Peristaltic pump and blood purification device using same

Abstract

To provide a peristaltic pump capable of suppressing failure of auto-loading and improving convenience of a user, and a blood purification device using the same.SOLUTION: A stator 2 in which a notch-shaped inlet-side tube holding portion 24 and a notch-shaped outlet-side tube holding portion 25 for holding the tube 7 are formed in a side wall 22, and the tube 7 is automatically drawn into the tube accommodation portion 23 by the guide roller 32 of the rotor 3 by rotating the rotor 3 in a state where the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 and the outlet-side tube holding portion 25 hold the tube 7; The inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is inclined by 1 ° or more with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor 3 so as to gradually approach the bottom wall 21 side from the outside to the inside of the stator 2, and is configured to hold the tube 7 in an inclined state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a peristaltic pump and a blood purification device using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, peristaltic pumps have been used as fluid pumps for blood pumps in blood purification systems, etc. A known peristaltic pump has a stator and a rotor, and a flexible tube disposed between the stator and the rotor is compressed and squeezed in the longitudinal direction to move a fluid through the tube.

[0003] In peristaltic pumps, the tube must be set in the correct position. In recent years, autoloading peristaltic pumps have been used in which the tube is set in the stator and then the rotor is rotated, automatically drawing the tube between the stator and rotor and setting it in the correct position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-103642 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Generally, tubes are stored in a rolled state, which can cause them to have a strong tendency to bend. Therefore, even if the tube is set correctly, the tube may float due to the bend, causing autoloading to fail. If autoloading fails frequently, the user will have to reset the tube each time, which is time-consuming.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a peristaltic pump that can prevent autoloading failures and improve user convenience, and a blood purification device using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A peristaltic pump according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a stator having a bottom wall and a side wall surrounding the periphery of the bottom wall, the stator being formed in a box shape with an opening on a surface facing the bottom wall, the side wall being formed with notched inlet and outlet tube holding portions for holding flexible tubes for allowing a fluid to flow, a rotor rotatably provided within the stator such that a normal direction to the bottom wall surface coincides with a rotation axis, a motor for driving the rotor to rotate, and a cover attached to the stator in an openable and closable manner to close the opening when closed. The peristaltic pump compresses the tube accommodated in a tube accommodating portion formed between the side wall of the stator and the rotor, The rotor is configured to squeeze the tube in the longitudinal direction as the rotor rotates, causing the fluid to flow within the tube. The rotor has a plurality of guide rollers spaced apart circumferentially, each having a rotation axis aligned with the radial direction of the rotor. By rotating the rotor while the tube is held by the inlet side tube holding portion and the outlet side tube holding portion, the tube is automatically drawn into the tube accommodating portion by the guide rollers. The inlet side tube holding portion is formed at an angle of 1° or more with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor so as to gradually approach the bottom wall side from the outside to the inside of the stator, and is configured to hold the tube in an inclined state.

[0008] A blood purification apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention uses the peristaltic pump as a liquid delivery pump. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a peristaltic pump that can prevent autoloading failures and improve user convenience, and a blood purification device using the same. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a blood purification device using a peristaltic pump according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a peristaltic pump. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a peristaltic pump. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the peristaltic pump with the cover omitted. [Figure 5] 4, and (b) is a top view showing the state in which a tube is set in (a). [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating autoloading. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 1(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating the position of the protrusion, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram illustrating the protrusion as viewed from the arrow A in FIG. 1(a). [Figure 9] FIG. 8(b) is a diagram showing the protrusion as seen from the arrow B in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Embodiment Mode] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a blood purification apparatus 100 using a peristaltic pump 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the blood purification apparatus 100 is a device that performs blood purification treatment via a blood purifier 101, and includes a dialysate supply / discharge unit 102 that supplies dialysate to the blood purifier 101 and discharges effluent from the blood purifier 101, and an extracorporeal circulation unit 103 that circulates the blood of a patient C extracorporeally via the blood purifier 101.

