KR102569663B1 - Automatic Invasion Device to Human Body Comprising Rotatable Probe Unit - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic body invasive device according to the present invention includes a needle unit support unit for supporting a needle to be invasive into the body; A probe unit 40 including a probe 41 for detecting an invasive body part, a probe support 42, and a driving device 43 is included. The probe unit 40 is rotatably provided in the width direction of the body part to be invaded by the operation of the driving device 43 .

Description

Automatic Invasion Device to Human Body Comprising Rotatable Probe Unit

The present invention relates to an automatic body invasive device, and more particularly, to an automatic body invasive device including a rotatable probe unit.

In many cases, a needle is inserted into a person's superficial vein for blood collection or injection in medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics. Currently, doctors, nurses, or clinical pathologists who have been trained and trained to locate blood vessels such as superficial veins find superficial veins and insert syringes, but the training takes a long time and costs for hiring specialized personnel continue to incur. There are a lot of problems where you don't succeed the first time and have to poke several times. There is a limit in that it is very difficult to find blood vessels even for skilled experts when blood vessels are not in good condition, such as babies, the elderly, or patients undergoing chemotherapy, or when blood vessels are not visually visible due to dark skin.

In addition, even for well-educated and skilled medical staff, repetitive blood sampling is a technique that is highly fatigued and causes a lot of resistance, and during the blood collection process, blood from the subject accidentally splashes on the operator or enters the body of the operator, resulting in infection. Blood sampling by humans had many problems, such as the risk of being infected.

In order to solve this problem of the prior art, the present applicant filed patent application No. 10-2020-0010302 on January 29, 2020 for a method for automatically detecting the location of a body part to be invasive, for example, a superficial vein, A patent application for an automatic body invasive device was filed on April 2, 2020 as Patent Application No. 10-2020-0040097. The content of this patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[Prior art literature]

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1601421 (Title of Invention: Automatic blood collection method; Publication date: March 10, 2016)

According to the present invention, when the position of the body part to be invaded is determined, the probe unit is rotatable in the width direction of the body so that the invasion position can be more accurately detected when the invasion device is moved to the corresponding position and invasion is performed. It relates to an automatic body invasion device comprising a.

An automatic body invasive device according to the present invention includes a needle unit support unit for supporting a needle to be invasive into the body; A probe unit including a probe for detecting an invasive body part, a probe support, and a driving device is included. The probe unit is rotatably provided in the width direction of the body part to be invaded by the operation of the driving device.

The automatic body invasion device according to the present invention may further include a direction conversion unit that converts the driving force of the driving device into rotational force enabling the probe unit to rotate in the width direction.

The probe unit may further include a pressing unit configured to press the target body.

The probe unit may further include an elastic member connecting the pressing portion and the probe support portion.

The automatic body invasion device according to the present invention may further include a linear driving device for vertically moving the probe unit.

According to the present invention, since a probe unit including a probe for detecting an invasion position can be rotated in the body width direction, there is an effect of providing an automatic body invasion device that is advantageous in detecting an invasion position.

1 is a block diagram of an automatic body invasion device according to the present invention.
2 is a front view of a slope adjusting unit of an automatic body invasion device according to the present invention;
3 is a side view of the slope adjustment unit of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention.
4 is a side view of the transfer unit of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention.
5 is a plan view of the transfer unit of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention.
6 is a plan view of a slope adjustment unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a front view of a movable part of a needle unit of an automatic body invasive device according to the present invention.
8 is a left side view of the movable part of the needle unit of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention.
9 is a front enlarged view of a vacuum tube driving unit according to the present invention.
10 is an enlarged view of the right side of the vacuum tube driving unit according to the present invention.
11 is a side view of a probe unit, a body compression unit, and a body contact supply unit of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention.
12 is a side view of the probe unit according to the present invention, and is a view for explaining a method of detecting an invasion position;
13 is a front view of a probe unit, a body compression unit, and a body contact supply unit of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention;
14 is an enlarged front view of a body pressing unit and a body contact supply unit according to the present invention;
15 is an enlarged side view of a body pressing unit and a body contact supply unit according to the present invention.
16 shows an example of a body contact band;
17 is a flowchart of an automatic body invasion method according to the present invention.
18 is a flowchart of a method for detecting a target body part among steps shown in FIG. 10;
19 to 22 are views for explaining a method of detecting a target blood vessel;

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

In this specification, only the minimum components required for the description of the present invention are described, and components not related to the essence of the present invention are not mentioned. And it should not be interpreted as an exclusive meaning that includes only the mentioned components, but should be interpreted as a non-exclusive meaning that may include other components not mentioned.

The exemplary embodiments described herein provide a general understanding of the principles of the structure, function, fabrication and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more such embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting and illustrative examples, the scope of which is defined by the claims. Features shown and described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may also be combined with features of other embodiments. Such modifications or variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, the order of each step should be understood as non-limiting, unless the preceding step logically and temporally necessarily precedes the subsequent step. In other words, except for the above exceptional cases, even if the process described as the later step is performed before the process described as the preceding step, the essence of the invention is not affected, and the scope of rights must also be defined regardless of the order of the steps. And in this specification, "A or B" is defined to mean that it includes both A and B as well as selectively pointing to either one of A and B. In addition, in this specification, the term “including” has a meaning encompassing further including other components in addition to the elements listed as included.

