WO2024239607A1 - Lymph node regulation and control system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A lymph node regulation and control system and method. The system comprises a measurement module, a data processing module, a control module and a stimulation module, wherein the stimulation module utilizes non-invasive external stimulation of direct current to regulate and control superficial lymph nodes of the whole body, so as to promote the immune system to work. In addition, by means of utilizing the characteristics of easily controllable action ranges and simple equipment of electric stimulation, the present invention improves the accuracy of lymphatic regulation and control and reduces use cost, thus expanding the application range of the system.

Description

A lymph node regulation system and method Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of medical technology, and in particular to a lymph node regulation system and method.

Background Art

As an auxiliary system of blood circulation, lymphatic circulation can, on the one hand, regulate the balance between plasma and tissue fluid and take away some metabolic products; on the other hand, it can also transport a small amount of protein substances that pass through the blood vessels back into the blood, making it difficult for such macromolecules to penetrate into the capillaries, thereby improving microcirculation.

In anatomy, the lymphatic system used to execute lymphatic circulation specifically includes lymphatic ducts, lymphatic tissues and lymphatic organs, among which lymphatic organs are composed of lymph nodes, thymus, spleen and tonsils. As an important part of the lymphatic system, lymph nodes are not only distributed in the lymphatic channels throughout the body, but also arranged along blood vessels near the inner cavity organs. This important immune tissue organ is not only the place where lymph flows, gathers and filters, but also the place where T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes reside and reproduce, and it is also an important base for the occurrence of immune response. Stimulating lymph nodes through external factors can promote blood and lymph circulation, enhance the phagocytic function of macrophages, improve human immunity, promote recovery of the patient, and thus play a role in strengthening the body and eliminating evil.

Therefore, people have designed a series of methods or products to stimulate lymph nodes through external influences, such as acupuncture electrothermal stimulation therapy. This method uses a 25 or 26-gauge, 4-6-inch long needle to penetrate the patient's lymph nodes, and uses an EC-I electrotherapy device to make the patient feel warm and swollen. The stimulated lymph nodes are usually located in the vicinity of the treated area, such as the axillary lymph nodes for the upper limbs and chest, the inguinal lymph nodes for the lower limbs and abdomen, and the lymph nodes behind the ears for the head. The needle retention time is usually 30-40 minutes, once a day, and 12 times as a course of treatment, achieving the purpose of regulating lymph nodes. However, this method also has obvious shortcomings: on the one hand, the execution of this method requires puncturing the skin, which may cause discomfort to the user or increase the risk of infection; on the other hand, the depth of the needle is not easy to accurately control, the spatial resolution is low, and the target area cannot be accurately stimulated, which affects the effect.

In response to the above problems that easily cause discomfort to people and low spatial resolution, researchers have developed technologies that use physical fields to regulate lymph nodes, mainly including light stimulation, ultrasonic stimulation, etc. The advantage of this technology is that, on the one hand, the stimulation can directly act on the target cells, and the cell activity can be precisely controlled by adjusting the parameters; on the other hand, the technology is non-invasive, repeatable, and adjustable, avoiding the potential risks and adverse effects of traditional surgical treatments. Therefore, applying physical field regulation technology to the scene of lymph node regulation can not only improve the adaptability of users and complete the regulation in a safer and more comfortable way, but also improve the adjustability of stimulation parameters, achieving higher spatiotemporal resolution and precise stimulation effects.

Technical issues

At present, researchers have achieved physical field regulation of brain and cervical lymph nodes using light stimulation and ultrasound stimulation, but the application scenarios of these methods are relatively narrow and cannot meet existing needs, which needs to be solved urgently. Advantages of this solution: The use of electrical stimulation can stimulate the corresponding parts more accurately, with better stimulation effects and better user experience.

