Fluid pump

• US 6,224,346 B1
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: West Pharma. Services IL, Ltd. (West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medimop Medical Projects Ltd. (West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Denenburg, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Thorpe, Timothy S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, WILLIAM H
• Application Number:
  US09/370,376
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 417/221, 417/516, 417/517, 417/538, 417/466, 417/530, 417/515, 417/469, 417/417, 417/410.1, 417/527, 417/53
• US Class Current: 417/219
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 1/02 having two cylinders in V-arrangement F04B1/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 1/047 with actuating or actuated elements at the outer ends of the cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/0015 and having a slidable movement
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/003 and having a slidable movement

Abstract

An apparatus for moving fluid from a first location to a second location comprises a housing containing a pump body having a central passageway with a fluid inlet and first and second fluid outlets in communication with the passageway. A shuttle having first and second fluid chambers is movable within the passageway of the body between first and second positions. First, second, third, and fourth generally annular shaped fluid passageways provided in the shuttle permit selective fluid communication between the first and second fluid chambers of the shuttle and the inlet and outlet ports of the pump body. First and second inlet passageways provided in the shuttle permits selective fluid communication between the inlet of the pump body and the first and second fluid chambers of the shuttle. A piston is reciprocally movable within the shuttle chambers by a uniquely configured operating mechanism, such as a cam ring. The reciprocation piston functions, not only to control fluid flow through the shuttle, but also functions to move the shuttle between its first and second positions within the central passageway of the pump body.

Claims

1. An apparatus for moving fluid from a source of fluid to a location remote from the source of fluid comprising:

(a) a body having a passageway and a fluid inlet and first and second fluid outlets in communication with said passageway, said fluid inlet being in communication with the source of fluid and said first and second fluid outlets being in communication with the location remote from the source of fluid;

(b) a shuttle movable within said passageway of said body between a first position within said passageway, and a second position within said passageway, said shuttle having first and second fluid chambers and including;

(i) an outlet passageway permitting fluid communication between said first fluid chamber and said first fluid outlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said first position;

(ii) another outlet passageway permitting fluid communication between said second fluid chamber and said second fluid outlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said second position;

(iii) an inlet passageway permitting fluid communication between said second fluid chamber and said fluid inlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said first position; and

(iv) another inlet passageway permitting fluid communication between said first fluid chamber and said fluid inlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said second position; and

(c) a piston reciprocally movable within said shuttle between first and second positions.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said shuttle is moved within said passageway of said body between said first and second positions by said piston.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including means for moving said piston between said first and second positions.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said means for moving said piston between said first and second positions comprises a rotatable cam ring.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said means for moving said piston between said first and second positions comprises a pair of solenoids.

6. An apparatus for moving fluid from a source of fluid to an infusion line comprising:

(a) a body having a passageway and a fluid inlet and first and second fluid outlets in communication with said passageway, said fluid inlet being in communication with said source of fluid and said first and second fluid outlets being in communication with said infusion line;

(b) a shuttle movable within said passageway of said body between a first location within said passageway and a second location within said passageway, said shuttle having first and second fluid chambers and including;

(i) an outlet permitting fluid communication between said first fluid chamber and said first fluid outlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said first position;

(ii) another outlet permitting fluid between said second fluid chamber and said second fluid outlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said second position;

(iii) an inlet permitting fluid communication between said second fluid chamber and said fluid inlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said first position; and

(iv) another inlet permitting fluid communication between said first fluid chamber and said fluid inlet port of said body upon said shuttle moving to said second position;

(c) a piston reciprocally movable within said shuttle between first and second positions, said piston moving said shuttle between said first and second positions as said piston moves between said first and second positions; and

(d) means for moving said piston between said first and second positions, said means comprising a cam ring.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said cam ring comprises a generally ring shaped body having an inner surface said surface having three circumferentially spaced piston engaging protuberances.

8. A method for moving fluid from a source of fluid to a second location remote from said source of fluid using an apparatus comprising a body having a central passageway and a fluid inlet port and first and second fluid outlet ports in communication with the central passageway, the fluid inlet port being in communication with the source of fluid and the first and second fluid outlet ports being in communication with the second location remote from the source of fluid;

a shuttle movable within the passageway of the body between a first position within the passageway and a second, position within the passageway, the shuttle having first and second chambers and including first and third fluid passageways and first and second inlets and a piston reciprocally movable within the shuttle;

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) moving the piston within the first fluid chamber of the shuttle to force fluid therefrom into the first fluid outlet port of the body via one of the first and second passageways of the shuttle and to simultaneously cause fluid to be aspirated into the second fluid chamber of the shuttle via the fluid inlet port of the body and one of the first and second inlets of the shuttle;

(b) moving the piston to move the shuttle from a first location wherein the second inlet of the shuttle is in index with the fluid inlet port of the body to a second location wherein the first inlet of the shuttle in is index with the fluid inlet port of the body;

(c) moving the piston within the second fluid chamber of the shuttle to force the fluid aspirated therein to flow from the second fluid chamber into the second fluid outlet port of the body via the other of said first and second passageways of the shuttle and simultaneously to cause fluid to be aspirated into the first fluid chamber of the shuttle via the fluid inlet port of the body and one of the first and second inlets of the shuttle; and

(d) moving the piston to move the shuttle from the second location to the first location.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 in which the shuttle includes a fourth fluid passageway and in which the method includes the step of moving the shuttle to a third position wherein the first inlet port of the body is in communication with one of the first and second outlet ports of the body via the fourth fluid passageway.