Volumetric fluidics pump with translating shaft path

• US 8,162,633 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Edwards, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZOLLINGER, NATHAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/832,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20090035164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 417/477.7, 417/476, 417/477.1, 417/477.3, 417/477.8, 417/477.9, 417/477.11, 417/477.12
• US Class Current: 417/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00736 Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments A61F9/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/72 Cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/82 Membrane pumps, e.g. bulbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0201 Cassettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0208 before use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0212 after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/022 Volume; Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0258 by means of electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1253 by using two or more rollers as squeezing elements, the rollers moving on an arc of a circle during squeezing
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1269 the rotary axes of the rollers lying in a plane perpendicular to the rotary axis of the driving motor
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1276 Means for pushing the rollers against the tubular flexible member

Abstract

A pump for moving a fluid through a fluidics system includes a surface and channel disposed along at least a portion of the surface. The pump also includes a driving mechanism having a rotatable shaft and a plurality of haptics operably coupled to the shaft. A closed portion is formed in the channel as the channel is compressed between the surface and at least one of the haptics, the closed portion having a thickness between the surface the haptic. The pump additionally has a circular path and a shaft path. The haptics are completely disposed inside the circular path and traversing the circular path during operation of the driving mechanism. The shaft path is traversed by shaft during operation of the driving mechanism, such at least one of the haptics is always in contact with the channel. The surface has a radius of curvature in the vicinity of the closed potion that is greater than the sum of a radius of the circular path and the thickness of the closed portion.

Claims

1. A pump, comprising:

a surface;

a driving mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft and a plurality of haptics operably coupled to the shaft;

a channel disposed along the surface, the channel configured to have a closed portion when compressed between the surface and one of the haptics, the closed portion having a thickness defined by a distance between the surface and the haptic that closes the channel;

a circular path defined about the rotatable shaft and traversed by the haptics during operation of the pump; and

a shaft path traversed by the shaft during operation of the pump;

the surface having a radius of curvature in the vicinity of the channel that is greater than the sum of a radius of the circular path and the thickness of the closed portion;

wherein at least one haptic of the plurality of haptics is configured to draw a fluid through the channel when the shaft simultaneously rotates the at least one haptic along the circular path and traverses the shaft path, and

wherein a length from a center of the rotatable shaft to a distal end of one of the haptics is greater than the distance between the surface and the center of the rotatable shaft when the channel is in its least compressed state during rotation of the shaft.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein the motion of the haptics during operation of the pump is a combination of the circular path and the shaft path.

3. The pump of claim 1, wherein the channel is continually closed between the surface and at least one of the haptics when the shaft moves along the shaft path.

4. The pump of claim 1, wherein the plurality of haptics comprises two haptics, three haptics, or four haptics.

5. The pump of claim 1, wherein the shaft path is at least one of a linear path and an arcuate path.

6. The pump of claim 1, wherein a line along the shaft path and intersecting the surface is substantially perpendicular to the surface.

7. The pump of claim 1, wherein a line along the shaft path intersects the surface, the line being within about ±

20 degree of a normal of the surface.

8. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a biasing mechanism configured to bias at least one of the haptics against the channel.

9. The pump of claim 8, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises at least one of a spring and a cam.

10. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a second closed portion compressed between the surface and a second haptic from the plurality of the haptics.

11. The pump of claim 10, wherein the channel comprises a closed fluid volume disposed between the closed portions.

12. The pump of claim 1, wherein the surface is planar in the vicinity of the channel.

13. The pump of claim 1, wherein the rotatable shaft is a rotor of a motor.

20. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a housing having an aperture along the shaft path, wherein a portion of the shaft is configured to move within the aperture independently of the housing.

14. A pump, comprising:

a surface;

a shaft path;

a driver comprising a shaft, the shaft configured to move relative to the surface along a surface path and to move along the shaft path during operation of the pump; and

two or more haptics operably coupled to the shaft;

a channel disposed along the surface, the channel configured to have a closed portion when compressed between the surface and one of the haptics;

wherein the channel is continually closed between the surface and at least one of the haptics when the shaft moves along the surface path;

wherein a distance between the shaft and the surface is varied by rotation of the shaft;

wherein at least one haptic is configured to draw a fluid through the channel when the shaft simultaneously rotates the at least one haptic along the surface path and traverses the shaft path, and

wherein a length from a center of the rotatable shaft to a distal end of one of the haptics is greater than the distance between the surface and the center of the rotatable shaft when the channel is in its least compressed state during rotation of the shaft.

15. The pump of claim 14, wherein the surface path is at least one of a linear path and an arcuate path.

16. The pump of claim 14, wherein a line along the shaft path and intersecting the surface is substantially perpendicular to the surface.

17. The pump of claim 14, wherein:

at least one haptic of the two or more haptics moves along a circular path as the at least one haptic moves a fluid through the channel;

the closed portion has a thickness between the surface and the at least one haptic; and

the surface has a radius of curvature in the vicinity of the channel that is greater than the sum of a radius of the circular path and the thickness of the closed portion.

18. A pump, comprising:

a surface;

a driving mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft and a haptic operably coupled to the shaft;

a channel disposed along the surface, the channel configured to have a closed portion when compressed between the surface and the haptic, the closed portion having a thickness defined by a first distance between the surface and the haptic;

a shaft path traversed by the shaft, wherein a second distance between the rotatable shaft and the surface changes when the haptic moves along the channel; and

a third distance between the shaft and the haptic, the third distance remaining fixed as the haptic moves along the channel;

the surface having a radius of curvature in the vicinity of the channel that is greater than the sum of the first distance and the third distance;

wherein the haptic is configured to draw a fluid through the channel when the shaft simultaneously rotates the at least one haptic along the path and traverses the shaft path, and

wherein a length from a center of the rotatable shaft to a distal end of one of the haptics is greater than the distance between the surface and the center of the rotatable shaft when the channel is in its least compressed state during rotation of the shaft.

19. A pump system, comprising:

a housing comprising a slot;

a surface;

a driving mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft and a plurality of haptics operably coupled to the shaft;

a channel disposed along the surface, the channel configured to have a closed portion when compressed between the surface and one of the haptics, the closed portion having a thickness defined by a distance between the surface and the haptic that closes the channel;

a circular path defined about the rotatable shaft and traversed by the haptics during operation of the pump; and

a shaft path along the slot configured to be traversed by the shaft during operation of the pump;

the surface having a radius of curvature in the vicinity of the channel that is greater than the sum of a radius of the circular path and the thickness of the closed portion;

wherein at least one haptic of the plurality of haptics is configured to draw a fluid through the channel when the shaft simultaneously rotates the at least one haptic along the circular path and traverses the shaft path, and

wherein a length from a center of the rotatable shaft to a distal end of one of the haptics is geater than the distance between the surface and the center of the rotatable shaft when the channel is in its least compressed state during rotation of the shaft.