The disclosed embodiments relate generally to a pump to pump fluids, and more particularly to a peristaltic pumping devices, methods, and systems that have favorable properties in many applications, particularly in applications for a compact and/or portable devices.
Peristaltic pumps are used for transferring various fluids including gases, viscous liquids, and mixed phase fluids such as gas/liquid and solid/liquid combinations, in various applications where sanitary conditions apply and where the fluid-carrying tubing has to be changed frequently. Peristaltic pumps are common in many different fields such as the medical, pharmaceutical, chemical, and environmental industries, as well as other fields where the purity of the fluid during transmission needs to be maintained. A peristaltic pump typically includes a rotary assembly (rollers) which compels the movement of a fluid by peristaltic compression of the resilient tubes containing the fluid against a rigid surface of the pump known as the pump occlusion. The intersection between the rollers and the occlusion region is known as the operating area of the pump. In operation, the rotating rollers exert pressure on the flexible tubing to propel the fluid, and the negative pressure formed when the tubing returns to its normal position sucks the fluid from a fluid source and forces the fluid to travel continuously through the tubing.
One of the advantages of using a peristaltic pump is that only the tube contacts the fluid preventing the fluid from contacting other parts of the pump preventing contamination of the fluid by the pump and vice versa. One of the issues with peristaltic pumps is the need for replacing the tubing, either for sterility reasons, because of wear, or other reasons. Additionally, peristaltic pumps may provide a mechanism for regulating the pinching force of the rollers exerted on the tubing. The environment of compact and light weight devices and systems creates a need for improvements in the design of peristaltic pumps that provides advantages in terms of usability, reliability, and addresses the other requirements of peristaltic pumps such as maintenance and regulation such as those mentioned above.
A peristaltic pump with a removable pump race module has guiding channels for receiving at least a portion of a flexible fluid-carrying tubing and an adjusting device for displacing a flexible inner portion of the removable pump race module to change the compression on the fluid-carrying tubing. The arrangement of the various elements makes it particularly suitable in configurations where compactness and convenience are important considerations.
The removable pump race module 10 can be securely mounted on the support base 20 using any suitable fasteners 11, such as, bolts, screws, cap screws, rivets, etc, inserted in corresponding support guides 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the support guides 12 help to ensure alignment of the race module 10 with respect to the base 20, however a broad mating surface on race module 10 that adjoins a mating surface on the base 20 could be used for this purpose as well as other mechanisms. The pump race module 10 can also be provided with a pump race force adjuster 13, which may include an adjusting screw 13B that can be moved precisely in a threaded liner 13A bonded to the pump race module 10. The adjusting screw 13B exerts a force to separate a race portion 16B and support portion 16A of the pump race arch 16 thereby opening and closing the gap 10G in the pump race module 10. Since the support portion 16A is fixed relative to the pump and roller carriage 50, this adjustment determines the force applied by the pump race surface 17 of the pump race portion 16B against the tubing and compensated by the pump roller carriage 50.
The pump race force adjuster 13 is shows also in
The drive shaft 31 rotates a pump roller carriage 50 with an array of equidistant and circumferentially spaced compression rollers 52. Each of the compression rollers 52 rotate about respective shafts 53 which are rotatably secured at respective ends thereof to rotor end plates 51. The rotor end plates 51 are configured to engage a flat 31A of the drive shaft 31 so that they are rotated by the motor 30 (see
The removable pump race module 10 is shown in
Removal of the fluid tubing from the peristaltic pump is easily accomplished by detaching the pump race module 10 from the support base 20 (by unscrewing the fasteners 11, for example) and holding the parallel tubes as a bundle and pulling them away from the pump in a direction radial with respect to the roller carriage 50. This arrangement allows one to conveniently handle the pump race module and tubes even if the pump 100 is placed in a recess or relatively inaccessible location or environment. Also, the fasteners 11 and pump race force adjuster 13 are accessible from the same side as the tubes are routed which allows for the pump race module 10 and tubes to be replaced conveniently and easily. Also adjustment of the pump race is made easier. This is illustrated in
Referring again also to
The arcuate portion 16 of the pump race module 10 has a first curved (arcuate, U-shaped) upper portion 16A with a second curved (arcuate, U-shaped) lower portion 16B, the lower portion 16B has the pump race surface 17, which faces the roller carriage 50. The pump race surface 17 functions as a pump race against which the tubing 60 is selectively compressed by the rollers 52 on roller carriage 50. The pump race surface 17 of the second curved portion 16B also includes guiding channels 18 to receive and hold in place at least a working portion 60c of the fluid-carrying tubing 60.
The first and second curved portions 16A and 16B are joined at a flexible portion 19 so as to leave the second end portion 19A of the second curved portion 16B floating. This permits flexible movement of the lower curved portion 16B away and toward the rollers 52 of the roller carriage 50 so that the gap 10G varies thereby moving the lower curved portion 16B toward and away from the rollers 52 responsively to the adjuster screw 13B.
The upper curved portion 16A also includes an opening 15 in which the threaded liner 13A is fixedly inserted and into which the adjuster screw 13B is threaded. The adjuster screw 13B makes contact with an upper surface of the curved portion 16B. The lower curved portion 16B is shaped so as to accommodate contact with the adjuster screw 13B without being damaged and may have a metal surface to relieve the pressure exerted by the adjuster screw 13B.
By exerting pressure on the contact surface of the lower curved portion 16B, the lower curved portion 16B can be moved away from the upper curved portion 16A—which increases the size of a gap 10G—and closer to the roller carriage 50. By moving the lower curved portion 16B closer to the roller carriage 50, the fluid-carrying tubing 60 positioned in the guiding channels 18 is further compressed. When the pressure on the contact surface of the lower curved portion 16B is released, the curved portion 16B moves back to its original position, releasing compression on the fluid-carrying tubing 60. Changing compression on the tubes 60 incorporating the fluid effectively controls the fluid pressure and fluid flow in the tubing 60. The pump race force adjuster 13 can include, for example, a threaded liner 13A with adjusting screw 13B so that the fluid pressure and fluid flow is controlled by turning the screw head.
While the preferred forms of the disclosed subject matter have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made that will achieve some of the advantages of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter. It will be apparent to those reasonably skilled in the art that other components performing the same function may be suitably substituted. Although specific embodiments of the disclosed subject matter have been described, various modifications, alterations, alternative constructions, and equivalents are also encompassed within the scope of the disclosed subject matter.
This application is an International Application, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/289,070, filed on Dec. 22, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/267,782, filed on Dec. 8, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2010/059509 | 12/8/2010 | WO | 00 | 8/3/2012 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61267782 | Dec 2009 | US | |
61289070 | Dec 2009 | US |