Peristaltic pump with a removable cassette

Abstract

A peristaltic pump is provided which includes a removable cassette that can be mounted to the peristaltic pump using a single hand of a user. The peristaltic pump includes, a pump frame, a plurality of rollers configured to mount to the pump frame, an actuator operably coupled to move the plurality of rollers, and the removable cassette The cassette includes a cassette frame and a cam positioned to compress a tube against the plurality of rollers. The cassette is mountable to the pump frame by applying pressure in a first direction to the cassette frame and is dismountable from the pump frame by applying pressure in the first direction to the cassette frame. In an exemplary embodiment, a pin mounts to the pump frame and the cassette frame includes a ramp configured to receive the pin so that the pin is held in a seat of the ramp.

1 . A peristaltic pump, the peristaltic pump comprising: 
 a pump frame;    a plurality of rollers configured to mount to the pump frame;    an actuator operably coupled to move the plurality of rollers;    a cassette, the cassette comprising 
 a cassette frame; and  
 a cam positioned to compress a tube against the plurality of rollers;  
 wherein the cassette is mountable to the pump frame by applying a first pressure in a first direction to the cassette frame and is dismountable from the pump frame by applying a second pressure in the first direction to the cassette frame.  
   
   
   
       2 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the cassette comprises a hook extending from the cassette frame and further wherein the pump frame comprises a notch configured to receive the hook.  
   
   
       3 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the pump frame comprises a hook and further wherein the cassette frame comprises a notch configured to receive the hook.  
   
   
       4 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a pin mounted to the pump frame, wherein the cassette frame comprises a ramp configured to receive the pin.  
   
   
       5 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a pin mounted to the cassette frame, wherein the pump frame comprises a ramp configured to receive the pin.  
   
   
       6 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 4 , wherein the pin comprises: 
 a cylindrical body; and    a head extending from the cylindrical body at a first end.    
   
   
       7 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 6 , wherein the pin further comprises a parallelepiped housing surrounding a portion of the cylindrical body.  
   
   
       8 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 7 , wherein the pump frame further comprises an aperture configured to accept the parallelepiped housing of the pin.  
   
   
       9 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 6 , wherein the pump frame further comprises an aperture configured to accept the pin.  
   
   
       10 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 9 , wherein the aperture is sized and shaped either to allow sliding of the pin within the aperture, to allow pivoting of the pin within the aperture, or to allow sliding and pivoting of the pin within the aperture.  
   
   
       11 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 10 , wherein the pivoting of the pin is about an axis perpendicular to a direction of sliding of the pin within the aperture.  
   
   
       12 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 10 , wherein the ramp comprises a seat configured to hold the pin during mounting of the cassette to the pump frame.  
   
   
       13 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 12 , wherein the ramp comprises a plurality of levels configured to guide the pin toward the seat during mounting of the cassette to the pump frame.  
   
   
       14 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 12 , wherein the ramp comprises a plurality of levels configured to guide the pin away from the seat during dismounting of the cassette from the pump frame.  
   
   
       15 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 9 , further comprising a biasing member mounted to resist sliding of the pin within the aperture.  
   
   
       16 . A method of using a cassette in a peristaltic pump, the method comprising: 
 positioning a cassette frame of a cassette for mounting to a pump frame of a peristaltic pump;    engaging a hook in a notch to mount a first end of the cassette frame to the pump frame;    sliding a pin in a first direction to accept a second end of the cassette frame;    sliding the pin along a ramp; and    holding the pin in a seat of the ramp to mount the cassette to the peristaltic pump.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 applying pressure to the cassette frame in a second direction thereby releasing the pin from the seat;    sliding the pin along the ramp; and    disengaging the hook from the notch to dismount the cassette from the peristaltic pump.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the second direction is generally perpendicular to the first direction.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the cassette comprises the hook which extends from the cassette frame and further wherein the pump frame comprises the notch.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the pin mounts to the pump frame and further wherein the cassette frame comprises the ramp.