Technical Solutions

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and solve at least one defect in the above-mentioned background technology.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a lymph node regulation system is provided, comprising: a detection module for collecting lymph node image information; a data processing module for acquiring lymph node distribution information based on the lymph node image information; a control module for acquiring stimulation information based on the lymph node distribution information, wherein the stimulation information includes electrical stimulation selection; and a stimulation module for performing stimulation operations based on the stimulation information.

In some embodiments, the lymph node regulation system further includes an information feedback module that collects user feedback information and transmits it to the data processing module.

In some embodiments, the information feedback module includes an electrophysiological monitoring unit to measure human body impedance during the stimulation operation.

In some embodiments, the data processing module includes: an image data processing unit, which processes the lymph node image information; a feedback information processing unit, which processes the user feedback information; and a data integration unit, which integrates the information of the image data processing unit and the feedback information processing unit, and outputs data to the control module.

In some embodiments, the image data processing unit performs image segmentation on the lymph node image information to obtain the position, size, shape and number of the lymph nodes.

In some embodiments, the electrical stimulation comprises direct current stimulation.

In some embodiments, the stimulation information further includes stimulation intensity, stimulation duration, stimulation frequency, stimulation cycle and/or temperature.

In some embodiments, the stimulation intensity ranges from 1-3.5 mA.

In some embodiments, the control module includes a condition information processing unit, which identifies the user category through the user condition information, and outputs the stimulation information to the stimulation module according to the mapping relationship between the user category and the stimulation information.

A second aspect of the present invention is a lymph node regulation method, comprising: collecting lymph node image information; obtaining lymph node distribution information based on the lymph node image information; obtaining stimulation information based on the lymph node distribution information, the stimulation information including electrical stimulation selection; and performing stimulation operations based on the stimulation information.

Beneficial Effects

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

(1) The lymph node regulation system and method provided by the present invention utilizes electrical stimulation therapy to regulate superficial lymph nodes throughout the body, thereby promoting lymph flow and improving circulation while enhancing the activity and function of lymphocytes and promoting the work of the immune system.

(2) The electrical stimulation device such as the electrical stimulation patch used in the lymph node regulation system provided by the present invention is relatively simple, has low manufacturing cost, and is easy to use, which makes the system applicable to a wider range of scenarios and provides a new idea for the development of lymph node regulation towards portability.

(3) The lymph node regulation system provided by the present invention adopts an electrical stimulation device with adjustable parameters, which can perform safer and more comfortable stimulation according to individual needs and improve the individual adaptability of the system.

(4) The lymph node regulation system provided by the present invention is provided with a detection module and a data processing module. By collecting lymph node image information and performing image segmentation and other algorithm processing, distribution information with data such as lymph node location, size, and dimensions is obtained, thereby improving the targeting, accuracy, and regulation effect of lymph node regulation.

(5) The lymph node regulation system provided by the present invention is provided with a data integration unit in the data processing module, which integrates the lymph node distribution information and user feedback information to make the best decision, outputs the stimulation parameter information to the control module, and guides the execution of the subsequent stimulation module.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a structural diagram of a lymph node regulation system in an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a lymph node regulation method in an embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention

The technical solution of this patent will be further described in detail below in conjunction with specific implementation methods. It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of this application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by ordinary technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs.

The lymph node stimulation area in the embodiments of the present application includes superficial lymph nodes throughout the body, that is, lymph nodes distributed in the superficial parts of the human body in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which are mainly divided into the following three areas: first, the cervical lymph node group, including preauricular lymph nodes, postauricular lymph nodes, occipital lymph nodes, submandibular lymph nodes, submental lymph nodes, anterior cervical lymph nodes, posterior cervical lymph nodes and supraclavicular lymph nodes; second, the axillary lymph node group, including axillary apex lymph nodes, central lymph nodes, pectoral lymph nodes, subscapular lymph nodes and lateral lymph nodes; third, the inguinal lymph nodes located in the femoral triangle below the inguinal ligament, including the transverse group of the inguinal ligament and the longitudinal group of the inguinal ligament.

