KR102884768B1 - Bladder continuous irrigation apparatus and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bladder continuous washing device that continuously performs bladder washing by being connected to a catheter that constitutes a first passage through which a fluid flows into a bladder from outside the body and a second passage through which a discharged fluid flows out of the bladder from the body, the device comprising: a storage unit that stores the fluid, is connected to the catheter to supply the fluid, and receives the discharged fluid; a filtering unit that is arranged in the storage unit to filter foreign substances in the discharged fluid; and a motor driving unit that controls the pressure and flow direction of the fluid. As a result, the fluid that has been injected into the bladder and washed can return to the device, pass through the filtering unit to filter foreign substances such as blood clots, and then wash the bladder again.

Description

Bladder continuous irrigation apparatus and method thereof {BLADDER CONTINUOUS IRRIGATION APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a bladder continuous washing device and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a bladder continuous washing device and a method thereof, which can wash the bladder again after a solution injected into the bladder to perform washing is returned to the device and passes through a filtering unit to filter out foreign substances such as blood clots.

A continuous bladder irrigation device is a device that uses a catheter inserted through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine or blood clots, or to inject medication to cleanse the bladder. The device injects a irrigation solution into the bladder through the catheter, and the solution then cleanses the bladder before draining into a urine bag. This device requires continuous replacement of the irrigation solution, requiring ongoing supervision by medical staff and other personnel. Furthermore, it requires a large supply of irrigation solution.

Additionally, if hemostatic agents or antibiotics are mixed into the cleaning solution for hemostasis purposes, a constant amount of the agent or antibiotic must be added each time the cleaning solution is replaced. This requires a large quantity of medication.

The urinary catheter disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1456108 has a structure in which multiple connection points are formed at the end of the catheter to connect various syringes to inflate the bladder or inject drugs, etc. In this structure, each of the multiple connection points forms a different part and flow path and is not actually connected to the suction port that sucks and discharges urine in the bladder. Therefore, when the suction port of the urinary catheter is blocked, the urine bag must be detached from the urine bag connection part connected to the suction port and then a washing water supply device must be installed to inject washing water, so there is still an inherent inconvenience due to the attachment and detachment of the equipment and a risk of infection.

Therefore, there is a growing need for a device that eliminates the need for periodic replacement of irrigating fluid during bladder irrigation and reduces drug use.

Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-1456108

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a bladder continuous washing device and method thereof, which allows a solution injected into a bladder to perform washing to return to the device, pass through a filtering unit to filter out foreign substances such as blood clots, and then wash the bladder again.

In addition, a bladder continuous washing device and method are provided that can detect when the tip of a catheter is blocked by a blood clot and remove the blood clot by changing the pressure or flow direction.

In order to achieve the above object, a bladder continuous washing device that continuously performs bladder washing by being connected to a catheter that constitutes a first passage through which fluid flows into the bladder from outside the body and a second passage through which discharged fluid flows out of the bladder from the body according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a storage unit that stores the fluid, is connected to the catheter to supply the fluid, and receives the discharged fluid, a filtering unit that is arranged in the storage unit to filter foreign substances in the discharged fluid, and a motor driving unit that controls the pressure and flow direction of the fluid.

In addition, if an abnormality in the catheter is detected, a control unit that controls the pressure and flow direction of the fluid through the motor drive unit may be further included.

In an embodiment, a sensing unit for detecting the state of the catheter may be further included.

In addition, the sensing unit may include a pressure sensor that detects the hydraulic pressure of the first passage and the second passage; and a flow sensor that detects the flow velocity of the first passage and the second passage.

In addition, the control unit can detect an abnormality in the catheter and control the pressure and flow direction of the fluid when the hydraulic pressure is lower than a reference value compared to a preset hydraulic pressure based on information detected through the sensing unit.

In addition, the control unit can detect an abnormality in the catheter and control the pressure and flow direction of the fluid when the flow rate is lower than a reference value compared to a preset flow rate based on information detected through the sensing unit.