[0013] The blood purifier 101 is also called a dialyzer, and contains a blood purification membrane (a hollow fiber hemodialysis membrane, or a hemodiafiltration membrane, or a flat membrane hemodialysis membrane, or a hemofiltration membrane). The blood purifier 101 purifies blood by bringing blood into contact with a dialysate via the blood purification membrane. The blood purifier 101 has a blood inlet 101a for introducing blood and a blood outlet 101b for discharging the introduced blood, as well as a dialysate inlet 101c for introducing dialysate and a dialysate outlet 101d for discharging the introduced dialysate.

[0014] The dialysate supply / discharge unit 102 has a supply-side pipe 102a connected to the dialysate inlet 101c for supplying the dialysate to the blood purifier 101, and a discharge-side pipe 102b connected to the dialysate outlet 101d for discharging the effluent from the blood purifier 101. The dialysate supply / discharge unit 102 controls the amount of water removed from the blood by controlling the amount of dialysate supplied and the amount of effluent discharged. Although not shown, the dialysate supply / discharge unit 102 may have, for example, a pure water production unit that produces pure water, a dialysate preparation unit that prepares the dialysate from pure water and a dialysate agent, or the like.

[0015] The extracorporeal circulation unit 103 has blood piping (blood circuit) 104 that can circulate the blood of patient C extracorporeally. The blood piping 104 has arterial blood piping 104a that guides blood collected from the blood vessels of patient C to the blood inlet 101a of the blood purifier 101, and venous blood piping 104b that returns blood discharged from the blood outlet 101b of the blood purifier 101 to the patient C. The extracorporeal circulation unit 103 has a blood pump 105 that is disposed in the arterial blood piping 104a and circulates the blood. The blood pump 105 is composed of a peristaltic pump 1 according to this embodiment. Although not shown, the extracorporeal circulation section 103 is provided in the venous blood piping 104b and is equipped with a venous pressure detector that measures the pressure of the blood flowing through the blood piping 104, an air bubble detector that detects air bubbles in the blood, and a flow path blocking mechanism that blocks the venous blood piping 104b to interrupt the extracorporeal circulation of blood when an abnormality occurs, such as when air bubbles are detected by the air bubble detector.

[0016] (Perforated pump 1) The peristaltic pump 1 according to this embodiment is used as a blood pump 105 in a blood purification apparatus 100. However, the use of the peristaltic pump 1 is not limited to this, and it may also be used as other fluid delivery pumps, such as a fluid replacement pump. The peristaltic pump 1 can also be used for purposes other than the blood purification apparatus 100.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the peristaltic pump 1, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the peristaltic pump 1 includes a stator 2, a rotor 3 rotatably mounted within the stator 2, a motor 4 that drives the rotor 3 to rotate, and a cover 5 that closes the opening of the stator 2. The peristaltic pump 1 is configured such that a tube 7 housed in a tube housing portion 23 formed between the stator 2 and the rotor 3 is compressed between a side wall 22 of the stator 2 and the rotor 3, and is squeezed longitudinally as the rotor 3 rotates, thereby causing a fluid such as blood to flow within the tube 7. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0018] (Stator 2) The stator 2 is a component fixed to the housing (not shown) of the blood purification apparatus 100 or the like and does not rotate with the rotation of the rotor 3. The stator 2 has a bottom wall 21 and a side wall 22 surrounding the periphery of the bottom wall 21. The stator 2 is formed in a box shape with an open (upwardly open) surface facing the bottom wall 21. Hereinafter, the rotor 3 side of the bottom wall 21 (the upper side in Figs. 2 and 3) will be referred to as the upper side, and the motor side of the bottom wall 21 (the lower side in Figs. 2 and 3) will be referred to as the lower side. A through-hole 21a penetrating the bottom wall 21 is formed in the center of the bottom wall 21, and the rotor 3 and motor 4 are connected via this through-hole 21a. The rotation axis of the rotor 3 is perpendicular to the surface of the bottom wall 21. The bottom wall 21 is fixed to the housing (not shown) of the blood purification apparatus 100 or the like by screws or the like.

