KR102533817B1 - Medical cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present specification, in a cooling device for spraying coolant to a target area, a reservoir for receiving and storing the coolant from the outside, a valve for controlling the flow of the coolant, and the coolant to the outside and a nozzle for spraying, and the valve includes a flow path through which the coolant moves from the reservoir to the nozzle, one end of the flow path is fluidly coupled to the reservoir, and the other end of the flow path connects to the nozzle. A cooling unit fluidly coupled and thermally coupled to the reservoir to cool at least a portion of the reservoir so that at least a portion of the coolant stored in the reservoir is liquefied, the coolant cooled in the reservoir As the valve is controlled, a cooling device sprayed from the cooling device to the target area through the nozzle may be provided.

Description

Medical cooling device {Medical cooling device}

The present invention relates to a medical cooling device using a cooling material, and more particularly, to a medical cooling device that selectively cools a desired tissue by spraying a cooling material to a localized area of the skin to treat or anesthetize.

In general, cryotherapy is to cool a localized area to remove and treat lesion cells, such as massage with 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) is used to cool parts of the body, such as skin or organs. This local cooling is not only used for removal-treatment by destroying diseased cells at a low temperature, but also for various clinical effects such as cell function decline (e.g., nerve paralysis), immune activation, and apoptosis, depending on the cooling temperature applied to the treatment area. Compared to laser or RFA, which is used mainly for removal-treatment through high-temperature apoptosis, it can be used for various clinical purposes such as cold anesthesia and immune disease treatment.

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

Looking at the open prior art developed for medical local cooling, local cooling is performed using cryogenic coolants such as liquid nitrogen and dry ice. However, it is difficult to stably implement the cooling conditions in which effects such as activation of immunity appear, and its use is limited for various clinical purposes. This lack of technology is fundamentally due to the large specific heat of the cell, and it is difficult to precisely control the temperature of the coolant with the high output cooling amount required for engineering effective cell cooling at any temperature beyond its natural temperature range. because

In the case of cold anesthesia, which is an extended use of the cryotherapy described above, unlike local anesthetic (Lidocaine), which takes time for chemicals to diffuse to the nerve, when the nerve temperature is physically cooled, the anesthesia state of the corresponding area is immediately restored. It is useful for rapid local anesthesia required for various medical procedures. In other words, in the case of anesthesia for local area anesthesia, it takes a long time for the anesthetic to pass through the thick skin layer and reach the sensory nerve, as well as in the case of skin where chemicals do not diffuse well, anesthesia without direct injection The disadvantage is that the effect is also insignificant in many cases. For the purpose of such anesthesia, a conventional medical cooling device has been developed that uses cooled air to reduce pain in a local area of the skin. .

On the other hand, a conventional medical cooling device that requires high-powered cooling for removal-treatment of lesion cells uses a coolant such as liquid nitrogen or CO2, and has a strong and rapid cooling effect due to the latent heat of the coolant during phase change. It is done. However, the current cooling technology has a limitation in that the cooling temperature is limited to the vaporization point or liquefaction point of the coolant used. In particular, if the temperature of the coolant cannot be properly controlled because the general medical coolant, including the specified liquid nitrogen and CO2, is significantly lower than the death temperature at which cells are physically destroyed, the temperature of the treatment area drops below the safe range, causing excessive damage to surrounding normal cells. There is a problem that can cause destruction. Side effects caused by such excessive destruction of normal cells include blood, edema, blistering, infection, pigment degeneration, paresthesia, scar formation, and the like.

In order to prevent excessive cooling, the spray amount or spray 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, making it difficult to reduce the risk due to excessive cooling.

As such, the medical cooling device that can stably control the nerve paralysis temperature or immune activation temperature, including cell death, rather than the intrinsic temperature of the coolant, quantitatively implements various clinical effects of cryotherapy without depending on the operator's skill level. It can be said to be essential in

The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and can stably implement 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. Its purpose is to provide a medical cooling device that can be used.

A medical cooling device according to the present invention includes a nozzle unit for spraying a coolant, and a cryogen temperature pressure controller for controlling the temperature and pressure of the coolant through heat; and a controller for controlling the heat applied to the coolant temperature and pressure controller.

At this time, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit according to the present invention includes a heating unit generating heat and a heat transfer medium transferring heat generated in the heating unit to the coolant, and the heating unit is composed of a thermoelectric element, or the heating unit is electrically operated. It may consist of a heater.

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

Here, the porous structure according to the present invention performs at least one of pressure reduction and sound absorption.

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

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 location adjacent to the nozzle part, the coolant can reach a preset thermodynamic state with a fast dynamic response. In addition, there is an effect that the temperature of the coolant sprayed on the treatment site can be sprayed while being adjusted to a desired temperature by controlling the thermodynamic phase of the coolant immediately before being sprayed on the treatment site. In addition, by controlling the heat in the treatment area other than the cooling target area, it has an effect of preventing excessive cooling from occurring outside the target area.

By quickly controlling the temperature of the coolant and simultaneously controlling the cooling area, various clinical effects such as cooling anesthesia, lesion cell treatment using immune activation, lesion cell apoptosis treatment that minimizes normal cell destruction, or various clinical A treatment with a complex combination of effects, for example, cooling conditions corresponding to cooling anesthesia are applied first, and then a cooling protocol for various treatment protocols such as apoptosis treatment performed in a state in which pain is minimized can be stably implemented. have an effect

1A is a diagram showing the configuration of a cooling system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 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 diagram showing a temperature control state according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 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.
Figure 2a is a view showing the configuration of the cooling pressure holding unit of the medical cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2b is a view showing the configuration of the cooling temperature and pressure holding unit of the medical cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3A is a diagram 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 cross-sectional view of a coolant temperature and pressure control unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3d is a view showing the mounting state of the heating unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 3c is a view showing the configuration of the holder unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4a is a view showing the cooling re-rotator of the medical cooling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
4B is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a cooling re-rotating 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 in a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5B is a diagram showing the configuration of a boundary heat supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5C is a diagram showing an implementation state of a boundary heat supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5D is a diagram showing an implementation state of a boundary heat supply unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to the usual or dictionary meaning, and the inventor appropriately uses the concept of the term in order to explain his/her invention in the best way. Based on the principle that it can be defined, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention.

