System, Device, and Method for Mixing Liquids

• US 20080175093A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Gray, Larry B., McGill, David W., Demers, Jason D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/160.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0088 Liquid substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0213 with isolated sections of the tube used as additive reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0272 Apparatus for treatment of blood or blood constituents prior to or for conservation, e.g. freezing, drying or centrifuging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0281 Apparatus for treatment of blood or blood constituents prior to transfusion, e.g. washing, filtering or thawing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36225 with blood pumping means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3687 Chemical treatment A61M1/3675 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/125 with incorporated filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/451 by injecting one liquid into another
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/49 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/105 Mixing heads, i.e. compact mixing units or modules, using mixing valves for feeding and mixing at least two components
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/60 Pump mixers, i.e. mixing within a pump
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/81 Combinations of similar mixers, e.g. with rotary stirring devices in two or more receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/811 in two or more consecutive, i.e. successive, mixing receptacles or being consecutively arranged
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/711 for feeding a mixture of components, i.e. solids in liquid, solids in a gas stream
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/715 Feeding the components in several steps, e.g. successive steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/8823 using diaphragms or bellows
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 13/02 of two or more fluids at the same time
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/02 having reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/06 the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0009 : Special features
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/06 : Pumps having fluid drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/22 : by means of valves F04B49/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/06 : Venting
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/16 : Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/22 : Arrangements for enabling ready assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/132 : by controlling the flow of the individual components G05D11/133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 : Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0329 : Mixing of plural fluids of diverse characteristics or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0352 : Controlled by pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86131 : Plural
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87652 : With means to promote mixing or combining of plural fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 : Means to assemble or disassemble
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0911 : Hooked end
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/212 : With expanding or contracting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/438 : Spring-arm catch

Abstract

A system, device, and method for mixing liquids involves pumping a first liquid into a first pump chamber of a pumping apparatus through a channel of the pumping apparatus and pumping a second liquid from a second pump chamber of the pumping apparatus into either the channel or the first pump chamber, preferably while the first liquid is being pumped into the first pump chamber, so that the two liquids are mixed within the pumping apparatus. The second liquid is preferably pumped in a pulsatile mode in which small quantities of the second liquid are pumped at intervals. The quantity and/or the interval can be dynamically adjusted to result in a predetermined concentration of the two liquids. The contents of the first pump chamber are pumped to a receptacle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mixing a first liquid with a second liquid, the apparatus comprising:

a first pump controller operatively coupled to pump a first liquid into a first pump chamber of a pumping apparatus through a channel of the pumping apparatus; and

a second pump controller operatively coupled to pump a quantity of a second liquid from a second pump chamber of the pumping apparatus into one of the channel and the first pump chamber so as to mix the first liquid and the second liquid within the pumping apparatus.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to pump the quantity of the second liquid during said pumping of the first liquid.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pumping apparatus is a pump cassette having pneumatically operated first and second pump chambers and a plurality of pneumatically operated valves, and wherein the first and second pump controllers are operatively coupled to pneumatically operate the pump chambers and the valves.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to pump the quantity of the second liquid from the second pump chamber in a pulsatile mode.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pulsatile mode is characterized by a pulse width and pulse interval, and wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to determine a concentration of first liquid and second liquid in the first pump chamber and dynamically adjust at least one of the pulse width and pulse interval based on the concentration of first liquid and second liquid in the first pump chamber.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to pump a second quantity of the second liquid from the second pump chamber into one of the channel and the first pump chamber using at least one of the dynamically adjusted pulse width and the dynamically adjusted pulse interval.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pump controller is operatively coupled to pump the contents of the first pump chamber to a receptacle.

8. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a pump cassette interface for pneumatically operating the chambers and valves of the pump cassette, the pump cassette interface including a limiter for limiting the amount of second liquid held by the second pump chamber.

9. An apparatus for mixing a first liquid with a second liquid, the apparatus comprising:

means for pumping a first liquid into a first pump chamber of a pumping apparatus through a channel of the pumping apparatus; and

means for pumping a quantity of a second liquid from a second pump chamber of the pumping apparatus into one of the channel and the first pump chamber so as to mix the first liquid and the second liquid within the pumping apparatus.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the means for pumping the quantity of the second liquid comprises:

means for pumping the quantity of the second liquid during said pumping of the first liquid.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pumping apparatus is a pump cassette having pneumatically operated first and second pump chambers and a plurality of pneumatically operated valves, and wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for pneumatically operating the pump chambers and the valves.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the means for pumping the quantity of the second liquid comprises:

means for pumping the quantity of the second liquid from the second pump chamber in a pulsatile mode.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the pulsatile mode is characterized by a pulse width and pulse interval, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for determining a concentration of first liquid and second liquid in the first pump chamber; and

means for dynamically adjusting at least one of the pulse width and pulse interval based on the concentration of first liquid and second liquid in the first pump chamber.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for pumping a second quantity of the second liquid from the second pump chamber into one of the channel and the first pump chamber using at least one of the dynamically adjusted pulse width and the dynamically adjusted pulse interval.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for pumping the contents of the first pump chamber to a receptacle.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for limiting the amount of second liquid held by the second pump chamber.

17. A system for mixing a first liquid with a second liquid, the system comprising:

a plurality of first liquid containers, each containing a first liquid;

a second liquid container containing a second liquid; and

a plurality of pumps, each pump operatively coupled to mix first liquid from a respective one of the plurality of first liquid containers with second liquid from the second liquid container.

18. A system according to claim 17, where each pump comprises:

a first pump controller operatively coupled to pump first liquid from the first liquid container into a first pump chamber of a pumping apparatus through a channel of the pumping apparatus; and

a second pump controller operatively coupled to pump second liquid from the second liquid container into a second pump chamber of the pumping apparatus and to pump a quantity of the second liquid from the second pump chamber of the pumping apparatus into one of the channel and the first pump chamber so as to mix the first liquid and the second liquid within the pumping apparatus.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to pump the quantity of the second liquid during said pumping of the first liquid.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the pumping apparatus is a pump cassette having pneumatically operated first and second pump chambers and a plurality of pneumatically operated valves, and wherein the first and second pump controllers are operatively coupled to pneumatically operate the pump chambers and the valves.

21. A system according to claim 18, wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to pump the quantity of the second liquid from the second pump chamber in a pulsatile mode.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the pulsatile mode is characterized by a pulse width and pulse interval, and wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to determine a concentration of first liquid and second liquid in the first pump chamber and dynamically adjust at least one of the pulse width and pulse interval based on the concentration of first liquid and second liquid in the first pump chamber.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the second pump controller is operatively coupled to pump a second quantity of the second liquid from the second pump chamber into one of the channel and the first pump chamber using at least one of the dynamically adjusted pulse width and the dynamically adjusted pulse interval.

24. A system according to claim 18, wherein the first pump controller is operatively coupled to pump the contents of the first pump chamber to a receptacle.

25. A system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a process controller in communication with the plurality of pumps for coordinating said mixing by the pumps.