Peristaltic pump with reduced triboelectric effects

Abstract

A pump for use with a tube, having a rotor having an axis of rotation and a plurality of rollers configured to define an orbital path about the axis of rotation, the orbital path defined by a radius, and a roller bed having a surface adapted to support the tube for peristaltic compression by one or more rollers, wherein the surface has a predetermined profile comprising a circular arc segment and at least one side segment, the arc segment having a first curvature defined by the radius, and the at least one side segment having a second curvature lesser than the first curvature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump for use with a tube having a tube width, the pump comprising:
 a rotor housing including
 a rotor 
 a first roller and a second roller that define an orbital path about an axis of rotation of the rotor; 
 a roller bed including a surface having a groove, the groove comprising a circular arc segment that is symmetric about a plumb line axis and has a circular curvature, the roller bed being disposed relative to the rotor housing such that a separation distance along the plumb line axis between the orbital path and the groove comprises a minimum separation distance between the orbital path and the surface; and 
 an engagement member that is configured to shift a position of the roller bed from an open position to a closed position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pump of  claim 1 , in which the separation distance between the rotor and the roller bed is a minimum separation distance when the roller bed is in the closed position. 
     
     
         3 . The pump of  claim 2 , in which the engagement member extends behind the rotor. 
     
     
         4 . The pump of  claim 3 , in which the engagement member is connected to a mounting bracket and a handle is a connected to the mounting bracket. 
     
     
         5 . The pump of  claim 4 , in which the mounting bracket is coupled to an upper portion of the rotor housing. 
     
     
         6 . The pump of  claim 5 , in which a maximum depth of the groove ranges between about one tenth of the tube width to about one half of the tube width. 
     
     
         7 . The pump of  claim 6 , in which the maximum depth of the groove equals about one third of the tube width. 
     
     
         8 . The pump of  claim 6 , in which a separation distance between the rotor and the roller bed is a maximum separation distance when the roller bed is in the open position. 
     
     
         9 . A method of using a pump comprising a rotor housing including a rotor, a first roller, a second roller, a roller bed, and an engagement member connecting the roller bed to a handle, the method comprising:
 lifting the handle to lower the roller bed to an open position;   positioning a tube on the roller bed;   lowering the handle to raise the roller bed toward the rotor;   activating the pump to cause the rotor to rotate the first roller and the second roller.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , in which the roller bed comprises a groove. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the operation of positioning the tube on the roller bed comprises positioning a center portion of the tube in the groove. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising clamping the tube to the roller bed. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising positioning a first lateral portion of the tube in a suction port. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising positioning a second lateral portion of the tube in a discharge port. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the first roller and the second roller define an orbital path about an axis of rotation of the rotor. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , in which the groove comprises a circular arc segment that is symmetric about a plumb line axis and has a circular curvature, the roller bed being disposed relative to the rotor housing such that a separation distance along the plumb line axis between the orbital path and the groove comprises a minimum separation distance between the orbital path and the surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , in which the handle is connected to the engagement member by a mounting bracket. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , in which a maximum depth of the groove ranges between about one tenth of a width of the tube and about one half of the width of the tube. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , in which the maximum depth of the groove equals about one third of the width of the tube.