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

I. Dynamic boundary cooling control

1A to 1E are diagrams showing configurations of a cooling system and a cooling device for dynamic boundary cooling control according to the present invention. According to the present invention, the temperature of the coolant can be adjusted in response to the path on which the coolant moves, and according to an embodiment, the storage unit in which the coolant is stored, the delivery unit, and each component of the cooling device are selectively or in conjunction with each other through heating or cooling. The temperature of the coolant can be controlled.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling of the coolant pressure keeper constituting the cooling device, the heating of the coolant temperature pressure controller, or the heat providing barrier ) through cooling or heating, precise temperature control of the coolant can be performed.

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, a medical cooling system includes a storage unit 10 for storing a coolant and delivering the coolant to a cooling device in cooling a target area through a coolant. 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 rotation unit (Cryogen Cyclone Generator: 50), a heat providing barrier : 60) and a control unit 70 for controlling the components.

According to another embodiment, the cooling device 100 can be divided into an input unit 110 for inputting coolant, a processing unit 120 for processing coolant, and an output unit 130 for outputting coolant for each region. 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 rotation unit (Cryogen Cyclone Generator: 50) It may be provided, and the output unit 130 may be provided with a heat providing barrier 60.

In the medical cooling system, the storage unit 10 may be implemented in the form of a coolant tank, and the delivery unit 20 serves to deliver the coolant in the storage unit 10 to the cooling device 100, It may be implemented in the form of a hose or the like.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an opening/closing unit may be provided at a necessary location along the movement path of the coolant, and the opening/closing unit is electrically connected to the control unit 70 and opened and closed under the control of the control unit 70. can be controlled. The opening/closing unit may be implemented as a solenoid valve to control opening/closing, 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 spray button, and a signal generated as the user manipulates the spray button is input to the control unit 70, and the control unit 70 controls the opening/closing unit based on this. By controlling, it is possible to smoothly spray the coolant.

A medical cooling device according to the present invention relates to a medical cooling device for controlling the temperature of an injected coolant, and the medical cooling device can be controlled to spray a coolant to a target area at a temperature different from an attribute 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 rate, and in controlling the cooling temperature, the coolant The target region may be cooled to a preset temperature using a parameter including applied heat.

The medical cooling device described above may be any part of the body, and may be, for example, skin, eyes, or gums. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a description will be given focusing on the case where the medical cooling device is applied to the skin, but it is natural that it is not limited thereto. In addition, medical cooling devices are used not only for treatment using cooling, but also when anesthesia or hemostasis is required, when antibacterial treatment is required, when removing by freezing local areas such as removal of moles, warts, and corns, hair removal, peeling, and botox treatment. 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.

In addition, the body of the medical cooling device has an ergonomic shape so that the user can hold it by hand. For example, it may be 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 a pistol, but 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 can contain low-temperature and high-pressure liquid nitrogen (N) or carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, a valve that is opened and closed by a user's automatic or manual operation 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, is provided by selectively opening the valve. spillage takes place

The delivery unit 20 has one end connected to a valve provided in the outlet of the storage unit 10, and when the valve is opened, the high-pressure coolant flowing out of the storage unit 10 is transferred to the delivery unit 20. ) provides a flow path leading from one side to the other side. 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 flow out, and may be implemented in the form of a hose or the like.

The temperature and pressure control unit 40 is connected to the other end of the transmission unit 20 and selectively sprays the coolant introduced through the transmission unit 20, and the part where the coolant is sprayed has a shape such as a nozzle. can be implemented as The coolant injected from the nozzle sprays the coolant ejected to the precise target area, that is, the treatment area 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. there is.

Here, a coolant pressure holding unit 30 may be provided in a region where the temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 and the transmission unit 20 are connected. The coolant before being introduced into the chamber is maintained at a high pressure, thereby preventing a pressure loss of the coolant and allowing the coolant to be sprayed at a fast response speed.

Referring to Figure 1b, the appearance of the cooling device according to the present invention is shown. According to one embodiment, the cooling device 100 may include a handheld body. The body part may be formed in a pen, pistol, polygonal, or other shape for ease of manipulation during treatment or use, and may provide a gripping part that can be gripped by a user.

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

According to an embodiment, the coolant pressure holding part 30 may be provided in the cooling device 100, and according to an embodiment, the body part may be composed of a plurality of body unit units, The coolant pressure holding part 30 may be configured such that the coolant pressure holding part 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 are provided on the outer circumference of the body so as to be exposed to the outside. Through the plurality of buttons, spraying of the coolant and temperature of the coolant can be controlled, and the coolant can be controlled through the display. You can check the temperature/pressure of the machine, the temperature of the area to be treated, and the status of the device. For example, one of the plurality of buttons may be a button used to automatically implement a preset cooling protocol from a control unit, and another button cuts off or supplies power to the coolant temperature and pressure regulator during operation so that the user can arbitrarily It can be used to manually adjust the cooling conditions.

1c and 1d are diagrams illustrating a temperature control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention dynamically controls the injection temperature of the coolant to cool the target area while dynamically controlling the temperature of the coolant according to an optimized protocol according to various regions and depths of the treatment area according to the treatment or purpose of use and the treatment purpose. 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 sets the temperature of the treatment site within the corresponding temperature range in which cells are not destroyed in order to prevent cells of the treatment site from being destroyed by cooling. By controlling to be maintained, the injection of the coolant is confirmed, and when the temperature of the area to be treated is cooled down to a reference temperature or less, the cooling of the coolant is stopped or the temperature of the area to be treated can be dynamically controlled by heating the coolant.

That is, through precise temperature control of the coolant, it is possible to spray the coolant to the target area at a temperature different from the basic attribute temperature of the coolant. You can control 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 controller 70 is determined by the thermal properties of the target treatment site and the thermal properties of the coolant. it can be done Here, the amount of cooling by the coolant is the amount of cooling per unit mass (C, unit: J/g) including at least one of latent heat or specific heat of phase change of the coolant, flow rate of the coolant (V, unit: g/sec), and It can be determined by at least one of the eigentemperature (T0, unit: K). However, when the distance from the treatment site deviates from the preset distance, it is obvious that the heat amount 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, Q required to reach the cooling target temperature is changed to Q/x² when the distance at which the coolant is sprayed increases by x times the preset distance.

