Methods and systems for pulsed delivery of fluids from a pump
AssigneeDEKA Products Limited Partnership
InventorsRobert J. Bryant, Lawrence B. Gray, Geoff P. Spencer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is disclosed for pumping fluids at desired average flow rates by applying a predetermined force to a pump chamber and pulsing an outlet valve of the pump chamber to deliver a fluid therefrom. In some embodiments, pump chambers are provided within removable pumping cartridges that are constructed and configured to be coupled to a reusable pump drive component. In other embodiments, the pumping cartridges include multiple pump chambers, which pump chambers are operated so that a pump flow rate of one pump chamber is a predetermined fraction of the pump flow rate of another pump chamber within the pumping cartridge.
Claims16
A fluid metering system comprising:
- a reusable component constructed and arranged for operative association with a removable pumping cartridge by coupling to said pumping cartridge, said pumping cartridge including at least one pump chamber having an outlet line having an outlet valve portion therein, said outlet valve portion having a structure different form a structure of at least one other portion of the outlet line;
- and a processor configured to control pulsing of said valve portion, a plurality of times while maintaining a force applied to the pump chamber during a pump cycle, to achieve a desired flow rate.
A fluid metering system comprising:
- a reusable component constructed and arranged for operative association with a removable pumping cartridge by coupling to said pumping cartridge, said pumping cartridge including at least one pump chamber having an outlet line having an outlet valve therein;
- and
- a processor configured to control pulsing of said valve, a plurality of times during a pump cycle, to achieve a desired flow rate, wherein
- the pumping cartridge includes at least a first pump chamber and a second pump chamber and wherein the processor is configured to independently control a flow rate of a liquid pumped with said first pump chamber and a flow rate of a liquid pumped with said second pump chamber, such that the flow rate of a liquid pumped with said second pump chamber is a predetermined fraction of the flow rate of a liquid pumped with said first pump chamber.
A fluid metering system comprising:
- a reusable component constructed and arranged for operative association with a removable pumping cartridge, said pumping cartridge including at least one pump chamber having an inlet line having a first valve therein and an outlet line having a second valve therein, said pump chamber being at least partially formed from a movable surface;
- valve actuating means for operating the first valve and the second valve;
- pump chamber actuating means for applying a force to said movable surface;
- and
- control means for controlling said valve actuating means and said pump chamber actuating means to deliver a fluid at a desired flow rate from the pump chamber by closing said first valve, applying a force to the movable surface, and pulsing said second valve, by opening and closing said second valve a plurality of times without refilling said pump chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.