Fluid conduit-responsively adjustable pump arrangement and pump/conduit arrangement and method, and fluid conduits therefor

For use with a rotary pump having a rotor and a stator, said stator having a conduit-engageable guide surface facing said rotor and defining a peristaltic pumping path for a fluid conduit, means for rotating said rotor in peristaltic pumping relation relative to said stator, and two conduit-anchoring elements for effectively anchoring a conduit in peristaltic pumping-enabling relation between said stator and said rotor and along said peristaltic pumping path, in which said pump has a control switch for controlling the actuation of said pump, the arrangement comprising

• a fluid conduit having a rotor/stator-engageable peristaltic pumping section engageable in peristaltic pumping relation between said stator and said rotor,
• said fluid conduit having two anchor means spaced apart thereon, with said peristaltic pumping section disposed longitudinally therebetween, for anchored retention of said conduit peristaltic pumping section in operative mounted relation along said peristaltic path,
• said anchor means being selectively removably engageable in effectively anchoring relation with said conduit-anchoring elements and with said peristaltic pumping section extending along said peristaltic pumping path, to thereby effectively anchor said pumping section of said conduit relative to said stator, and in peristaltic pump action enabling relation between said stator and said rotor when said anchor means are in effective engagement with said conduit anchoring elements,
• and switch actuator means on said fluid conduit operable to actuate said control switch as a function of said fluid conduit being in effectively anchored seated engagement along said peristaltic pumping path.

For use with a rotary pump having a rotor and a stator, said stator having a conduit-engageable guide surface facing said rotor and defining a peristaltic pumping path for a fluid conduit, means for rotating said rotor in peristaltic pumping relation relative to said stator, and two conduit-anchoring elements for effectively anchoring a conduit in peristaltic pumping-enabling relation between said stator and said stator and along said peristaltic pumping path, said pump having a control switch for adjusting the pumping actuation of said pump, and switch-actuating sensing means adjacent one of said conduit-anchoring elements, the arrangement comprising

• a fluid conduit having a rotor/stator-engageable peristaltic pumping section engageable in peristaltic pumping relation between said stator and said rotor,
• said fluid conduit having two anchor means spaced apart thereon, with said peristaltic pumping section disposed longitudinally therebetwee, for anchored retention of said conduit peristaltic pumping section in ioeratuve mounted relation along said peristaltic path,
• said anchor means being selectively removably engageable in effectively anchoring relation with said conduit-anchoring elements and with said peristaltic pumping section extending along said peristaltic pumping path, to thereby effectively anchor said pumping section of said conduit relative to said stator, and in peristaltic pump action enabling relation between said stator and said rotor when said anchor means are in effective engagement with said conduit anchoring elements,
• said peristaltic pumping section of of said conduit having pumped fluid flow characteristics such that said pump may substantially properly effect pumping action in conjunction therewith without necessity for operation of said switch and such that actuation of said switch and adjustment of said total pumping action is inappropriate for pumping action by said pump through said conduit,
• said conduit being devoid of means for effectively actuating said switch-actuating sensing means as a function of seated acchoring engagement of each of said anchor flange means with a respective one of said conduit anchoring elements.

For use with a rotary peristaltic pump having a conduit-engageable guide surface facing said rotor and defining a peristaltic pumping path for a fluid conduit, means for rotating said rotor in peristaltic pumping relation to said stator, two conduit-anchoring elements for effectively anchoring a conduit in peristaltic pumping-enabling relation between said stator and said rotor and along said peristaltic pumping path, each of said conduit-anchoring elements having a conduit-receiving opening and an anchor slot transverse to said conduit-receiving and extending on transversely opposite lateral sides of said conduit-receiving opening, said pump having a control switch for adjusting the total pumping action of said pump, and switch-actuating sensing means adjacent one of said conduit-anchoring elements, each of said transverse anchor slots having a transverse extent bounded by spaced opposing side walls and having a longitudinal extent bounded by longitudinally spaced opposing end walls having said conduit-receiving opening therein, and said physically movable actuatable sensing element extending within said one transverse slot of said one of said conduit-anchoring elements at a location substantially closer to one of said walls than to the opposing other of said end walls, the arrangement comprising

