KR20240014342A - Acupuncture with adjustable insertion depth and using method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a needle with adjustable insertion depth and a method of using the same.
The needle with adjustable insertion depth according to the present invention includes a body; a guide coupled to the body so as to be movable within the body; a needle fixing block coupled to the guide to be movable with respect to the guide; a needle coupled to the needle fixing block; a spring coupled to the body and the guide to provide a restoring force to the guide; and a spacing adjuster coupled to the needle fixing block.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a needle and a method of using the same that can maintain a constant insertion depth suitable for the type of treatment by means of a spacing adjuster, and also, the user can visually determine whether the needle being treated is a real needle or a false needle. It is impossible to distinguish whether the needle is real or false, and it is difficult for the operator to determine which needle is the real needle or the false needle, so it can be used together with the false needle to ensure a more complete double-blind condition.

Description

Needle with adjustable insertion depth and method of using it {ACUPUNCTURE WITH ADJUSTABLE INSERTION DEPTH AND USING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth and a method of using the same. The depth at which the needle is inserted can be adjusted, enabling accurate and stable procedures. Additionally, in order to objectively prove the effectiveness of the needle, double-blind use with false needles is performed. It relates to needles that can be used in testing and methods of using them.

Acupuncture is a treatment that has been practiced in East Asia, including Korea, Japan, and China, for over 2,000 years. As interest in and use of acupuncture's clinical effects increases, attempts to scientifically interpret its mode of action and mechanism are also gradually increasing.

Therefore, the need for objective evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture is being emphasized, and accordingly, evidence-based clinical studies of acupuncture treatment based on randomized controlled trials to verify the effectiveness of acupuncture have begun to increase.

In early acupuncture clinical studies, when setting up a control group, existing treatment or no treatment groups for each disease were used and compared with the acupuncture treatment group. However, as arguments were raised that the placebo phenomenon should be excluded when verifying the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment, various types of acupuncture began to be used as a control group.

However, with existing acupuncture treatments, the blinding of the treatment recipients is not properly implemented, so there are many cases where the treatment recipients are unable to recognize whether the needles they are receiving are fake or real needles, making it difficult to conduct a proper randomized control trial.

On the other hand, the depth at which existing needles are inserted into the skin may vary depending on the pressure applied to the needle by the practitioner. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure the same insertion depth for each procedure, and there is a problem that the needle is inserted too deeply, causing pain, or is inserted too shallow, causing the needle to separate from the skin.

Korea Intellectual Property Office registration number 10-1661748 (2016.09.26)

The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art described above and to provide a needle that can adjust the insertion depth and a method of using the same.

In addition, the present invention makes it impossible for the recipient to distinguish with the naked eye whether the needle being treated is a real needle or a false needle, and it is also difficult for the operator to determine which needle is a real needle or a false needle, thereby ensuring a more complete double-blind state. It is intended to provide acupuncture needles and methods of using them.

In addition, the present invention is intended to provide a needle and a method of using the needle that can secure a constant insertion depth, reduce insertion pain during the procedure, provide stable stimulation of the needle, and be stably maintained while inserted into the skin.

The needle with adjustable insertion depth of the present invention to solve the problems of the prior art described above has the following configuration.

body;

a guide coupled to the body so as to be movable within the body;

a needle fixing block coupled to the guide to be movable with respect to the guide;

a needle coupled to the needle fixing block;

a spring coupled to the body and the guide to provide a restoring force to the guide; and

A spacing adjuster coupled to the needle fixing block.

The body is a hollow body shape including a pillar and a bottom. The bottom of the body is in contact with the skin of the person being treated, and has a through hole through which the needle passes. The upper part of the body is open, and the guide is coupled to this part.

A needle fixing block receiving portion extending from the bottom to the top is formed in the center of the body. The needle fixing block receiving portion extends coaxially with the column, is hollow, and is open at the top. The needle fixing block is guided to move up and down smoothly within the needle fixing block receiving portion.

Additionally, an extension portion protruding outward in the circumferential direction may be formed at the bottom of the body along the circumference of the bottom. Accordingly, stable attachment can be achieved by increasing the contact area with the skin.

The guide is the area that the operator presses and guides the movement of the needle. The guide is constructed in the form of a hollow cylinder with the upper part closed and the lower part open. The guide includes an outer wall and a pressing portion.

The outer wall of the guide is fitted into the body. The pressing part is the upper part that is pressed during the procedure, and a needle fixing block coupling part to which the needle fixing block is coupled is formed on its inner surface. However, the needle fixing block is not fixedly coupled to the guide, so it can maintain a fixed position without moving even when the guide moves.

