Rotary cam actuated linear peristaltic pump

A peristaltic pump for flowing fluid through a lumen of a tube, the tube defining a diameter, the pump comprising:

• a plurality of pistons linearly arranged adjacent to each other in a straight configuration, each of the plurality of pistons defining opposed first and second ends, each of the plurality of pistons traversable between extended and retracted positions;
• a platen disposed adjacent to the first ends of the plurality of pistons, the platen generally parallel to the plurality of pistons wherein a gap between the first end of one of the plurality of pistons and the platen is about equal to or more than a diameter of the tube when the piston is traversed to the retracted position and the gap is smaller than the diameter of the tube when the piston is traversed to the extended position;
• a rotatable cam shaft disposed adjacent to the second ends of the plurality of pistons, the rotatable cam shaft generally parallel to the plurality of pistons;
• a plurality of cams mounted to the rotatable cam shaft, each of the cams having a cam lobe, the cam lobes of the plurality of cams disposable adjacent to the second ends of the plurality of pistons so that as the cam shaft rotates to traverse the piston to the extended position, the plurality of cams are angularly displaced with respect to the adjacent cam and the plurality of pistons are traversed to the extended position sequentially to flow fluid through the tube.

A method of operating a peristaltic pump for flowing fluid through a lumen of a tube, the method comprising the steps of:

• disposing the tube between a platen and a plurality of pistons wherein the tube is straight and parallel to the platen and the plurality of pistons;
• sequentially traversing the plurality of pistons to an extended position;
• occluding the tube linearly down the tube when the pistons are sequentially traversed to the extended position;
• pushing the piston back to a retracted position due to resiliency of the tube.