Methods for controlling a pump's flow rate by pulsed discharge
AssigneeDEKA Products Limited Partnership
InventorsRobert J. Bryant, Lawrence B. Gray, Geoff P. Spencer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are 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.
Claims21
A method for pumping a liquid at a desired average flow rate with a pumping cartridge, the cartridge including at least one pump chamber, at least a portion of which pump chamber includes a movable surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. at least partially filling said pump chamber with a liquid;
- b. isolating said pump chamber;
- c. applying a force to said movable surface;
- d. regulating the flow of liquid from the pump chamber while maintaining said force on the surface.
A method for pumping a liquid at a desired average flow rate with a pumping cartridge including at least one pump chamber, at least a portion of which pump chamber comprises a movable surface, comprising:
- a. closing a valve positioned on an outlet line of said pump chamber;
- b. at least partially filling said pump chamber with a liquid;
- c. closing a valve positioned on an inlet line of said pump chamber, thereby isolating said pump chamber;
- and, while maintaining said inlet valve in a closed position,
- d. applying a force to said movable surface;
- and
- e. opening the outlet valve for selected time periods at selected intervals while maintaining the force on the movable surface, said selected time periods and intervals being chosen to yield a desired average flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.