And the cooling parameter can be defined as follows. Target cooling temperature (Tc,₁, unit: K), cooling rate (unit: K/sec), target thawing temperature (Tc,₂, unit: K), and defrosting speed (unit: K/sec) on the surface , the depth from the surface of the cooling area (d, unit: mm), the cooling area on the surface (A, unit: mm²), the specific heat of the treatment area (Ct, unit: J/g) and the cooling amount of the coolant In addition, by using a thermal formula having the amount of heat (Q, unit: W) applied to the coolant as a domain, the amount of heat applied to the coolant, Q, can be expressed by two parameters (G₁, G₂). In one embodiment of the present invention, these cooling parameters may determine the minimum Q necessary to realize the cooling target temperature and the thawing target temperature given to be 30° C. or higher than the natural temperature To of the coolant. On the other hand, it is possible to determine the necessary Q so that the absolute value of the cooling rate and the thawing rate has a rate of 0.001 K/sec or more, and each Q related to the cooling-thawing target temperature and cooling rate-thawing rate can be divided into two parameters. It can be expressed as a range of variables.

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

According to an embodiment, the present invention may set the range of the parameter G1 to satisfy the following conditions in order to realize a temperature of 30° C. or less To or more.

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 to have an absolute value of the cooling rate-thawing rate of 0.001 K/sec or more.

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

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to define a parameter G₃ representing the reaction rate (K/sec) to the cooling target temperature or thawing target temperature in relation to the above variables, specifically the reaction rate of dynamic control is equal to or greater than 1°C/sec, and G₃ is defined as follows.

The cooling target temperature and the thawing target temperature used in the above three cooling parameters refer to the temperature measured between the surface of the target region and, according to an embodiment, a depth of 1 mm from the target region. 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 or more and 0 ° C or less, and the cell suicide temperature range is -70 ° C. It may have a range of 0°C or less, and the thawing target temperature may have a range of 37°C or more above 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 thawing target temperatures, and a plurality of thawing rates for multi-stage cooling control.

Figure 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 conjunction in order to dynamically adjust the temperature of the coolant and the temperature of the target region corresponding thereto. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, 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.

The dynamic temperature control unit 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 area according to the non-contact cooling protocol. Through this, 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, etc. of the coolant in response to the cooling distance. According to another embodiment, the cooling effect can be optimized by controlling a physical cooling distance maintaining unit installed adjacent to a spraying unit through which coolant is sprayed and maintaining a separation distance between the spraying unit and the target area. .

For this control, the present invention includes a first temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the target region, a second temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the injection unit, and the temperature of 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.

At this time, the first temperature sensor unit is preferably composed of a non-contact temperature sensor, and the angle of the non-contact temperature sensor is adjusted according to a separation distance given from the cooling distance maintaining unit to measure the temperature near the center of the target region. For example, the medical cooling device of the present invention may include a cooling distance maintaining unit corresponding to a plurality of distances. 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, controls the injection of the coolant from the nozzle unit, and controls the temperature of the area to be treated 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 temperatures measured by the first temperature sensor unit and the second temperature sensor unit. 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 unit, measures the temperature of the coolant in the gas phase sprayed from the nozzle unit, and outputs the measured temperature to the control unit.

The second temperature sensor unit is electrically connected to the control unit 70 and is provided at a front end of the nozzle unit to measure the temperature of the target area and output the measured temperature to the control unit. At this time, the second temperature sensor unit measures the temperature of the target area. It is preferable to be provided with a non-contact type that measures the temperature of the treatment site at a distance from the.

The controller may control at least one of heat applied to the coolant temperature and pressure controller 200 or a coolant injection time by using at least one of a preset cooling condition and 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 received from a user according to a user operation mode, and in the user mode In this case, the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor unit is stored, and the stored big data can be used in various fields in the future.

The control unit according to the present invention may be configured to efficiently control and supply power 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, a 'processor' may refer to a data processing device embedded in hardware having a physically structured circuit to perform functions expressed by codes or instructions included in a program, for example. As an example of such a data processing device built into hardware, a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) ), and processing devices such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

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

According to the present invention, through high-power and high-precision cooling temperature control, an optimized protocol for each treatment purpose, such as skin cancer, benign tumor, inflammatory disease, immunological disorder or disease, is set, and the cooling device is controlled according to the protocol can do. In addition, through precise cooling control through the control unit, the death of surrounding normal cells is prevented, and accurate and safe customized cooling treatment is possible for each skin cancer, benign tumor, inflammatory disease, immune abnormality disease or disease. Also, through technical or clinical differentiation It can be expanded to the skin area and other treatment areas, and a diagnosis and treatment convergence cooling device can be implemented using this cooling device.

The control unit 70 according to the present invention induces the procedure to be performed at a preset separation distance from the target area in response to the protocol, and when the distance to the treatment site measured by the distance sensor is out of the static cooling distance, yes For example, when approaching the target area within an appropriate distance or falling over 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 recognizes the cooling device. 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, The cooling device may be controlled using temperature information, and the temperature sensor unit includes a first temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the target region, a second temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the injection unit, and the temperature and pressure of the coolant. At least one of a third temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the controller and a fourth temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the coolant may be included.

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

The controller 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 a user operation mode. In the case of the user mode, the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor unit is stored and , can be utilized using these data. In addition, in the case of a cooling mode below a preset temperature and a mode that requires extra attention, it is limited to operate when a plurality of button manipulations are received from the user, thereby preventing malfunction due to user's manipulation mistakes.

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

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

First, in the case of providing heat to the coolant to maintain the temperature of the area to be treated within the corresponding temperature range,

In step a-1), the injection of the coolant is confirmed. Here, the spraying of the coolant is performed when the user manipulates a button exposed to the outside from the nozzle housing. When the user manipulates the button, the control unit detects this, and the control unit controls the flow path through the solenoid valve with the signal of the detected button. When opened, the coolant maintaining the corresponding high pressure through the coolant pressure holding unit flows into the temperature pressure adjusting 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 sprayed coolant and the temperature of the area to be treated are measured.

