Micro Pump Systems

• US 20150267695A1
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Encite, LLC
• Original Assignee: Encite, LLC
• Inventors: Marsh, Stephen Alan
• Granted Patent: US 10,344,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0057 Pumps therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0666 Nasal cannulas or tubing devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/043 two or more plate-like pumping flexible members in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/047 Pumps having electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/18 with pivoted discs or flaps

Abstract

Discloses is a micro-pump that includes a pump body having a compartmentalized pump chamber, with plural inlet and outlet ports and a plurality of membranes disposed in the pump chamber to provide compartments. The membranes are anchored between opposing walls of the pump body and carry electrodes disposed on opposing surfaces of the membranes and walls of the pump body. Also discloses are applications of the micro-pump including as a heat remover and a self-contained continuous positive airway pressure breathing device.

Claims

1. A micro-pump comprising:

a pump body, the pump body having a pump chamber that is compartmentalized into plural compartments, with the pump chamber having a first plurality of inlet ports providing fluid ingress into the pump chamber and a second plurality of outlet ports providing fluid egress from the pump chamber;

a third plurality of membranes disposed in the pump chamber, with the third plurality of membranes anchored between opposing walls of the pump body and providing the plural compartments with the pump chamber; and

a fourth plurality of electrodes, with a first pair of the fourth plurality of electrodes disposed on a second different pair of opposing walls of the pump body, and a remaining ones of the fourth plurality of electrodes disposed on major surfaces of the membranes.

2. The micro-pump of claim 1 wherein inlets and outlets are on the same wall of the pump body.

3. The micro-pump of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of inlets and the second plurality of outlets are on the same wall of the pump body, and the first plurality of inlets have a first set of connections to a source and the second plurality of outlets have a second, different set of connections to a sink and with the second plurality of outlets isolated from the first set of connections.

4. The micro-pump of claim 1 wherein the inlets and the outlets are on opposing walls of the pump body.

5. The micro-pump of claim 1 further comprising a fifth plurality of valves, a first portion of which are disposed adjacent the first plurality of inlets and a second portion of the valves disposed adjacent the second plurality of outlets.

6. The micro-pump of claim 1 wherein the fifth plurality of valves are flap valves or sliding valves.

7. The micro-pump of claim 1 wherein the micro-pump is configured to be driven by a set of electrical signals applied to the fourth plurality of electrodes to cause the third plurality of membranes disposed in the pump chamber to deflect according to polarities of voltages applied to the fourth plurality of electrodes.

8. The micro-pump of claim 1 wherein the set of electrical signals cause a first one of the plural compartments to compress and cause at least one adjacent one of the plural compartments to expand substantially simultaneously.

9. The micro-pump of claim 1 further comprising a drive circuit to produce waveforms to apply to the electrodes.

10. A micro-pump comprising:

first and second micro-pump modules having a pump body, a membrane having electrically conductive electrodes on major surfaces thereof, and a pump end that form a pump compartment, each of the first and second micro-pump modules having at least an inlet port providing fluid ingress into the pump compartment and an outlet port providing fluid egress from the pump compartment;

at least a third micro-pump module having a pump body and a membrane having electrically conductive electrodes on major surfaces thereof, with the third micro-pump module sandwiched between the first and second micro-pump modules.

11. The micro-pump of claim 10 wherein the inlet and the outlet of each module are on a same wall of the pump body, and the micro pump comprises electronic drive circuitry.

12. The micro-pump of claim 10 wherein the first plurality of inlets and the second plurality of outlets are on the same wall of the pump body, and the first plurality of inlets have a first set of connections to a source and the second plurality of outlets have a second, different set of connections to a sink and with the second plurality of outlets isolated from the first set of connections.

13. The micro-pump of claim 10 wherein the inlet and the outlet of each module are on opposing walls of the pump body.

14. The micro-pump of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of valves disposed adjacent inlets and outlets.

