Peristaltic pump device

Abstract

A micro peristaltic pump of a peristaltic pump device presses a rotor against a circular arc shaped flow path inside a microfluidic chip formed to be sheet-like, rotary-drives the rotor by a motor, and causes the circular arc shaped flow path to make a peristaltic motion by the rotation of the rotor, to send a fluid. The peristaltic pump device is provided with a rotation sensor that detects a rotational position of the rotor, a memory that stores in advance a rotational position of the rotor and rotation speed data of the motor corresponding to the rotational position, and a control circuit that calculates a command rotation speed of the motor from data stored in the memory based on a detection signal of the rotation sensor, and controls rotation of the motor based on the command rotation speed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention[0001]The present invention relates to a peristaltic pump device which is used at the time of flowing micro-fluid such as a culture solution or various types of reagents into a microfluidic flow path, to perform cell culturing, reagent screening, chemical analysis, and the like, and in particular, to a peristaltic pump device which is capable of effectively reducing pulsation when sending fluid.2. Description of Related Art[0002]Conventionally, a peristaltic pump in which a plurality of rollers are rotatably-pivotally supported on a circular rotor, and the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective rollers on the rotor are pressed against a tube, to send a fluid in the tube while rotating the rotor, has been known by JP No. 2004-92537 A, etc.[0003]This type of conventional peristaltic pump is configured such that a circular rotor which is rotary-driven by a motor rotatably-pivotally supports a plurality of rollers on its oute...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is related to a peristaltic pump device that reduces pulsation in the flow rate of a fluid to be sent out of a microfluidic chip. The device includes rollers that press the discharge flow path to push out the fluid, and a control circuit that controls the rotation speed of the rollers to increase the flow rate during the pressing operation and to decrease the speed after the rollers separate from the flow path to prevent a rapid decrease in flow rate. The device also includes a buffer chamber to reduce pulsation in the discharge flow path. The technical effects of this invention are to reduce pulsation in the flow rate of a fluid and to improve the stability of the fluid delivery.

Problems solved by technology

However, this type of peristaltic pump is configured such that a plurality of rollers are provided on a rotor, and a liquid is sent through a tube by rotationally moving a rotor while pressing the respective rollers against the tube, so that a flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube is inevitably pulsated.

However, in the peristaltic pump described above, according to rotation of the rotor, when each roller separates from the tube that the roller pressed, due to a restoring force of the tube, a negative pressure is applied inside the tube and causes a phenomenon of a rapid decrease in flow rate.

Therefore, the peristaltic pump described above has a problem in which, although the rotation of the roller driving motor is controlled to suppress pulsation of the liquid according to the rotational position of the rotor, it is still difficult to sufficiently reduce pulsation.

However, this peristaltic pump can send a liquid by pressing and crushing the circular arc shaped flow path with very small loading by the rollers, so that the rotational load of the rotor can be reduced and the motor can be downsized, and further, by detaching the cover, the microfluidic chip can be easily replaced, however, the fluid is still pulsated, and it is difficult to reduce the pulsation.

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