微型节流制冷器在低温医疗中的发展与应用

微型节流制冷器广泛用于冷却红外探测器,是一种比较成熟的技术。20世纪90年代,美国ENDOCARE公司利用微型节流制冷器技术发明第一代CRYOCARE(氩氦刀)系统。氩氦刀系统原理是利用焦耳-汤姆逊效应,在常温下高压氩气节流快速降温,高压氦气节流快速制热,高低温快速交替杀死癌变细胞。该技术在低温医疗中已快速推广应用,并在各种癌症治疗中取得了比较好的治疗效果。国内在微型节流制冷器技术上已开展了多年研究,积累了丰富的技术基础,但在低温医疗上的应用还处于起步阶段。文章提出低温医疗在未来有广阔的发展前景,倡议国内相关微型节流制冷器的研制单位将该技术应用于低温医疗。

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A MINIATURE JOULE-THOMSON COOLER IN CRYOSURGICAL

Miniature Joule-Thomson cooler is widely applied for cooling infrared detector,it is a mature technology. The American company of ENDOCARE has invented the first generation of cryocare（Ar-He knife）systems in the 1990s. The cryocare（Ar-He knife）systems utilizes the Joule-Thomson effect. Its temperature will be rapidly cooled down by the high pressure argon expand from high pressure to low pressure at room temperature,and its temperature will be rapidly warmed up by the high pressure He expand from high pressure to low pressure at room temperature. Cancerous cells will be killed by the temperature exchange of cryocare （Ar-He knife） systems. The technology has been widely applied on cryosurgical and has achieved good therapeutic effect in the treatment of various cancers. Domestic miniature Joule Thom-son cooler technology has been carried out for many years and has accumulated a wealth of technical basis,but cryosurgi-cal is still in its initial stage. This paper presents low temperature medical has a broad development prospects in the future and gives an advocation to domestic companies to do more research on miniature Joule-Thomson cooler to promote the ap-plication of the cryosurgical technology in medical field.