15. The micro-pump of claim 10 wherein the valves are flap valves having a beam member and a stop.

16. A cooling device for an electrical component, the cooling device comprising:

a micro-pump having a pump body forming a pump chamber having a plurality of compartments, with the pump chamber having a first plurality of inlet ports providing fluid ingress into compartments of the pump chamber and a second plurality of outlet ports providing fluid egress from compartments of the pump chamber and a third plurality of membranes disposed in the pump chamber, with the third plurality of membranes anchored between opposing walls of the pump body, and a fourth plurality of electrodes, with a first pair of the fourth plurality of electrodes disposed on a second different pair of opposing walls of the pump body, and a remaining portion of the fourth plurality of electrodes disposed on a surface of each of the membranes;

a heat plate having a first surface configured to attach to the electrical component and a second surface that is in thermal communication with the micro-pump.

17. The cooling device of claim 16 wherein the micro-pump is connected to the heat plate.

18. The cooling device of claim 16 wherein end ones of the compartments have a corresponding wall of the pump body and one of the third plurality of membranes providing the end compartments and with intermediate ones of the compartments having a pair of membranes providing the intermediate compartments.

19. An airway pressure breathing device comprises:

a body having air passages through the body terminating in a pair of end portions, with each end portion having at least one outlet in a first surface of the end portion; and

a micro pump supported by the body, the micro pump configured to pump ambient air through the air passages in the body to the end portions.

20. The airway pressure breathing device of claim 19 further comprising:

a battery to provide a power source for the micro pump, the battery supported on the body.

21. The airway pressure breathing device of claim 19, further comprising:

a butterfly type valve disposed in fluid communication with the micro pump.

22. The airway pressure breathing device of claim 19, further comprising:

a pair of plugs having air passages at the end portions of the body.

23. The airway pressure breathing device of claim 19, wherein the end portions comprise a nasal interface that snugly fits within nostrils of a user.

24. The airway pressure breathing device of claim 19, further comprising:

a nasal interface at the end portions, which nasal interface configured to snugly fit within nostrils of a user.

25. A valve device comprising:

a body having a passage, the body supporting;

an inlet control port perpendicular to the passage;

a first port coupled to the body at a first end of the passage;

a second port coupled at a second end of the passage;

an axial member; and

a valve flap disposed in the body adjacent the inlet control port, the flap valve being rotatable about the axial member to open and close the passage between the first and second port upon application of air through the inlet control port.

26. The valve device of claim 25 wherein the first port supported on the body is offset slightly from a center of the valve flap.

27. The valve device of claim 25 wherein the flap provides a butterfly type valve disposed in fluid communication with the inlet control port that is controlled by air applied to the inlet control port.

28. The valve device of claim 25 further comprising a third port, the third port disposed at the first end of the passage, adjacent to the first port supported, the third port supported on the body.

29. The valve device of claim 25 further comprising a third port, the third port disposed at the first end of the passage, adjacent to the first port supported, the third port supported on the body and being offset slightly from a center of the valve flap.

30. A valve device comprising:

a valve member, the valve member having a stem portion and flap cover portion with the stem being perpendicular to the flap cover portion;

a body layer;

a body wall supported on the body layer, the body wall having a passage, the passage in body wall having an opening into a chamber formed from the body layer and body wall and at least one opening beyond the body wall, formed by a pair of spaced body wall regions with the stem portion within a space defined by the pair of spaced wall regions, and with flap cover portion within the passage between the opening in the chamber and the opening beyond the wall.

31. The valve device of claim 30 further comprising a second body layer disposed over the body wall.

32. A valve device comprising:

a body layer;

a valve member, the valve member having a somewhat semi-circular portion, a pair of end-portions coupled to ends of the semi-circular portion and a pair of leg portions;

a piston-like member having a stem portion and a head portion, the piston-like member supported on the body layer;

a body wall supported on the body layer, the body wall having an opening into a chamber formed from the body layer and the body wall and at least one opening beyond the body wall formed by the stem portion of the piston-like member, with the head portion configured to allow the valve member to freely move but be contained adjacent to the opening beyond the wall.

33. The valve device of claim 32 further comprising a second body layer disposed over the body wall.

34. The valve device of claim 32 wherein the shape of the valve member roughly resembles the Greek letter omega.