[0019] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the peristaltic pump 1 without the cover 5, Fig. 5(a) is a top view thereof, and Fig. 5(b) is a top view when the tube 7 is arranged. As shown in Fig. 4 and Figs. 5(a) and (b), by arranging the rotor 3 inside the stator 2, a tube accommodating section 23 for accommodating the tube 7 is formed between the rotor 3 and the side wall 22 of the stator 2. By accommodating the tube 7 inside the tube accommodating section 23 and driving the rotor 3 to rotate, the tube 7 is compressed between the rotor 3 and the side wall 22, and as the rotor 3 rotates, the tube 7 is squeezed in the longitudinal direction, causing the fluid in the tube 7 to flow.

[0020] Furthermore, in the peristaltic pump 1 according to this embodiment, a mechanism for holding the tube 7 at the entrance and exit ports where the tube 7 is introduced into and led out of the stator 2 is provided integrally with the stator 2. The stator 2 has a side wall 22 formed with notched inlet and outlet tube holding portions 24 and 25 for holding the tube 7. The inlet and outlet tube holding portions 24 and 25 have linear grooves 241 and 251 for guiding the tube 7. The grooves 241 and 251 open upward, and by pressing the lower portion of the tube 7 into the grooves 241 and 251, the tube 7 is guided to the correct position at the inlet and outlet ports of the peristaltic pump 1.

[0021] The inlet-side tube holding part 24 and the outlet-side tube holding part 25 have a pair of protrusions 242, 252 at their outer ends to prevent the tube 7 from slipping out upward. The pair of protrusions 242, 252 are provided facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tube 7 at the top of the held tube 7. The tube 7 is set in the inlet-side tube holding part 24 and the outlet-side tube holding part 25 by passing the tube 7 between the pair of protrusions 242, 252 while deforming it and pushing it from above to below.

[0022] The side wall 22 around the tube accommodating portion 23 is formed in a circular shape (arc shape) centered on the rotation axis of the rotor 3 in a top view. The tube 7 is configured to be bent between the inlet tube holding portion 24 and the tube accommodating portion 23 when the tube 7 is accommodated in the inlet tube holding portion 24 and the tube accommodating portion 23. The side wall 22 between the inlet tube holding portion 24 and the tube accommodating portion 23 is curved so as to convex inward to follow the curvature of the tube 7. Details of the inlet tube holding portion 24 and the inclined surface 26 formed on the side wall 22 will be described later.

[0023] (Rotor 3) The rotor 3 is rotatably mounted within the stator 2 such that the normal direction to the surface of the bottom wall 21 coincides with its rotation axis. The rotor 3 has a plurality of (here, two) rollers 31 that rotate integrally with the rotor 3 and have rotation axes parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor 3. The distance between the rollers 31 and the side wall 22 of the stator 2 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the tube 7. The rollers 31 are also biased radially outward from the rotor 3. As a result, when the rotor 3 is rotated, the rollers 31 compress and squeeze the tube 7, causing the fluid in the tube 7 to flow.

[0024] The rotor 3 also has a plurality of guide rollers 32 spaced apart in the circumferential direction, each having a rotation axis aligned along the radial direction of the rotor 3. Here, first guide rollers 32a, which are longer in the radial direction of the rotor 3, and second guide rollers 32b, which are shorter in the radial direction of the rotor 3 than the first guide rollers 32a, are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the rotor 3. The guide rollers 32 are also provided facing each other above and below in the axial direction of the rotor 3. Here, a total of eight guide rollers 32 are provided, four at the top and four at the bottom. These guide rollers 32 hold the tube 7 in the correct position within the tube accommodating portion 23 and serve to prevent the tube 7 from slipping out upward, for example.

[0025] Furthermore, the two first guide rollers 32a provided on the upper part of the rotor 3 also serve to draw the tube 7 into the tube accommodating section 23 when the tube 7 is set. More specifically, the tube 7 is first set and held in the inlet-side tube holding section 24 and the outlet-side tube holding section 25. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the rotor 3 is rotated, the first guide rollers 32a sequentially push the tube 7 downward, and the tube 7 is automatically drawn into the tube accommodating section 23 (hereinafter, this operation will be referred to as auto-loading). In this way, the peristaltic pump 1 according to this embodiment is an auto-loading type peristaltic pump that has the function of automatically setting the tube 7 in the correct position.