• a fluid conduit having a rotor/stator-engageable peristaltic pumping section engageable in peristaltic pumping relation between said stator and said rotor,
• said fluit conduit having two transverse anchor flange means spaced apart thereon, with said-peristaltic pumping section disposed longitudinally therebetween, for anchored retention of said conduit peristaltic pumping section in operative mounted relation along said peristaltic pumping path,
• said transverse anchor flange means being selectively laterally slidably removably engageable in effectively anchoring relation with said conduit-anchoring elements and with said peristaltic pumping section extending along said peristaltic pumping path, to thereby effectively anchor said pumping section of said conduit relative to said stator, and said rotor when said transverse anchor flange means are in effective engagement within said conduit anchoring elements,
• one of said anchor flange means having a first transversely extending anchor flange with a transversely extending dimension generally freely slidably guidably complementary to the transverse dimension formed by said lateral walls of said slot in said one conduit-anchoring element,
• said one ancho flange means further comprising a further transversely extending anchor flange longitudinally adjacent said first transversely extending anchor flange and having a transverse dimension substantially lell than the corresponding transverse dimension of said slot in said one conduit-anchoring element and being effectively disposed in nonactuating relation relative to said physically movably actuatable sensing element when said one transversely extending anchor flange means is effectively operationally seated within said anchor slot of said one conduit-anchoring element,
• the longitudinal dimension between the longitudinally oppositely outer facing surfaces of said one transversely extending anchor flange and said further transversely extending anchor flange being substantially freely slidably generally complementary to the longitudinal dimension between the corresponding portions of the opposing end walls of said slot in said one conduit-anchoring element, whereby said one flange means is substantially freely slidably insertable and seatable in said slot of said one conduit-anchoring element and whereby in its seated position said one transverse flange and said further transverse flange effectively longitudinally anchor said conduit in position in said one conduit-anchoring element.

A tube set for connection to a peristaltic pump having a pump operation adjustment-controlling switch, said tube comprising:

• a fluid conduit which includes a peristaltic pumping tube engageable in peristaltic pumping enabling relation with said peristaltic pump, and interconnected with an inlet tube and an outlet tube,
• two transversely extending ancho- flange means on said conduit and enabling operation-enabling anchored connection of said tube set to said pump,
• said peristaltic pumping tube having a peristaltic pumping section disposed between said anchor flange means,
• and each of said anchor flange means having switch-actuating means enabling actuation of said switch in response to operable anchored connection of said anchor flanges and said fluid conduit to said pump.

For use with a pulse-actuated stepping motor-driven peristaltic pump having connecting means for connecting a selectable one of two differently-cross-sectional-sized fluid conduits to said pump for pumping fluid therethrough, pumped volume registry means which indicates pumped fluid volume as a function of the number of pulses applied to said stepper motor and a first multiplier value considered appropriate for one of said two conduits and adjustment means for effectively adjusting said multiplier to a second value considered appropriate for the other of said two conduits, and connecting means associated with said pump for operably connecting a fluid conduit to said pump,

• the combination of first and second radially compressible fluid conduits having substantially equal compressible wall thicknesses and respectively different inner fluid passageway cross-sectional areas in a zone engageable in compressible peristaltic pumping relation with said pump, which fluid passageway cross-sectional area and fluid flow characteristics for said first conduit are consonant with said first given multiplier value,
• said first and second fluid conduits being interchangeably operably connectable in pumping-enabling relation with and by said pump,
• said second conduit having a fluid passageway cross-sectional-area and flow rate characteristics with which said first multiplier value is not consonant but with which said second multiplier value is consonant,
• said second conduit having adjustment actuating means thereon operable as a function of connection of said one conduit in operable pumping-enabling relation to said pump, to actuate said adjustment means and thereby adjust said multiplier to said second value as a function of connection of said one conduit in operable relation to said pump,
• and said first conduit being operably connectible in pumping-enabling relation with said pump without actuation of said adjustment means.

