Pumping Chamber Rib for Bubble-Free Micro-Pump Priming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Infusion systems for liquid therapeutic products face challenges in priming the pumping chamber, leading to air bubbles and underdosing due to the presence of air within the device cavities, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A pumping chamber with an inwardly projecting rib that guides fluid from the outlet towards the inlet during priming, promoting the formation of a single fluid front and preventing air bubbles, while being adaptable to various fluid dynamics and gravitational forces, and can be integrated into a micro-pump system for infusion systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pumping chamber is primed rapidly or slowly without guidance structure, then filling flexibility is maintained, but air bubbles form and dosing accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping chamber is segmented by the inwardly projecting rib that divides the chamber into distinct regions. This segmentation guides the fluid front to move in a controlled path from the outlet toward the inlet, preventing air bubbles from becoming trapped in dead zones and ensuring complete evacuation of air during priming.
Solution Approach 2:
The inwardly projecting rib acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the fluid entry and the chamber volume. It directs the fluid flow in a specific pattern that promotes single fluid front formation, thereby ensuring reliable air evacuation without requiring complex external priming mechanisms.
2Reliability
If no internal flow guidance is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but air bubbles are trapped leading to underdosing
Solution Approach 1:
The inwardly projecting rib segments the chamber interior to create a guided flow path. This simple geometric feature divides the chamber into regions that work together to ensure fluid front progression, preventing air bubble entrapment without adding complex mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib structure provides localized flow guidance at critical locations within the chamber. By modifying only specific portions of the interior wall rather than the entire chamber geometry, the design achieves effective air bubble prevention while minimizing overall structural complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the rib structure is added to guide fluid, then fluid front control is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rib structure controls fluid front behavior by changing the geometric parameters of the chamber interior. By adjusting the rib's position, height, and shape, precise control over fluid flow patterns is achieved, ensuring reliable air evacuation while maintaining manufacturability through standard molding techniques.
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 inwardly projecting rib effectively prevents air bubbles from forming within the pumping chamber, ensuring accurate dosing by maintaining a single fluid front during priming, regardless of filling speed or direction, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the infusion system.
Implementation Method 1
Various forces act on the fluid as the pumping chamber is primed, including fluid surface tension, gravity, and fluid dynamic forces
Implementation Method 2
Various forces act on the fluid as the pumping chamber is primed, including fluid surface tension, gravity, and fluid dynamic forces
Data Source
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AI summary
A pumping chamber (8) for a micro-pump (2), the pumping chamber having a volume of 100 micro litres or less bounded by an interior wall and having an inlet (87) and an outlet (88), wherein the interior wall has at least one inwardly projecting rib (70) having a first end adjacent the inlet and a second end adjacent the outlet.