In an embodiment, the filtering unit may further include a cleaning unit for cleaning foreign substances.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a bladder continuous washing method of a bladder continuous washing device that continuously performs bladder washing is connected to a catheter that constitutes a first passage through which fluid flows into the bladder from outside the body and a second passage through which discharged fluid flows out of the bladder from the bladder, and may include the steps of: receiving discharged fluid containing foreign substances as the bladder washing is performed; filtering foreign substances in the received discharged fluid; performing bladder re-washing by circulating the filtered discharged fluid; and, when an abnormality in the catheter is detected, controlling the pressure and flow direction of the fluid.

In addition, the step of controlling the pressure and flow direction of the fluid may include a step of detecting an abnormality in the catheter when the hydraulic pressure of the catheter is lower than a reference value compared to a preset hydraulic pressure; and a step of controlling to apply pulsatile pressure when an abnormality in the catheter is detected.

In addition, if an abnormality in the catheter is detected, after the step of controlling to apply pulsatile pressure, if the hydraulic pressure is lower than the reference value compared to the preset hydraulic pressure, the step of controlling to apply pulsatile pressure by switching the flow of the fluid in the reverse direction may be further included.

In addition, the step of controlling the pressure and flow direction of the sap may include a step of detecting an abnormality in the catheter when the flow rate of the catheter is lower than a reference value compared to a preset flow rate; and a step of controlling to apply pulsatile pressure when an abnormality in the catheter is detected.

In addition, the step of controlling the pressure and flow direction of the sap may include a step of controlling the flow of the sap to reverse direction and apply pulsatile pressure when the flow rate is lower than a reference value compared to a preset flow rate and the flow rate is detected to have stopped.

The bladder continuous washing device and method according to the present invention as described above can wash the bladder again after the solution injected into the bladder and washed returns to the device and passes through a filtering unit to filter out foreign substances such as blood clots.

In addition, since the drug can be circulated through a single injection, the number of times the drug is injected can be reduced, as well as the use of the drug.

Additionally, it can detect when the tip of the catheter is blocked by a blood clot and remove the clot by changing the pressure or flow direction.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bladder continuous washing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram briefly showing the configuration of a bladder continuous washing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a bladder continuous washing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a bladder continuous washing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, to clarify the technical concept of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In describing the present invention, if a detailed description of related known functions or components is determined to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted. Components having substantially the same functional configuration among the drawings are given the same reference numbers and symbols, as much as possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. For convenience of explanation, devices and methods are described together, where necessary.

Transurethral surgery, which involves inserting medical instruments, including endoscopes, through the urethra to treat conditions arising in the lower urinary tract, including the bladder and prostate, is commonly used. Various types of transurethral surgery exist, including transurethral resection of the prostate, KTP laser surgery, holmium laser surgery, and transurethral resection of bladder tumors.

After transurethral surgery, the patient is moved from the operating room to the recovery room with a urethral catheter inserted into the urethra to ensure continuous irrigation of the bladder. The catheter has a first passage (50-1) through which the irrigation fluid flows into the bladder and a second passage (50-2) through which the effluent sucked into the bladder is discharged to the outside. The continuous irrigation device allows continuous inflow and outflow of the irrigation fluid into the bladder through the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (20-2) of the catheter.

The purpose of continuous irrigation is to prevent blood clots from forming at the surgical site following transurethral surgery. The surgical site is constantly exposed to fluids, such as urine, within the bladder. Furthermore, the nature of the surgical site makes it difficult to apply pressure to control bleeding, making blood clots more likely to form. If these clots interfere with the flow of urine, they can lead to problems such as urinary retention, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and bladder neck contracture.