The control method according to the present invention may be executed by an electronic arithmetic device such as a computer, tablet PC, mobile phone, portable arithmetic device, or stationary arithmetic device. Also, it should be understood that one or more methods or aspects of the invention may be executed by at least one processor. The processor may be installed in a computer, tablet PC, mobile device, portable computing device, or the like. A memory configured to store computer program instructions may be installed in such a device and may be specially programmed to cause a processor to execute the program instructions stored therein to execute one or more processes as described herein. In addition, it should be understood that the information and methods described in this specification may be executed by a computer, tablet PC, mobile device, portable computing device, etc. including one or more additional components and processors. In addition, the control logic may be implemented as a non-volatile computer readable medium including program instructions executable by a processor, a controller/control unit, or the like. Examples of computer readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, optical data storage device, and the like. In addition, the computer readable recording medium may be distributed to computers connected through a network, and the computer readable medium may be stored and executed in a distributed manner, for example, by a remote server or a controller area network (CAN).

1 is a block diagram of an automatic body invasion device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention includes a control unit 100, a slope adjustment unit 22, a transfer unit 20, a needle unit movable unit 30, a probe unit 40 ), a vacuum tube driving unit 50, a body compression unit 500, and a body contact material supply unit 600.

The control unit 100 includes a slope adjusting unit 22, a transfer unit 20, a needle unit movable unit 30, a probe unit 40, a vacuum tube driving unit 50, a body pressing unit 500, The operation of the body contact material supply unit 600 is controlled. The controller 100 may be a part of an electronic computing device, and means a logical combination of general-purpose hardware and software that performs its functions. The control command generated by the controller 100 for the operation of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention may be generated by a computer program stored in the above-described computer readable recording medium.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the slope adjusting unit 22 and FIG. 3 shows a side view of the slope adjusting unit 22 .

The slope adjustment unit 22 includes a first driving device 16, a first direction shifting unit 18, a first rotating shaft 17, a body portion 19, a second pneumatic device 145, and a support It includes an arm 14, a support 15, and a detection unit 222 (for example, a vision sensor). The support arm 14 may be provided as at least one pair of arms provided in parallel with each other as shown in FIG. 3, and may be driven toward or away from each other by the second pneumatic device 145. . The support arm 14 may support the needle unit 200 while moving in directions away from each other inside the needle unit 200 and applying force to the inner wall of the needle unit 200 in an outward radial direction. The direction of the slope of the end of the needle of the needle unit 200 can be detected by the detection unit 222 .

When the detected direction of the slope of the needle unit 200 provided on the support 15 is not the desired direction, the first driving device 16 drives the body 19 according to the control command of the controller 100. By rotating with respect to the first rotation shaft 17, the direction of the inclined plane of the scanning needle of the scanning needle unit 200 supported by the support arm 14 is adjusted to a desired direction. The driving force of the first driving device 16 is converted into a direction of rotating the body portion 19 by the first direction changing portion 18 . Changing the transmission direction of the driving force of the first driving device 16 may be implemented by adopting various known kinematic structures, and the first direction changing unit 18 may include a reducer. The direction conversion unit to be described later in this specification may also include a reducer if necessary. The first driving unit 16 may be a rotary driving unit, for example, a normal motor, or a linear driving unit, for example, a linear motor. When using a linear motor, the first direction conversion unit 18 converts a linear motion direction into a rotation direction for rotating the support arm 14 .

The direction changing unit used for the slope adjusting unit 22 as well as other components described later is not an essential component and may not be used according to the design of the driving device.

4 and 5 show a side view and a plan view of the transfer unit 20 of the automatic body invasion device of the present invention, respectively. The conveying unit 20 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be provided with a slope adjustment unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. A plan view of the slope adjusting unit according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6 .

The transfer unit 20 includes a second driving device 23, a movable arm 24, a second rotational shaft 25, a first main body 26, and a second direction changing unit 27. . The movable arm 24 may be provided with a slope adjustment unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. The slope adjustment unit includes at least one roller 214 in contact with the needle unit 200, a seventh driving device 223 configured to rotate the needle unit 200 by rotating the roller 214, and a detecting unit ( 222; not shown in FIGS. 4 to 6). The needle unit 200 is supported on the outside by the first holding part 211 to maintain a predetermined position. The first holding part 211 may include at least one pair of arms parallel to each other, and the arms may be driven closer or farther apart by, for example, a third pneumatic device 215 . When the holding portions 211 come closer to each other and come into contact with the outside of the needle unit, force may be applied to the inside of the needle unit 200 to support it. The holding part 211 may be supported inside the needle unit 200 like the support arm 14 .

A tooth is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the roller 214 so that it can come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the needle unit 200 . If teeth complementary to the teeth are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the needle unit 200, they may come into contact with each other to mesh with each other. The material of the roller 214 may be silicon or synthetic resin or metal.

The slope adjusting unit shown in FIG. 6 further includes movement limiting units 212 and 213 that prevent the needle unit 200 from moving in directions other than the dependent rotational direction caused by the rotation of the roller 214. can include A plurality of movement limiting units 212 and 213 may be provided on the outer circumference of the needle unit 200 .

The movable arm 24 is movable between the first position and the second position by driving the second driving device 23 . In this specification, the term "first position" means a position where the needle unit 200 is provided to the transfer unit 20, and the term "second position" refers to the movement of the needle unit movable unit 30 from the transfer unit 20. means a position where the injection needle unit 200 is delivered. The slope adjusting portion 22 may be adjacent to or provided at the first position, and may be adjacent to or provided at the second position. Alternatively, it may be provided at a third position instead of the first position and the second position. In this case, the movable arm 24 transfers the needle unit 200 from the first position to the third position and slopes the third position. The direction is adjusted, and the needle unit 200 can be transferred from the third position to the second position. In such an embodiment, the movable arm that transfers the needle unit 200 from the first position to the third position and the movable arm that transfers the needle unit 200 from the third position to the second position may be configured separately. .

The position of the slope adjustment unit 22 is irrelevant to the essential technical spirit of the present invention. Alternatively, a plurality of slope adjusting units may be provided. The movable arm 24 may not be necessary if the slope adjuster is provided in the second position.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the moving unit 30 of the needle unit of the automatic body invasion device according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a left side view.

The needle unit movable unit 30 includes a second main body 31, a first pneumatic device 32, a third driving device 33, a fourth driving device 34, a connecting member 35, It includes a third rotating shaft 36, a third direction conversion unit 37, and a vacuum tube driving unit 50.

The needle unit 200 is supported on the connection member 35, and may be supported by at least one pair of second holding parts 321 driven by the first pneumatic device 32. In addition, the vacuum tube driving unit 50 may be supported on the connecting member 35 . A vacuum tube (not shown) is a device that is inserted into the needle unit 200 to suck blood during blood sampling. In this specification, a vacuum tube inserted into the needle unit 200 is described for convenience of description, but other components that can be inserted into the needle unit are also included.

FIG. 9 shows an enlarged front view of the vacuum tube driving unit 50, and FIG. 10 shows an enlarged right side view of the vacuum tube driving unit 50.

The vacuum tube driver 50 includes a bracket 383 connected to the connecting member 35, a vacuum tube support 38, a lead screw 385, a nut 384, a connecting portion 387, and a first 8 drives (39). A guide 386 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the bracket 383 . The connecting portion 387 is coupled to the nut 384 so as to move along with the movement of the nut 384.

The connection part 387 connects the vacuum tube support part 38 and the guide 386.

The vacuum tube support 38 is provided with a recess 382 (see FIG. 9) into which a vacuum tube (not shown) is fitted, in which the recess 382 is provided with a tooth holding part 381 that contacts the side surface of the vacuum tube to be fitted. ) may be provided. Teeth extending along the longitudinal direction of the vacuum tube support 38 may be provided on the tooth retaining portion 381, and the insertion of the vacuum tube is facilitated by the tooth retaining portion 381, while the vacuum tube is detached. that can be prevented. In addition, since teeth extending along the longitudinal direction of the vacuum tube support 38 are provided, straightness and center of the vacuum tube can be maintained when the vacuum tube is inserted into the needle unit 200 . The tooth retaining portion 381 may be provided rotatably about an axis in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum tube support portion 38 .

When the movable arm 24 moves from the first position to the second position, after the second holding part 321 supports the needle unit 200 by the operation of the first pneumatic device 32 at the second position, The maintenance of the holding unit 211 and the needle unit 200 is released by the operation of the third pneumatic device 215, so that the needle unit 200 can be transferred. After the needle unit 200 is delivered, the movable arm 24 may return to the first position.

The connecting member 35 may be provided with a slope adjusting portion configured as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 . In an embodiment in which the needle unit 200 is supplied to the needle unit movable unit 30 as shown in FIG. 7 and a slope adjustment unit is provided in the needle unit movable unit 30, the transfer unit 20 may not be necessary.

In a state where the needle unit 200 is transferred to the needle unit movable part 30 and supported by the second holding part 321, the vacuum tube inserted into the vacuum tube support part 38 can be inserted into the needle unit 200. . The vacuum tube may be previously supported by the vacuum tube support part 38, or the vacuum tube may be inserted into the vacuum tube support part 38 while the needle unit 200 is supported by the second holding part 321.

When the eighth driving device 39 is operated in a state where the vacuum tube is inserted into the vacuum tube support 38, the nut 384 moves downward along the lead screw 385. The connection part 387 moves together by the movement of the nut 384, and the vacuum tube support part 38 connected to the connection part 387 also moves along the guide 386 toward the needle unit 200, and is connected to the needle unit 200. inserted

The needle unit 200 into which the vacuum tube is inserted is aligned in an orientation capable of invading the body by the third driving device 33 and the fourth driving device 34 and invades the target body.

First, the third drive device 33 is driven to rotate the second body portion 31 about the third rotation axis 36 to have a predetermined invasive orientation angle. The driving force of the third driving device 33 is converted into rotational force about the third rotational shaft 36 by the third direction conversion unit 37 . With the second main body 31 rotated at a predetermined angle, the fourth driving device 34 is driven to move the connecting member 35 along the longitudinal direction of the second main body 31 to perform invasion. do. A ball screw is provided along the longitudinal direction of the second body portion 31 so that the connecting member 35 can move.

Adjusting the invasive orientation angle of the needle unit 200 by driving the third driving device 33 may be performed at a separate third position, and then the needle unit 200 may be transferred to the invasive position. .

Although not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the second main body portion 31 may be provided to move in at least one of the left and right directions of FIG. 7 and the left and right directions of FIG. 8 or in another direction.

Although the second body portion 31 can be adjusted to an invasive orientation by means of the third driving device 33, the orientation can also be manually adjusted without the third driving device 33. For example, the user may adjust the orientation by rotating the second body portion 31 so as to have a predetermined angle toward the body to be invaded.

11 shows a side view of the probe unit 40, the body compression unit 500, and the body contact material supply unit 600 according to the present invention.