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

When the spraying of the coolant is confirmed in step a-1), the first temperature sensor may measure the temperature of the sprayed coolant in real time and apply the measured value to the control unit, and the second temperature sensor may measure 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), whether the measured temperature of the coolant and the target area to be treated is lower than the preset lower limit reference temperature, respectively, is compared. Here, the lower limit reference temperature is the lower limit of the temperature range that prevents cells from being destroyed at the treatment site, and may be set differently depending on the treatment site and treatment purpose. The lower limit reference temperature is preferably set in advance in the control unit, but may be arbitrarily changed by the user by manipulating a button provided in the temperature pressure control unit, if necessary.

Therefore, in the step b), when the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor measure the temperature of the sprayed coolant and the target area and apply the measured values to the control unit, the control unit measures the temperature of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. A measured temperature lower than the preset lower limit reference temperature may be detected by comparing the temperature of the coolant and the treatment site measured in real time through the sensor with the preset lower limit reference temperature.

Next, in step d-1), if 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, in step c-1), when the control unit detects that the measured temperature of the area to be treated is lower than the lower limit reference temperature, power is applied to the heat generating unit provided in the temperature pressure adjusting unit and the driving is turned on, thereby generating the heat. The part generates heat, and as the heat generating part generates heat, heat is provided to the coolant flowing along the nozzle hole to raise the temperature of the coolant, so that the coolant having a higher temperature than the previous time is sprayed to the target area to be treated, thereby increasing the temperature of the target area. to adjust For example, power applied to the temperature and pressure controller may be controlled using a proportional, integral, differential (PID) technique.

Next, in step e-1), the sprayed coolant and the temperature of the area to be treated are measured again.

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

Next, in step f-1), it is compared whether the measured temperatures of the coolant and the target area are higher than the preset upper limit reference temperature. Here, the upper limit reference temperature is the time when the heating unit that does not provide heat to the coolant is turned off or the power applied to the heating unit is reduced. It is also possible to change it arbitrarily by manipulating the buttons. For example, power applied to the temperature and pressure controller may be controlled using a proportional, integral, differential (PID) technique.

Therefore, in the step e-1), 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 values to the controller, the controller controls the first temperature sensor or the 2 It is possible to detect a measured temperature higher than the preset upper limit reference temperature by comparing the temperature of the coolant and the treatment area measured in real time through the temperature sensor with the preset upper limit reference temperature.

Next, in step g-1), if the measured temperature is higher than the upper limit reference temperature, the temperature of the area to be treated is adjusted by turning off the driving of the heating unit or reducing the power applied to the heating unit.

Here, in step f-1), when the controller detects that the measured temperature of the area to be treated is higher than the upper limit reference temperature, the supply of power to the heat generating unit provided in the temperature pressure adjusting unit is terminated, driving is turned off or heat is generated. By reducing the electric power applied to the part, the gaseous coolant having a temperature lower than that of the previous time is sprayed to the treatment site to adjust the temperature of the treatment site. For example, power applied to the temperature and pressure controller may be controlled using a proportional, integral, differential (PID) technique.

II. Cryogen Pressure Keeper

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

In cooling a target region through a coolant, the medical cooling device according to the present invention includes a storage unit 10 for storing the coolant, a transfer unit 20 for delivering the coolant to the cooling device, and adjusting the temperature and pressure of the coolant of the cooling device. Flowing into the section 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, a loss of temperature and pressure occurs as the coolant moves and makes thermal-mechanical contact with the transfer unit 20, In addition, the reaction time of the coolant injection according to the button control may be delayed. In the present invention, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is provided adjacent to the input end of the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 to stably distribute the coolant at a preset temperature or pressure regardless of loss occurring in the delivery unit 20. By supplying the coolant to the master part, it is possible to spray the coolant by minimizing the time for the coolant to reach a preset temperature in a steady state. This fast steady-state arrival time is a key performance for the aforementioned dynamic cooling control. In addition, according to an embodiment, when the delivery route is long, a plurality of coolant pressure holding units 30 may be configured to correspond to the delivery route.

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

According to one embodiment, the cooling of the coolant pressure keeper (30) constituting the cooling device, the heating of the coolant temperature pressure controller (40) or the heat providing barrier (heat providing barrier) : 60), it is possible to perform precise temperature control of the coolant through cooling or heating, and the configuration of the coolant pressure holding unit 30 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2A.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 is provided between the delivery unit 20 made of a hose and the like and the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 for spraying the coolant at a preset temperature and pressure. When the coolant is injected, when the coolant is supplied to the spraying part so that the coolant reaches a preset condition quickly and is dispersed, it maintains the pressure of the coolant above the preset pressure even if a certain amount of the coolant escapes.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 may store more coolant based on mass than the coolant injected from the ejection part, and for example, more coolant than the mass injected from the ejection part for 1 second. It can store coolant with more than 10 times the mass. In addition, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 stores the stored coolant in a liquid state, thereby storing a much larger mass of the coolant in the same volume, and maintaining the pressure of the coolant when the coolant is consumed in the injection unit.

According to an embodiment, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 according to the present invention is located at the near end of the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40, that is, on the coolant inlet side, and the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 and the coolant pressure The holding part 30 is coupled through a coupling part including a coolant transfer path. The coupling part includes a high-pressure valve, and can manually or automatically control operation.

According to an embodiment, the flow rate may be controlled to meet a preset cooling condition under the control of the control unit 70 . In this case, the valve of the coupling part can 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 holding part 30 is stored inside the body part as a coolant. A flow path guiding the temperature and pressure control unit 40 is provided, and a control unit for controlling injection of coolant and temperature may be incorporated as an electronic circuit such as a PCB.

In one embodiment, the high-pressure valve may be configured as a solenoid valve that performs an on-off function, and at this time, a predetermined flow rate may be controlled by adjusting a periodic opening time of the solenoid valve.

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

Referring to FIG. 2A , the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is generated in a coolant reservoir 31 for storing coolant, a cooling generator 32 for cooling the coolant reservoir 31, and the cooling generator 32. It is configured to include a heat dissipation part 33 for dissipating the generated heat and a heat pipe 34 for thermally coupling the cooling generating part 32 and the heat dissipation part 33. The coolant stored in the coolant reservoir 31 is cooled by the thermoelectric element, which is the cooling generating unit 32 provided on one side of the coolant pressure holding unit 30, and exists in a liquid state or mixed with 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 an embodiment, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 is located within a distance of 30 cm or less from the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40, and the coolant pressure holding unit 30 controls the thermodynamics of the coolant stored therein. In order to keep the phase constant, it may be made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/m-K or more. In addition, the coolant pressure holding part 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 make the coolant pressure holding part 30 and the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting part 40 thermally independent, in the passage where the coolant pressure holding part 30 and the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting part 40 are connected, Thermal conductance of at least one component may be 10 W/K or less. In addition, according to an embodiment, the coolant pressure holding unit 30 may be selectively provided in plurality along the passage through which the coolant flows.