[0026] If the first guide roller 32a is located near the entrance of the tube accommodating section 23, the first guide roller 32a may get in the way and make it difficult to set the tube 7. Therefore, when stopping the rotor 3, the first guide roller 32a may be controlled to stop the rotor 3 at a position where it does not get in the way of setting the tube 7.

[0027] (Motor 4) The motor 4 is used to rotate the rotor 3. The motor 4 is disposed outside the stator 2. The motor 4 is disposed so that the rotor 3 and the motor 4 sandwich the bottom wall 21 of the stator 2, and is coupled to the motor 4 via a through-hole 21a formed in the bottom wall 21. When the bottom wall 21 of the stator 2 is attached to the housing of the blood purification apparatus 100, the motor 4 will be disposed inside the housing.

[0028] (Cover 5) 7 is a perspective view of the cover 5. The cover 5 is attached to the stator 2 via a hinge portion 51 so as to be able to open and close, and is configured to cover the opening at the top of the stator 2 when the cover 5 is in a closed state. The cover 5 is made of a material that transmits visible light (a so-called transparent material) so that the internal state, such as the state of the tubes 7, can be confirmed.

[0029] In this embodiment, when the cover 5 is closed, the gap formed between the top of the rotor 3 and the cover 5 (the width of the gap along the axial direction of the rotor 3) is smaller than twice the thickness of the tube 7. This makes it impossible to close the cover 5 with the tube 7 sandwiched between the rotor 3 and the cover 5, making it possible to prevent the tube 7 from being sandwiched.

[0030] The peristaltic pump 1 also has a cover closure detection means 8 that detects whether the cover 5 is closed. In this embodiment, a cover detection protrusion 52 protruding downward from the cover 5 is provided, and a magnet (not shown) is attached to the tip of the cover detection protrusion 52. The stator 2 is provided with a reed switch (not shown) that is turned on by the magnet when the cover 5 is closed. When the reed switch is turned on, the peristaltic pump 1 detects that the cover 5 is closed. The rotor 3 can be rotated only when the cover 5 is closed. In this embodiment, when the cover 5 is closed, the rotor 3 is automatically rotated for a predetermined period of time, thereby performing autoloading. This allows the tube 7 to be automatically set in place when the cover 5 is closed.

[0031] (locking mechanism 6) The peristaltic pump 1 according to this embodiment includes a locking mechanism 6 that locks the cover 5 to the stator 2 when the cover 5 is closed. The locking mechanism 6 keeps the cover 5 closed to prevent it from opening unintentionally. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the locking mechanism 6 is configured to automatically lock the cover 5 when it is closed. As described above, the peristaltic pump 1 employs an autoloading system, and the tube 7 tends to bounce upward during autoloading. Therefore, for example, if the cover 5 is secured to the stator 2 by a magnet, the lifted tube 7 may push the cover 5 open unintentionally. Providing the locking mechanism 6 on the cover 5 as in this embodiment prevents the cover 5 from opening unintentionally during autoloading. Furthermore, the locking mechanism 6 is configured to lock the cover 5 with a single touch by simply closing the cover 5, which reduces user effort and provides high convenience.

[0032] More specifically, the locking mechanism 6 has an engaged portion 61 formed on the side wall 22 of the stator 2, a retractable engaging portion 62 formed on the cover 5 and engaged with the engaged portion 61, and a biasing member (not shown) that biases the engaging portion 62 in the direction of engaging with the engaged portion 61. Here, the engaging portion 62 is formed by a latch 621 rotatably provided on the cover 5, and the biasing member is formed by a torsion spring that biases the latch 621 to rotate in the engaging direction. The engaged portion 61 is configured such that a metal bar 611 that can engage the latch 621 is attached to the stator 2. When the cover 5 is closed, the claw of the latch 621 automatically rides up onto the bar 611 and is engaged, locking the cover 5 to the stator 2. To release the lock, the upper part of latch 621 (the end opposite the claw) is pressed to rotate latch 621 in the direction opposite to the locking direction against the biasing force of the biasing member, and in this state, cover 5 is moved upward. Note that here, locked portion 61 is formed on the stator 2 side and locking portion 62 is formed on the cover 5 side, but this is not limiting, and locking portion 62 may be formed on the stator 2 side and locked portion 61 on the cover 5 side. In other words, locked portion 61 may be formed on one of side wall 22 of stator 2 and cover 5, and locking portion 62 may be formed on the other of side wall 22 of stator 2 and cover 5.

