Development Of An Acupuncture/microdialysis Needle

肌筋膜痛与肌肉块内疼痛“触发点”或特定区域的形成有关，这些区域表现出压痛和异常紧张。针灸是另一种释放触发点的方法，从而在许多情况下缓解疼痛和相关的肌肉紧张。虽然这种治疗方法是有效的，但几乎没有科学证据支持治疗后的临床缓解。DBEPS设计和开发了一种带有中空针杆的针灸针灸，可以通过它插入双管微透析器。针的外孔是28/30口径的不锈钢，一端通过微抛光倒角成钝的、非切割的尖端。一辆10万辆的大众汽车将截止式透析膜附着在一根30口径的聚醚醚酮(PEEK)生物相容管上，并将一根33口径的PEEK管插入第一根PEEK管上，从而形成一条入口和回流通道，终止于透析器膜。该装置固定在不锈钢管内，使透析器表面与针尖上的孔齐平。手柄固定在针的另一端，允许操作员以类似于实心针灸针的方式操纵针。三组患者，两组有不同程度的肌肉疼痛和紧张，加上对照组被招募到研究中。针刺针由熟练的针灸专家插入肩部肌肉，并通过微透析从针尖采集样本。DBEPS超微分析免疫化学资源使用成熟的技术(毛细管电泳法、毛细管电泳法、微离子选择性电化学法和微型气体传感器)收集样本并分析各种分析物，如血气、细胞因子、激素、神经肽和电解质。该项目正在根据IRB批准的方案招募受试者，分析正在进行中。该项目的成果将提供有关针灸期间和缓解疼痛期间肌肉“触发点”的激发过程中发生的生化和细胞事件的新的科学数据。

Myofascial pain is associated with the formation of pain "trigger" points or defined areas within a muscle block that exhibit tenderness and abnormal tightness. Acupuncture is an alternative approach to releasing trigger points, thus relieving pain and the associated muscle tension in many cases. Although this therapeutic approach is efficacious there is little scientific evidence to support the clinical relief shown following treatment. DBEPS designed and developed an acupuncture needle with a hollow stem through which a twin tube microdialyzer could be inserted. The exterior bore of the needle was 28/30 gauge stainless surgical steel, with one end beveled into a blunt, non-cutting tip by micro-polishing. A 100,000 m.w. cutoff dialyzer membrane was attached to a 30-gauge poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) biocompatible tubing and a 33-gauge PEEK tubing inserted into the first tube, thus forming a inlet and return flow-path terminating in the dialyzer membrane. This apparatus was fixed inside the stainless steel tubing so that the dialyzer surface was flush with the hole in the needle tip. A handle was fixed to the other end of the needle allowing the operator to manipulate the needle in a similar manner to a solid acupuncture needle. Three groups of patients, two with various degree of muscle pain and tension plus controls were recruited to the study. The acupuncture needle was inserted in the shoulder muscle by a skilled acupuncture specialist and samples taken, via microdialysis, from the needle tip. The samples were collected and analyzed for a variety of analytes such as blood gases, cytokines, hormones, neuropeptides, and electrolytes by the DBEPS Ultramicro Analytical Immunochemistry Resource, using established techniques (capillary electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography, micro-ion selective electrochemistry and micro gas sensors). This project is recruiting subjects under an IRB-approved protocol and analyses are ongoing. The outcome from this project will provide new scientific data on the biochemical and cellular events taking place during acupuncture and during the firing of muscle "trigger" points during the alleviation of pain.