Apparatus and methods for manipulating deformable fluid vessels
First Claim
1. An apparatus for processing a fluid module including a collapsible vessel supported on a planar substrate by applying a force compressing the vessel against the substrate, said apparatus comprising:
- a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction that is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate;
guides configured to support the first actuator component and prevent movement of the first actuator component in a direction normal to the plane of the substrate;
a second actuator component configured to apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate by moving in a second direction having a component that is generally normal to the plane of the substrate; and
a motion conversion mechanism coupling the first actuator component with the second actuator component and constructed and arranged to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the second actuator component in the second direction to thereby apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for processing a fluid module, including a collapsible vessel supported on a planar substrate, comprises a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate, a second actuator component configured to be movable in a second direction having a component that is normal to the plane of the substrate, and a motion conversion mechanism coupling the first actuator component with the second actuator component and configured to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the second actuator component in the second direction.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for processing a fluid module including a collapsible vessel supported on a planar substrate by applying a force compressing the vessel against the substrate, said apparatus comprising:
-
a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction that is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate; guides configured to support the first actuator component and prevent movement of the first actuator component in a direction normal to the plane of the substrate; a second actuator component configured to apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate by moving in a second direction having a component that is generally normal to the plane of the substrate; and a motion conversion mechanism coupling the first actuator component with the second actuator component and constructed and arranged to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the second actuator component in the second direction to thereby apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An apparatus for processing a fluid module including two or more collapsible vessels supported on a planar substrate by applying a force compressing each vessel against the substrate, said apparatus comprising:
-
a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction that is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate; guides configured to support the first actuator component and prevent movement of the first actuator component in a direction normal to the plane of the substrate; a second actuator component associated with each of the collapsible vessels and configured to apply a force compressing the associated vessel against the substrate by moving in a second direction having a component that is generally normal to the plane of the substrate; and a motion conversion mechanism associated with each of the second actuator components and coupling the first actuator component with the associated second actuator component, wherein each motion conversion mechanism is constructed and arranged to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the associated second actuator component in the second direction to thereby apply a force compressing the associated vessel against the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification