TW202200103A - Method for surface modification of needle - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for surface modification of a needle is provided to improve the poor de-qi sensation generated by the needle which is produced by the conventional surface treatment. The method includes making a needle be in contact with a nitrogen compound under a super critical fluid environment, in order for nitrogen atoms of the nitrogen compound to attach to a surface of the needle. The volume ratio of the super critical fluid to the nitrogen compound is 100:0.2-100:4. A contact time, a contact temperature and a contact pressure of the needle being in contact with the nitrogen compound are 0.5-2 hours, 90-150 °C and 100-300 atm, respectively.

Description

Surface modification method of needles

The present invention relates to a method for modifying needles, in particular to a method for modifying the surface of needles for electroacupuncture.

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture can stimulate acupuncture points in the human body and improve the circulation of qi and blood in the meridians of the human body, thereby producing therapeutic effects on patients. Acupuncture is divided into "acupuncture" and "moxibustion". In order to make it easier for readers to understand, "acupuncture" in this case refers to "acupuncture" therapy. If the patient experiences soreness, numbness, bloating, and heaviness during acupuncture, it is called “Deqi”. In order to enhance the patient's sense of qi, "electro-acupuncture therapy" can be chosen; electro-acupuncture is to apply electric current to the needle after the needle is inserted, so that the electric current enters the human body through the needle, increasing the numbness that the patient can feel during the acupuncture process. Feeling of bloating and enhance the effect of acupuncture.

In addition, since many patients are afraid of the pain when needles are inserted, conventional surface processing methods of needles have been developed; conventional surface processing methods of needles include engraving or grinding, thereby changing the surface structure of a needle. (eg: making the surface of the needle grooved) can reduce patient discomfort during needle insertion. However, the needle manufactured by the surface processing method of the conventional needle can only reduce the pain when the needle is inserted, and when the needle is used for electro-acupuncture therapy, it does not significantly help the patient's sense of qi and the therapeutic effect.

In view of this, it is still necessary to improve the surface processing method of the conventional needle tools.

In order to solve the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a surface modification method of a needle, which can reduce the contact resistance between the needle and human tissue during electro-acupuncture therapy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a surface modification method for needles, which can reduce unnecessary energy consumption.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a surface modification method for needles, which can simplify the modification steps.

The use of the quantifier "a" or "an" for the elements and components described throughout the present invention is only for convenience and provides a general meaning of the scope of the present invention; in the present invention, it should be construed as including one or at least one, and a single The concept of also includes the plural case unless it is obvious that it means otherwise.

The method for modifying the surface of a needle of the present invention may include: contacting a needle with a nitrogen-containing compound in the presence of a supercritical fluid, wherein the volume ratio of the supercritical fluid and the nitrogen-containing compound is 100:0.2～ 100:4, the contact time between the needle and the nitrogen-containing compound is 0.5-2 hours, the contact temperature is 90-150° C. and the contact pressure is 100-300 atmospheres, so that the nitrogen element in the nitrogen-containing compound is attached to the needle the surface of the tool.

Accordingly, the surface modification method of the needle tool of the present invention utilizes the good fluidity and solubility of the supercritical fluid, so that the nitrogen-containing compound can be uniformly contacted with the needle tool after being dissolved in the supercritical fluid, The nitrogen element in the nitrogen-containing compound is attached to the surface of the needle, thereby reducing the contact resistance between the modified needle and human tissue, and also improving the patient's sense of qi, thereby increasing electroacupuncture therapy the therapeutic effect.

Wherein, the contact time between the needle and the nitrogen-containing compound is preferably 2 hours, the contact temperature is preferably 120° C. and the contact pressure is preferably 200 atmospheres. In this way, the nitrogen content of the modified needle at this contact temperature is close to saturation, which has the effect of reducing energy consumption and manufacturing cost.

Wherein, the supercritical fluid can be supercritical carbon dioxide. In this way, it has the functions of saving energy and improving the safety of using the modified needle.

Wherein, the nitrogen-containing compound may be ammonia gas. In this way, it has the effect of improving the adhesion rate of nitrogen element to the needle.

In order to make the above-mentioned and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are exemplified below, and are described in detail as follows in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

An embodiment of the surface modification method of the needle of the present invention may include: contacting a needle with a nitrogen-containing compound in the presence of a supercritical fluid, so that the nitrogen element in the nitrogen-containing compound is attached to the surface of the needle .

Specifically, the needle is any needle that can be used for electroacupuncture, such as stainless steel needle, gold needle or silver needle. In this embodiment, a stainless steel needle is directly contacted with the nitrogen-containing compound in the presence of the supercritical fluid, so that the nitrogen element in the nitrogen-containing compound is attached to the surface of the needle, and a modified needle is obtained. quality needle; for example, but not limitation, the needle can be placed in an environment filled with the supercritical fluid, and then the nitrogen-containing compound is passed into the environment, or the nitrogen-containing compound can be mixed with the supercritical fluid first. The critical fluid is mixed into a mixture, which is then brought into contact with the needle.

In this embodiment, the nitrogen-containing compound and the supercritical fluid are first mixed to form the mixture, and then the mixture is brought into contact with the needle. The contact time between the needle and the nitrogen-containing compound can be 0.5-2 hours, the contact temperature and the contact pressure can be respectively 90-150° C. and 100-300 atmospheres, and the volume ratio of the supercritical fluid to the nitrogen-containing compound can be The contact time is 100:0.2～100:4; the contact time starts when the needle completely contacts the mixture, and the contact temperature and contact pressure reach a specific value. The modified needles prepared under the above conditions have nitrogen elements attached to the surface, and the nitrogen content can reach 0.1 to 5%. The nitrogen on the surface of the modified needles can reduce the contact resistance between the needles and human tissue. The initial voltage (1.3 ~ 2.5 volts), and can make the patient have a more obvious sense of qi (about 4 ~ 5.5 au), so as to improve the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture.

Because the supercritical fluid has good fluidity and solubility, in addition to being suitable for dissolving the nitrogen-containing compound as a solvent, it can also help the nitrogen-containing compound to contact the needle evenly, so that the nitrogen element in the nitrogen-containing compound is uniform. It is firmly attached to the surface of the needle; in addition, during the modification process, the supercritical fluid can also take away the impurities on the surface of the needle, without the need for additional cleaning steps on the needle, which can improve the modification. The convenience of the process and the enhanced adhesion between the nitrogen element and the needle.

The supercritical fluid can be supercritical carbon dioxide, supercritical water, or supercritical methanol, etc., which are easily obtained and which are easy to reach a supercritical state. The supercritical fluid can preferably be supercritical carbon dioxide, because the critical temperature of carbon dioxide is 31°C and the critical pressure is 72.8 atmospheres, and it has the characteristics that it can be converted into a supercritical state by normal temperature pressurization, which can reduce the required phase change. energy; and the toxicity of supercritical carbon dioxide is low, which can improve the safety of the modified needle in use.

The nitrogen-containing compound can be ammonia (NH ₃ ), hydrazine (N ₂ H ₄ ), nitrogen dioxide (NO ₂ ), nitric oxide (NO) or nitrous oxide (N ₂ O), etc. Nitrogenous species for metal reactions. In this embodiment, ammonia is selected as the nitrogen-containing compound, and the needle is contacted with ammonia in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide under the condition that the volume ratio of supercritical carbon dioxide and ammonia is 100:1; , Due to the strong reactivity of ammonia gas, it is easy to adhere to the surface of the needle, which can improve the adhesion rate of nitrogen to the needle.

In order to understand the effect of using the modified needle of the present invention on the patient's sense of qi, the following experiments were carried out:

(A) Influence of contact time on nitrogen content, initial voltage and gas feeling

This experiment is to compare the nitrogen content of the modified needles, the starting voltage of electroacupuncture and the feeling of deqi in the subjects under different contact times. The modified needle is prepared under the following conditions: the volume ratio of supercritical carbon dioxide and ammonia gas is 100:1, the contact temperature is 120°C, the contact pressure is 200 atmospheres, and the contact time is as shown in Table 1, respectively 0.5 , 1 and 2 hours, the nitrogen content of the obtained modified needles is recorded in Table 1. In addition, the subject's Hegu and Quchi points were subjected to electroacupuncture therapy with the needles before and after the modification, and the initial voltage between the two acupoints and the subject were measured under the condition that the current of the electroacupuncture remained constant. The results are also recorded in Table 1.