According to the present invention, the coolant is supplied to the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 through the opening and closing of the coolant pressure holding unit 30 or the valve controlling the flow rate. Here, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a solenoid valve 35 electrically connected to the control unit 70 and the opening and closing of which is controlled by the control of the control unit 35 is built-in, the solenoid valve 35 selectively opens and closes the passage through which the coolant flows under the control of the control unit.

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

Therefore, the solenoid valve 35 is electrically connected to the control unit and the injection button, and a signal generated as the user operates the injection button is input to the control unit 70, and the control unit operates the solenoid valve 35 based on this. is controlled to open so that the coolant is sprayed. In another embodiment, the solenoid valve 35 automatically performs a plurality of opening and closing operations according to a protocol preset from the control unit 70 to open the valve only for a certain portion of the time during the operation time. . For example, the control unit 70 may partially open the solenoid valve 35 periodically using Pulsed Width Modulation (PWM) technique. More specifically, the controller 70 may open the solenoid valve 35 with a 50% duty cycle at a speed of 3 Hz.

2B shows a cooling structure when the coolant pressure holding unit 30 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention additionally functions as a coolant temperature and pressure holding unit maintaining a thermodynamic phase through cooling supplied from the cooling generating unit 32. is the drawing shown. In other words, it is obvious that the coolant temperature and pressure holding unit, which is an embodiment derived from the coolant pressure maintaining unit 30, is distinguished from the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 that performs rapid dynamic control of the thermodynamic phase of the coolant.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the coolant temperature and pressure holding unit according to the present invention maintains cooling by a thermally coupled cooling generating unit 32. ), any form capable of supplying cooling energy is possible, and may be composed of one or more cooling elements capable of generating cooling energy.

The cooling element uses a thermodynamic cycle such as a stirling cooler or a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, uses liquid evaporation, or uses a Joule-Thomson method using an expansion gas. Cooling energy can be generated using In addition, the cooling element may generate cooling energy using liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide, or may supply cooling energy using a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element. In the present invention, there is no limitation on the cooling method of the cooling element, but for convenience of description, the following description will focus on the case of using a thermoelectric element. Here, the Peltier effect refers to a phenomenon in which, when a current is passed through a pair of n, p-type thermoelectric materials, one side generates heat and the other side absorbs (cools) heat. Such a Peltier effect may be referred to as a heat-pump capable of electrical feedback control in another meaning.

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

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

The heat dissipation part 33 and the cooling generating part 32 are located apart from each other through a heat transfer medium, and can maintain the cooling of the coolant temperature and pressure holding part. In the heat dissipation part 33 according to the present invention, an inlet and an outlet may be formed between the heat dissipation fins so that the air flow formed by the cooling fan can pass therethrough. As 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 be formed with a plurality of inlets and outlets penetrating in a direction not parallel to the axial direction of the body part. Due to the action of the cooling fins, air may be sucked in through the inlet of the heat dissipating unit 33 and discharged through the outlet. In this case, positions of the plurality of inlets and the plurality of outlets may be overlapped, and cooling fins may be disposed between the inlets and outlets, respectively. Through this, a plurality of air streams formed from a plurality of cooling fins can be formed into each intake and outlet, 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 the heat pipe 34, etc. ) and the heat radiating part 33 to perform a function of transferring heat from the cooling generating part 32 to the heat radiating part 33, and at the same time, it is possible to place the heat radiating part composed of a cooling fan at a distance from each other. , It is possible to configure the configuration of 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 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, It is possible to improve the convenience of operation and the heat dissipation efficiency of the cooling fan.

According to the present invention, the heat transfer medium may be a heat pipe (34) or a vapor chamber, and may include a pipe body and a phase change material provided inside the pipe body. . The pipe body of the heat transfer medium may be made of a material having high thermal conductivity in order to contact the cooling generating unit 32 and effectively transfer heat generated from the cooling generating unit to the internal phase change material. Here, the phase change material is a material that stores thermal energy of many flavors through a phase change process or releases the stored thermal energy, and the phase change material has a unique heat storage capability.

In addition, the medical cooling device minimizes the risk of infection by minimizing the air flow effect that can occur at the treatment site by disposing the heat radiating part 33 and the cooling fin at the rear end of the body part, which is spaced apart from the treatment site at the tip where the coolant is sprayed. can prevent In this way, since the heat dissipation unit 33 is not disposed adjacent to the coolant temperature and pressure holding unit, but is spaced apart from each other, 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, the cooling device may be implemented with various other structures not described in the embodiments.

III. Cryogen Temperature Pressure Controller

3A to 3E are diagrams showing the configuration of a temperature and pressure control unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to the present invention, the thermodynamic phase (temperature, pressure) of the coolant can be adjusted in response to the path along which the coolant moves, and the thermodynamic phase of the coolant is controlled through heating or cooling selectively or in conjunction with each other in each component of the cooling device. is possible According to an embodiment, the control of the thermodynamic phase of the coolant is mainly described through the control of thermal energy, but the control of the pressure using other energy, for example, mechanical energy, can be performed. According to another embodiment, the coolant pressure holding unit is described mainly for cooling control and the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 is for heating control, but is not limited thereto and can perform temperature control of components in various ways. . For example, when a medical cooling device is used for cell death such as cancer treatment, the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 may also be subjected to cooling control.

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

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

Referring to FIG. 3A, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 of the medical cooling device according to the present invention can control the spraying of the coolant to be injected to the treatment site at a preset pressure or temperature, and the coolant temperature and pressure control unit ( The configuration of 40) includes a barrel part through which the coolant flows into the nozzle part 41 and a nozzle part 41 through which the coolant introduced from the barrel part is sprayed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one side of the barrel portion flowing into the nozzle unit 41 of the barrel portion in which the passage through which the coolant flows is formed, through thermal contact with the coolant inside 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 narrower 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 through the nozzle in a cooled state by the Joule-Thomson effect.

