Wax Micro Actuator
AssigneeStarbridge Systems Limited
InventorsJoseph John Cefai, Julian Llewellyn Shapley
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Abstract
An actuator comprises a cavity containing a working medium that reversibly expands as it undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid state, a diaphragm disposed adjacent the cavity such that expansion and contraction of the expandable working medium causes the diaphragm to deflect, and a semiconductor element disposed in the cavity, wherein the semiconductor element is adapted to heat the working medium to cause it to undergo the phase change into the liquid state. The actuator may be used in a pump for an infusion system.
Claims33
An actuator comprising:
- a cavity containing a working medium that reversibly expands as it undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid state;
- a diaphragm disposed adjacent the cavity such that expansion and contraction of the expandable working medium causes the diaphragm to deflect;
- and
- a semiconductor element disposed in the cavity, wherein the semiconductor element is adapted to heat the working medium to cause it to undergo the phase change into the liquid state.
A pump for pumping liquid therapeutic product, comprising:
- an actuator, the actuator including:
- a cavity containing a working medium that reversibly expands as it undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid state;
- a diaphragm disposed adjacent the cavity such that expansion and contraction of the expandable working medium causes the diaphragm to deflect;
- a semiconductor element disposed in the cavity, wherein the semiconductor element is adapted to heat the working medium to cause it to undergo the phase change into the liquid state;
- and
- a pumping chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein a volume of the pumping chamber is caused to change by actuation of the actuator.
(canceled)
A pump for pumping liquid therapeutic product, comprising a pumping chamber having an inlet valve and an outlet valve, wherein a volume of the pumping chamber is caused to change by operation of a thermal expansion actuator, and wherein the outlet valve has a higher activation pressure than the inlet valve.
An infusion system comprising:
- a pump, the pump including a pumping chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein a volume of the pumping chamber is caused to change by actuation of the actuator;
- and
- an actuator, the actuator including:
- a cavity containing a working medium that reversibly expands as it undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid state;
- a diaphragm disposed adjacent the cavity such that expansion and contraction of the expandable working medium causes the diaphragm to deflect;
- a semiconductor element disposed in the cavity, wherein the semiconductor element is adapted to heat the working medium to cause it to undergo the phase change into the liquid state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.