Sterile liquid pump with single use elements
OwnerC. Anthony Cox, James A. Austininventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sterile liquid pump, having replaceable single use components, with a first and second chamber, and a gas valve assembly to selectively communicate gas pressure and vacuum with the chambers, and a resilient tubing liquid manifold loop with a sequence of four ports located within a manifold receiver that supports four pinch actuators aligned to engage and selectively pinch-off flow through the manifold between adjacent pairs ports, and, a controller that operates the valve assembly to alternatingly couple pressure and vacuum to the pump chambers, and that also operates to alternatingly actuate pairs of the pinch actuators to sequentially pump fluid from pump chambers under gas pressure, and through an opposing pair of ports in the resilient tubing manifold.
Claims18
A gas pressure and vacuum driven pump apparatus for pumping a liquid from a liquid inlet coupling to a liquid outlet coupling of an external process, said apparatus comprising:
- a first pump chamber having a first gas coupling and a first liquid coupling;
- a second pump chamber having a second gas coupling and a second liquid coupling;
- a gas valve assembly coupled to selectively communicate gas pressure or vacuum with said first gas coupling and said second gas coupling;
- a liquid manifold, which comprises a liquid inlet port for connection to the liquid inlet coupling and a liquid outlet port for connection to the liquid outlet coupling, said liquid inlet port directionally coupled to a first liquid port by a first inlet valve and directionally coupled to a second liquid port by a second inlet valve, and wherein said first liquid port is directionally coupled to said liquid outlet port by a first outlet valve, and wherein said second liquid port is directionally coupled to said liquid outlet port by a second outlet valve, and wherein said first liquid port is coupled to said first liquid coupling and said second liquid port is coupled to said second liquid coupling;
- a controller programmed to actuate said gas valve assembly to cycle and alternatingly couple gas pressure or vacuum to said first gas coupling and said second gas coupling such that one of said first and second pump chambers is pressurized while another of the first and second pump chambers is evacuated, and wherein
- vacuum applied to said first pump chamber draws liquid from the liquid inlet coupling, through said liquid inlet port, through said first inlet valve, through said first liquid port and into said first pump chamber, while gas pressure coupled to said second pump chamber pushes liquid out of said second pump chamber, through said second liquid port, through said second outlet valve, out said liquid outlet port, and into the liquid outlet coupling, and alternatingly, vacuum applied to said second pump chamber draws liquid from the liquid inlet coupling, through said liquid inlet port, through said second inlet valve, through said second liquid port, and into said second pump chamber, while gas pressure coupled to said first pump chamber pushes liquid out of said first pump chamber, through said first liquid port, through said first outlet valve, out said liquid outlet port, and into the liquid outlet coupling, to thereby effect a flow of the liquid from the liquid inlet coupling to the liquid outlet coupling, and wherein
- said liquid manifold is fabricated from round elastomeric tubing with said first and second liquid ports, and said liquid inlet port and said liquid outlet port extending outward therefrom, and wherein
- said first and second inlet valves and said first and second outlet valves are disposed along said tubing at locations between adjacent ports of the liquid inlet port, the first liquid port, the liquid outlet port and the second liquid port, respectively.
A method of pumping a liquid between a liquid inlet coupling and a liquid outlet coupling of an external process utilizing gas pressure and vacuum in a pump consisting of a first pump chamber with a first gas coupling and a first liquid coupling, and a second pump chamber with a second gas coupling and a second liquid coupling, and a gas valve assembly coupled to a controller, and a liquid manifold having a liquid inlet port and a liquid outlet port wherein the liquid inlet port is directionally coupled to a first liquid port by a first inlet valve and directionally coupled to a second liquid port by a second inlet valve, and wherein the first liquid port is directionally coupled to the liquid outlet port by a first outlet valve, and wherein the second liquid port is directionally coupled to the liquid outlet port by a second outlet valve, the method comprising the steps of:
- connecting the first pump chamber and the second pump chamber to the gas valve assembly, and coupling the liquid manifold to the pump by connecting the liquid inlet port to the liquid inlet coupling, connecting the liquid outlet port to the liquid outlet coupling, connecting the first liquid port to the first liquid coupling, and connecting the second liquid port to the second liquid coupling;
- controlling the gas valve assembly, by the controller, to alternatingly couple gas pressure or vacuum to the first gas coupling and the second gas coupling thereby pressurizing one of the first and second pump chambers while evacuating another of the first and second pump chambers, and thereby
- drawing liquid from the liquid inlet coupling, through the liquid inlet port, through the first inlet valve, through the first liquid port and into the first pump chamber by applying vacuum to the first pump chamber, while pushing liquid out of the second pump chamber, through the second liquid port, through the second outlet valve, out the liquid outlet port, and into the liquid outlet coupling by applying gas pressure to the second pump chamber, and
- alternatingly applying vacuum to the second pump chamber, thereby drawing liquid from the liquid inlet coupling, through the liquid inlet port, through the second inlet valve, through the second liquid port, and into the second pump chamber, while applying gas pressure to the first pump chamber, thereby pushing liquid out of the first pump chamber, through the first liquid port, through the first outlet valve, out the liquid outlet port, and into the liquid outlet coupling, and thereby
- effecting a continuous flow of the liquid from the liquid inlet coupling to the liquid outlet coupling, and
- fabricating the liquid manifold from round elastomeric tubing with the first and second liquid ports, and the liquid inlet port and the liquid outlet port extending outward therefrom, and
- disposing the first and second inlet valves and the first and second outlet valves along the tubing at locations between adjacent ports of the liquid inlet port, the first liquid port, the liquid outlet port and the second liquid port, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.