Peristaltic Pump Curved Guide Channel for Rotor Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing peristaltic pumps for extracorporeal blood treatment lack effective anti-tamper features, exposing the rotor area to potential manual intervention when the fluid line is not inserted, posing a safety risk and requiring additional protective components.

Innovation Solution

The pump housing incorporates a longitudinally curved guide channel with a radius of curvature matched to its length and diameter, preventing manual intervention into the rotor area by ensuring the fluid line is securely guided without additional parts or fluid line adaptations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the pump housing is designed as a single piece with straight guide channels, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but manual intervention into the receiving recess is possible when no fluid line is inserted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication safetyVSAvoidguide channel structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide channel is designed with a longitudinal curvature instead of being straight. The radius of curvature is specifically matched to the channel length and diameter to create an anti-tamper feature that prevents manual intervention into the receiving recess, while the curved geometry itself provides the protective function without requiring additional components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Reliability

If additional protective components are added to prevent manual intervention, then application safety is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication safetyVSAvoidpump housing manufacturing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The anti-tamper protective function is merged into the guide channel structure itself by giving it a specific curved geometry. This combines the fluid line guidance function with the safety protection function into a single integrated feature, eliminating the need for separate protective components and maintaining manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If the guide channel is made longer to prevent manual intervention, then application safety is improved, but the housing wall thickness increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanti-tamper protectionVSAvoidguide channel length
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide channel geometry is optimized by adjusting parameters including radius of curvature, channel length, and channel diameter in a matched combination. This parameter matching allows the channel to provide effective anti-tamper protection through its curved shape without requiring excessive length that would increase wall thickness and manufacturing difficulty

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This design enhances application safety by preventing manual intrusion into the rotor area, simplifies the pump structure, and reduces manufacturing effort and costs while maintaining effective fluid line guidance.

Implementation Method 1

the fluid line is elastically deformable in sections between the rotor and the support surface under the mechanical action of the rotating rotor for pumping a fluid

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4161628B1Peristaltic pump for a device for extracorporeal blood treatment
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 B BRAUN AVITUM
  • EP4161628B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4161628B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4161628B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A peristaltic pump of this type, having a rotatable rotor, which is driven about a rotor axis, and having a pump housing with an accommodating cut-out, in which the rotor is accommodated and which has a supporting face which extends in an arcuate manner around the rotor axis and is radially spaced from the rotor, the supporting face being provided to support a fluid line which can be positioned in the accommodating cut-out radially between the rotor and the supporting face and is elastically deformable in some sections between the rotor and the supporting face under the mechanical effect of the rotating rotor for pump delivery of a fluid to be conveyed through the fluid line, and the pump housing having at least one guide duct, which extends through a housing wall of the pump housing between an outer side of the pump housing and the accommodating cut-out and is provided to guide the fluid line between the outer side and the accommodating cut-out, is known. According to the invention, the pump housing has a guard which is formed by an at least partially longitudinally curved shape of the guide duct, wherein a radius of curvature of the guide duct is adapted to a duct length and a duct diameter of the guide duct such that it is not possible to reach manually through the guide duct into the accommodating cut-out. The invention also relates to the use of the peristaltic pump in extracorporeal blood treatment.