Pulse activated actuator pump system

Abstract

A pump for moving a fluid includes an actuator housing having a chamber for housing the fluid. The chamber has ports for accommodating fluid flow through the chamber. A plurality of individual actuators are located in the chamber and in contact with the fluid. Completing the pump is an actuator for sequentially activating individual actuators, wherein each actuator, when activated, changes dimensions and exerts a displacing force on the housed fluid.

1 . A pump for moving a fluid comprising: 
 a. an actuator housing having a chamber for housing the fluid, the chamber having ports for accommodating fluid flow through the chamber;    b. a plurality of individual actuators located in the chamber and in contact with the fluid;    c. an activator for sequentially activating individual actuators, wherein each actuator, when activated, changes dimensions and exerts a displacing force on the housed fluid.    
     
     
         2 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuator housing comprises two or more chambers for housing the fluid in flow connection.  
     
     
         3 . A pump for causing a fluid to flow at a determined rate comprising the pump of  claim 1  wherein the activator is designed to activate individual actuators at a time and sequence selected to displace the fluid at the chosen rate.  
     
     
         4 . A pump of  claim 1  comprising in addition a controller for the actuator whereby individual actuators are activated at a determined time.  
     
     
         5 . The pump of  claim 4  wherein the controller is a programmable microprocessor in electrical connection with the activator.  
     
     
         6 . The pump of  claim 4  comprising in addition a sensor means for determining physical properties of the fluid wherein the sensor is in electrical connection with the controller and is capable of delivering signals received from the fluid to the controller.  
     
     
         7 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the physical properties to be sensed are selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, pH, pressure, temperature and flow rate.  
     
     
         8 . A pump for moving a fluid in a determined path comprising the pump of  claim 1  wherein the positions of the actuators in the actuator housing are selected to define the flow path for the liquid when displaced.  
     
     
         9 . The pump of  claim 8  wherein the actuator housing comprises more than one inlet port each port being capable of receiving an individual fluid and wherein individual flow paths are determined for each fluid.  
     
     
         10 . The pump of  claim 8  comprising two or more outlet ports.  
     
     
         11 . The pump of  claim 9  wherein the flow paths of individual liquids are allowed to intersect and thereby allow mixing of the displaced fluids.  
     
     
         12 . A pump for moving a fluid at a determined rate and in a determined path comprising the pump of  claim 1  wherein said actuator sequentially activates individual contiguous actuators at a selected time and the actuators are located on one or more walls of the inner cavity at positions selected to define a flow path for the displaced liquid when the actuators are activated.  
     
     
         13 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuator housing is located inside a chamber containing the fluid, the chamber being a component of an on-line fluid processing system and the inlet port and outlet ports of the actuator housing are on the axis of flow in the fluid processing system.  
     
     
         14 . The pump of  claim 1  comprising in addition a connector for coupling the actuator housing into an on-line processing system.  
     
     
         15 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said actuators is positioned near the inlet port of the actuator housing and, when activated, forms a barrier preventing backflow of fluid from the actuator housing.  
     
     
         16 . The pump of  claim 1  comprising in addition an elastomeric impermeable lining located between the actuators and the housed fluid to prevent contact of the actuators and the fluid.  
     
     
         17 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are essentially inert and non-reactive with the fluid.  
     
     
         18 . The pump of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are biocompatible.  
     
     
         19 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein individual actuators are each encased in an essentially inert material.  
     
     
         20 . The pump of  Claim 19  wherein the material is semi-permeable to electrolytes.  
     
     
         21 . The pump of  claim 17  wherein the material is non-permeable.  
     
     
         22 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are reversibly responsive elastomeric materials selected from the group consisting of electroactive polymers, electrolytically activated polymer gels, optically activated polymers, piezoelectric polymers, piezoelectric ceramic materials, chemically activated polymers, magnetically activated polymers, magnetically activated polymers and shape memory polymers.  
     
     
         23 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise electroactive polymers.  
     
     
         24 . The pump of  claim 23  wherein each actuator is electrically shielded from contiguous actuators.  
     
     
         25 . The pump of  claim 23  comprising an electrical circuit for activating individual actuators at a determined time.  
     