The probe unit 40 according to the present invention includes a probe 41, a probe support 42, a fifth drive unit 43, a sixth drive unit 44, a rail unit 45, and a movable unit. (46), a fourth direction shifting portion (47), a pressing portion (48) configured to press the target body, and a pressing portion holder (485). The probe 41 may be, for example, an ultrasonic probe. The pressing part 48 may be rotatably supported by the pressing part holder 485 and may take the form of a roller. The pressing part 48 and the probe support part 42 are connected to each other by an elastic member 49 (for example, a spring) so that the pressing part 48 can press the body with a predetermined force. 12 is a side view of the probe unit 40 for explaining a state in which the pressing part 48 presses the body. The illustration of the body compression unit 500 and the body contact supply unit 600 is omitted so that such a state can be clearly shown.

By the operation of the fifth driving device 43, the probe support 42 can rotate in the left and right directions about the fourth rotation axis 475, that is, when viewed from the front shown in FIG. 13 .

When the probe support 42 rotates about the fourth rotation axis 475, the probe 41 supported by the probe support 42 moves in the width direction of the body part supported by the body support 300, for example, the lower arm. The site of invasion can be detected.

The driving force of the fifth driving device 43 may be converted into rotational force for rotating the probe support 42 about the fourth rotation shaft 475 by the fourth direction changing unit 47 .

The movable part 46 can move along the longitudinal direction of the rail part 45 by the operation of the 6th driving device 44. A ball screw may be provided in the rail unit 45 .

The probe unit 40 may move in the longitudinal direction of the body 400 . An example of a method for detecting the location of a target body (eg, superficial vein) will be described later. If the target body is a blood vessel, position detection becomes easier if detected after straightening. 48) can straighten the body by pressing it. On the other hand, the range that the pressing unit 48 presses for straightening may be set within a predetermined range as a significant distance for target body detection.

A body compression unit 500 is provided at the front of the probe unit 40 . The body pressing unit 500 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 . In this specification, for convenience of description, the case where the body part to be pressed is the upper arm is described, but the body part to be pressed may be other than the upper arm.

The body compression unit 500 includes a compression band 510, a ninth driving device 520, at least one pair of moving parts 530 supporting both sides of the compression band 510, and a first support frame ( 540), the coupling 550, the encoder 560, the first nut 570, the second nut 580, and the moving part 530 are supported and guide rods for guiding the movement of the moving part ( 590). The guide rod 590 may be a lead screw. The first nut 570 and the second nut 580 are connected to the at least one pair of moving parts 530, respectively, and the at least one pair of moving parts according to the movement of the first nut 570 and the second nut 580. 530 to move together.

When the lower arm 400 is placed on the body support 300, the upper arm 410 passes through the compression band 510. The compression band 510 may be provided so as not to touch the upper arm 410 in an initial state before compression is applied. If the compression band 510 does not come into contact with the upper arm 410 before compression, it is possible to prevent skin from being chafed by the pressure band during compression and thus being abraded.

The coupling 550 transmits the driving force of the ninth driving device 520 by connecting the output shaft of the ninth driving device 520 and the guide bar 590 . The first nut 570 and the second nut 580 are moved along the guide rod 590 by the operation of the ninth driving device 520, and the first nut 570 and the second nut 580 are the guide Threads are formed to move in opposite directions along the rod 590 .

The first nut 570 moves together with the left moving part 530 in FIG. 14 , and the second nut 580 moves together with the right moving part 530 .

The encoder 560 is a sensor that detects the rotational speed and direction of the ninth drive device 520 .

The upper arm compression unit 500 may further include a pressure sensor (not shown) capable of measuring pressure applied to the upper arm.

Next, the body contact material supply unit 600 will be described.

The body contact object may be a hemostatic band attached to the blood collection site for hemostasis after blood collection, or may be a gel applied to the skin by an ultrasonic probe to detect the blood collection location before blood collection.

According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately provide a body contact to a body invasive position or a desired position while continuously supplying such a body contact in the form of a roller.

The body contact supply unit 600 includes a first roller 610, a first changeover roller 615, a second changeover roller 640, a third changeover roller 650, and a fourth changeover roller 655. ) and a second roller 620. A first band roll 611 is wound around the first roller 610 , and a second band roll 621 is wound around the second roller 620 . If the first band roll 611 is a body contact roll before use, the second band roll 621 is a body contact roll after use, that is, a roll from which the body contact is removed, and the second band roll 621 is a body contact roll before use. If it is a contact material roll, the first band roll 611 becomes a body contact material roll after use, that is, a roll from which the body contact material is removed.

When the first band roll 611 is a body contact roll before use, the first band roll 611 includes, from the first roller 610, the first conversion roller 615, the second conversion roller 640, After passing through the third changeover roller 650 and the fourth changeover roller 655, it proceeds to the second roller 620, and the body contact roll after use is wound around the second roller 620.

The second changeover roller 640 is driven by the tenth driving device 660 (see FIG. 15), and the second roller 620 is driven by the eleventh driving device (not shown), so that the band 630 is formed as described above. direction can be supplied.

The first auxiliary roller 642 cooperates with the second changeover roller 640 to advance the band in the feeding direction. The second auxiliary roller 652 cooperates with the third changeover roller 650 to advance the band in the feeding direction.

As shown in FIG. 15, the band 630 may be disposed to pass over the upper part of the lower arm 400, and the upper part of the band 630 may be pressed to release the body contact object attached to the band 630. A press part 680 that can be attached to or applied to the body is disposed. The press unit 680 may be driven by a predetermined driving means, for example, a solenoid valve (not shown) to press the upper portion of the band 630 at a predetermined position.