The embodiment of the present application provides a lymph node regulation system and method based on the distribution characteristics of human lymph nodes. The system and method achieve the regulation of superficial lymph nodes throughout the body by collecting and analyzing the distribution of lymph nodes in the target area, selecting appropriate stimulation parameters and performing stimulation operations.

Embodiment 1:

As shown in FIG1 , this embodiment provides a lymph node regulation system, including a detection module, a data processing module, a control module, a stimulation module, an information feedback module and a power management module.

Among them, the detection module is used to obtain the image information of lymph node distribution and transmit the data to the data processing module. The data processing module uses an algorithm to convert the data into various data of the lymph nodes, and converts them into appropriate stimulation parameters through the control module, and then produces a stimulation effect under the action of the stimulation module. The information feedback module is an auxiliary module, which is used to feedback the user's subjective information and then fine-tune some stimulation parameters. The power management module manages the power supply of the system to ensure the stable operation of the system.

Specifically, the detection module in this embodiment uses ultrasound contrast imaging techniques such as B-mode ultrasound and color Doppler ultrasound to collect the image data of superficial lymph nodes throughout the body. In addition, data can also be obtained through methods such as electronic computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. On the one hand, this module improves the accuracy of stimulating the target area, and on the other hand, it has good controllability and can flexibly control various parameters according to the target area, so that the system has higher safety and better stimulation effect.

The information feedback module can complete information feedback based on the subjective information of the user asked by professionals, such as stimulation intensity, heat, and whether there is discomfort and other somatic sensations, in conjunction with the human-computer interaction interface. However, relying entirely on the user's subjective feelings may lead to misjudgment. Therefore, this embodiment is also provided with an electrophysiological monitoring unit and a body temperature monitoring unit, and closed-loop information feedback is achieved with the help of modern medical means. The electrophysiological monitoring unit is specifically a biodielectric spectrum patch, a conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram, etc., which is used to measure the human body impedance during electrical stimulation in real time, so as to feed back information to the data processing module to determine whether the detection current is too large. In addition, parameters such as heart rate, blood oxygen and blood oxygen saturation can also be calculated based on the electrocardiogram, electromyography, body temperature and other data fed back by the two monitoring units. The user feedback information collected by the information feedback module is transmitted to the data processing module and the control module. On the one hand, it can be displayed through display devices such as display screens to timely understand the user's physiological state. On the other hand, the stimulation parameters can be adjusted in real time according to the feedback parameters to improve the stimulation effect and achieve personalized stimulation.

The data processing module receives information from the detection module and the information feedback module and performs calculations and integration, and then transmits data to the control module. The module includes an image data processing unit, a feedback information processing unit, and a data integration unit. Among them, the image data processing unit uses the acquired lymph node image information to calculate and analyze the location, size, shape, number, blood flow and other information of the lymph nodes through image processing algorithms such as preprocessing and image segmentation of the microprocessor; the feedback information processing unit uses the microcontroller to process and analyze according to the content of user feedback, and then obtains somatosensory information; the data integration unit analyzes the information of the image data processing unit and the feedback information processing unit and integrates it to form a three-dimensional stimulation navigation image, and then adjusts the control module. In addition, a human-computer interaction interface can also be set to visualize the data results of the image data processing unit and the data integration unit to display the location, size, shape, number and other information of the user's lymph nodes, and then manually intervene in the data processing method. At the same time, the data processing module can specifically include one or more terminal devices.

The control module is the main control module of the system, which is used to receive information from the data processing module to adjust the stimulation parameters, and transmit the data to the stimulation module to realize the regulation of the superficial lymph nodes of the whole body by the physical field. The control module can specifically include one or more terminal devices, and can also use one or more terminal devices together with the data processing module.