The present invention relates to a bladder continuous washing device (100) for continuous washing of the bladder.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bladder continuous washing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a continuous bladder washing device (100) is connected to a catheter that comprises a first passage (50-1) through which fluid flows into the bladder (10) from outside the body and a second passage (50-2) through which discharged fluid flows out of the bladder (10) to outside the body, and can continuously perform bladder washing. This continuous bladder washing device (100) can supply fluid through the first passage (50-1) and receive discharged fluid through the second passage (50-2).

In addition, the bladder continuous washing device (100) can filter foreign substances in the received discharge and circulate them. That is, the bladder continuous washing device (100) can perform bladder re-washing by supplying the filtered discharge.

In the embodiment, the first passage (50-1) can suction urine or blood clots in the bladder (10) by connecting the rear end of the catheter to the front end connection.

The second passage (50-2) is connected to a bladder continuous cleaning device (100) at the rear end connection to capture bladder urine or blood clots sucked through the front end of the first passage (50-1).

That is, the bladder continuous washing device (100) is driven by a motor so that the fluid flows along the first passage (50-1) and flows into the bladder. The fluid flowing into the bladder mixes with blood and urine generated after surgery and is discharged through the second passage (50-2) of the catheter. Here, the discharged fluid received through the second passage (50-2) is filtered and circulated. By continuously performing this process, continuous bladder washing is achieved.

The present invention enables continuous bladder washing to be performed even when the suction port of the catheter is blocked by a blood clot or during bladder washing.

To this end, the bladder continuous washing device (100) is driven by a motor so that the fluid moves along the first passage (50-1) and flows into the bladder. The direction in which the fluid flowing into the bladder mixes with blood and urine generated after surgery and is discharged through the second passage (50-2) of the catheter is defined as the forward direction, and the direction in which the discharged fluid flows into the bladder through the second passage (50-2) of the catheter by the motor and the introduced discharged fluid is discharged along the first passage (50-1) of the catheter can be defined as the reverse direction.

That is, the bladder continuous cleaning device (100) can remove foreign substances, including blood clots, blocking the suction port (tip) of the catheter by changing the pressure by changing the flow of the fluid in the reverse direction. The pressure change applied at this time is pulsatile pressure, which can mean pressure that changes the pressure applied continuously (serially) into a pulsatile cycle. This pulsatile pressure can be defined as pulsatile flow. Accordingly, foreign substances, including blood clots in the bladder, can be removed from the body.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram briefly showing the configuration of a bladder continuous washing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bladder continuous cleaning device (100) may include a storage unit (110), a filtering unit (120), a motor driving unit (130), and a control unit (140). Furthermore, it may further include a cleaning unit (125) and a sensing unit (150).

The storage unit (110) stores the fluid, is connected to a catheter to supply the fluid, and can receive the discharged fluid.

Additionally, the storage unit (110) can store the discharged liquid from which foreign substances such as inhaled urine or blood clots have been filtered.

Meanwhile, the storage unit (110) can store drugs along with the stored fluid.

The filtering unit (120) can filter foreign substances in the discharged liquid placed within the storage unit (110). At this time, foreign substances such as blood clots can be filtered out. This filtering unit (120) can be implemented in a mesh form. Furthermore, the filtering unit (120) can also be implemented in a form in which one or more paper filters, mesh filters, and carbon filters are stacked. This filtering unit (120) can be cleaned according to a preset cycle. Meanwhile, in the embodiment, when the filtering unit (120) is implemented in a form in which one or more filters are stacked, cleaning of the filtering unit (120) can be performed by replacing the filters.

In addition, a plurality of filtering units (120) may be arranged within the storage unit (110). In an embodiment, the filtering units (120) may be arranged at each of the portions where the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) within the storage unit (110) are connected. Accordingly, the filtering units (120) can filter foreign substances according to the flow direction of the sap. That is, the filtering units (120) can filter foreign substances not only when the flow of the sap is forward, but also when the flow is reverse.

The cleaning unit (125) can clean foreign substances from the filtering unit (120). Here, the cleaning method can be implemented by wiping with a tool such as a squeegee.