The body contact material supply unit 600 according to the present invention may position the body contact material in a plurality of directions along a predetermined rail system so that the body contact material is attached or disposed at a position to be applied. For example, position control can be performed by connecting a predetermined bracket supporting the aforementioned body contact material supply unit 600 to a rail system capable of moving in a plurality of directions. The technique of controlling the position of the bracket by moving it in a plurality of directions through the rail system can be easily implemented by applying a known technique, and since it is not an essential technical idea of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

16 shows an example of a band 630 of the present invention. The band 630 may be provided with a body contact object, for example, a hemostatic band that stops bleeding after blood collection or a gel for detecting an invasion location using an ultrasonic probe. The gel provided to the band 630 may be in the form of a solid gel.

When the hemostatic band and the solid gel are provided in the band 630, the first zone (A) and the second zone (B) may be alternately disposed, for example, the hemostatic band is in the first zone (A), A solid gel may be placed in Zone 2 (B). The number of body contacts provided to the band 630 is not limited, and two or more types of contacts may be provided as needed.

Next, the operation and control method of the present invention will be described. The sequence of each step in FIGS. 17 and 21 should be understood as non-limiting, unless a preceding step must logically and temporally necessarily precede a subsequent step. In other words, except for the above exceptional cases, even if the process described as the later step is performed before the process described as the preceding step, the essence of the invention is not affected, and the scope of rights must also be defined regardless of the order of the steps.

In step 1100, a needle unit 200 is supplied. The needle unit 200 may be supplied to the slope adjusting unit 22 . In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the needle unit 200 may be supplied to be supported on the support 15 . In the embodiment of the slope adjusting unit shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , the needle unit 200 may be supplied so that the needle unit 200 is supported by the holding unit 211 and disposed between the rollers 214 . As described above, the slope adjusting unit may be provided at or adjacent to at least one of the first and second positions, and may be provided at or adjacent to a third position other than the first or second positions.

When the needle unit 200 is supplied, the detection unit 222 recognizes the direction of the slope and the position of the end of the needle (step 1110). If the recognized direction of the needle slope is different from the set direction, the first driving device 16 or the seventh driving device 223 receives and operates the command of the control unit 100 to rotate the needle unit 200, thereby rotating the slope direction of the needle. Adjust (step 1120). When the first driving device 16 operates, the body 19 rotates about the first rotation shaft 17, and the needle unit 200 supported by the support arm 14 rotates.

In the slope adjusting unit of another embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , when the seventh driving device 223 operates, the roller 214 rotates, thereby rotating the needle unit 200 to adjust the slope direction.

When the slope direction of the needle adjusted by the detection unit 222 reaches the set value, the operation of the first driving device 16 or the seventh driving device 223 is stopped and the position information of the adjusted needle slope is transmitted to the control unit 100. Synchronize with the recorded value (step 1130).

In step 1132, the body compression unit 500 presses the upper arm. When the ninth driving device 520 operates, the guide rod 590 connected to the output shaft of the ninth driving device 520 through the coupling 550 rotates, and the first nut 570 and the first nut 570 are rotated according to the rotation. The two nuts 580 move in a direction closer to each other, and the compression band presses the upper arm 410 accordingly.

Next, the position of the target body is selected (step 1140). A selection process when the target body is a superficial vein is shown in FIG. 18 .

First, the probe 41 is moved near the blood vessel (step 1141). Subsequently, straightening is performed by moving the probe unit 40 while pressing the blood vessel with the pressing unit 48 (step 1142). The pressing unit 48 can be moved only within a predetermined range of the target body. When the blood vessel is straightened by the pressing part 48, ultrasound scanning and blood collection are facilitated. The pressing force of the pressing unit 48 may be pressed with a constant force optimized in the range of 0 to 19.6N.

When blood vessel straightening is completed, the probe 41 is brought into contact with the target body, an ultrasound image is obtained (operation 1143), and the position of the target vessel is determined through image processing of the acquired ultrasound image (operation 1144).

Meanwhile, blood pressure and pulse may be measured using the ultrasound probe 41 at the same time as determining the location of the target blood vessel or with a time difference therebetween. That is, when the ultrasonic probe 41 is brought into contact with the body to detect the position of a blood vessel, blood pressure and pulse rate can be measured together by measuring the amount of blood flow. When blood pressure and/or pulse are measured together, there is an effect of identifying in advance the possibility of vasovagal syncope, which may occur during blood sampling, and taking measures.

When measuring blood pressure or pulse, blood flow can be measured through an image obtained while moving the ultrasound probe 41 while changing the pressure applied by the upper arm compression unit 500 to the upper arm. The ultrasound probe 41 may measure blood flow while moving toward or away from the upper arm.

In step 1150, the needle unit 200 is moved to the second position. When the slope adjusting unit 22 is disposed at or adjacent to the first position, it receives a command from the control unit 100 while the movable arm 24 supports the needle unit 200 whose slope direction is adjusted. The second driving device 23 is operated to rotate the movable arm 24 about the second rotation axis so that it can move from the first position to the second position. The movement from the first position to the second position does not necessarily have to be performed only through the rotation of the movable arm 24, and any kinematic position change structure known or known to those skilled in the art can be applied. can do.

Step 1150 may be unnecessary if the slope adjuster 22 is disposed at or adjacent to the second position. In this embodiment, in a state where the needle unit 200 is supported by the needle unit movable unit 30, the slope adjusting unit shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 or 4 to 6 may adjust the slope direction.

