Transport device having an actuator and separating layer

A transport device for transporting a fluid, the transport device comprising:

• (a) a housing, wherein the housing has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
• (b) an actuator comprising a magnetic shape-memory alloy, wherein the actuator is at least partially arranged in the housing;
• (c) a drive, by which the actuator may be deformed in such a way that at least one cavity for the fluid is formed in the actuator, wherein the at least one cavity may be moved by the drive in order to transport the fluid in the at least one cavity from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
• (d) wherein at least one section of the actuator has a separation layer by which a direct contact between the fluid and the actuator is prevented in said section of the actuator;
• (e) wherein the separation layer is a film;
• and
• (f) wherein:
• (i) a negative pressure prevails between the film and the actuator as compared to the surroundings of the film,
• (ii) the film comprises a valve,
• (iii) the film has a weld,
• (iv) a liquid is present between the film and the actuator, or
• (v) a combination thereof.

A transport device for transporting a fluid, the transport device comprising:

• (a) a housing, wherein the housing has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a longitudinal axis being defined in a direction from the inlet to the outlet;
• (b) an actuator comprising a magnetic shape-memory alloy, wherein the actuator is at least partially arranged in the housing;
• (c) a drive by which the actuator may be deformed in such a way that at least one cavity for the fluid is formed in the actuator, wherein the cavity may be moved by the drive in order to transport the fluid in the cavity from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
• (d) wherein at least one section of the actuator has a separation layer by which a direct contact between the fluid and the actuator is prevented in said section of the actuator;
• and
• (e) wherein the housing comprises at least two diffusors and wherein one of the diffusors is connected to the fluid inlet and another diffusor is connected to the fluid outlet, and wherein a side of each diffusor that is closer to the actuator has a larger cross-sectional area than a side of each diffusor that is more remote from the actuator, and wherein an opening of each diffusor adjacent to the actuator has a width in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis that is greater than a width of the opening in a direction along the longitudinal axis.

A transport device for transporting a fluid, the transport device comprising:

• (a) a housing, wherein the housing has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
• (b) an actuator comprising a magnetic shape-memory alloy, wherein the actuator is at least partially arranged in the housing;
• and
• (c) a drive by which the actuator may be deformed in such a way that at least one cavity for the fluid is formed in the actuator, wherein the cavity may be moved by the drive in order to transport the fluid in the cavity from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
• and
• (d) wherein at least one section of the actuator has a separation layer by which a direct contact between the fluid and the actuator is prevented in said section of the actuator;
• and
• (e) wherein the housing delimits each at least one cavity and has at least in sections a PTFE coating.

A transport device for transporting a fluid, the transport device comprising:

• (a) a housing, wherein the housing has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
• (b) an actuator comprising a magnetic shape-memory alloy, wherein the actuator is at least partially arranged in the housing;
• and
• (c) a drive, by which the actuator may be deformed in such a way that at least one cavity for the fluid is formed in the actuator, wherein the at least one cavity may be moved by the drive in order to transport the fluid in the at least one cavity from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
• and
• (d) wherein at least one section of the actuator has a separation layer by which a direct contact between the fluid and the actuator is prevented in said section of the actuator;
• (e) wherein the transport device further comprises a sensor and wherein the sensor includes;
• and
• (i) a temperature sensor by which a temperature of the actuator may be detected,
• (ii) an optical sensor by which the presence of the at least one cavity in the actuator may be detected,
• (iii) a piezo sensor by which an actuation of the actuator may be detected, a strain gauge by which an actuation of the actuator may be detected, or
• (iv) a combination thereof.