Bladeless pump
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorMorteza Gharib
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bladeless pump is described which uses a rotating impeller which is substantially smooth. The rotating impeller pumps fluid in a direction perpendicular to its direction of rotation. The moving part of the pump includes a substantially smooth or bumped outer surface, which rotates within a substantially unmoving part. The unmoving part includes grooves which are canted in a specified direction. The innermost surfaces of the grooves form a diameter which is similar to the outermost surfaces of the substantially smooth impeller. When the impeller is spinning, fluid flow between the grooves is prevented. This causes fluid flow generally in the direction of the grooves.
Claims32
A pump, comprising:
- an inner element, which is rotatably mounted to rotate around a rotation axis, and which has substantially smooth outer surfaces which has a substantially constant and continuous other diameter cylindrical surface;
- and
- a chamber surface, surrounding said first element and having an inlet for inlet of fluid, at a first location along said rotation axis and outlet for outputting pumped fluid, at a different location along said rotation axis.
A pump, comprising:
- an inner element, having bumps thereon which is rotatably mounted to rotate around a rotation axis, and which has substantially smooth outer surfaces which has a substantially constant and a continuous other diameter cylindrical surface;
- and
- a chamber surface, surrounding said first element and having an inlet for inlet of fluid, at a first location along said rotation axis and outlet for outputting pumped fluid, at a different location along said rotation axis.
A bladeless pump, comprising:
- a rotating part, which has no blades or grooves thereon and which rotates to produce a fluid flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of rotation.
A method of pumping a fluid, comprising:
- rotating a substantially smooth rotating element which has no sharp edged parts thereon;
- and
- using said substantially smooth element to pump the fluid in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a direction of said rotating.
A method of pumping blood, comprising:
- forming two coaxial cylindrical elements;
- rotating one of said elements relative to the other, and
- introducing blood to said element to pump the blood in a direction perpendicular to a direction of said rotating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.