet of the nozzle part 41 among the barrels through which the coolant flows. According to one embodiment, the heat transfer medium 43 has a structure capable of increasing a contact area with the coolant in order to efficiently transfer heat to the coolant. For example, the heat transfer medium 43 may be formed of a porous material. For example, the heat transfer medium 43 may be made of a porous material formed by sintering metal particles having high thermal conductivity.

The heat generating part 44, the holder part 42, and the heat transfer medium 43 are thermally coupled, and the plurality of heat transfer media 43 and the coolant provided in the flow path perform heat exchange through thermal contact. Therefore, through the hollow of the holder part 42, the coolant flows into the nozzle, and the introduced coolant flows out to the outside to be sprayed. When the coolant flows into the hollow of the barrel, the heat transfer medium 43 formed in the flow path Through thermal contact, it is possible to control or increase the thermodynamic phase of the coolant, that is, temperature and pressure.

This, the function of controlling the pressure as well as the temperature of the coolant of the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 is due to the pressure due to the energy applied to the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40, that is, the flow of the coolant is limited, that is, thermodynamic By performing the function as an active valve, it is possible to reduce not only the temperature of the coolant but also the flow rate itself.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the heating unit 44 may be configured as a thermoelectric element to transmit heat generated from the heating unit 44 in a selective direction, that is, in a direction in which the holder unit 42 is located. At this time, when power is supplied to the heating unit 44 under the control of the controller, the power may generate heat. The heat generated by the heating part 44 is conducted to the holder part 42, and the heat transferred to the holder part 42 is transferred to a heat transfer medium 43 built in the holder part 42. While being conducted, the coolant flowing along the flow path of the heat transfer medium 43 receives heat and heats it.

Figure 3d is a view showing the mounting structure of the heating unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3e is a view showing the configuration of a holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

According to one embodiment, the holder part 42 is a tube shape in which the coolant flows through, and the outer circumferential surface of the holder part 42 is a bonding fixing surface on which the heating part 44 is bonded and fixed. It functions as (47). At this time, a plurality of the bonding fixing surfaces 47 may be arranged in a radial or symmetrical structure with respect to the central axis of the holder part 42. For example, as shown in FIG. 3D, the bonding fixing surface 47 is It is formed in four rooms based on the hollow of 42, so that a total of four heating parts 44 may be bonded and fixed, respectively.

Herein, in the present invention, the bonding fixing surface 47 of the holder part 42 is limited to being formed in four directions, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and is not limited thereto, but is not limited thereto. It can be applied in various ways, such as in various areas and 5 areas.

In this case, the heating part 44 is preferably composed of a thermoelectric element that generates heat from an external power source, but may be formed of a nichrome wire that heats the heating part 44 from an external power source.

Here, in the heat transfer medium 43 according to the present invention, a plurality of fins may be formed in a flow path through which the coolant flows so as to increase the heat transfer area with the coolant, or the heat transfer medium 43 is formed of a porous structure. It can increase the heat transfer area with the coolant. At this time, the heat transfer medium 43 made of a porous structure absorbs noise generated when the coolant flows and simultaneously performs a function of reducing the pressure of the coolant.

In addition, the heat transfer medium 43 may adjust the flow rate of the coolant. According to the length of the section in which the heat transfer medium 43 is formed and the size or structure of the heat transfer medium 43, the heat transfer medium 43 As the flow path becomes narrow, the flow rate of the coolant passing through the flow path of the heat transfer medium 43 decreases, and the heat transfer medium 43 may also play a role of sound absorption.

That is, in the present invention, when heat is selectively provided to the coolant by the heat generating unit 44 provided in the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40, the heat transfer medium 43 not only heats the coolant, but also controls the flow rate. The temperature of the treatment site can be adjusted so that the cells in the treatment site are not frozen and destroyed.

In addition, the heat transfer medium 43 according to the present invention may be formed of a heating material that generates heat by itself, not a heat transfer medium that mediates heat transfer. In one embodiment, a heating material made of nichrome wire is installed along the inner surface of the hollow of the holder part 42 through which the coolant flows, providing direct heat to the coolant flowing through the hollow of the holder part 42 You may.

In addition, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 is insulated with surrounding devices through a thermal insulation member 46 having a small contact area with the surrounding devices or having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or less. 46) can be applied to Teflon. The heat insulating member 46 is provided on the inlet side and outlet side of the holder part 42, respectively, and thermally insulates the nozzle part 41 and the delivery part 20 to minimize external influences, while pre-set conditions It is possible to spray the coolant.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 generates heat for a specified time after the medical cooling device is used, thereby removing the coolant remaining therein.

