Fluid dispensing device
AssigneeMillipore Corporation
InventorsJames F. Furey, Mark McInnes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid dispensing device, suitable for dispensing fluid from a fluid supply to a receptacle, is disclosed, wherein a pliable fluid reservoir is located between the fluid supply and the receptacle, and wherein peristaltic pumps are used to supply and dispense said fluid from the pliable fluid reservoir. The fluid level in the pliable fluid reservoir is electronically monitored with data being transmitted to either or both pumps for the operative control thereof. The pliable fluid reservoir is configured, together with certain connected conduits, as a disposable, easily-installable, single-use unit.
Claims20
A fluid dispensing device, suitable for dispensing fluid under atmospheric pressure from a fluid supply to a receptacle, comprising:
- a disposable single use pliable fluid reservoir having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
- a pliable supply-side conduit connected to the fluid inlet of the pliable fluid reservoir to allow fluid to be sequentially squeezed therethrough;
- a pliable dispense-side conduit connected to the fluid outlet of the pliable fluid reservoir to allow fluid to be sequentially squeezed therethrough;
- sensing means placed proximate the pliable fluid reservoir, said sensing means capable of detecting the fluid level in the pliable fluid reservoir and transmitting data thereabout;
- a supply-side peristaltic pump engaged onto the supply-side conduit;
- a dispense-side peristaltic pump engaged onto the dispense-side conduit;
- and
- an electronic controller capable of controlling the supply-side and dispense-side peristaltic pumps based on data received from said sensing means.
A fluid dispensing device, suitable for dispensing fluid under atmospheric pressure, comprising:
- a peristaltic pump mechanism,
- a disposable single use pliable polymeric fluid reservoir,
- a disposable single use pliable supply-side conduit connected to the fluid inlet of the pliable fluid reservoir to allow fluid to be sequentially squeezed therethrough;
- a disposable single use pliable dispense-side conduit connected to the fluid outlet of the pliable fluid reservoir to allow fluid to be sequentially squeezed therethrough;
- a sensing means placed proximate the pliable polymeric fluid reservoir,
- means for engaging the pliable fluid reservoir;
- wherein
- (a) said pliable polymeric fluid reservoir has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, with a pliable polymeric supply-side conduit connected to the fluid inlet and a pliable polymeric dispense-side conduit connected to the fluid outlet;
- (b) the flow of fluid to and from said pliable polymeric fluid reservoir is driven at least in part by said peristaltic pump mechanism,
- (c) the sensing means is capable of detecting fluid level in the pliable polymeric fluid reservoir and transmitting data, and
- (d) an electronic controller capable of controlling the peristaltic pump mechanism based on data received from said sensing means,
- wherein each of the polymeric fluid reservoir, supply-side conduit, and dispense-side conduit are made from the same or different material selected from the group consisting of selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, polyesters, nylons, PTFE, fluoropolymers, acrylics, methacrylics, acrylic copolymers, methacrylic copolymers, polysulphones, polyethersulphones, polyaryl-sulphones, polystryenes, polyvinyl chlorides, chlorinated polyvinyl chlorides, ABS blends, ABS alloys, polyurethanes, thermoset polymers, polyolefins, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, polyolefin copolymers, polypropylene, polypropylene copolymers, and metallocene generated polyolefins.
A fluid dispensing device, suitable for dispensing fluid under atmospheric pressure from a fluid supply to a receptacle comprising:
- a single use pliable fluid reservoir having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and gas gating means for maintaining atmospheric pressure throughout the device attached to the reservoir, above the maximum fluid level of the reservoir, for maintaining atmospheric pressure in the device;
- a pliable supply-side conduit connected to the fluid inlet of the fluid reservoir to allow fluid to be sequentially squeezed therethrough;
- a pliable dispense-side conduit connected to the fluid outlet of the fluid reservoir to allow fluid to be sequentially squeezed therethrough;
- sensing means placed proximate the fluid reservoir, wherein sensing means are capable of detecting the fluid level in the fluid reservoir and transmitting data thereabout;
- a supply-side peristaltic pump engaged onto the pliable supply-side conduit;
- a dispense-side peristaltic pump engaged onto the pliable dispense-side conduit;
- an electronic controller capable of controlling the supply-side and/or dispense-side peristaltic pumps based on data received from said sensing means;
- a manifold assembly;
- and
- a plurality of electronically-controllable pinch valves,
- wherein the manifold assembly sub-divides the pliable dispense-side conduit into a plurality of sub-branches, the dispense-side peristaltic pump being engaged onto the pliable dispense-side conduit prior to the sub-division thereof by the manifold assembly, and the pinch valves being engaged onto the sub-branches to enable control of flow therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.