Peristaltic pumps and related methods

Abstract

A method for pumping a fluid includes providing a peristaltic pump including a contact wall, an opposing, movable compression element, and a flexible tube interposed between the contact wall and the compression element in a compressing region. The flexible tube has a tube lengthwise axis and a through passage. The flexible tube is displaceable relative to the compressing region between a first position and a second position different from the first position. The method includes: with the flexible tube in the first position, compressing the flexible tube between the compression element and the contact wall to thereby force the fluid through the through passage; thereafter displacing the flexible tube into the second position from the first position; and thereafter, with the flexible tube in the second position, compressing the flexible tube between the compression element and the contact wall to thereby force the fluid through the through passage.

1 . A peristaltic pump for pumping a fluid, the peristaltic pump comprising:
 a contact wall;   a movable compression element opposing the contact wall, wherein the contact wall and the compression element define a compressing region therebetween;   a flexible tube interposed between the contact wall and the compression element in the compressing region, the flexible tube having a tube lengthwise axis and inner and outer opposed wall surfaces, the inner wall surface defining a through passage to receive the fluid; and   a tube displacement mechanism comprising a translator mechanism operable to translate the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis relative to the compressing region between a first axial position and a second axial position different from the first axial position;   wherein the peristaltic pump is configured to compress the flexible tube between the compression element and the contact wall to thereby force the fluid through the through passage with the flexible tube in each of the first and second axial positions.   
     
     
         2 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1  wherein the translator mechanism is operable to:
 translate the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis from the first axial position to the second axial position in a first displacement direction; and 
 translate the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis from the second axial position to a third axial position in a second displacement direction opposite the first displacement direction. 
 
     
     
         3 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1  wherein the peristaltic pump is configured to compress the flexible tube between the compression element and the contact wall to thereby force the fluid through the through passage while the translator mechanism is translating the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis into the second axial position from the first axial position. 
     
     
         4 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1  wherein the translator mechanism comprises a powered actuator. 
     
     
         5 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 4  wherein the translator mechanism comprises a controller that programmatically drives the actuator to translate the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis. 
     
     
         6 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1  wherein:
 the translator mechanism comprises a spool; and 
 the translator mechanism is operable to forcibly wind the flexible tube onto the spool to translate the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis. 
 
     
     
         7 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 6  wherein:
 the translator mechanism further comprises a second spool; and 
 the translator mechanism is operable to unwind the flexible tube from the second spool to translate the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis. 
 
     
     
         8 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 6  wherein the translator mechanism is further operative to unwind the flexible tube from the spool to translate the flexible tube along the tube lengthwise axis. 
     
     
         9 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1  wherein the peristaltic pump is configured to compress the flexible tube between the compression element and the contact wall with the flexible tube in the second axial position by forcing the compression element to travel down a length of the flexible tube while engaging and compressing the flexible tube to thereby push the fluid axially through the through passage. 
     
     
         10 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1  wherein the peristaltic pump is a rotary peristaltic pump and the compression element is at least one of a compression roller, shoe or wiper. 
     
     
         11 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 10  wherein the rotary peristaltic pump comprises:
 a rotor; and 
 a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart compression rollers, shoes or wipers located on the rotor for rotation therewith; 
 wherein the peristaltic pump is configured to compress the flexible tube between the contact wall and at least one of the compression rollers, shoes or wipers. 
 
     
     
         12 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1  wherein the peristaltic pump is a linear peristaltic pump including a plurality of movable compression elements arranged in series.