[0033] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 6 is configured to fix and lock the cover 5 to the side wall 22 between the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 and the outlet-side tube holding portion 25 when the cover 5 is closed. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the tube 7 is pressed downward by the protrusions 53, 54 provided on the cover 5 at two locations, near the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 and near the outlet-side tube holding portion 25, and therefore the force (reaction force) trying to open the cover 5 may be particularly large at these two locations. Therefore, by locking the cover 5 at positions close to these two locations, it is possible to more stably hold the cover 5 in the closed state.

[0034] The specific structure of the locking mechanism 6 is not limited to that shown in the drawings and can be modified as appropriate. However, in consideration of convenience, it is desirable to configure the locking mechanism 6 so that it automatically (with one touch) locks simply by closing the cover 5. In addition, in this embodiment, the locking mechanism 6 is configured so that mechanical locking is automatically performed when the cover 5 is closed, but this is not limiting, and the locking mechanism 6 may also be configured so that electromagnetic locking is automatically performed when the cover 5 is closed.

[0035] (Protrusion 53 and inclined surface 26) The tube 7 is flexible, and for example, when stored in a wound state, the tube 7 may have a tendency to bend. Therefore, even if the tube 7 is set in both the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 and the outlet-side tube holding portion 25, the tube 7 may float above the inlet-side tube holding portion 24, preventing the first guide roller 32a from properly pushing the tube 7 downward, resulting in a failure of autoloading. To address this issue, in this embodiment, a downwardly projecting protrusion 53 is provided on the portion of the cover 5 facing the inlet-side tube holding portion 24, so that the protrusion 53 pushes the tube 7 downward and into the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 when the cover 5 is closed.

[0036] 8(a) and 8(b), in this embodiment, the protrusion 53 is formed in an H-shape when viewed from above (a plan view seen from one side of the rotation axis of the rotor 3). The protrusion 53 has a pair of flat plates 531 parallel to the central axis O of the tube 7 (or the central axis of the groove 241) when the tube 7 is properly positioned in the inlet-side tube holding portion 24, and the centers of the pair of flat plates 531 are connected by a connecting edge 532, forming an H-shape as a whole. This increases the contact area between the protrusion 53 and the tube 7, making it possible to prevent the tube 7 from being crushed by the pressure of the protrusion 53. In this embodiment, because the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is formed at an incline (described in detail below), the tip of the protrusion 53, i.e., the lower end of the flat plate 531, is also formed at an incline so as to be parallel to the incline of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 (the lower end is inclined so as to protrude downward as it approaches the rotor 3).

[0037] If the tube 7 climbs up onto the side wall 22, it may be possible that the tube 7 will be crushed between the upper surface of the side wall 22 and the protrusion 53 when the cover 5 is closed, making it impossible to guide the tube 7 to the inlet-side tube holding portion 24. In particular, in this embodiment, the tube 7 is configured to be bent between the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 and the tube accommodating portion 23 when the tube 7 is accommodated in the tube accommodating portion 23. This makes it easy for the tube 7 to climb up onto the side wall 22, shortcutting the bent portion. Therefore, in this embodiment, at least the end of the side wall 22 along the bent portion of the tube 7 on the cover 5 side (i.e., the upper portion of the side wall 22) is formed with an inclined surface 26 for guiding the tube 7 to the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 as the protrusion 53 presses it downward.