The cleaning unit (125) can have a cleaning cycle set by the designer. In this case, if it is set automatically, the cycle can be set. On the other hand, if it is set manually, cleaning can be performed by the user's operation.

The motor drive unit (130) is connected to the motor (135) and can control the operation of the motor. Accordingly, the motor drive unit (130) can adjust the pressure and flow direction of the sap under the control of the control unit (140).

In an embodiment, the motor drive unit (130) can control the flow direction of the sap by driving the motor to supply the sap through the first passage (50-1) and receive the discharged sap through the second passage (50-2).

In addition, the motor drive unit (130) can reverse the flow direction of the sap under the control of the control unit (140). That is, the motor drive unit (130) can control the flow direction of the sap so as to supply the sap through the second passage (50-2) and receive the discharged sap through the first passage (50-1).

In addition, the motor drive unit (130) can apply pulsatile pressure by adjusting the pressure of the sap under the control of the control unit (140).

The control unit (140) can control the flow direction of the fluid through the motor drive unit (130) when an abnormality in the catheter is detected. Specifically, when the suction port of the catheter is blocked, the control unit (140) can control the motor drive unit (130) to apply pulsatile pressure in the reverse direction from the forward direction, which is the main flow direction.

At this time, when a foreign substance is stuck in the suction port of the catheter of the second passage (50-2) and the flow is stopped, the control unit (140) applies reverse pulsatile pressure through the second passage (50-2) to allow the flow to pass and cause the blood clot to fall off, and then controls to continuously apply forward pulsatile pressure from the first passage (50-1) to the second passage (50-2) so that the foreign substance including the blood clot is received through the second passage (50-2) and the discharged liquid is recirculated.

In addition, the control unit (140) can control the motor drive unit (130) to apply pulsatile pressure in the reverse direction to enlarge the space in the bladder. That is, when a foreign substance is stuck in the suction port of the catheter of the second passage (50-2) and the flow is stopped, the control unit (140) can apply pulsatile pressure in the reverse direction through the second passage (50-2) to allow the flow, but block the inflow into the catheter of the first passage (50-1). Accordingly, the control unit (140) can control to apply pulsatile pressure in the reverse and forward directions through the second passage (50-2) in a state where the bladder is inflated, thereby forming a flow of fluid and removing foreign substances, including blood clots, that have blocked the suction port of the catheter.

In addition, when a foreign substance is stuck in the suction port of the catheter of the second passage (50-2) and the flow is stopped, the control unit (140) controls to apply pulsatile pressure in the reverse direction through the second passage (50-2) while simultaneously or with a time difference, also applying pulsatile pressure through the first passage (50-1) to form a flow of the fluid, thereby inducing the removal of the foreign substance including the blood clot. Accordingly, the crushing and excretion of the foreign substance blocking the suction port of the catheter can be made easier. The control unit (140) can detect an abnormality in the catheter and control the pressure and flow direction of the fluid when the hydraulic pressure is lower than the standard compared to the preset pressure based on the information detected through the sensing unit (150). Here, the preset pressure may be a value set in consideration of various factors such as the physical condition of the measurement subject and the subject's posture.

The control unit (140) can detect a catheter abnormality based on information detected through the sensing unit (150) and control the pressure and flow direction of the fluid if the flow rate is lower than the standard compared to the preset flow rate. Here, the preset flow rate may be a value set by considering various factors such as the physical condition of the measurement subject and the subject's posture.

That is, the control unit (140) can control the motor drive unit (130) to apply pulsatile pressure in the forward direction when the hydraulic pressure of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) changes or the flow rate is slow based on the information detected through the sensing unit (150).

The control unit (140) controls the motor drive unit (130) to apply pulsatile pressure to the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2), and if the detected information is lower than the preset hydraulic pressure, that is, if the hydraulic pressure is normal, the control unit (140) can control the motor drive unit (130) to apply pulsatile pressure by switching the flow of the fluid in the reverse direction if it is not normal.