Here, the Joule-Thomson effect is a phenomenon in which the temperature drops when a compressed gas expands. Temperature is changed in relation to the thermodynamic phase composed of pressure-temperature, and it is a phenomenon applied to liquefying air or cooling through a refrigerant. When a diaphragm such as an orifice is inserted into the flow path of a fluid, the temperature of the fluid is lowered behind the diaphragm. When gas undergoes free expansion, that is, when it expands adiabatically without exchanging work with the outside, it is a phenomenon in which internal energy is almost unchanged.

Due to the Joule-Thomson effect, the coolant sprayed through the nozzle is cooled by taking away heat around the coolant by rapid pressure release, and when the coolant is sprayed to the area to be treated, the coolant contacts the area to be treated and the coolant The heat of the blood treatment area is taken away and the blood treatment area is cooled.

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

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

The coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 according to the present invention provides heat to the coolant before spraying to enable precise temperature control. , The cooling temperature of the treatment site can be controlled so that the cells of the treatment site do not die due to supercooling.

Conventional cryotherapy/cold therapy using liquid nitrogen is mainly used, but the cooling conditions are not controlled, so there is a side effect of destroying a large amount of surrounding normal cells when the lesion cells are killed. The cooling treatment according to the present invention aims at cell death, including vascular cells, at -40˚C or lower, while apoptosis or immune activation effects can be aimed at in the range of -40˚C to 0˚C. . The present invention has an effect of spraying the coolant at an optimal temperature according to the target area, treatment area, or treatment purpose through the above-described coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 .

Referring to FIG. 3C, looking at the configuration of the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 according to the present invention in more detail, the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 has a hollow barrel formed therein, and generates heat on the outer circumferential surface. It includes a holder part 42 having a contact surface for contacting the part 44, and the heat generating 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 performs the function of supplying heat to the coolant flowing in the barrel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heat transfer medium 43 for efficiently transferring heat of the coolant may be accommodated in 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 more, and is formed at an inlet of the nozzle part 41 of the barrel through which the coolant flows. According to an 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 composed of a porous material formed by sintering metal particles having high thermal conductivity.

The heating unit 44, the holder unit 42, and the heat transfer medium 43 are thermally coupled, and heat exchange is performed between the plurality of heat transfer mediums 43 and the coolant provided in the passage through thermal contact. Therefore, the coolant flows into the nozzle through the hollow of the holder part 42, and the injected coolant flows out and is sprayed. When the coolant flows into the hollow of the barrel, the heat transfer medium 43 Through thermal contact, the thermodynamic phase of the coolant, ie, temperature and pressure, can be controlled or raised.

The function of controlling the pressure as well as the temperature of the coolant of the coolant temperature and pressure controller 40 is thermodynamically By functioning as an active valve, it is possible to reduce not only the temperature of the coolant but also the flow rate itself.

According to one embodiment, the heating unit 44 is composed of a thermoelectric element, and can transfer heat generated from the heating unit 44 in a selective direction, that is, in a direction where the holder unit 42 is located. At this time, when power is supplied to the heating unit 44 under the control of the control unit, heat can be generated with the power. The heat generated by the heating part 44 is conducted to the holder part 42, and the heat conducted to the holder part 42 is transferred to the 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 becomes heated.

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 the holder unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

According to an embodiment, the holder part 42 has a hollow tube shape in which the coolant flows, and the outer circumferential surface of the holder part 42 is a bonding and fixing surface to which the heating part 44 is bonded and fixed. (47) performs the function. At this time, the joint fixing surface 47 may be arranged in a radial or symmetrical structure based on the central axis of the holder part 42, for example, as shown in FIG. 3d, the joint fixing surface 47 is the holder part It is formed in four ways based on the hollow of (42), so that a total of four heating parts (44) can be bonded and fixed.

Here, in the present invention, the bonding and fixing surface 47 of the holder part 42 is limited to being formed in four ways, but is not limited thereto, and according to the control temperature range and the amount of heat generated by the heating part 44, two or three It can be applied in various ways such as aspect, 5 aspect.

At this time, the heating unit 44 is preferably composed of a thermoelectric element that generates heat with an external power source, but the heating unit 44 may be formed of a nichrome wire that generates heat with an external power source.

Here, the heat transfer medium 43 according to the present invention may form a plurality of fins in a passage through which the coolant flows so as to increase the heat transfer area with the coolant, or the heat transfer medium 43 may be a porous structure. This can increase the heat transfer area with the coolant. At this time, the heat transfer medium 43 made of a porous structure simultaneously functions to reduce the pressure of the coolant while absorbing noise generated when the coolant flows.

In addition, the heat transfer medium 43 can control the flow rate of the coolant. According to the length of the section where the heat transfer medium 43 is formed, the size or structure of the heat transfer medium 43, the heat transfer medium 43 compared to the existing barrel. Since the flow path is narrowed, 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 heating unit 44 provided in the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40, the heat transfer medium 43 not only heats the coolant, but also controls the flow rate to avoid The temperature of the treatment site may be adjusted so that the cells of the treatment site are not frozen and destroyed.

In addition, the heat transfer medium 43 according to the present invention may not be a heat transfer medium that mediates heat transfer, but may be composed of a self-generating material. 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, and directly provides heat to the coolant flowing through the hollow of the holder part 42. You may.

In addition, the coolant temperature and pressure adjusting unit 40 has a small contact area with the surrounding appliances or thermal conductivity of 10 W / m-K or less, and thermal insulation is achieved with the surrounding appliances. 46) may be applied with Teflon. The heat insulating member 46 is provided on the inflow side and the outlet side of the holder part 42, respectively, and thermally insulates the nozzle part 41 and the transmission part 20 to minimize external influences, while pre-set conditions. The coolant may be sprayed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coolant temperature and pressure control unit 40 generates heat for a designated time after the medical cooling device is used, and can remove the coolant remaining inside.