When the slope adjusting portion 22 is provided in the third position, the movable arm 24 can move from the first position to the third position, adjust the slope direction in the third position, and then move to the second position. there is.

After the needle unit 200 is moved to the second position or a slope adjustment is made at a position adjacent to the second position, a vacuum tube is inserted into the needle unit 200 (step 1152).

When the eighth driving device 39 operates, the lead screw 385 rotates, and the nut 384 moves along the lead screw 385 accordingly. The connection part 387 moves along the guide 386 by the movement of the nut 384, and the vacuum tube support part 38 connected to the connection part 387 moves in the direction of the needle unit 200 and is inserted.

In a state where the needle unit 200 into which the vacuum tube is inserted is supported by the needle unit movable part 30, the third driving device 33 operates according to the command of the control unit 100 to move the second body part 31 to a predetermined level. is rotated at an angle of , that is, an angle for body invasion, and the fourth driving device 34 receives a command from the control unit 100 and moves the connecting member 35 along the longitudinal direction of the second body portion 31 to invade the body. is executed (step 1160). When the target body is a superficial vein, blood may be collected after invasion. Although not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the second main body portion 31 may be provided to move in at least one of the left and right directions of FIG. 7 and the left and right directions of FIG. 8 or in another direction.

When the blood collection is completed, a blood collection band may be attached to the blood collection site, that is, the invasive location (step 1162). The press unit 680 is moved downward by a driving device (for example, a solenoid valve; not shown), and presses the band 630 to bring it into contact with the blood collection site, so that the hemostasis band provided to the band 630 is removed from the blood collection site. can be attached to When the contact/attachment is completed, the press unit 680 moves upward, and the second change roller 640 and the third change roller 650 are driven so that the next body contact object comes to the corresponding position.

Step 1162 may be performed before step 1140 if the body contact is a solid gel.

In step 1164, the upper arm compression state is released. When the ninth driving device 520 is operated so that the first nut 570 and the second nut 580 move away from each other, the moving part 530 moves away from each other and the compression band pressing the upper arm 410 ( 510) is released.

Hereinafter, an example of a method of detecting a location of a body part to be invaded (a superficial vein will be described as an example) by processing a video image acquired by the ultrasound probe 41 will be described. The detection method described below is the content described in Patent Application No. 10-2020-0010302 of the present applicant, and is meaningful only as an exemplary use to help understanding of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the present invention. don't

19 shows a flow chart of a method for determining superficial vein location via probe detection.

In order to search for the location of the superficial vein, the subject first puts the upper arm in a brachial compression unit (not shown) and performs upper arm compression (step 1200). The upper arm compression unit includes a compression means of 1 to 5 cm, and the compression means compresses the upper arm at 3 to 12 cm above the elbow, preferably 6 to 8 cm. Compression pressure may be 10 to 60 mmHg, preferably 20 to 30 mmHg. It is okay for the upper arm compression unit to perform the process described below without compressing the upper arm.

19 shows that the upper arm compression is performed before moving the ultrasound probe 41, but the upper arm compression may be performed after the ultrasound probe 41 starts acquiring the first image data after moving the ultrasound probe 41. there is. When performing upper arm compression after starting to acquire the first image data, first image data before performing upper arm compression and first image data after performing upper arm compression may be obtained.

Returning to FIG. 19 , after upper arm compression, the ultrasound probe 41 is moved to a position separated by a predetermined distance, for example, 1 mm from the subject's body (step 1205).

A body position of the subject where the ultrasound probe 41 is disposed may be 0 to 8 cm, preferably 1 to 3 cm, from the crook of the arm to the hand, where the median cubital vein is located.

In operation 1210, first image data is acquired while moving the ultrasound probe 41 toward the body of the subject. The first image data is image data before the ultrasound probe 41 contacts the body of the examinee, and may include image data before the upper arm is compressed and image data after the upper arm is compressed.

Second image data is collected while the ultrasound probe 41 is in contact with and presses on the subject's body. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the subject's body may be compressed by means other than the ultrasound probe 41 .

The first and second image data may include image data analyzed through a Doppler effect among sound wave signals of blood flow. According to another embodiment of the present invention, only one of the first image data and the second image data may be used.

The acquired first and second image data are converted into a format and size usable by a program executing the method according to the present invention by the image data processing module 30 (step 1220). According to another embodiment of the present invention, image data analysis described below may be performed without conversion of image data.

The converted image data is analyzed by the machine learning server 140, for example, through a convolutional neural network, and pixels of a target target and an avoidance target are displayed in the image data (step 1225).

In the present specification, a target target refers to a blood vessel such as a superficial vein or artery, and an avoidance target refers to an artery, nerve, bone tissue, and the like. For example, depending on the purpose, an artery, nerve, bone tissue, etc., which are determined as avoidance targets when checking the location of a superficial vein, may be set as the target target.

A method of displaying the target target and the avoidance target may be displayed in pixel units, or may be displayed as a bound-box through a central value, a boundary, and a distance. Alternatively, information about the shape, such as a center value, circle/ellipse, or rectangle, and information for specifying the shape, such as radius/distance information of two or more points/length of one side, may be stored together.

Convolutional neural network learning, which is an example of machine learning for use in the present invention, will be described.

In order to learn a convolutional neural network, it is necessary to perform learning through training data in advance. Image data used for learning the convolutional neural network may be preprocessed to increase the generality of the data using a data augmentation technique including random cropping, resizing, and horizontal flipping of the first and second image data as described above.

The machine learning server acquires and stores information corresponding to the characteristics of the goal target and the avoidance target through convolutional neural network learning.