Some of the needles are inserted into the needle fixing block, and some of the needles protrude from the lower part of the needle fixing block. The needle fixing block is preferably made of a rivet shape including a needle fixing block body and a needle fixing block head, and the needle fixing block body is formed with a groove into which a needle can be inserted. The needle protrudes from the lower part of the needle fixing block body enough to be inserted into the skin of the person being treated at a certain depth through a through hole in the bottom of the body while the guide is pressed.

The spacing adjuster is ring-shaped and is coupled to the needle holding block, which may be fixedly bonded or simply threaded. When the needle fixing block and the needle coupled thereto are lowered, the descent is stopped when the spacing adjuster contacts the upper part of the needle fixing block receiving portion. This means that the insertion depth of the needle can be specified depending on the height of the spacing adjuster. Therefore, in the needle of the present invention, the insertion depth of the needle can be adjusted by coupling the spacing adjuster of the desired height to the needle fixing block, making it possible to easily manufacture needles with various insertion depths.

The spring is inserted into the outer periphery of the needle fixing block receiving portion of the body. The upper end of the spring is maintained in contact with the inner surface of the pressure portion of the guide, and the lower end is supported in contact with the bottom of the body.

Meanwhile, an adhesive sheet may be attached to the bottom of the body to allow the needle to be stably attached to the skin. The adhesive sheet has a release paper attached, so during the procedure, the release paper is removed and brought into contact with the skin.

Additionally, an elastic material may be inserted into the needle fixing block receiving portion of the body. The elastic body is preferably disk-shaped, and has a hole in the center through which a needle can pass. The elastic body makes it possible to control the rapid movement of the needle as the guide descends.

Meanwhile, the present invention provides a method of using a needle capable of controlling the insertion depth, which consists of the following steps.

A step in which the guide is lowered within the body by pressure from the operator;

lowering the needle fixing block with the guide, the spacing adjuster coupled to the needle fixing block, and inserting the needle into the skin of the recipient;

stopping insertion by limiting the downward movement of the needle by a spacing adjuster;

Returning the guide to its original position according to the restoring force of the spring when the operator releases pressure; and

A method of using a needle with adjustable insertion depth, comprising the step of maintaining the needle inserted into the skin.

According to the method of the present invention with this configuration, when the operator presses the pressure portion of the guide, the guide is lowered, and the lower end of the needle coupled to the needle fixing block is inserted into the skin of the person being treated.

When the guide descends, the lower part of the spacing adjuster coupled to the needle fixing block that descends together touches the upper surface of the needle fixing block receiving portion, and the movement is stopped due to resistance to the descent. As a result, the depth at which the needle is inserted into the skin can be specified. Therefore, the desired insertion depth can be realized by selecting a needle with a spacing adjuster of different height according to the type of treatment and performing the treatment.

Afterwards, when the operator releases the hand pressing the guide while the needle is inserted and releases the pressure, the guide returns to its original position due to the elasticity of the spring. However, since the needle holding block, spacing adjuster, and needle are independent of the guide, they do not rise together with the guide, and the needle remains inserted into the skin. And this movement occurs inside the needle and cannot be confirmed from the outside. Therefore, not only the recipient but also the operator cannot confirm whether the needle was actually inserted or not, so a double-blind test can be conducted.

The needle with adjustable insertion depth according to the present invention and the method of using it have the following effects.

First, the insertion depth suitable for the type of treatment can be kept constant by the spacing adjuster.

In addition, by ensuring a constant insertion depth, pain from insertion is reduced during the procedure, providing stable stimulation of the needle, and the needle can be stably maintained while inserted into the skin.

In addition, with the naked eye, it is impossible for the recipient to distinguish whether the needle being treated is a real needle or a false needle, and it is also difficult for the operator to determine which needle is a real needle or a false needle, thus ensuring a more complete double-blind state.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the needle shown in Figure 1 with adjustable insertion depth.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the shape and coupling method of the spacing adjuster used for a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 4 (a) and (b) are diagrams showing that, in a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth according to an embodiment of the present invention, the insertion depth is adjusted differently depending on the height of the spacing adjuster.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the needle with adjustable insertion depth of Figure 1 is placed on the skin of the person being treated before the procedure.
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of pressurizing the needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the needle with adjustable insertion depth of Figure 5 in a fully pressurized state.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the needle with adjustable insertion depth of FIG. 5 is depressurized and the guide is returned.
Figure 9 is a diagram showing a cross section of a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a flowchart explaining a method of using a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external shape of a needle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the needle shown in Figure 1.

