Pump system with pinch valve for fluid management in surgical procedures and method of operation thereof

A method of operating a pump system including an outflow pump, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a stationary housing defining an internal volume and a front face outside the internal volume extending in a first direction and a second direction transverse to the first direction and including at least one tube support outside the internal volume extending outwardly from the front face for aligning and supporting a first tube and a second tube;
• moving at least one pinch member relative to the at least one tube support using a power actuator operably coupled thereto amongst three orientations, the at least one tube support includes a t-shaped bracket extending outwardly from the front face and the power actuator includes a solenoid assembly coupled to a sliding shaft, the solenoid assembly includes a first solenoid and a second solenoid, the three orientations including:
• a first arrangement of the at least one pinch member relative to the at least one tube support configured to pinch closed the first tube,
• a second arrangement of the at least one pinch member relative to the at least one tube support configured to pinch closed the second tube, and
• a third arrangement of the at least one pinch member relative to the at least one tube support configured to pinch closed neither the first tube nor the second tube;
• providing a first tube notch defined by the t-shaped bracket and a second tube notch defined by the t-shaped bracket;
• moving the sliding shaft extending along a longitudinal central axis through the front face and out of the internal volume of the stationary housing and into a bracket cavity defined by the t-shaped bracket using the solenoid assembly between one of:
• a first translational position to move the at least one pinch member to the first arrangement,
• a second translational position to move the at least one pinch member to the second arrangement, and
• a third translational position to move the at least one pinch member to the third arrangement;
• energizing a first coil of the first solenoid;
• moving a first solenoid core of the first solenoid in a first core direction along a first core axis in parallel to the longitudinal central axis from a first core initial position corresponding to the third translational position of the sliding shaft to a first core extended position corresponding to the first translational position of the sliding shaft in response to the first coil being energized;
• returning the first solenoid core to the first core initial position in response to the first coil not being energized;
• energizing a second coil of the second solenoid;
• moving a second solenoid core of the second solenoid in a second core direction along a second core axis in parallel to the longitudinal central axis opposite the first core direction from a second core initial position corresponding to the third translational position of the sliding shaft to a second core extended position corresponding to the second translational position of the sliding shaft in response to the second coil being energized;
• and
• returning the second solenoid core to the second core initial position in response to the second coil not being energized.