IV. Coolant rotation part (Cryogen Cyclone Generator)

4A to 4C are views showing the configuration of a coolant rotation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In more detail, FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the configuration of the coolant rotation unit, and FIG. 4C is a diagram showing the configuration of the cyclone generator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The medical cooling device according to the present invention includes a coolant rotation unit 52 for spraying the coolant in an oblique line to rotate air and coolant through a vortex-shaped rotational motion and then spraying them to the outside. The coolant rotation unit 52 includes a cyclone generator 53 as a core component therein. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cooling re-rotating unit 52 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

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

First, referring to FIG. 4A, the medical cooling device according to the present invention includes a coolant inlet 51 into which coolant flows and a cyclone generator 53 for spraying the coolant introduced from the coolant inlet 51 in an oblique direction. , and a coolant rotation unit 52 for inducing rotation of the coolant by vortex motion. According to an embodiment, the coolant inlet 51 and the coolant rotation unit 52 or the cyclone generator 53 are coupled with a sealing member 54 such as a gasket.

The coolant transferred from the storage unit through the transmission unit flows into the cyclone generator 53 through the coolant inlet 51. The cyclone generator 53 sprays the introduced coolant in an oblique line to create a vortex-shaped rotational motion. After rotating the air and the coolant, it is configured to be sprayed to the outside.

The mixed fluid of air and coolant dispersed in an oblique direction makes an oblique contact rather than a linear contact with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52, thereby adjusting the flow of the coolant itself to achieve a substantial contact area without increasing the mass of the heat transfer medium. can increase That is, unlike the heat transfer medium configured in the coolant temperature and pressure control unit described above, the increased contact area with the coolant is made in a state where the mass of the heat transfer medium does not increase, so that the heat transfer amount can be increased and the thermal reaction rate can be increased. In addition, while 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 selectively and effectively It has the effect of controlling the spraying speed or spraying temperature. For example, due to the frictional force with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52 having a high solid state coolant, the rotational speed is selectively slowed down, and due to the increased contact time with the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotating part 52 due to this, the coolant rotating part ( 52) Heat transfer from the inner circumferential surface to the coolant in the solid state can be selectively increased.

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

Referring to FIG. 4A , a cross-sectional view of the cooling re-rotating unit 52 is shown. A cyclone generating unit 53 is provided inside the cooling re-rotating unit 52, and according to one embodiment, the cyclone generating unit 53 has a circular appearance, but it can be implemented in a different shape Of course. The cyclone generator 53 has at least one oblique flow path 56, and the oblique flow path 56 is formed in a radial or symmetrical shape with respect to the central axis of the cyclone generator 53. it is desirable to be

The coolant injected through the oblique flow passage 56 flows out in an oblique direction through the oblique flow passage 56, and is cooled by the Joule-Thomson phenomenon and sprayed. After the coolant flows obliquely, it vortexes through the inner circumferential surface of the coolant rotation unit 52 and the impulse, and is ejected to the outside to reach the target area at a reduced spray speed and temperature.

Referring to FIG. 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, the thermoelectric element ( 55) may be formed as a flat surface for contact with the thermoelectric element 55 or efficiency of heat transfer. In this case, a plurality of outer circumferential surfaces may be arranged radially or symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the coolant rotating part 52. It can be formed in four ways, as shown in FIG. 2, so that a total of four total thermoelectric elements 55 can be bonded and fixed. Here, in the present invention, the outer circumferential surface is limited to being formed in four directions, but is not limited thereto, and can be applied in various ways such as two, three, and five directions depending on the control temperature range, target area, treatment area, or purpose.

Here, it is natural that the length of the cooling re-rotating part 52 can also be modified according to the control temperature range, target area, treatment area or purpose. Since the speed of the coolant can be alleviated and the temperature of the coolant can be adjusted through the ejection of the coolant sprayed, according to an embodiment, the coolant rotation unit 52 is configured to control the speed of the coolant or the temperature of the coolant. It is preferable to be configured to have a sufficient length.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the coupling part of the coolant inlet 51 and the cyclone generator 53 is coupled with a sealing member 54 that is a gasket to improve 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 generator 53 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The cryogen cyclone generator 53 according to the present invention allows the coolant to flow in the form of a vortex, and in cooling a target area through the coolant, the coolant injected in an oblique direction is rotated in a vortex form. It rotates through the guiding cryogen cyclone rotator (52) and is sprayed to the treatment area.

Here, for this rotational movement, a cyclone generator 53 having a first oblique flow path 56 is required to inject coolant in an oblique direction. Referring to FIG. 3, a perspective view and a projection view of the cyclone generator are shown. has been

The cyclone generator 53 may further include a second oblique flow passage 56 to inject the coolant in an oblique direction. At this time, a plurality of oblique flow passages 56 are formed in the cyclone generator 53. In this case, it is preferable to arrange them to have a symmetrical structure, and by spraying the coolant in opposite directions, vortexes of the coolant can be created symmetrically and stably.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cyclone generating unit 53 additionally includes a passage for generating vertical incidence of the coolant, so that the spraying speed is more precisely controlled by linking the spraying in the oblique direction and the spraying in the straight direction. can be configured to control.

The coolant rotation unit 52 adjusts 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 normal incidence increase compared to In addition, heat transfer between the coolant and the coolant rotating part 52 may be increased through the increased contact area and contact time between the coolant and the coolant rotating part 52 .

In addition, in the coolant sprayed in a plurality of phases (phases) including at least two of gas, liquid, and solid, contact or friction between the coolant existing in liquid or solid and the coolant rotating part 52 is relatively large. can happen That is, the liquid or solid coolant has a slower rotational speed than the gas, and relatively more heat can be transferred to the solid or liquid coolant using the 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, the configuration of the boundary heat supply unit will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

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

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B , a spraying unit 61 for spraying a coolant and a boundary heat supplying unit 63 may be provided in the output area of the cooling device according to the present invention. Here, the boundary heat supplying unit 63 In order to prevent diffusion of cooling to a target area, that is, an area other than the treatment area, performs a function of supplying heat to the boundary of the treatment area. In addition, through the heat supplied from the boundary heat supply unit 63 to the boundary of the treatment site, the temperature of the center of the treatment site can be lowered, thereby minimizing the destruction of surrounding normal cells in the deeper region at the cooling temperature required for the treatment purpose. 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 area is maintained at the temperature at which cooling anesthesia occurs, so that not only the surrounding normal cells are protected, but also the lesion cells located in the center of the treatment area can be removed. 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 physical contact. The contact type boundary heat supply method is described in detail in FIG. 5C, and the configuration of the non-contact type boundary heat supply unit is described in FIG. 5D. I'm going to do it.