[0038] The inclined surface 26 is inclined toward the bottom wall 21 as it approaches the inlet-side tube holding portion 24. The inclined surface 26 is formed by chamfering the upper corners of the side wall 22 and the inner corners of the stator 2. The inclined surface 26 is also formed with at least one (in the illustrated example, multiple) convex, linear (straight) rib 27 along the inclination direction. This reduces the contact area of ​​the tube 7 with the side wall 22, allowing the tube 7 to slide (or rotate) on the rib 27 and be guided to the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 as the protrusion 53 presses downward. The number of ribs 27 is not particularly limited, but it is advisable to set the number of ribs 27 taking into consideration the area of ​​the inclined surface 26, the material of the stator 2, and the ease of sliding the tube 7, so that the tube 7 can be easily guided to the inlet-side tube holding portion 24. In addition to the ribs, a protrusion, such as a hemispherical protrusion, may be provided as appropriate to guide the tube 7 to the inlet-side tube holding portion 24.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, protrusion 53 is formed so that its center, in a top view (plan view seen from one side of the rotation axis of rotor 3), is shifted toward inclined surface 26 with respect to the central axis O of tube 7 when tube 7 is correctly positioned in inlet-side tube holding portion 24. As described above, tube 7 tends to climb up side wall 22 to shortcut the bent portion, so by forming protrusion 53 shifted toward inclined surface 26, it becomes easier to guide tube 7 into inlet-side tube holding portion 24. Furthermore, when closing cover 5, a force is required to push in tube 7, but by forming protrusion 53 shifted, it becomes possible to close cover 5 with a relatively weak force.

[0040] In this embodiment, the pair of flat plates 531 in protrusion 53 have the same protrusion length, but the pair of flat plates 531 may have different protrusion lengths. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9 , the protrusion length of flat plate 531 on the inclined surface 26 side may be longer than the protrusion length of the other flat plate 531. This allows the protrusion length of flat plate 531 to follow the outer shape of tube 7 in accordance with the misalignment between central axis O of tube 7 and the center of protrusion 53, thereby increasing the contact area of ​​protrusion 53 with tube 7 and further suppressing crushing of tube 7. To improve the sliding properties of tube 7, stator 2 is preferably made of a slippery material such as polyacetal resin.

[0041] In this embodiment, similar to the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 side, the outlet-side tube holding portion 25 side also has a downwardly projecting protrusion 54 on the cover 5 at the portion facing the outlet-side tube holding portion 25, and this protrusion 54 is configured so that when the cover 5 is closed, the tube 7 is pushed downward and into the outlet-side tube holding portion 25. This makes it possible to automatically set the tube 7 in the correct position even if, for example, the tube 7 is not firmly set in the outlet-side tube holding portion 25 and is floating. However, the protrusion 54 is not essential and can be omitted.

[0042] (Regarding the inclination of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24) To prevent autoloading failures due to the influence of the bending tendency of the tube 7 or due to improper installation of the tube 7, in this embodiment, the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is inclined by 1° or more with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor 3 so as to gradually approach the bottom wall 21 from the outside to the inside of the stator 2 (toward the rotor 3 side). This causes the tube 7 to be held in an inclined state so that it is guided more downward as it approaches the rotor 3, making autoloading less likely to fail even if the tube 7 has a large bending tendency. The outlet (the end on the rotor 3 side) of the groove 241 of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is adjusted so that the entire tube 7 is lower than the first guide roller 32a when the tube 7 is held.

[0043] To further reduce the risk of autoloading failures, the inclination angle of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 (the inclination angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor 3) is preferably 5° or more, and more preferably 10° or more. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is set to 15°. If the inclination angle of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is too large, the tube 7 may be positioned too close to the bottom wall 21 in the tube accommodating portion 23, resulting in an inability to accommodate the tube 7 in the correct position. Furthermore, the tube 7 may be significantly lifted outside the stator 2. Therefore, the inclination angle of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 should be 45° or less, and more preferably 30° or less.

[0044] 5(b), in a top view (plan view seen from one side of the rotation axis of the rotor 3), the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is formed so as to be inclined toward the rotation axis of the rotor 3 with respect to a tangent T passing through the central axis of the inlet of the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 (the intersection of the outer end of the groove 241 and the central axis of the groove 241), among tangents to the central axis O of the tube 7 when the tube 7 is housed in the tube accommodating portion 23. In other words, the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is formed so as to gradually approach the outlet-side tube holding portion 25 from the outside to the inside of the stator 2. This increases the bending angle of the tube 7 between the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 and the tube accommodating portion 23, making it easier for the tube 7 to approach the rotor 3. This makes it easier for the first guide roller 32a to push the tube 7 downward, thereby further reducing failures in autoloading of the tube 7.