In the drawing, the needle 10 according to this embodiment includes a body 100, a guide 200, a needle 300, a needle fixing block 310, a spacing adjuster 350, a spring 400, and an adhesive sheet 500. ) and an elastic body 600.

The body 100 has a hollow body shape including a pillar 105 and a bottom 110 and is made of synthetic resin. The bottom part 110 is a part that comes into contact with the skin of the person being treated, and has a through hole 112 through which the needle 300 passes. A needle fixing block receiving portion 130 extending upward from the bottom 110 is formed inside the body 100. The needle fixing block receiving portion 130 extends coaxially with the pillar 105, is hollow, and has an open top. The needle fixing block 310, which will be described later, is inserted into this and lowered.

The upper part of the body 100 is open, so the guide 200 is coupled to this part. In order to facilitate the coupling and movement of the guide 200 and to keep the needle stable without falling over, the pillar 105 of the body 100 is preferably formed to have an outer diameter that slightly widens toward the bottom. A locking portion 122 is formed along the circumference of the inner wall of the pillar 105 to prevent the guide 200 from being separated. Additionally, an extension portion 114 that protrudes outward along the circumference is formed at the bottom 110 of the body 100. The extension portion 114 increases the contact area with the skin to enable stable contact.

Meanwhile, an adhesive sheet 500 is attached to the bottom of the bottom 110 of the body 100. The adhesive sheet 500 has a disk shape with an opening through which the needle 300 passes. Release paper is attached to the adhesive sheet 500. A handle portion 510 is formed on the release paper to facilitate separation from the adhesive sheet 500.

The guide 200 is a part that the operator presses during the procedure and guides the movement of the needle 300. The guide 200 has a cylindrical shape with the upper part closed and the lower part open. The material of the guide 200 is not limited and is synthetic resin in this embodiment. The guide 200 includes an outer wall 210 and a pressing portion 220. The guide 200 is preferably formed to have a slightly wider diameter toward the bottom to facilitate insertion into the body 100 and movement within the body 100.

The outer wall 210 of the guide 200 is a part fitted into the body 100 and is made of elastic synthetic resin. At the lower outer portion of the outer wall 210, a protrusion 212 that can be coupled to the locking portion 122 formed on the inner wall of the pillar 105 of the body 100 is formed along the circumference. This combination prevents the guide 200 from being completely separated from the body 100.

The pressing part 220 is a part that the operator applies pressure to press the needle. On the inner surface of the pressing unit 220, a needle fixing block coupling portion 230 to which the needle fixing block 310 is coupled is formed in the shape of a concave groove. However, the needle fixing block 310 is not fixedly coupled to the needle fixing block coupling portion 230 of the guide 200 but is simply inserted, so that they can be separated from each other.

The guide 200 of this configuration is inserted into the body 100 and can be lowered with respect to the body 100 together with the needle fixing block 310 and the needle 300.

The needle fixing block 310 serves to support the needle 300. In this embodiment, the needle fixing block 310 consists of a needle fixing block body 312 and a needle fixing block head 314 on the upper part of the needle fixing block body 312, and has an overall appearance of a rivet shape. A hole into which the needle 300 is inserted is formed in the lower part of the needle fixing block 310.

The needle 300 is made of metal, preferably stainless steel. The needle 300 is coated with silicone to prevent skin irritation. The needle 300 is inserted from the lower part of the needle fixing block body 312 and becomes integrated with the needle fixing block 310, and in that state is inserted into the guide 200 together with the needle fixing block 310. At this time, the needle 300 is formed to a length that can be inserted into the skin through the through hole 112 of the bottom 110 from the lower part of the needle fixing block body 312 while the guide 200 is pressed. .

The spacing adjuster 350 has a ring shape as shown in FIG. 3 and is fitted into the needle fixing block body 312 from the lower part of the needle fixing block 310. In FIG. 2, the spacing adjuster 350 is shown as fixedly bonded to the lower surface of the needle fixing block head 314, but it only needs to be coupled to the needle fixing block head 314 and does not necessarily need to be fixed.

The spacing adjuster 350 restricts the movement of the needle fixing block 310 by contacting the upper part of the needle fixing block receiving portion 130 when the needle fixing block 310 descends together with the guide 200. Accordingly, the needle 300 coupled to the needle fixing block 310 is lowered and inserted only up to this point. This means that the insertion depth of the needle 300 can be specified. Therefore, in the present invention, the insertion depth of the needle 300 can be adjusted by employing the spacing adjuster 350 of a desired height.