Here, the first method according to the present invention requires a separate outlet 66 for outflow of the coolant after contacting the target area, and the second method according to the present invention requires a spray unit for spraying the coolant. In addition to (61), another injection unit for injecting gas for providing boundary heat may be further included.

The control unit according to the present invention controls the heat applied to the boundary heat supply unit 63, and according to the control of the control unit, the heat providing barrier 63 of the medical cooling device is provided to the boundary of the target area in advance. 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 is thermally coupled to one side of the boundary heat supply unit 63 and the other side is thermally coupled to the injection unit 61, while the boundary heat supply unit ( 63) and a differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 that simultaneously performs heating and cooling of the injection unit 61. Here, the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 may be implemented with a thermoelectric element or the like.

According to the present invention, when the spraying part 61 is cooled by the differential boundary heat transfer part 65, the coolant sprayed from the nozzle contacts the inner surface of the spraying part 61 to adjust the temperature of the coolant. That is, the coolant injected from the nozzle flows through the spraying part 61 and is ejected to the outside. Here, while the coolant flows through the spraying part, thermal contact or thermal exchange with the inner circumferential surface of the spraying part 61 is prevented. Through this, the temperature of the coolant can be controlled. Through this configuration, the temperature of the target region and the boundary of the target region can be controlled, and the expansion of the cooling effect to the region outside the target region can be prevented through the boundary heat supply unit 63. there is.

5C is a diagram 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 may be injected through the nozzle to cool the area to be treated.

According to an embodiment, the coolant sprayed through the first sprayer 61 may include at least liquid particles or gas particles, and the coolant is sprayed through the nozzle of the first sprayer 61 to , the coolant whose temperature is lowered by the Joule-Thomson effect can cool a localized area of the skin.

In addition, the boundary heat supply unit 63 is for minimizing damage to cells around the treatment area and is provided along the outer surface of the first injection unit 61. More specifically, the boundary heat supply unit It can be thermally coupled through the master part 61 and the fruit individual, 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/m-K or higher, and the boundary heat supply unit 63 made of such a material contacts the target area to achieve the differential boundary Heat supplied from the heat transfer unit 65 may be transferred to the boundary of the target area. Here, the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 may be configured of not only a thermoelectric element but also 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 to the skin along the moving space formed in the guide part, the coolant flows out 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 movement of the coolant to the outside of the area to be treated, and the efficiency and accuracy of cooling treatment are induced by inducing concentrated spraying of the coolant to the area to be treated. can improve safety.

5D is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-contact type 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 abrasive to the boundary area, preventing the diffusion of the coolant and at the same time spreading the cooling effect of the treatment area to the outside of the boundary of the treatment area. that can be prevented

Referring to FIG. 5D , the boundary heat supply unit 63 further includes a second jetting unit 62 for jetting fluid to the boundary of the target region, and the fluid flowing through the second jetting unit 62 Heat may be supplied to the boundary of the target region. Here, the second injection unit 62 may be formed with a plurality of heat dissipation 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 treatment area in the local area. At this time, the coolant is preferably carbon dioxide (CO₂), but is not limited thereto. Different coolants may be used depending on the purpose, and the coolant tank preferably stores the coolant in the form of liquefied gas.

According to an embodiment, the injection material may be the same as the coolant, or a different gas coolant may be used, and even if the same gas coolant is used, it may be stored in one storage tank or stored in separate storage tanks. there is.

According to the present invention, the second injection part 62 is formed in the shape of a circle and sprays the abrasive, the outer part of the second injection part 62 forms a case, and the second injection part The inner portion of 62 may be thermally coupled to the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 .

That is, the heating surface of the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 is thermally coupled to one surface of the inner peripheral portion, and the cooling surface of the differential boundary heat transfer unit 65 is thermally coupled to one surface of the first injection unit 61. can do. Through this configuration, the injection material moving the second injection unit 62 can generate an effect of being supplied with heat even during injection through thermal contact with the inner portion.

According to one embodiment, while controlling the cooling temperature of the treatment area in the temperature range of -40 ° C or more and 10 ° C or less through the boundary heat cooling unit, diffusion of cooling energy to areas other than the treatment region can be prevented. there is.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is only exemplary, and those skilled 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: heat radiation unit
34: heat pipe 35: solenoid valve
40: coolant temperature and 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 part 52: coolant rotation part
53: cyclone generator 54: sealing member
55: thermoelectric element 56: diagonal 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 unit

Claims (7)

In the cooling device for spraying the coolant to the target area,
a reservoir receiving and storing the coolant from the outside;
a valve controlling the flow of the coolant; and
A nozzle for injecting the coolant to the outside; includes,
The valve includes a passage through which the coolant moves from the reservoir to the nozzle, one end of the passage is fluidly coupled to the reservoir, and the other end of the passage is fluidly coupled to the nozzle;
A cooling unit configured to cool the reservoir so that at least a portion of the coolant stored in the reservoir is liquefied;
The coolant accommodated in the reservoir passes through the passage and the nozzle fluidly coupled to the reservoir as the valve is controlled and is injected from the cooling device to the target area.
chiller. According to claim 1,
The cross-sectional area of the reservoir perpendicular to the moving direction of the coolant is greater than the cross-sectional area of the nozzle perpendicular to the moving direction of the coolant,
chiller. According to claim 1,
A housing in which the reservoir, the valve, the cooling unit, and the nozzle are disposed; including,
chiller. According to claim 3,
Disposed inside the housing, a heat dissipation unit for dissipating heat generated in the cooling unit; further comprising,
chiller. According to claim 1,
The cooling unit includes a thermoelectric element using a Peltier effect,
chiller. According to claim 1,
The cooling unit cools the reservoir using a thermodynamic cycle, liquid evaporation, or a Joule-Thomson method,
chiller. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a coolant temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the coolant,
One end of the coolant temperature controller is connected to the other end of the passage of the valve and the other end of the coolant temperature controller is connected to the nozzle, so that the coolant temperature controller controls the temperature of the coolant moving from the valve to the nozzle. doing,
chiller.

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