Pump
First Claim
1. A pump for use in dispensing reagents, the pump comprising:
- a motor;
a peristaltic pump having a rotor driven by the motor;
a pressure sensor monitoring the pressure of the pumped fluid downstream of the pump; and
a control unit which controls the motor by adjusting the standard operating speed of the motor according to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, such that the pump operates continuously at a rate set by an operator.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Provided is a pump and a method of controlling a pump. The pump and method are particularly for use in dispensing reagents, for example in flow chemistry, and more particularly on a laboratory scale. The pump aims to provide a substantially constant output flow of fluid. The pump comprises: a motor; a peristaltic pump having a rotor driven by the motor; a pressure sensor monitoring the pressure of the pumped fluid downstream of the pump; and a control unit which controls the motor by adjusting the standard operating speed of the motor according to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, such that the pump operates continuously at a rate set by an operator. Embodiments of the pump make use of lookup tables to determine a desired position of the pump rotor at each point in the cycle with the entry point into the lookup table being determined by the feedback from the pressure sensor. Long term changes in the performance of the pump can also be accounted for by changing the entry in the lookup table which is consulted.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A pump for use in dispensing reagents, the pump comprising:
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a motor; a peristaltic pump having a rotor driven by the motor; a pressure sensor monitoring the pressure of the pumped fluid downstream of the pump; and a control unit which controls the motor by adjusting the standard operating speed of the motor according to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, such that the pump operates continuously at a rate set by an operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of controlling a peristaltic pump having a rotor driven by a motor, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a desired operating rate from an operator; detecting the pressure of the pumped fluid downstream of the pump; and adjusting the standard operating speed of the motor according to the detected pressure such that the pump operates continuously at the desired operating rate. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification