Pump unit and pump, and method for detecting characteristics of conveyance article

A pump provided with a pump unit, the A pump unit comprising:

• an outer cylinder;
• an inner cylinder disposed on an inner circumference side of the outer cylinder;
• and
• a pressure supply chamber provided between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder,
• the pump unit being configured to convey a conveyance article in the inner cylinder by supplying a pressurizing medium into the pressure supply chamber and thereby causing the inner cylinder to expand inwardly in a radial direction,
• wherein the pump further comprises a conveyance article information acquiring means configured to acquire information on the conveyance article in the inner cylinder at a time when the inner cylinder is expanded, and
• wherein the conveyance article information acquiring means comprises:
• a flow rate measuring means configured to measure a flow rate of the pressurizing medium to be supplied to the pressure supply chamber, and
• a pressure measuring means configured to measure a pressing force of the inner cylinder pressing the conveyance article caused by supply of the pressurizing medium to the pressure supply chamber,
• the pump further comprising:
• a supply/discharge control means configured to control supply and discharge of the pressurizing medium to and from the pump unit;
• and
• a conveyance article information processing means including:
• a volume calculating means configured to calculate a volume of the conveyance article in the inner cylinder on the basis of the flow rate of the pressurizing medium measured by the flow rate measuring means and the pressure of the inner cylinder pressurizing the conveyance article, which is measured by the pressing force measuring means;
• and
• a characteristic determining means configured to determine characteristics of the conveyance article on the basis of the volume calculated by the volume calculating means.