IV. Coolant rotation part (Cryogen Cyclone Generator)

4A to 4C are views showing the configuration of a coolant rotating part according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In more detail, FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing the configuration of a coolant rotating unit, and FIG. 4C is a view showing the configuration of a cyclone generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The medical cooling device according to the present invention includes a coolant rotating part 52 that rotates air and coolant through a vortex-type rotational motion by injecting the coolant diagonally and then sprays the coolant to the outside, and the coolant rotating part 52 Includes a cyclone generation unit 53 as a core component therein. Hereinafter, the configuration of the coolant rotating unit 52 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

4A is a view showing the configuration of the coolant rotating part 52, and FIG. 4B is a view showing an exploded view of the coolant rotating part 52.

First, referring to FIG. 4A, in the medical cooling device according to the present invention, a coolant inlet 51 into which a coolant is introduced and a cyclone generator 53 for injecting a coolant introduced from the coolant inlet 51 in a diagonal direction. And it includes a coolant rotating part 52 for inducing rotation by the vortex motion of the coolant. According to one embodiment, the coolant inlet 51 and the coolant rotation unit 52 or the cyclone generation unit 53 are coupled with a sealing member 54 such as a gasket.

The coolant transferred from the storage unit through the transmission unit is introduced into the cyclone generation unit 53 through the coolant inlet unit 51, and the cyclone generation unit 53 injects the introduced coolant in a diagonal direction to make a vortex-shaped rotational motion. After rotating the air and coolant through, it is configured to be sprayed to the outside.

The mixed fluid of air and coolant dispersed in the diagonal direction makes oblique contact with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52 instead of in a straight line, thereby adjusting the flow of the coolant itself so that there is no increase in the mass of the heat transfer medium. Can be extended. That is, unlike the heat transfer medium configured in the above-described coolant temperature and pressure control unit, the contact area with the increased coolant is made in a state in which the mass of the heat transfer medium does not increase, thereby increasing the amount of heat transfer and at the same time increasing the thermal reaction speed. In addition, as the coolant rotates on the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating unit 52, the coolant in a gas, liquid or solid state by centrifugal force is selectively and effectively caused by a difference in frictional force occurring in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating unit 52. There is an effect that can control the spraying speed or spraying temperature. For example, due to the high frictional force with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating unit 52 of the solid coolant, the rotational speed is selectively slowed, and due to the increased contact time with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating unit 52, the coolant rotating unit ( 52) Heat transfer from the inner peripheral surface to the solid coolant can be selectively increased.

If the coolant control through the heat transfer medium of the coolant temperature and pressure control unit described above is control before the coolant injection, the coolant control by the coolant rotation unit 52 can be classified as a control after the coolant injection. Here, a heat transfer medium is provided in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52, and through this configuration, the coolant rotating part 52 and the heat transfer medium are thermally coupled, while the coolant rotates in a vortex shape while the coolant rotating part It is possible to control the temperature of the coolant even after nozzle injection through heat transfer between the coolant rotating part and the coolant while making thermal contact with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant.

4A, a cross-sectional view of the coolant rotating part 52 is shown. The inside of the coolant rotation unit 52 is provided with a cyclone generation unit 53, and according to an embodiment, the appearance of the cyclone generation unit 53 is formed in a circular shape, but it can be implemented in other shapes. Of course. The cyclone generation unit 53 has a flow path 56 formed with at least one diagonal line, and the diagonal flow path 56 is formed in a radial or symmetrical shape with respect to the central axis of the cyclone generation unit 53 It is desirable to be.

The coolant sprayed by the diagonal flow path 56 flows out in the diagonal direction through the diagonal flow path 56, and is cooled and sprayed by a Joule-Thomson phenomenon. The coolant flows in a diagonal line and then performs a vortex motion through the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52 and impulses, and is ejected to the outside to reach a target area with a reduced spraying speed and temperature.

4B, the outer circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52 is configured to contact the thermoelectric element 55, and according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52, that is, a thermoelectric element ( The contact surface with 55) may be formed as a plane for the efficiency of contact with the thermoelectric element 55 or heat transfer.At this time, a plurality of the outer circumferential surfaces may be arranged in a radial or symmetrical structure with respect to the central axis of the coolant rotating part 52. As shown in FIG. 2, it is formed in four rooms so that a total of four thermoelectric elements 55 can be bonded and fixed, respectively. Here, in the present invention, the outer circumferential surface is described as being formed in four directions, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied in various ways such as 2, 3, 5, etc. depending on the control temperature range, target area, treatment area or purpose.

