Peristaltic Pump Assembly with Movable Raceway for Tube Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Peristaltic pumps for patient temperature control systems face a trade-off between ease of loading and performance, where easier loading results in lower performance and higher performance requires more complex loading procedures, especially with thick and inflexible tubing.
Innovation Solution
A pump assembly with a motor mount that allows the rotor to move rotationally and translationally between a pump position and a tube load position, using a rack-and-pinion gear mechanism and rollers with specific configurations to facilitate easy tube loading while maintaining high performance, including a raceway with an arc greater than 180 degrees to reduce pulsatility and internal leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the raceway is made movable away from the rollers to facilitate easy tube loading, then ease of operation is improved, but pumping pressure and fluid flow performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The raceway is designed to be movable relative to the rotor between a pump position (for high performance) and a tube load position (for easy loading). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to switch between operational modes, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and pumping performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The loading process is segmented into distinct phases: the raceway is positioned away from the rotor during tube loading, then moved to the pump position for operation. This temporal separation of loading and pumping functions allows both requirements to be satisfied at different times.
2Reliability
If the raceway arc is increased to greater than 180 degrees to reduce pulsatility and internal leakage, then pumping performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The raceway is designed with a curved arc greater than 180 degrees, creating a more gradual transition for the tubing. This curvature reduces pulsatility and internal leakage by distributing the peristaltic action more evenly, improving reliability without adding mechanical complexity.
3Power
If the rotor is positioned closer to the raceway midpoint to increase pumping efficiency, then power output is improved, but ease of tube loading deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor's position relative to the raceway is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system can shift the rotor to a load position away from the raceway midpoint for easy tube insertion, then move to the pump position near the midpoint for optimal pumping efficiency.
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
Enables easy loading of thick and inflexible tubing while maintaining high pumping pressure and fluid flow, reducing pulsatility and internal leakage, thus improving the overall performance and usability of the pump.
Implementation Method 1
a peristaltic pump acting on tubing, e.g., pump tubing or IV tubing, in the fluid circuit path
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to a pump assembly, comprising: a raceway (130); a rotor (134) spaced from the raceway (130); a rotor motor (58) configured to rotate the rotor (134) to urge fluid through a tube disposed between the raceway (130) and the rotor (134); and a loading motor (140) coupled to the rotor (134) and configured to move the rotor (134) rotationally relative to the raceway (130).