Such feature information includes the intensity of echogenicity of components identified in ultrasound image data, pattern information of distribution of echogenic components, relative location information of distribution of components identified in image data, subject's height, weight, gender, and age. , afflicted diseases, past or current treatment information, information when compressed by an ultrasound probe or other means, and real-time flow information of blood flow analyzed through Doppler images.

The information at the time of compression, unlike arteries, when the skin surface is pressed with an ultrasound probe or other means, veins are directly compressed and reduced in size, or compressed in the proximal portion to cause congestion and swell in size. It may include information about it.

Real-time information of blood flow is useful for target detection because arteries, which are one of the avoidance targets, have fast blood flow, so Doppler signals are strong and periodically increase and decrease and pulsate, unlike veins.

Convolutional neural network learning may be trained to display pixels corresponding to locations of a target target and an avoidance target within image data based on the feature information.

The learning (training) may be, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or semi-supervised learning.

In the case of supervised learning, training can be performed while comparing with an image with the correct answer. If the correct answer and the target target and avoidance target found by the convolutional neural network are different, the loss function can be trained in a direction that reduces the loss. The loss function can be BCEloss (Binary Cross Entropy loss) or Crossentropy, and the optimizer can use adam, RMSprop, or stochastic gradient descent. And evaluation can be performed through dice coefficient loss, etc.

When the target target and the avoidance target are determined through machine learning such as convolutional neural network learning, the process proceeds to step 1230 to determine the final target target.

20 shows a flowchart of the specific process of step 1230.

In step 1300, it is determined whether the target target found in step 1225 exists. If there is a target target, the process proceeds to step 1305 to determine whether the searched target target is one or two or more. First, the case where there is only one target will be described.

If there is only one target target, it is determined whether the boundary of the target target overlaps the boundary of the image data (step 1335). If they do not overlap, go to step 1310. If they do, go to step 1355, move the ultrasonic probe 41 so that the coordinates of the boundary surface are positioned inside the image data, for example, in the center, and return to step 1210. Carry out the following procedure. The subject's body may be moved without moving the ultrasound probe 41 .

In step 1310, the maximum inscribed circle diameter, which is one of the size-based information of the target target, is calculated. The maximum inscribed circle means an inscribed circle having the largest size among circles into which only pixels of a target target can be entered. In addition to the maximum inscribed circle diameter, information based on the size of the target target includes other information such as the maximum and minimum lengths of horizontal and vertical lines that can be drawn within the target target, the maximum and minimum distance from the center of gravity of the target target to the boundary line of the target target, and the area of the target target. information can be

Then, depth, which is depth-based information of the target target, is calculated (step 1315), and it is determined whether the corresponding target target satisfies the first and second criteria (step 1320). "Depth-based information" includes not only simple depth but also various other information related to depth.

When the target target is a superficial vein, the first criterion is a criterion for determining whether the maximum inscribed circle diameter is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (first value). The first value may be determined within an operating error range of the device. For example, if the maximum inscribed circle diameter is less than 2 mm, the target target may be classified as an avoidance target (step 1375). If the maximum inscribed circle diameter is greater than or equal to the first value, it is determined that the first criterion is satisfied.

When the size-based information is information on the lengths of horizontal and vertical lines that can be drawn within the target target, the first criterion may be to determine whether the maximum and minimum lengths of the horizontal and vertical lines are greater than or equal to a predetermined value, respectively. . For example, when the minimum length of the horizontal line and the vertical line is less than 2 mm, the target target may be classified as an avoidance target. If the target target is not singular, a target target having a greater sum, product, or average of horizontal and vertical lines may be selected as a final target target candidate (step 1370).

In an embodiment in which the size-based information is the maximum and minimum distances from the center of gravity of the target target to the boundary line, a criterion for determining whether the maximum and minimum distances are greater than or equal to a predetermined value may be the first criterion. For example, when the minimum distance from the center of gravity of the target target to the boundary of the target target is less than 2 mm, the target target may be classified as an avoidance target. When there are a plurality of target targets, a target target having a greater sum, product, or average of distances from the center of gravity to the target boundary line may be selected as a final target target candidate (step 1370).

In an embodiment in which the size-based information is area information, a criterion for determining whether the area is greater than or equal to a predetermined value may be the first criterion. For example, when the area of the target target is less than 10 mm ² , the corresponding target target may be classified as an avoidance target, and when there are a plurality of target targets, a target target having a larger area may be selected as a final target target candidate ( step 1370)

The second criterion is a criterion for determining whether the depth of the target target is less than or equal to a predetermined value (second value), for example, 1 cm. If the depth of the target target is greater than the second value, the corresponding target target is determined as an avoidance target (step 1375). This is to exclude deep veins rather than superficial veins because hemostasis is more difficult than superficial veins, and also to exclude arteries, which are avoidable targets. If the depth is greater than the second value, the second criterion is applied because the injection needle may cause a deep wound while entering, and there may be important anatomical structures or nerves in the invasion path. If the depth of the target target is equal to or smaller than the second value, it is determined that the second criterion is passed.

If the first criterion and the second criterion are satisfied, it is determined whether an avoidance target exists in the straight path between the target target and the skin surface (step 1325; third criterion). If there is an avoidance target in the straight path, the avoidance target may be a nerve on the side of the arm.

If the decision result of step 1325 is "No", the target target is determined as the final target target (step 1330).

The final destination target may be determined when all of the first to third determination criteria are satisfied, but the final target may be determined when at least one of the first to third determination criteria is satisfied.