Here, it is natural that the length of the coolant rotating unit 52 can also be changed according to a control temperature range, a target area, a treatment area, or a purpose. As described above, the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating unit 52 is in a diagonal direction. Through the movement of the sprayed coolant, the speed of the coolant is also relaxed and the temperature of the coolant can be adjusted, so according to one embodiment, the coolant rotation unit 52 is capable of controlling the coolant speed or the coolant temperature. It is desirable to be configured to have a sufficient length.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling portion of the coolant inlet 51 and the cyclone generating portion 53 is coupled with a sealing member 54 that is a gasket, improving sealing performance and at the same time, the sealing member ( 54) is formed of a material such as Teflon and can effectively block heat transfer.

4C is a diagram showing the configuration of a cyclone generation unit 53 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The cyclone generator 53 according to the present invention allows the coolant to flow in the form of a vortex. In cooling the target area through the coolant, the coolant sprayed in the diagonal direction is rotated in the form of a vortex. It rotates through the inducing coolant rotation unit (52), and is sprayed into the treatment area.

Here, for such a rotational motion, a cyclone generating unit 53 having a first oblique flow path 56 formed thereon is required to inject the coolant in an oblique direction, and referring to FIG. 3, a perspective view and a projection view of the cyclone generating unit are shown. Has been.

The cyclone generation unit 53 may further include a second diagonal flow path 56 for spraying the coolant in the diagonal direction, wherein a plurality of diagonal flow paths 56 are formed in the cyclone generation unit 53 In this case, it is preferable that they are arranged to have a symmetrical structure, and by spraying the coolant in a direction opposite to each other, vortex of the coolant can be symmetrically and stably generated.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cyclone generation unit 53 additionally includes a flow path for generating vertical incidence of the coolant, and increases the spray speed more precisely by linking the spray in the diagonal direction and the spray in the straight direction. Can be configured to control.

The coolant rotation unit 52 controls the temperature of the coolant through contact with the sprayed coolant, and the contact surface and contact time between the coolant and the coolant rotation unit 52 are vertically incident with the increased fluid trajectory according to the incident in the diagonal direction. Contrast increases. In addition, heat transfer between the coolant and the coolant rotating unit 52 may be increased through the increased contact area and contact time between the coolant and the coolant rotating unit 52.

In addition, in the coolant in which the coolant is sprayed in a plurality of phases (phase) including at least two of gas, liquid and solid, the contact or friction between the coolant present as a liquid or solid and the coolant rotating part 52 is relatively high. Can occur. That is, a coolant existing as a liquid or a solid has a slower rotational speed than a gas, and relatively more heat transfer can be performed to a coolant existing as a solid or liquid with such a relatively slow rotational motion.

V. Heat Providing Barrier

5A to 5B are views showing the configuration of a boundary heat supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a configuration of the boundary heat supply unit will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

5A is a view showing an example of use of a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is a view showing a configuration of a boundary heat supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

5A and 5B, an injection unit 61 and a boundary heat supply unit 63 for spraying coolant may be provided in the output unit region of the cooling apparatus according to the present invention. Here, the boundary heat supply unit 63 In order to prevent the spread of cooling to a target area, that is, a region other than the treatment site, it performs a function of supplying heat to the treatment site boundary. In addition, through the heat supplied by the boundary heat supply unit 63 to the boundary of the treatment site, the temperature at the center of the treatment site can be further lowered, thereby reducing the cooling temperature required for the treatment purpose and minimizing the destruction of surrounding normal cells at a deeper site. It has the effect of realizing it in one state. At this time, the heat supplied from the boundary heat supply unit 63 is controlled so that the temperature around the treatment site is maintained at the temperature at which cooling anesthesia occurs, thereby not only protecting the surrounding normal cells, but also removing the lesion cells located in the center of the treatment site. It has the effect of minimizing pain when.

According to an embodiment, the boundary heat supply unit 63 may be provided in the housing 64 of the output unit, and the method of supplying heat from the boundary heat supply unit 63 to the boundary of the target area is Including the first method and the second method of providing boundary heat in a non-contact method through a separate gas, etc., the contact-type boundary heat supply method is described in detail in FIG. 5C, and the configuration of the non-contact boundary heat supply unit is described in FIG. 5D. I will do it.

