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US 5,125,801 AGranted
Pumping system
AssigneeIsco, Inc.
InventorsFrederick A. Nabity, Paul G. Wright, Raymond Hulinsky, Douglas T. Carson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To draw samples from a source of liquid, a pumping system measures the amount of liquid being pumped by detecting pump cycles and calculating the pumped liquid from this measurement and stored data including conduit size, pressure head and statistical data to correlate detected pump cycles with volume of liquid pumped. Pressure pulses caused by a peristaltic pump are sensed by a piezoelectric film positioned on an inlet conduit connecting the pump to the source of water and, when the liquid reaches a predetermined point determined by the nature of the pulses, the pulses are counted to determine the number of pump cycles.
Claims43
A method of pumping liquid comprising the steps of:
- sensing changes in the strain in a conduit carrying the liquid to be measured;
- pumping liquid through the conduit in a manner that causes strain related to the flow of liquid under the control of the pump;
- and
- using the sensed strain to detect the pumping of liquid to a predetermined point.
1 more element
A method of pumping liquid comprising the steps of:
- sensing changes in the strain in a conduit carrying the liquid to be measured;
- pumping liquid through the conduit in a manner that causes strain related to the flow of liquid under the control of the pump;
- using the sensed strain to detect the pumping of liquid to a predetermined point;
- the step of sensing changes in the strain including the steps of continuously sensing pulses as the liquid moves through the conduit;
- counting the pulses;
- sensing gaps in the pulses;
- and
- counting pulses between a predetermined count of pulses and the gap, and if said counted pulses between the start of pulses and the gap exceed a predetermined number of pulses, adding a count of pulses;
- the step of adding a count of pulses including the step of adding a count of pulses controlled by a sensor which detects cycles of the pump directly from the pump.
6 more elements
A method of metering a predetermined amount of sample of liquid comprising the steps of:
- measuring strain in a pump conduit to determine the number of pump cycles necessary for liquid to reach a predetermined location in a conduit as it pumps to that location;
- using said number of pump cycles to access a statistical base indicating a criteria for the number of pump cycles necessary to deposit said predetermined amount of sample;
- and
- pumping for the predetermined number of pump cycles to deposit said sample and reversing the direction of pumping after said sample is deposited.
1 more element
An apparatus for pumping liquid comprising:
- means for sensing changes in the strain in a conduit carrying the liquid to be measured;
- means for pumping liquid through the conduit in a manner that causes strain related to the flow of liquid under the control of the pump;
- means for using the sensed strain to measure the pumping of a predetermined amount of liquid;
- the means for sensing changes in the strain including means for continuously sensing pulses as the liquid moves through the conduit;
- means for sensing an increase in the amplitude of the pulses indicating liquid is approaching the pump;
- and means for counting pulses during higher amplitude pulse reception.
3 more elements
An apparatus for pumping liquid comprising:
- means for sensing changes in the strain in a conduit carrying the liquid to be measured;
- means for pumping liquid through the conduit in a manner that causes strain related to the flow of liquid under the control of the pump;
- means for using the sensed strain to measure the pumping of a predetermined amount of liquid;
- means for determining the first presence of higher amplitude pulses;
- means for sensing gaps in the pulses;
- means for counting pulses between the start of pulses and the gap;
- and
- means for adding certain of said count of pulses.
5 more elements
An apparatus for pumping liquid comprising:
- means for sensing changes in the strain in a conduit carrying the liquid to be measured;
- means for pumping liquid through the conduit in a manner that causes strain related to the flow of liquid under the control of the pump;
- means for using the sensed strain to measure the pumping of a predetermined amount of liquid;
- means for counting cycles of the pump as the pump pumps in a forward direction;
- means for detecting when liquid approaches the pump;
- means for using said number of cycles of the pump between the time it begins pumping liquid through the conduit to the pump until it senses a change in amplitude indicating liquid approaching the pump and means for using said count to obtain an indication of the head of pressure;
- means for using the indication of a head of pressure to access statistical data indicating the amount of pumping necessary to pump a predetermined amount of sample;
- means for pumping a number of cycles sufficient to deposit the predetermined amount of liquid in a container and then reversing the direction of pumping.
5 more elements
Apparatus for metering a predetermined amount of sample of liquid comprising:
- means for measuring strain in a pump conduit to determine the number of pump cycles necessary for liquid to reach a predetermined location in a conduit as it pumps to that location;
- means for using said number of pump cycles to access a statistical base indicating a criteria for the number of pump cycles necessary to deposit said predetermined amount of sample;
- means for pumping for the predetermined number of pump cycles to deposit said sample;
- and
- means for reversing the direction of pumping after said sample is deposited.
2 more elements
A method of pumping liquid comprising the steps of:
- sensing changes in the strain in a conduit carrying the liquid to be measured;
- pumping liquid through the conduit with a peristaltic pump whereby the conduit is strained by the strokes of the peristaltic pump as the peristaltic pump cycles;
- counting the number of pump cycles that stress the conduit;
- and
- providing a warning signal to change the conduit when a predetermined number of pump cycles have been sensed.
2 more elements
A method of pumping liquid comprising the steps of:
- sensing changes in the strain in a conduit carrying the liquid to be measured;
- pumping liquid through the conduit in a manner that causes strain related to the flow of liquid under the control of the pump;
- counting the number of pump cycles;
- measuring an amount of liquid pumped to a predetermined point;
- the step of sensing changes in the strain including the steps of:
- continuously sensing first pulses as the liquid moves through the conduit;
- sensing an increase in the amplitude of the first pulses indicating liquid is approaching the pump;
- and counting second pulses during the time the first pulses are at a higher amplitude.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.