A case where the number of target targets searched in step 1225 is plural will be described.

When a plurality of target targets are searched for, the process proceeds to step 1360 to calculate the maximum inscribed circle size of each target target. Then, each maximum inscribed circle size is compared (step 1365), and a final target candidate is selected according to a third criterion (step 1370).

The third criterion is as follows. In principle, a target target having the largest size of the largest inscribed circle is selected as a candidate for the final target target, but the difference in size between the target target having the next largest inscribed circle and the target target having the next largest inscribed circle is a predetermined value (third value). For example, within 10%, a target target close to the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe, for example, close to the central point of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe may be determined as a final target target candidate.

Even when size-based information other than the size of the maximum inscribed circle is used as the first information, if the difference between the comparison values is within a predetermined value, the target target is close to the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe, for example, close to the center point of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe. may be determined as a candidate for the final target.

When the candidate for the final target is determined in step 1370, the process moves to step 1315, and the above-described subsequent processes are executed so that the final target is determined or an avoidance target is determined.

In step 1300, if it is determined that the target target does not exist, it is determined whether the target target search is performed a predetermined number of times or more. In the case of a predetermined number of times, for example, 2 or 3 times or more, the step 1380 is performed to search for a target target for the opposite arm. If the number of times is less than the predetermined number of times, the process proceeds to step 1210 to move the ultrasound probe 41 to acquire first image data. At this time, the first image data is obtained by moving the ultrasound probe 41 to a position that does not overlap with the previous image.

When the final target is determined through the above process, in step 1235, the coordinates of the center of the final target are calculated. The needle unit 200 performs an invasion with central coordinates.

The center coordinate is determined as the coordinate of a point (x) at the maximum distance from an arbitrary point (x _i ) inside the maximum inscribed circle including only pixels of the final target target.

After the calculation of the central coordinates is completed, if the blood vessel surface is passed a predetermined number of times, for example, two or more times within a linear path between the corresponding central coordinates and the skin surface, the final target target may be excluded.

On the other hand, a circle having a predetermined diameter, for example, 1 mm is drawn for all pixels in the final target target, and a predetermined ratio, for example, 30 to 95%, preferably 50 to 70% or more of the pixels inside the circle is drawn. If a pixel is classified as an end-target, then that pixel is the end-target; otherwise, the pixel is deleted.

As shown in FIG. 22 , since all pixels (more than a predetermined ratio) exist in a circle 1520 drawn based on the pixel 1510, the corresponding pixel 1510 can be classified as a pixel of the final target. Since pixels other than pixels of the final target do not exist in the circle 1511 drawn based on the pixel 1530 at a predetermined rate or more, the corresponding pixel 1530 may be removed from the final target.

This process is a process for smoothing the boundary surface of the final target target and excluding the possibility of pixels that may be misclassified.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the scope of the present invention is determined by the claims described below and should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments and / or drawings. And it should be clearly understood that improvements, changes and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art of the invention described in the claims are also included in the scope of the present invention.

14: support arm 15: support
16: first driving device 17: first rotational shaft
18: first direction conversion unit 19: body unit
20: transfer unit 22: slope adjustment unit
23: second driving device 24: movable arm
25: second rotation shaft 26: first body portion
27: second direction changing unit 30: needle unit movable unit
31: second body part 32: first pneumatic device
33: 3rd driving device 34: 4th driving device
35: connecting member 36: third rotation shaft
37: third direction conversion unit 38: vacuum tube support unit
39: eighth drive unit 40: probe unit
41: probe 42: probe support
43: fifth drive unit 44: sixth drive unit
45: rail part 46: moving part
47: fourth direction conversion unit 48: pressing unit
49: elastic member 50: vacuum tube driving unit
100: control unit 140: machine learning server
145: second pneumatic device 200: needle unit
211: first holding part 212,213: movement limiting part
214: roller 215: third pneumatic device
222: detection unit 223: seventh driving device
300: body support part 321: second holding part
381: tooth holding part 382: recess
383: bracket 384: nut
385: lead screw 386: guide
387: connection part 400: body
475: 4th rotation shaft 485: pressing part holder
500: body compression unit 510: compression band
520: ninth driving device 530: moving unit
540: first support prime 550: coupling
560: encoder 570: first nut
580: second nut 590: guide rod
600: body contact supply unit 610: first roller
611: first band roll 612: rotation shaft (610 roller rotation)
615: first conversion roller 616: rotation shaft (615 roller rotation)
620: second roller 621: second band roll
630: band 640: second conversion roller
642: first auxiliary roller 643: rotation shaft (642 roller rotation)
650: third conversion roller 652: second auxiliary roller
655: fourth conversion roller 660: tenth driving device
670: second support frame 680: press part

Claims (5)

In the automatic body invasion device,
An injection needle unit support for supporting an injection needle that invades the body;
A probe unit including a probe for detecting an invasive body part, a probe support, a driving device, and a pressing unit;
The probe unit is rotatably provided in the width direction of the body part to be invaded by the operation of the driving device,
The pressing unit is configured to fix blood vessels while traveling along the skin in a state of contact with the skin.
Body automatic invasion device.
The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a direction conversion unit that converts the driving force of the driving device into a rotational force that enables the probe unit to rotate in the width direction.
Body automatic invasion device.
delete According to claim 1 or 2,
The probe unit further comprises an elastic member connecting the pressing portion and the probe support portion.
Body automatic invasion device.
According to claim 1 or claim 2,
Further comprising a linear driving device for moving the probe unit in the vertical direction,
Body automatic invasion device.

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