In addition, the control module includes a microprocessor, an electrical control unit, a human-computer interaction interface, etc., wherein the microprocessor controls the parameters of the electrical stimulation, such as stimulation intensity, stimulation duration, stimulation frequency, stimulation cycle, temperature, etc., according to the instructions output by the data processing module. This embodiment uses 24V direct current, and the stimulation intensity, that is, the current value can be adjusted to 1-3.5mA, wherein 1mA stimulation has the best human adaptability. As far as the current path flowing through the human body is concerned, the safety of the device is not only related to the stimulation intensity, but also depends on the stimulation duration, that is, the power-on time, which is generally controlled at about 20 minutes/time. When using, the stimulation intensity and stimulation duration should be adjusted in combination with the user's own situation, and the device should also be avoided in a humid environment.

At the same time, the control module can also be set up with other modal control units such as light control unit and ultrasound control unit, and then perform light stimulation and ultrasound stimulation in the subsequent stimulation module to assist in regulation. The human-computer interaction interface set up by the control module includes a system display screen, a system power button, a current adjustment knob and a control button to undertake input functions such as input feedback information, and then manually intervene in each control unit, including mode selection and parameter setting.

Furthermore, the control module may also be provided with a disease information processing unit, which collects the user's diagnosis report, medical history, physical examination report and other disease data and lymph node information through an artificial interactive interface, and analyzes and processes them to determine the category to which the user belongs, and then realizes automatic selection of stimulation parameters based on the mapping relationship between the user category and the stimulation, and guides the execution of subsequent stimulation modules. Among them, the mapping relationship between the user category and the stimulation parameter can be manually pre-set, or it can be determined after big data analysis of a large amount of disease data. It should be noted that the weights of each data in the user's disease information may be different, and some data items that have a greater impact on health or safety have a greater weight. For example, if a user is allergic to high-frequency electrical stimulation, the corresponding stimulation frequency for the user can only be low-frequency.

The stimulation module is used to generate non-invasive physical stimulation, and its target area is the superficial lymph nodes of the whole body. Specifically, an electrical stimulation device can be used. In addition to electrical stimulation, other stimulation modalities can also be used for stimulation. At this time, different modes of stimulation can be performed separately, alternately, or simultaneously.

The stimulation module can be a wearable stimulation device of any shape, such as a semi-enclosed cylindrical flexible shell, etc., to improve the user's comfort and experience during the regulation process. In specific applications, the stimulation electrode jack with positive and negative poles, the electrode head with a plug wire and an elastic fabric layer can be assembled in a flexible shell connected to the control module to generate direct current stimulation and have wearable characteristics. In addition, an electrical stimulation patch can also be set to perform the stimulation operation.

The electric current generated by the electrical stimulation device enters the human body through the skin and sweat gland ducts, and while spreading along the lymphatic and blood vessels, it acts on many receptors on the wall of the tube and affects local operation through nerve reflexes. On the one hand, the electric current causes the capillaries to expand and enhances the permeability of the tube wall, improving the blood exchange and nutrition of tissue cells. Specifically, when the electric current acts on the blood vessels, the blood vessels initially show a short-term spasm, and then begin to expand, and in the process, the blood flow rate is accelerated. At the same time, the expansion and relaxation caused by this low-frequency current can also improve the elasticity of the vascular wall, thereby accelerating the exchange with the tissue fluid and promoting lymphatic return. On the other hand, the electric current causes the muscles to contract rhythmically, which squeezes and empties the substances in the veins and lymphatic vessels, producing a "pump" effect to promote venous blood and lymphatic return. In summary, the use of electric current stimulation on human lymph nodes can improve microcirculation and promote blood and lymphatic return.

In addition, this method of using electrical stimulation to regulate lymph nodes has the characteristics of adjustable range of stimulation source, small size, and simple device. On the one hand, it improves the targeting of stimulation to the action area and improves the accuracy of lymph node regulation. On the other hand, it reduces manufacturing costs and improves ease of use, making the system have a wider range of applicable scenarios and showing the potential for development into a portable device.

