Electromagnetic pump

• US 20030180164A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cytonome/St, Llc (Cytonome Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Teragenics, Inc.
• Inventors: Day, Richard, Deshpande, Manish, Bohm, Sebastian, Bunner, Bernard, Gilbert, John Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,033,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/413.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/025 two or more plate-like pumping members in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/043 Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/963 Miscellaneous

Abstract

An electromagnetic micropump for pumping small volumes of liquids and gases comprises a magnetic actuator assembly, a flexible membrane and a housing defining a chamber and a plurality of valves. The magnetic actuator assembly comprises a coil and a permanent magnet for deflecting the membrane to effect pumping of the fluid. A plurality of micropumps may be stacked together to increase pumping capacity.

Claims

1. An electromagnetically actuated pump, comprising:

a housing defining a fluid chamber;

a flexible membrane defining a wall of the fluid chamber for varying the size of the fluid chamber; and

an actuator assembly for moving the membrane comprising a coil and a permanent magnet connected to the membrane.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a spacer element containing the actuator assembly and a pump body defining the fluid chamber.

3. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 1, further comprising a capsule for containing the pump.

4. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 3, wherein a plurality of capsules are stacked in series.

5. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 1, wherein the fluid chamber has a volume of less than about one cubic centimeter.

6. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 1, wherein the fluid chamber has a volume of between about 0.6 cubic centimeters and about 0.8 cubic centimeters.

7. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 1, further comprising an inlet to the fluid chamber and an outlet to the fluid chamber.

8. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 7, wherein one of said inlet and said outlet comprises a diffuser valve.

9. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 7, wherein one of said inlet and said outlet comprises a check valve.

10. The electromagnetically actuated pump of claim 1, wherein the housing has a diameter of between about 10 and about 15 millimeters.

11. An electromagnetically actuated pump comprising:

a first plate having a first side and a second side;

a plurality of spacer elements formed in the first plate, wherein each spacer element comprises an aperture containing an actuator assembly comprising a coil and a permanent magnet, and a ridge rim around the perimeter of the central hole on a first side of the plate;

a second plate having a first side and a second side stacked with the first plate;

a plurality of pump bodies formed in the second plate, wherein at least one of said plurality of pump bodies includes a central recess defining a pump chamber disposed opposite the aperture of the spacer element and includes at least one input port and outlet port for the pump chamber; and

a membrane disposed between the first plate and the second plate and coupled to the second side of the first plate.

12. An electromagnetically actuated pump, comprising:

a housing defining a fluid chamber;

a flexible membrane;

an actuator assembly coupled to the membrane;

an inlet to the fluid chamber formed on a first side of the membrane; and

an outlet from the fluid chamber formed on a second side of the membrane.

13. The pump of claim 12, wherein the fluid chamber has a volume of less than one cubic centimeter.

14. The pump of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a first component having a recess formed therein defining the fluid chamber and a second component including the actuator assembly stacked on the first component.

15. The pump of claim 14, wherein one of said first component and said second component includes an alignment protrusion and the other of said first component and said second component comprises an alignment recess configured to receive the alignment protrusion.

16. The pump of claim 14, wherein the inlet is formed in said second component and the outlet is formed in said first component.

17. The pump of claim 16, wherein the second component comprises a cylindrical body having defined by a side wall and a hollow interior.

18. The pump of claim 17, wherein the inlet comprises a channel formed in the side wall of the second component.

19. The pump of claim 18, wherein the inlet extends through the length of the second component from a first end of the second component to a second end of the second component.

20. The pump of claim 17, wherein the inlet comprises a channel extending through the side wall of the second component.

21. An electromagnetic pump, comprising

a cylindrical housing having a peripheral surface and defining a fluid chamber;

a flexible membrane defining a wall of the fluid chamber for varying the size of the fluid chamber;

an actuator assembly for moving the membrane comprising a coil and a permanent magnet coupled to the membrane, and

a plurality of valves formed around the peripheral surface of the housing and in communication with the fluid chamber, wherein at least one of said valves comprises an inlet to the pump chamber and one of said valves comprises an outlet to the fluid chamber.

22. The pump of claim 21, wherein said plurality of valves are arranged symmetrically around the peripheral surface of the housing.

23. The pump of claim 21, wherein said plurality of valves comprises two inlet valves and two outlet valves.

24. The pump of claim 21, wherein said plurality of valves comprises four inlet valves and four outlet valves.

25. The pump of claim 21, wherein said plurality of valves comprises six inlet valves and six outlet valves.

26. The pump of claim 21, wherein said plurality of valves comprises at least one diffuser valve.

27. The pump of claim 21, wherein said plurality of valves comprises at least one check valve.

28. A stacked array of pumps, comprising:

a first pump comprising a housing defining a fluid chamber, a flexible membrane, an actuator assembly for moving the membrane to change the volume of the fluid chamber, an inlet to the fluid chamber formed on a first side of the membrane and an outlet to the fluid chamber formed below the membrane;

a second pump stacked on top of the first pump comprising a housing defining a fluid chamber, a flexible membrane, an actuator assembly for moving the membrane to change the volume of the fluid chamber, an inlet to the fluid chamber formed on a first side of the membrane and an outlet to the fluid chamber formed below the membrane, wherein a sealed chamber is formed by the stacked first and second pumps including atmosphere above the membrane of the first pump, wherein the sealed chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet of the first pump and the outlet of the second pump.

29. A micropump, comprising:

a housing defining a microfluid chamber;

a membrane coupled to the housing and forming a wall of the microfluid chamber; and

an actuator assembly for selectively moving the membrane.

30. The micropump of claim 29, wherein the housing comprises a spacer element containing the actuator assembly and a pump body defining the microfluid chamber.

31. The micropump of claim 29, wherein the microfluid chamber has a volume of less than about one cubic centimeter

32. The micropump of claim 29, further comprising an inlet to the fluid chamber and an outlet to the fluid chamber.

33. The micropump of claim 32, further comprising a valve coupled to one of the inlet and outlet.