For example, when using the spacing adjuster 350 with a height of 2 mm as shown in (a) of FIG. 4, the needle 300 can be sized so that it penetrates the skin 5 mm. In this case, the insertion depth can be maintained the same for each procedure when the spacing adjuster 350 of the same height is used. In another embodiment, when the spacing adjuster 350 is changed to a height of 4 mm as shown in (b) of FIG. 4, the needle 300 is inserted to a depth of about 3 mm, and this is also constant for each procedure.

The material of the spring 400 is not limited and may be metal or elastic synthetic resin. The spring 400 is inserted into the outer periphery of the needle fixing block receiving portion 130 of the body 100. The upper end of the spring 400 is supported by the inner surface of the pressing portion 220 of the guide 200, and the lower end is supported by the bottom 110 of the body 100.

According to this configuration, the spring 400 is stably supported inside the needle 10 and provides appropriate resistance to the lowering of the guide 200 and at the same time provides a restoring force for returning the guide 200 to its original state after the procedure. .

Meanwhile, an elastic body 600 is mounted on the bottom portion 110 of the needle fixing block receiving portion 130 of the body 100. The elastic body 600 is preferably disk-shaped, and has a hole formed in the center through which a needle can pass. The elastic body 600 enables control of rapid movement of the needle 300 when the guide 200 descends.

Hereinafter, a method of using a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth of the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 10.

The needle use method of this embodiment includes the steps of lowering the guide within the body 100 by pressure from the operator (S100), a needle fixing block 310 coupled to the guide, and a spacing adjuster coupled to the needle fixing block 310. In the step (S200), the needle 300 is lowered together with 350 and inserted into the skin of the patient, and the insertion of the needle 300 is stopped by limiting the descent of the needle fixing block 310 by the spacing adjuster 350. Step (S300), returning the guide 200 to its original position according to the restoring force of the spring 400 when the operator releases pressure (S400), and maintaining the needle 300 inserted into the skin (S500) ) is composed of.

To explain each step, first, as a preliminary step for the procedure, the release paper attached to the adhesive sheet 500 is removed from the handle portion 510, the adhesive sheet 500 is attached to the skin of the person being treated, and the needle 10 is placed. Next, when the operator presses the pressing portion 220 of the guide 200, the guide 200 descends while compressing the spring 400 within the body 100 (S100).

Accordingly, the needle fixing block 310, the spacing adjuster 350, and the needle 300 coupled to the guide 200 are also lowered and inserted into the skin of the person receiving the treatment (S200).

Subsequently, when the lower part of the space adjuster 350, which was descending, contacts the upper surface of the needle fixing block receiving portion 130, further descent of the needle fixing block 310 and the needle 300 is restricted, thereby causing the insertion of the needle 300. This stops (S300).

Afterwards, when the operator releases the force pressing the guide 200, the guide 200 rises and returns to its original position due to the restoring force of the pressed spring 400 (S400). The guide 200 does not separate from the body 100 because the protrusion 212 is caught by the catching portion 122 of the body 100.

At this time, since the needle fixing block 310, the spacer 350, and the needle 300 are independent of the guide 200 and are coupled to the skin, the needle 300 is separated from the guide 200 and adheres to the skin. It maintains the inserted state (S500).

Hereinafter, the operation of the needle 10 of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

As shown in Figure 5, the needle 10 is placed on the skin of the patient, indicated by hatching, by contacting the patient with the adhesive sheet 500 from which the release paper has been removed.

In this state, as shown in Figure 6, when the guide 200 is lowered by the operator's pressure, the needle fixing block 310, the spacer 350, and the needle 300 are also lowered, and the needle 300 is an elastic body ( It passes through 600 and the bottom 110 of the body 100 and is inserted into the skin of the person being treated.

And as shown in FIG. 7, at the point where the lower part of the spacing adjuster 350 comes into contact with the upper surface of the needle fixing block receiving part 130, the guide 200 receives resistance and stops descending, and thus the needle 300 It is no longer inserted, and the insertion depth in this state is maintained.

Afterwards, when the operator detects the downward resistance of the guide 200 and releases the pressing force by releasing the hand from the guide 200, the guide 200 rises due to the elasticity of the spring 400 and returns to the original position as shown in FIG. 8. do. However, the needle fixing block 310 is not integrally coupled with the guide 200, but is simply inserted into the needle fixing block coupling portion 230 on the inner surface of the pressing portion 220, so despite the rise of the guide 200 and do not move together. Accordingly, the needle 300 is separated from the guide 200 while remaining inserted into the skin.