In addition, if the control unit (140) detects an abnormality in the catheter based on information detected through the sensing unit (150), that is, if the flow rate of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) is lower than the standard compared to the preset flow rate, but the flow rate is detected to have stopped, the control unit (140) can control the motor driving unit (130) to reverse the flow of the fluid and apply pulsatile pressure.

The sensing unit (150) can detect the status of the catheter. The sensing unit (150) can transmit the detected information to the control unit (140).

This sensing unit (150) may include a pressure sensor that detects the hydraulic pressure of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) and a flow sensor that detects the flow velocity of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2).

Here, the pressure sensor is placed on the sap flow path of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) to measure the pressure of the sap. This pressure sensor is a pressure transducer implemented in various ways such as mechanical, electrical, and semiconductor, and may be composed of any one of pressure sensors such as mechanical conversion elements such as a Bourdon tube, diaphragm, and bellows, and pressure sensors such as electrical conversion elements such as a strain gauge, capacitance type, piezoelectric type, inductance type, and potentiometer type.

In addition, a flow rate sensor can be placed on the sap movement path of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) to measure the speed of the sap. This flow rate sensor can be composed of any one of ultrasonic, thermal, Karman vortex, and turbine type flow rate sensors.

Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a bladder continuous washing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a bladder continuous washing device (100) that continuously performs washing inside a bladder (10) by connecting to a catheter (50-1, 50-2) that constitutes a first passage (50-1) through which fluid flows into the bladder from outside the body and a second passage (50-2) through which discharged fluid flows out of the bladder from outside the body, is provided with a bladder continuous washing method in which washing inside the bladder (10) is performed to receive discharged fluid including foreign substances (S210). At this time, urine or blood clots inside the bladder (10) may be sucked.

Afterwards, foreign substances in the received discharge are filtered (S220). At this time, blood clots sucked from the bladder in the discharge may be filtered out.

Then, the filtered discharge is circulated to perform bladder re-washing (S230).

Meanwhile, if an abnormality in the catheter (50-1, 50-2) is detected, a step for controlling the pressure and flow direction of the fluid can be performed. This step is specifically described with reference to FIG. 4.

Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a bladder continuous washing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the control unit (140) can perform a step of controlling the pressure and flow direction of the fluid when an abnormality in the catheter (50-1, 50-2) is detected.

The control unit (140) can detect an abnormality in the catheter (50-1, 50-2) when the hydraulic pressure of the catheter (50-1, 50-2), which is information detected through the sensing unit (150), is lower than the standard compared to the preset hydraulic pressure (S240).

In addition, the control unit (140) can detect an abnormality in the catheter (50-1, 50-2) when the flow rate of the catheter (50-1, 50-2), which is information detected through the sensing unit (150), is lower than the standard compared to the preset flow rate (S240).

If an abnormality in the catheter (50-1, 50-2) is detected (S240: Yes), that is, if the hydraulic pressure of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) changes or the flow rate is slow (S250: Yes), control can be made to apply pulsatile pressure (S260).

Afterwards, it is determined whether the hydraulic pressure of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) is normal (S270), and if the hydraulic pressure is lower than the standard compared to the preset hydraulic pressure (S270: No), the motor drive unit (130) is controlled to reverse the flow of the sap and apply pressure (S280).

At this time, it means that a foreign substance is stuck in the suction port of the catheter of the second passage (50-2) and the flow is stopped, and the control unit (140) applies reverse pulsatile pressure through the second passage (50-2) to allow the flow to pass and cause the blood clot to fall off, and then controls to continuously apply forward pulsatile pressure from the first passage (50-1) to the second passage (50-2) so that the foreign substance including the blood clot is received through the second passage (50-2) and the discharged liquid is recirculated.