Table 1, the relationship between contact time and nitrogen content, initial voltage and gas feeling Contact time (hours) Nitrogen content (%) Starting voltage (V) sense of pride Before upgrading 0 2.71 3.60 0.5 1.04 2.48 4.05 1 2.34 2.17 4.85 2 4.80 1.35 5.34

From the above test, it can be known that when the contact time is between 0.5 and 2 hours, the longer the contact time is, the higher the nitrogen content of the modified needles obtained, and the smaller the initial voltage during electroacupuncture therapy. , it can be inferred from Ohm's law that the smaller the initial voltage, the smaller the contact resistance between the modified needle and human tissue. In addition, when the nitrogen content of the modified needle is higher, the patient feels a higher sense of qi.

(B) Influence of contact temperature on nitrogen content, initial voltage and gas feeling

This experiment is to compare the nitrogen content of modified needles prepared at different contact temperatures, the starting voltage of electroacupuncture and the feeling of deqi of the subjects. The modified needle was prepared under the following conditions: the volume ratio of supercritical carbon dioxide and ammonia gas was 100:1, the contact time was 2 hours, the contact pressure was 200 atmospheres, and the contact temperature was as shown in Table 2, respectively 90 , 120 and 150 ℃, the nitrogen content of the obtained modified needles is recorded in the second table. In addition, the subject's Hegu and Quchi points were subjected to electroacupuncture therapy with the needles before and after the modification, and the initial voltage between the two acupoints and the subject were measured under the condition that the current of the electroacupuncture remained constant. The results are also recorded in Table 2.

Table 2, the relationship between contact temperature and nitrogen content, initial voltage and gas feeling Contact temperature (℃) Nitrogen content (%) Starting voltage (volts) sense of pride Before upgrading 0 2.71 3.60 90 1.06 2.41 4.26 120 2.34 2.17 5.34 150 2.44 2.05 5.45

It can be known from the above test that when the contact temperature is between 90 and 150°C, the higher the contact temperature, the higher the nitrogen content of the modified needles produced, and the lower the initial voltage during electroacupuncture therapy. In addition, when the nitrogen content of the modified needle is higher, the feeling of deqi is more obvious when performing electroacupuncture therapy.

It is worth noting that comparing the modified needles with the contact temperature of 120 °C and 150 °C, the nitrogen content of the modified needles only increased slightly with the increase of the contact temperature. In other words, when the contact temperature was higher than 120 °C, the modified needle The nitrogen content of the quality needle has been saturated and will not change significantly due to the increase of the contact temperature; therefore, when the needle contacts the nitrogen-containing compound in the presence of the supercritical fluid, the contact temperature is preferably 120°C , and the contact time and contact pressure are preferably 2 hours and 200 atmospheres, respectively, so as to obtain a modified needle with a higher nitrogen content, and at the same time, it can also reduce energy consumption and manufacturing cost.

(C) Analysis of human sensitivity of needles before and after modification to Hegu point

This experiment is to compare the sensitivity of the human body when the needles before and after modification are used in Hegu. The contact temperature and contact pressure were 2 hours, 120° C. and 200 atmospheres, respectively. Subjects filled out the visual assessment scale (VAS score) for the sourness, numbness, bloating and heaviness felt at the Hegu point when the needles before and after the modification were used for electroacupuncture therapy. The results are shown in Figures 1a, 1b and Table 3.