Meanwhile, since this process is not visible from the outside, neither the recipient nor the operator can confirm whether the false needle of the present invention is a real needle. Therefore, if the needle 300 has the same appearance as the needle 10 of the present invention but is not inserted into the skin, for example, if a false needle of a type that returns integrally with the guide 200 is used together, which needle will actually be inserted into the skin? It is possible to provide a perfect blinding effect as not only the recipient but also the operator cannot distinguish which needle was inserted or not. As a result, it is possible to implement accurate double-blind trials.

Meanwhile, the present invention can be modified and implemented in various forms. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the spacing adjuster 350 may not be fitted at the bottom of the needle fixing block 310, but may be coupled to be positioned at the top of the needle fixing block 310. In this case, the spacing adjuster 350 may have a disk shape rather than a ring shape with an empty interior.

As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is determined by the technical idea stated in the patent claims. .

10: needle 100: body
105: pillar 110: bottom
112: Through hole 114: Extension part
122: Locking portion 130: Needle fixing block receiving portion
200: guide 210: outer wall
212: protrusion 220: pressing portion
230: Needle fixing block coupling part 300: Needle
310: Needle fixing block 312: Needle fixing block body
314: Needle fixing block head 350: Spacing adjuster
400: spring 500: adhesive sheet
510: handle part 600: elastic body

Claims (16)

body;
a guide coupled to the body so as to be movable within the body;
a needle fixing block coupled to the guide to be movable with respect to the guide;
a needle coupled to the needle fixing block;
a spring coupled to the body and the guide to provide a restoring force to the guide; and
A needle with adjustable insertion depth, comprising a spacing adjuster coupled to the needle fixing block.
In claim 1,
The body has a hollow shape including a pillar and a bottom, and the upper part is open so that the guide can be inserted. A needle with adjustable insertion depth.
In claim 1,
The guide is a hollow cylindrical shape with a closed upper part and an open lower part, and includes an outer wall and a pressure part. A needle with an adjustable insertion depth.
In claim 2,
A needle with an adjustable insertion depth, further comprising a needle fixing block accommodating portion extending coaxially from the bottom of the body to the top and coaxial with the column, where the needle fixing block can be accommodated.
In claim 1,
A needle capable of adjusting insertion depth, wherein the spacing adjuster has a ring shape and is coupled from a lower part of the needle fixing block.
In claim 1,
A needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that an extension is formed that protrudes outward in the circumferential direction from the bottom of the body.
In claim 3,
A needle with an adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that the needle fixing block consists of a needle fixing block body and a needle fixing block head on an upper part of the needle fixing block body.
In claim 1,
A needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that the height of the spacing adjuster is 2 mm and the insertion depth of the needle is maintained at 5 mm when pressurized.
In claim 1,
A needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that the height of the spacing adjuster is 4 mm and the insertion depth of the needle is maintained at 3 mm when pressurized.
In claim 1,
A needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that an adhesive sheet is attached to the bottom of the body.
A method of using a needle capable of adjusting the insertion depth according to claim 1, comprising:
A step where the guide is lowered within the body by pressure from the operator;
A step in which the needle coupled to the guide is lowered together with the guide and the needle fixing block so that the needle is inserted into the skin of the person receiving the treatment;
stopping insertion by limiting the downward movement of the needle by a spacing adjuster;
Returning the guide to its original position according to the restoring force of the spring when the operator releases pressure; and
A method of using a needle with adjustable insertion depth, comprising the step of maintaining the needle inserted into the skin.
In claim 11,
In the step where the needle is inserted into the skin of the recipient,
A method of using a needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that the lower part of the spacing adjuster contacts the upper part of the needle fixing block receiving part, thereby stopping the needle fixing block and the needle from descending.
In claim 11,
A method of using a needle with adjustable insertion depth, wherein the step of returning the guide to its original position is performed by the restoring force of a spring.
In claim 13,
The step of maintaining the needle inserted into the skin,
A method of using a needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that the guide rises independently of the needle.
In claim 11,
A method of using a needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that the height of the spacing adjuster is 2 mm and the insertion depth of the needle is maintained at 5 mm when pressurized.
In claim 11,
A method of using a needle with adjustable insertion depth, characterized in that the height of the spacing adjuster is 4mm and the insertion depth of the needle is maintained at 3mm when pressurized.