Here, the first method according to the present invention requires a separate outlet 66 to be discharged to the outside after the coolant contacts the target area, and the second method according to the present invention is an injection unit for spraying the coolant. In addition to (61), it may further include another injection unit for injecting gas for providing the boundary heat.

The control unit according to the present invention controls the heat applied to the boundary heat supply unit 63, and according to the control by the control unit, the heat providing barrier 63 of the medical cooling device is in advance at the boundary of the target area. It can play a role of supplying heat at a set temperature.

Here, a differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 such as a thermoelectric element for supplying heat to the boundary heat supply is provided inside the boundary heat supply unit 63. According to one embodiment, the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 thermally couples with the boundary heat supply unit 63 and one surface, and at the same time, the other surface thermally couples with the injection unit 61, while the boundary heat supply unit ( It can be composed of a differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 that simultaneously performs heating of 63) and cooling of the injection unit 61. Here, the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 may be implemented as a thermoelectric element.

According to the present invention, when the injection unit 61 is cooled by the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65, the coolant sprayed from the nozzle contacts the inner surface of the injection unit 61 to adjust the temperature of the coolant. That is, the coolant sprayed from the nozzle flows through the injection unit 61 and is ejected to the outside. Here, while the coolant flows through the injection unit, thermal contact or thermal exchange with the inner circumferential surface of the injection unit 61 is performed. Through it, the temperature of the coolant can be controlled. Through this configuration, it is possible to control the temperature of the target region and the boundary of the target region, and through the boundary heat supply unit 63, it is possible to prevent the cooling effect from extending to the region outside the target region. have.

5C is a view showing the configuration of a contact-type boundary heat supply method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The boundary heat supply method according to the contact method may include a first injection unit 61, a differential boundary heat transfer unit 65, and a boundary heat supply unit 63.

The first injection unit 61 is provided with a nozzle for injecting the coolant introduced through one side to the outside, that is, the coolant is injected through the nozzle to cool the area to be treated.

According to an embodiment, the coolant sprayed through the first injection unit 61 may contain at least liquid particles or gas particles, and the coolant is injected through the nozzle of the first injection unit 61 , The coolant whose temperature has been lowered due to the Joule-Thomson effect can cool local areas of the skin.

In addition, the boundary heat supply unit 63 is for minimizing damage to cells around the treatment site, and is provided along the outer surface of the first injection unit 61, and in more detail, the boundary heat supply unit It may be thermally coupled through the four part 61 and the heat medium, that is, the differential boundary heat transfer part 65.

According to an embodiment, the boundary heat supply unit 63 may be made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or higher, and the boundary heat supply unit 63 of this material is in contact with the target region, and the differential boundary The heat supplied from the heat transfer unit 65 may be transferred to the target area to the boundary. Here, the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 may be formed of not only a thermoelectric element, but also a nichrome wire, and thermally coupled to the boundary heat supply unit 63.

According to an embodiment, the boundary heat supply unit 63 has an inverted cone shape provided along the outer circumferential surface of the first injection unit 61, and a coolant flows inside one side of the boundary heat supply unit 63. A moving space may be formed, and after the coolant sprayed from the nozzle is sprayed onto the skin along the moving space formed in the guide portion, the coolant is discharged to the outside through the coolant outlet.

By forming a boundary with respect to the area to be treated by the boundary heat supply unit 63, it is possible to prevent the coolant from moving outside the area to be treated, and by inducing the coolant to be intensively sprayed to the area to be treated, the efficiency and accuracy of cooling treatment Can improve safety.

5D is a view showing the configuration of a non-contact boundary heat supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The boundary heat supply unit 63 according to the non-contact method according to the present invention sprays a gaseous injection material into the boundary area to prevent the diffusion of the coolant and at the same time, the cooling effect of the treatment area is also diffused outside the boundary of the treatment area. Can be prevented.

Referring to FIG. 5D, the boundary heat supply unit 63 further includes a second injection unit 62 for injecting a fluid to the boundary of the target area, and through the fluid flowing through the second injection unit 62 Heat may be supplied to the boundary of the target area. Here, the second injection unit 62 may be formed with a plurality of radiating fins for efficient heat transfer with the injection material.