[0045] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) As described above, in the peristaltic pump 1 according to this embodiment, the inlet tube holder 24 is inclined by 1° or more with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor 3 so as to gradually approach the bottom wall 21 from the outside to the inside of the stator 2. This configuration holds the tube 7 in an inclined state. This allows the tube 7 to be positioned downward at the inlet of the tube housing 23, making it easier for the first guide roller 32a to push the tube 7 downward, thereby reducing autoloading failures. Reducing autoloading failures eliminates the need for the user to reset the tube 7, improving user convenience. In this embodiment, the inlet tube holder 24 is integral with the stator 2, eliminating the need for disposable components, etc., separate from the stator 2, to maintain the orientation of the tube 7. This reduces the number of parts and consumables, thereby reducing costs.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the inlet-side tube holding portion 24 is formed at an inclination of 5° or more with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor 3. This makes it possible to further reduce failures in autoloading.

[0047] In this embodiment, in a plan view seen from one side of the rotation axis of the rotor 3, the inlet-side tube holding section 24 is inclined toward the rotation axis of the rotor 3 with respect to a tangent T passing through the central axis of the inlet of the inlet-side tube holding section 24, among tangents to the central axis O of the tube 7 when the tube 7 is housed in the tube housing section 23. This makes it possible to further reduce failures in autoloading.

[0048] (Addendum) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1... Peristaltic pump 2... Stator 21...Bottom wall 21a...Through hole 22...Side wall 23...Tube storage section 24...Inlet tube holding portion 25...Outlet tube holding portion 241,251…Groove 242,252…Protrusion 26...Inclined surface 27...Rib 3...Rotor 31...Roller 32... Guide roller 32a... First guide roller 32b... Second guide roller 4... Motor 5...Cover 51...Hinge part 52...Protrusion for cover detection 53...Protrusion 531...Flat plate 532...Connecting edge 54...Protrusion 6...Locking mechanism 61...Latched portion 611...Bar 62: Locking portion 621: Latch 7...Tube

Claims

1. a stator having a bottom wall and a side wall surrounding the periphery of the bottom wall, the stator being formed in a box shape with an opening on a surface facing the bottom wall, the side wall being formed with notched inlet side tube holding portions and outlet side tube holding portions for holding flexible tubes for allowing a fluid to flow; a rotor rotatably provided within the stator such that a normal direction of the bottom wall surface coincides with a rotation axis of the rotor; a motor that rotates the rotor; a cover that is attached to the stator so as to be openable and closable, and that closes the opening when closed; The tube is accommodated in a tube accommodating section formed between the side wall of the stator and the rotor, and is compressed between the side wall and the rotor while being squeezed in a longitudinal direction as the rotor rotates, thereby causing a fluid to flow within the tube, The rotor has a plurality of guide rollers spaced apart in the circumferential direction, each having a rotation axis aligned in the radial direction of the rotor, and is configured such that by rotating the rotor with the tube held by the inlet-side tube holding portion and the outlet-side tube holding portion, the tube is automatically drawn into the tube accommodating portion by the guide rollers, The inlet-side tube holding portion is configured integrally with the stator, and is formed at an inclination of 1° or more with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotor so as to gradually approach the bottom wall side from the outside to the inside of the stator, and in a plan view seen from one side of the rotational axis of the rotor, the rotor side of the central axis of the inlet-side tube holding portion is formed at an inclination toward the rotational axis of the rotor with respect to a tangent line passing through the central axis of the inlet of the inlet-side tube holding portion, among tangent lines of the central axes of the tubes accommodated in the tube accommodating portion, and is configured to directly hold the tubes in a state inclined with respect to the perpendicular plane and the tangent line, the inlet-side tube holding portion is formed to be inclined at an angle of 10° to 30° with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor. Squeezing pump.

2. The peristaltic pump according to claim 1 is used as a liquid feed pump. Blood purification device.

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