Alternatively, the control unit (140) may apply reverse pulsatile pressure through the second passage (50-2) to allow flow, while blocking the inflow into the catheter of the first passage (50-1). Accordingly, the control unit (140) may control the application of reverse and forward pulsatile pressure through the second passage (50-2) while the bladder is inflated, thereby forming a flow of fluid, thereby removing foreign substances, including blood clots, that have blocked the suction port of the catheter.

In another way, the control unit (140) can induce the removal of foreign substances including blood clots by controlling the application of pulsatile pressure through the first passage (50-1) simultaneously or with a time difference while applying pulsatile pressure in the reverse direction through the second passage (50-2) to form a flow of fluid.

Conversely, it is determined whether the hydraulic pressure of the first passage (50-1) and the second passage (50-2) is normal (S270), and if normal (S270: Yes), bladder re-washing is performed (S230).

Meanwhile, if the flow rate is lower than the reference value compared to the preset flow rate but the flow rate is detected to have stopped (S255: Yes), the motor drive unit (130) can be controlled to reverse the flow of the sap and apply dynamic pressure (S290). Even in this case, the control unit (140) can control the motor drive unit (130) to apply dynamic pressure using the method described above.

On the other hand, if the hydraulic pressure does not change or the flow rate is not stopped (S255: No), intravesical re-washing is performed (S230).

Accordingly, the continuous bladder washing method of the present invention can detect blockage of a catheter and remove foreign substances such as blood clots.

The present invention has been described in detail so far, focusing on preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the invention, but rather serve merely as examples and should be considered from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. The true scope of technical protection of the present invention should be determined not by the foregoing description, but by the technical spirit of the appended claims. Although specific terminology has been used in this specification, it is used solely for the purpose of explaining the concept of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. The steps of the present invention need not necessarily be performed in the order described and may be performed in parallel, selectively, or individually. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible without departing from the essential technical spirit of the present invention as claimed in the claims. It should be understood that equivalents include not only currently known equivalents but also equivalents developed in the future, that is, all components invented to perform the same function, regardless of structure.

10: Bladder 50-1, 50-2: Catheter 1st channel, 2nd channel
100: Continuous bladder irrigation device
110: Storage section 120: Filtering section
125: Cleaning section 130: Motor drive section
135: Motor 140: Control unit
150: Sensing unit

Claims (12)

A bladder continuous washing device that continuously performs bladder washing by being connected to a catheter that constitutes a first passage and a second passage through which fluid flows into the bladder from outside the body or through which discharged fluid flows out of the bladder from outside the body.
A storage unit that stores the above-mentioned fluid, supplies the fluid by being connected to the catheter, and receives the discharged fluid;
A filtering unit arranged within the storage unit to filter foreign substances in the discharged liquid; and
It includes a motor driving unit that controls the pressure and flow direction of the above sap;
A bladder continuous washing device in which the motor driving unit uses one motor to control the flow direction so that the fluid flows in a forward or reverse direction. In the first paragraph,
A bladder continuous washing device further comprising a control unit that controls the pressure and flow direction of the fluid through the motor drive unit when an abnormality in the catheter is detected. In the second paragraph,
A continuous bladder washing device, characterized in that it further includes a sensing unit that detects the status of the catheter. In the third paragraph,
The above sensing unit,
A pressure sensor that detects the hydraulic pressure of the first passage and the second passage; and
A bladder continuous cleaning device characterized by including a flow sensor that detects the flow rate of the first passage and the second passage. In paragraph 4,
The above control unit,
A bladder continuous washing device characterized in that, based on information detected through the sensing unit, if the hydraulic pressure is lower than a standard compared to a preset hydraulic pressure, an abnormality in the catheter is detected and the pressure and flow direction of the fluid are controlled. In paragraph 4,
The above control unit,
A bladder continuous washing device characterized in that, based on information detected through the sensing unit, if the flow rate is lower than a standard compared to a preset flow rate, an abnormality in the catheter is detected and the pressure and flow direction of the fluid are controlled. In the first paragraph,
A bladder continuous cleaning device further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning foreign substances from the filter unit. delete delete delete delete delete