Here, the first spraying part 61 sprays the coolant, and the second spraying part 62 sprays the spraying material. The skin can be cooled by receiving the coolant from the coolant tank in which the coolant is accommodated, and spraying the coolant to the local treatment area. In this case, the coolant is preferably carbon dioxide (CO₂), but is not limited thereto. Depending on the purpose, it can be applied as another coolant, and it is preferable that the coolant tank stores the coolant in the form of liquefied gas.

According to an embodiment, the spray material may be the same as the coolant, may use a coolant of a different gas, and even if the coolant of the same gas is used, it may be stored in one storage tank, or each may be stored in a separate storage tank. have.

In the context of the present invention, the second injection unit 62 is formed in a circular circumferential shape to inject the injection material, and the outer portion of the second injection unit 62 forms a case, and the second injection unit The inner portion of the 62 may be thermally coupled to the differential boundary heat transfer portion 65.

That is, the heating surface of the differential boundary heat transfer part 65 is thermally coupled with one surface of the inner circumferential part, and the cooling surface of the differential boundary heat transfer part 65 is thermally coupled with one surface of the first injection part 61 can do. Through this configuration, the injection material moving the second injection unit 62 may have an effect of receiving heat even during injection through thermal contact with the inner part.

According to an embodiment, through such a boundary heat cooling unit, the cooling temperature of the treatment site can be controlled in a temperature range of -40°C to 10°C, while preventing the diffusion of cooling energy to areas other than the treatment site. have.

The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but these are merely exemplary, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

10: storage unit 20: delivery unit
30: coolant pressure holding unit 31: coolant reservoir
32: cooling generating unit 33: radiating unit
34: heat pipe 35: solenoid valve
40: coolant temperature pressure control unit 41: nozzle unit
42: holder part 43: heat transfer medium
44: heating part 46: heat insulating member
47: joint fixing surface 50: coolant rotating part
51: coolant inlet 52: coolant rotating part
53: cyclone generation unit 54: sealing member
55: thermoelectric element 56: oblique flow path
60: boundary heat supply unit 61: injection unit (first injection unit)
62: second injection unit 63: boundary heat supply unit
64: housing 65: differential boundary heat transfer unit
70: control unit 100: cooling device
110: input unit 120: processing unit
130: output

Claims (12)

In a medical cooling device for cooling a target area through a coolant,
A storage unit for storing the coolant;
A nozzle part spraying the coolant;
The temperature and pressure of the coolant are controlled through heat, and a hollow tube-shaped holder part through which the coolant flows, a heating part thermally coupled to the outer peripheral surface of the holder part to generate heat, and the holder inside the holder part A cryogen temperature pressure controller including a heat transfer medium that is built in to be thermally coupled to the unit and transfers heat generated from the heating unit to the coolant flowing in the holder unit;
A valve positioned between the storage unit and the coolant temperature and pressure control unit; And
Includes; a control unit for controlling the heat applied to the coolant from the coolant temperature and pressure control unit,
The control unit controls the opening and closing of the valve in a pulse width modulation method to control the flow rate of the coolant supplied from the storage unit to the coolant temperature pressure control unit,
Medical cooling system.
delete The method according to claim 1,
The heating part,
Medical cooling system composed of thermoelectric elements.
The method according to claim 1,
The heating part,
Medical cooling system composed of electric heater.
The method according to claim 1,
The heat transfer medium,
A medical cooling device including a flow path made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or more.
The method according to claim 1,
The heat transfer medium is
Medical cooling device in which a plurality of fins are formed so that the heat transfer area is enlarged.
The method according to claim 1,
The heat transfer medium,
Medical cooling system composed of the heating element itself.
The method according to claim 1,
The heat transfer medium,
Medical cooling device made of a porous structure to increase the heat transfer area.
The method of claim 8,
The porous structure,
A medical cooling device that performs at least one of decompression or sound absorption.
The method according to claim 1,
The coolant temperature and pressure control unit,
A medical cooling device that has a small contact area with peripheral equipment or is insulated from peripheral equipment through an insulating member having a thermal conductivity of 10W/mK or less.
The method according to claim 1,
The coolant temperature and pressure control unit,
A medical cooling device that performs heat exchange with at least one of a coolant sprayed from the nozzle unit, a coolant input to the nozzle unit, or a coolant flowing through a hose connected to the storage unit.
The method according to claim 1,
The coolant temperature and pressure control unit,
A medical cooling device that selectively generates heat after the cooling device is used to remove the coolant remaining in the flow path.

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