Embodiment 2:

As shown in Figure 2, this embodiment provides a lymph node regulation method, which is executed by the above-mentioned lymph node regulation system, including S1, collecting lymph node image information; S2, obtaining lymph node distribution information based on the lymph node image information; S3, obtaining stimulation information such as electrical stimulation selection based on the lymph node distribution information; S4, performing stimulation operations based on the stimulation information.

Specifically, S1. collecting lymph node image information refers to obtaining the image data of superficial lymph nodes throughout the body using ultrasound contrast imaging technology, electronic computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging technology, etc.

S2. Acquiring lymph node distribution information based on lymph node image information refers to using the acquired lymph node image information to calculate and analyze various information such as the location, size, shape, number, blood flow, etc. of the lymph nodes through an image processing algorithm of a microprocessor.

S3. Acquiring stimulation information according to lymph node distribution information refers to selecting appropriate stimulation parameters using the acquired location information, which may be stimulation intensity, stimulation duration, stimulation frequency, stimulation cycle, temperature, and other parameters.

S4. Executing stimulation operation according to stimulation information refers to using radio waves to produce non-invasive physical stimulation to the target area, and specific targets include superficial lymph nodes throughout the body.

Furthermore, the lymph node regulation method may also include S5, obtaining feedback parameters and adjusting the stimulation information in a closed loop according to the feedback parameters, specifically, obtaining feedback indicators and then adjusting the stimulation parameters by collecting user subjective reactions or monitoring user information using electrophysiological technology.

In summary, the present invention provides a lymph node regulation system and method, which utilizes non-invasive external electrical stimulation to regulate the superficial lymph nodes throughout the body, promotes the work of the immune system, and improves the individual's health level. In addition, by utilizing the characteristics of easy control of the range of electrical stimulation and simple equipment, the accuracy of lymph node regulation is improved, the cost of use is reduced, and the scope of application of the system is expanded.

The above are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the creative concept of the present invention, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

A lymph node regulation system, characterized in that it comprises: Detection module, collecting lymph node image information; A data processing module, for acquiring lymph node distribution information according to the lymph node image information; a control module, which acquires stimulation information according to the lymph node distribution information, wherein the stimulation information includes electrical stimulation selection; and A stimulation module performs a stimulation operation according to the stimulation information. The lymph node control system according to claim 1, further comprising: The information feedback module collects user feedback information and transmits it to the data processing module. The lymph node regulation system according to claim 2, characterized in that the information feedback module comprises: The electrophysiological monitoring unit measures the impedance of the human body during the stimulation operation. The lymph node control system according to claim 3, characterized in that the data processing module comprises: An image data processing unit, for processing the lymph node image information; a feedback information processing unit, for processing the user feedback information; and The data integration unit integrates the information of the image data processing unit and the feedback information processing unit, and outputs the data to the control module. The lymph node regulation system according to claim 4 is characterized in that the image data processing unit performs image segmentation on the lymph node image information to obtain the position, size, shape and number of the lymph nodes. The lymph node regulation system according to any one of claims 1-5 is characterized in that the electrical stimulation includes direct current stimulation. The lymph node control system according to claim 6, characterized in that the stimulation information further includes: Stimulation intensity, stimulation duration, stimulation frequency, stimulation cycle and/or temperature. The lymph node regulation system according to claim 7, characterized in that the stimulation intensity is 1-3.5 mA. The lymph node regulation system according to claim 8, characterized in that the control module comprises: The condition information processing unit identifies the user category through the user condition information, and outputs the stimulation information to the stimulation module according to the mapping relationship between the user category and the stimulation information. A lymph node regulation method, characterized by comprising: Collect lymph node imaging information; Acquiring lymph node distribution information according to the lymph node image information; acquiring stimulation information according to the lymph node distribution information, the stimulation information including electrical stimulation selection; and A stimulation operation is performed according to the stimulation information.