Table 3. Visual assessment scale values of needles before and after modification when used at Hegu point Feel Before upgrading After modification P value acid 3.72 5.50 0.019 numb 2.56 3.91 0.030 swell 2.36 4.57 0.004 Heavy 1.85 3.12 0.032 sense of pride 3.60 5.34 0.021

Please refer to Table 3 and Figures 1a and 1b together. The thick lines in Figures 1a and 1b and the values in Table 3 are the average values of the visual evaluation results of each sense. The feeling of numbness, bloating, and heaviness is converted into a sense of qi, and the histogram as shown in Figure 2 is drawn according to the average value and standard deviation of various senses. It can be seen from Table 3 and Figure 2 that the use of modified needles can improve the subjects' average sourness, numbness, bloating and heaviness at Hegu Point, which in turn can improve the subjects' sense of qi, and it is also consistent with the improvement of the subjects. There was a significant difference in the effect of the needle before quality ( P < 0.05).

(D) Analysis of the human sensitivity of the needles before and after modification to Quchi point

This experiment is to compare the human sensitivity of the needles before and after the modification when they are used in the Quchi point. The preparation conditions of the needles before and after the modification are as follows: the volume ratio of supercritical carbon dioxide to ammonia is 100:1, and The contact time, contact temperature and contact pressure were 2 hours, 120° C. and 200 atmospheres, respectively. Subjects filled out a visual assessment scale for the sensations of acid, numbness, bloating, and heaviness felt at Quchi when the needles before and after modification were treated with electroacupuncture, so as to compare the use of different needles at Quchi. The results are shown in Figures 2a and 2b and Table 4.

Table 4. The visual assessment scale values of the needles before and after modification when used at Quchi point Feel Before upgrading After modification P value acid 2.87 4.71 0.017 numb 2.08 3.76 0.017 swell 2.00 3.39 0.020 Heavy 1.90 3.14 0.033 sense of pride 2.82 4.22 0.037

Please refer to Table 4 and Figures 3a and 3b together. The thick lines in Figures 3a and 3b and the values in Table 4 are the average values of the visual evaluation results of each sense. The feeling of numbness, bloating, and heaviness is converted into a sense of qi, and the histogram as shown in Figure 4 is drawn according to the average value and standard deviation of various senses. It can be seen from Table 4 and Figure 4 that the use of modified needles can improve the subjects' average acidity, numbness, bloating and heaviness at Quchi, which in turn can improve the subjects' sense of qi. The effects of needles before modification were significantly different ( P < 0.05).

To sum up, the surface modification method of the needle tool of the present invention utilizes the good fluidity and solubility of the supercritical fluid, so that the nitrogen-containing compound can be uniformly mixed with the needle tool after being dissolved in the supercritical fluid. contact, so that the nitrogen element in the nitrogen-containing compound is attached to the surface of the needle, thereby reducing the contact resistance between the modified needle and human tissue, and also improving the patient's sense of qi, thereby increasing the electrical The therapeutic effect of acupuncture.

Although the present invention has been disclosed by the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications relative to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the patent application attached hereto.

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[Fig. 1a] Box plot of the visual assessment scale for Hegu points with needles before modification. [Fig. 1b] The box plot of the visual assessment scale for the modified needles used at Hegu. [Picture 2] The histogram of the visual assessment scale for Hegu points with needles before and after modification. [Figure 3a] The box plot of the visual assessment scale for Quchi acupoint with needles before modification. [Figure 3b] The box plot of the visual assessment scale for the modified needles used for Quchi acupoint. [Picture 4] The histogram of the visual assessment scale for Quchi acupoint before and after modification.

Claims (4)

A surface modification method for needles, comprising: A needle is contacted with a nitrogen-containing compound in the presence of a supercritical fluid, wherein the volume ratio of the supercritical fluid and the nitrogen-containing compound is 100:0.2-100:4, and the contact between the needle and the nitrogen-containing compound The time is 0.5-2 hours, the contact temperature is 90-150° C. and the contact pressure is 100-300 atmospheres, so that the nitrogen element in the nitrogen-containing compound is attached to the surface of the needle. The surface modification method of the needle according to claim 1, wherein the contact time of the needle and the nitrogen-containing compound is 2 hours, the contact temperature is 120° C. and the contact pressure is 200 atmospheres. The surface modification method of a needle according to claim 1, wherein the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide. The method for modifying the surface of a needle according to claim 1, wherein the nitrogen-containing compound is ammonia gas.

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