Flow control system for a micropump

A flow control system for use with a micropump for pumping a fluid to be administered through a tubing comprising, in combination:

• a first body portion having a membrane-receiving inner surface, an inlet aperture in fluid communication with the micropump, and a mating surface disposed about the membrane-receiving inner surface;
• a membrane having a generally circular footprint, a reinforcement annulus located along an outer peripheral edge of the membrane, wherein the reinforcement annulus is configured to be received by the first body portion membrane-receiving inner surface, and wherein an entire surface of the membrane is substantially dome shaped, and a portion of the membrane is oriented to be movable between a closed position, in sealable communication with the inlet aperture, and an open position, in spaced apart relation from the inlet aperture, the membrane being further oriented and sized to be biased in the closed position, the membrane being configured to substantially maintain the dome shape in both the closed position and the open position, the membrane further having a spherical radius of curvature Rvm and a thickness of Thzenith as measured at a dome zenith of the membrane, the reinforcement annulus presenting a cylindrical outer periphery having a cylinder height Houter and a diameter Douter, a cylindrical inner surface having a cylinder height Hinner and diameter Dinner, and a bottom terminus of generally flat, ring-like contour having a thickness Thann equal to one-half of Douter minus Dinner and presenting a downwardly facing circular periphery, the membrane having a working height Hvm measured vertically from the dome zenith to the circular periphery;
• a second body portion having a membrane-receiving inner surface, an outlet aperture configured to communicate with the tubing, and a mating surface disposed about the membrane-receiving inner surface and configured to mate with the mating surface of the first body portion;
• at least a portion of the membrane reinforcement annulus being positioned within the inner surface of the first body portion;
• and
• the first body portion mating surface being positioned and maintained in sealed relation with the second body portion mating surface;
• whereby operation of the micropump causes the fluid to (a) flow from the micropump to the first body inlet aperture, (b) exert a pressure, sufficient to move the membrane from the closed position to an open position, and (c) flow around the outer peripheral edge of the membrane and through the second body outlet aperture and into the tubing.

A flow control system for use with a micropump for pumping a fluid to be administered through a tubing comprising, in combination:

• a first body portion having a membrane-receiving inner surface, an inlet aperture in fluid communication with the micropump, and a mating surface disposed about the membrane-receiving inner surface, the membrane-receiving inner surface defining a generally disk-shaped seating assembly having a top face, a bottom face and providing N flow channels and a seating surface having an outer confine thereabout configured to receive and seat a membrane;
• the seating assembly further comprising a first, second and third layer, the first layer having as its lower terminus the bottom face of the assembly and being generally disc shaped and having a center aperture having a flow diameter Dflow disposed therethrough,
• the second layer having a circular outer periphery, overlaying the first layer and having N generally pie-shaped support surfaces extending radially inwardly in spaced apart relation, each support surface having an inner terminus, the inner termini being equidistant from the center of the second layer and defining an inner support diameter Di, the spaced apart relation of the generally pie-shaped support surfaces defining N flow channels therebetween, each flow channel having an outwardly extending semicircular flow passage space at its outer terminus,
• the third layer overlaying the second layer having as its upper terminus the top face of the assembly, the third layer having a generally disc-like radial profile having an inner diameter boundary that provides an outer confine for a membrane and N semicircular flow passages configured to align in axial profile with the semicircular flow passage spaces of the second layer;
• a membrane having a generally circular footprint, a reinforcement annulus located along an outer peripheral edge of the membrane, wherein the reinforcement annulus is configured to be received by the first body portion membrane-receiving inner surface, and wherein an entire surface of the membrane is substantially dome shaped, and a portion of the membrane is oriented to be movable between a closed position, in sealable communication with the inlet aperture, and an open position, in spaced apart relation from the inlet aperture, the membrane being further oriented and sized to be biased in the closed position, the membrane being configured to substantially maintain the dome shape in both the closed position and the open position, the membrane further having a spherical radius of curvature Rvm and a thickness of Thzenith as measured at a dome zenith of the membrane, the reinforcement annulus presenting a cylindrical outer periphery having a cylinder height Houter and a diameter Douter, a cylindrical inner surface having a cylinder height Hinner and diameter Dinner, and a bottom terminus of generally flat, ring-like contour having a thickness Thann equal to one-half of Douter minus Dinner and presenting a downwardly facing circular periphery, the membrane having a working height Hvm measured vertically from the dome zenith to the circular periphery;
• a second body portion having a membrane-receiving inner surface, an outlet aperture configured to communicate with the tubing, and a mating surface disposed about the membrane-receiving inner surface and configured to mate with the mating surface of the first body portion;
• at least a portion of the membrane reinforcement annulus being positioned within the inner surface of the first body portion;
• the first body portion mating surface being positioned and maintained in sealed relation with the second body portion mating surface to define a generally cylindrically-shaped chamber containing the membrane;
• whereby operation of the micropump causes the fluid to (a) flow from the micropump to the first body inlet aperture, (b) exert a pressure sufficient to move the membrane from the closed position to an open position, and (c) flow around the outer periperal edge of the membrane and through the second body outlet aperture and into the tubing.