     
         26 . The pump of  claim 23  comprising in addition a microprocessor in electrical contact with the electrical circuit, the microprocessor being programmed to drive the electrical circuit at a determined time whereby individual actuators are activated at a determined time and sequence.  
     
     
         27 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise electroactive gels that are activated by contact with electrolyte.  
     
     
         28 . The pump of  claim 27  comprising a reservoir for housing an electrolytic solution.  
     
     
         29 . The pump of  claim 28  comprising a permeable frit between the actuator and the electrolytic solution.  
     
     
         30 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are polymer gels activated by contact with an electrolytic solution, individual polymers are each encased with a semi-permeable material, the actuator housing comprises a reservoir for housing electrolytic solution and a frit located between the reservoir and the actuator and the activator means is an electrical circuit whereby electrolytic solution is caused to flow through the frit and semi-permeable material from the reservoir into contact with the polymer and away from the polymer to cause reversible dimension change of the actuator.  
     
     
         31 . The pump of  claim 30  wherein the electrical circuit is operated by a remote control device.  
     
     
         32 . The pump of  claim 31  wherein the remote control device is infrared or radio-frequency driven.  
     
     
         33 . The pump of  claim 31  wherein the remote control device comprises a microprocessor programmed to activate the actuators at a selected time and sequence.  
     
     
         34 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise optically responsive polymers.  
     
     
         35 . The pump of  claim 34  wherein the optically responsive polymers are ionized in the presence of light.  
     
     
         36 . The pump of  claim 34  wherein the optically responsive polymers change pH in the presence of light.  
     
     
         37 . The pump of  claim 36  wherein the polymers comprise anthracene.  
     
     
         38 . The pump of  claim 34  wherein the activation of the optically active polymers is controlled by exposure to a laser beam of specific wavelength, natural light, a LED or a quantum light source.  
     
     
         39 . The pump of  claim 38  wherein the time of light exposure is controlled by a remote control device.  
     
     
         40 . The pump of  claim 39  wherein the remote control device is infrared or radio-frequency driven.  
     
     
         41 . The pump of  claim 34  wherein the control device is driven by a microprocessor programmed to activate the actuators at a selected time and sequence.  
     
     
         42 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise electroactive polymers that a directly activated by signal from an electrical circuit.  
     
     
         43 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise a chemically activated polymer.  
     
     
         44 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise a magnetically active polymer.  
     
     
         45 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise a thermally active polymer.  
     
     
         46 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise shape memory alloys.  
     
     
         47 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise ceramic piezoelectric actuator.  
     
     
         48 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the actuators comprise polymer/ceramic piezoelectric combinations.  
     
     
         49 . The pump of  claim 11  as a fluid mixing device.  
     
     
         50 . A pump for propelling an object along a surface comprising: 
 a. an actuator housing in contact with the object;    b. a plurality of contiguous actuators in contact with the actuator housing and in contact with the surface; and    c. an activator for sequentially activating individual actuators, wherein each actuator, when activated, changes dimensions and exerts a displacing force on the surface and thereby propels the solid object in a direction opposite that of the displacing force.    
     
     
         51 . The pump of  claim 50  for propelling an object suspended on a liquid surface.  
     
     
         52 . The pump of  claim 50  for propelling an object suspended on a solid surface.  
     
     
         53 . The pump of  claim 50  for propelling an object submerged in a liquid.  
     
     
         54 . A method of pumping a fluid at a controlled rate comprising placing the actuator housing of  claim 1  into fluid contact with the fluid, activating a first actuator to prevent back-flow from the actuator housing and then repeatedly activating the contiguous actuators at a sequence wherein activation of one of the individual actuators occurs at a time after one of its contiguous actuators has been activated.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54  for pumping fluids of different viscosities wherein the pump comprises two or more actuator housings in fluid connection and each actuator housing is operated at a different flow rate.  
     
     
         56 . The pump of  claim 1  as an implantable infusion pump.  
     
     
         57 . The pump of  claim 1  as a drug delivery device for delivering a liquid drug or drug solution at a controlled rate and at a controlled time to an individual wherein the actuator housing comprises a single outlet port but no inlet port and houses the liquid drug or drug solution to be delivered.