For use with a peristaltic pump having a rotor, a stator, a motor connected in driving relation to said motor, control switch means for controlling an aspect of flow quantity operation of said motor, and connecting/anchoring means on said pump for connecting a compressible conduit to said pump in operable relation between said rotor and said stator,

• the combination of a set of a plurality of radially compressible conduits, two of which conduits have equal wall thicknesses and different flow passageway cross-sectional areas relative to one another in a peristaltic pumping zone engageable in peristaltic pumping relation with said pump by mounting of such zone between said rotor and said stator,
• each of said conduits having two connectors at longitudinally spaced positions thereon, the respective said peristaltic pumping zone of each respective said conduit being disposed longitudinally between said connectors,
• each of said conduits being operably connectible with said pump through operable engagement of its respective two connectors with respective connecting/anchoring means on said pump,
• only one of said two conduits having switch-actuating means thereon operable to actuate said control switch means as a function of operable engagement of one of its respective said connectors with the respective connecting means on said pump.

A pump arrangement comprising

• a peristaltic pump
• first and second fluid conduits each having a peristaltic pumping section with a longitudinal fluid flow passageway therein alternately operably connectable in peristaltic pumping enabling relation to said peristaltic pump,
• said fluid flow passageway of said first fluid conduit peristaltic pumping section having a different effective cross-sectional area from that of said second conduit peristaltic pumping section,
• and pump operation adjustment switch means on said pump responsive to operable connection of said second of said conduits to said pump to effect a change in pumping activity of said pump from a first extent of activity to a second extent of activity which is consonant with said second conduit peristaltic pumping section cross section size for the pumping of a desired quantity of fluid through said second conduit by pumping activity of said pump,
• said pump operation-adjusted switch means being operably nonresponsive to operable connection of said first conduit to said pump, whereby said pump is enabled to effect peristaltic pumping activity according to said first extent of activity, which said first extent of activity is consonant with pumping of a desired fluid quantity through said first conduit by pumping activity of said pump.

The method of pumping fluid through either of first and second conduits having different fluid passageway sizes, comprising:

• alternateively pumping fluid through a selected one or the other of said conduits to effect a given selected pumped output quantity,
• said pumping of fluid through said first conduit being effected to a first extent of pumping activity consonant with said fluid passageway size of said first conduit,
• and said pumping of fluid through said second conduit being effected to a different extent of pumping activity relative to said first extent which is different by an adjustment factor which compensates for the difference of effective flow through said fluid passageway of said second conduit as a result of the fluid passageway size difference of said second conduit relative to said first conduit,
• and effecting said adjustment as a function of effectively connecting said second conduit to said pump in fluid output pumping-enabling relation thereto.

For use with a motor-driven peristaltic pump having connecting means for connecting a selectable one of two differently-cross-sectional-sized fluid conduits to said pump for pumping fluid therethrough, pumped volume registry means which indicates pumped fluid volume as a function of the amount of fluid pumping movement of said pump and a first multiplier value considered appropriate for one of said two conduits and adjustment means for effectively adjusting said multiplier to a second value considered appropriate for the other of said two conduits, and connecting means associated with said pump for operably connecting a fluid conduit to said pump,

• the combination of first and second radially compressible fluid conduits having substantially equal compressible wall thicknesses and respectively different inner fluid passageway cross-sectional areas in a zone engageable in compressible peristaltic pumping relation with said pump, which fluid passageway cross-sectional area and fluid flow characteristics for said first conduit are consonant with said first given multiplier value,
• said first and second fluid conduits being interchangeably operably connectable in pumping-enabling relation with and by said pump,
• said second conduit having a fluid passageway cross-sectional-area and flow rate characteristics with which said first multiplier value is not consonant but with which said second multiplier value is consonant,
• said second conduit having adjustment actuating means thereon operable as a function of connection of said one conduit in operable pumping-enabling relation to said pump, to actuate said adjustment means and thereby adjust said multiplier to said second value as a function of connection of said one conduit in operable relation to said pump,
• and said first conduit being operably connectible in pumping-enabling relation with said pump without actuation of said adjustment means.