Bellows Hermetic Seal Volumetric Pump for Leakage Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional volumetric pumps in clinical and diagnostic instruments face premature failure and leakage issues due to dynamic seals, which limit their service life and require frequent servicing, especially when handling corrosive or reactive fluids like salts and detergents.

Innovation Solution

A precision volumetric pump with a bellows hermetic seal that eliminates dynamic seals by using a statically sealed bellows capsule within a pump housing, where the bellows capsule modulates its volume without contacting the housing, ensuring a constant total volume and preventing leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dynamic seal is used in conventional volumetric pumps, then the pump can achieve sealing function, but the seal degrades over time due to rubbing and wearing, limiting service life

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice lifeVSAvoidseal durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the dynamic seal entirely from the pump system. Instead of using a piston with a dynamic seal that rubs against the cylinder wall, the invention employs a bellows capsule that expands and contracts hermetically sealed within the pump chamber, eliminating the rubbing interface that causes seal degradation and extending service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical piston-seal system with a bellows capsule system. The bellows capsule uses elastic deformation to achieve volume change without requiring a dynamic seal, substituting a flexible hermetic seal for a sliding mechanical seal interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a dynamic seal is used in conventional volumetric pumps, then the pump can maintain hermetic seal, but leakage occurs at the seal when exposed to low-surface tension detergents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehermetic seal integrityVSAvoiddetergent leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the dynamic seal that is susceptible to detergent-induced leakage. The bellows capsule provides a hermetic seal through its flexible walls that expand and contract, eliminating the sliding seal interface where low-surface tension detergents would penetrate and cause leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If a dynamic seal is used in conventional volumetric pumps, then the pump can operate volumetrically, but precipitate formation at the seal accelerates failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolumetric pumping capabilityVSAvoidpump failure rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the dynamic seal interface where precipitates form and accelerate failure. The bellows capsule system maintains volumetric pumping capability through expansion and contraction while eliminating the stationary seal surface that would accumulate precipitates from saline solutions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Reliability

If a bellows capsule is used instead of dynamic seal, then service life is extended and leakage is prevented, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational lifeVSAvoidpump structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a bellows capsule made of flexible material that can expand and contract hermetically. This flexible shell replaces the complex assembly of piston, dynamic seal, and sealing surfaces, simplifying the overall structure while extending operational life and preventing leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The precision volumetric pump with a bellows hermetic seal significantly extends the operational life, reduces maintenance needs, and allows for flexible placement within instruments, maintaining performance comparable to conventional pumps with dynamic seals while preventing microleakage and eliminating the need for protective measures.

Implementation Method 1

a bellows capsule (106) enabled to expand and contract to modulate a first volume of the bellows capsule

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12018672B2Precision volumetric pump with a bellows hermetic seal

Publication Date: 2024.06.25 IDEX HEALTH & SCIENCE LLC

AI summary

A precision volumetric pump with a bellows hermetic seal provides compliance time performance comparable to a conventional pump having a dynamic seal. However, the precision volumetric pump with a bellows hermetic seal is enabled to operate over a very long service life with minimal or no maintenance without a propensity to develop leaks over the long service life.