SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUPPLYING REDUCED PRESSURE AND MEASURING FLOW USING A DISC PUMP SYSTEM

• US 20130223979A1
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solventum Intellectual Properties Company (Solventum Corp.)
• Original Assignee: KCI Licensing Incorporated (3M Company)
• Inventors: Locke, Christopher Brian, Tout, Aidan Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14224 Diaphragm type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/026 each plate-like pumping flexible member working in its own pumping chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/046 with piezoelectric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/36 the pressure or differential pressure being created by the use of flow constriction
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/383 with electrical or electro-mechanical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/40 Details of construction of the flow constriction devices

Abstract

Disc pump systems and methods relate to a disc pump system that includes a first disc pump having a first actuator and a second disc pump having a second actuator. The systems and methods utilize sensors to measure the displacements of the actuators and a processor to determine the pressure differential across each actuator as a function of the measured displacements of the actuators. The disc pumps are fluidly coupled by a known restriction and the processor determines the flow rate of the disc pump system based on the determined pressure differentials across each actuator and the characteristics of the known restriction.

Claims

1. A disc pump system comprising

a first disc pump having a first actuator;

a second disc pump having a second actuator;

a substrate having a known restriction, the first disc pump and the second disc pump being fluidly coupled by the known restriction;

a first optical receiver operable to receive a first reflected optical signal that indicates a displacement of the first actuator and to transmit a first displacement signal to a processor; and

a second optical receiver operable to receive a second reflected optical signal that indicates the displacement of the second actuator and to transmit a second displacement signal to the processor;

the processor being coupled to the first disc pump, the second disc pump, the first optical receiver, and the second optical receiver, and being configured to;

determine a first pressure differential across the first disc pump in response to receiving the first displacement signal;

determine a second pressure differential across the second disc pump in response to receiving the second displacement signal; and

determine a fluid flow rate of the disc pump system based on the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential.

2. The disc pump system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to determine whether there is a leak based on the fluid flow rate of the disc pump system.

3. The disc pump system of claim 1, further comprising an RF transceiver.

4. The disc pump system of claim 1, further comprising a first optical transmitter and a second optical transmitter, wherein:

the first optical transmitter is operable to transmit a first optical signal, and

the second optical transmitter is operable to transmit a second optical signal.

5. The disc pump system of claim 1, further comprising a driver, wherein:

the processor is operable to transmit a first control signal and a second control signal to the driver,

the driver is operable to transmit a first drive signal to the first disc pump and a second drive signal to the second disc pump,

the first drive signal causes the first disc pump to prevent fluid flow across the first disc pump and the first optical receiver to transmit the first displacement signal to the processor, and

the second drive signal causes the second disc pump to supply fluid flow across the second disc pump and the second optical receiver to transmit the second displacement signal to the processor.

6. A disc pump system comprising:

a first disc pump having a first actuator;

a second disc pump having a second actuator;

a substrate having a known restriction, wherein the first disc pump and the second disc pump are fluidly coupled by the known restriction.

7. The disc pump system of claim 6 further comprising a load, wherein the load is coupled to the substrate and fluidly coupled to the known restriction.

8. The disc pump system of claim 6, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

9. The disc pump system of claim 6, wherein the known restriction has a tubular shape with a circular cross-section.

10. The disc pump system of claim 6, wherein the known restriction follows a tortuous path.

11. The disc pump system of claim 6, wherein the known restriction has a tubular shape with a circular cross section, and wherein the known restriction follows a tortuous path.

12. The disc pump system of claim 6, wherein the first disc pump has a first specified flow rate and the second disc pump has a second specified flow rate, and the first specified flow rate is greater than the second specified flow rate.

13. The disc pump system of claim 6, wherein the first disc pump provides a first specified pressure differential and the second disc pump provides a second specified pressure differential, and the first specified pressure differential is less than the second specified pressure differential.

14. The disc pump system of claim 6, wherein:

the first disc pump has a first specified flow rate;

the second disc pump has a second specified flow rate;

the first specified flow rate is greater than the second specified flow rate;

the first disc pump provides a first specified pressure differential;

the second disc pump provides a second specified pressure differential; and

the first specified pressure differential is less than the second specified pressure differential.

15. A method for operating a disc pump system comprising:

transmitting a first drive signal to a first disc pump, the first disc pump having a first actuator;

transmitting a second drive signal to a second disc pump, the second disc pump having a second actuator, wherein the first disc pump and second disc pump are fluidly coupled to a load via an aperture, and the second disc pump is coupled to the aperture via a known restriction;

supplying a reduced pressure to the load using the second disc pump;

receiving a first displacement signal that indicates the displacement of the first actuator;

receiving a second displacement signal that indicates the displacement of the second actuator;

determining a first pressure differential across the first disc pump in response to receiving the first displacement signal;

determining a second pressure differential across the second disc pump in response to receiving the second displacement signal; and

determining the fluid flow rate of the disc pump system based on the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a leak based on the fluid flow rate of the disc pump system, the pressure differential across the first disc pump, and the pressure differential across the second disc pump.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising stopping the first drive signal and second drive signal in response to detecting a leak.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting an alarm signal in response to detecting a leak.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising stopping the first drive signal and the second drive signal and transmitting an alarm signal in response to detecting a leak.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing a diagnostic process in response to detecting a leak.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a wireless alert signal in response to detecting a leak.

22. The disc pump systems and methods shown and described herein.