System, method, and apparatus for estimating liquid delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12059547-B2
Application number	US-202117333133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2011
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A pump includes a reservoir, a port, and a plunger. The reservoir delivers a liquid by discharging the liquid through the port coupled to the reservoir. A piston of the plunger defines a liquid side of the reservoir and a non-liquid side of the reservoir whereby movement of the plunger towards the liquid side of the reservoir discharges liquid through the port. The pump also includes a reference-volume assembly and/or a linear position sensor. The reference-volume assembly is coupled to the reservoir at an opposite end of the reservoir relative to the port and includes a reference-volume chamber in acoustic communication with the non-liquid side of the reservoir, a speaker disposed within the reference-volume chamber, and a reference microphone disposed within the reference-volume chamber. The pump estimate the amount of liquid discharged from the reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pump, comprising:
a first acoustic housing including a first reservoir and a first port that is configured to discharge fluid from the first reservoir configured to house a first liquid, the first reservoir including a liquid side and a non-liquid side;
a reference-volume assembly coupled to the first acoustic housing, the reference-volume assembly comprising a first reference-volume chamber in acoustic communication with the first acoustic housing, the first reference-volume chamber being configured to sense a sound wave within the non-liquid side of the first reservoir;
a second acoustic housing including a second reservoir and a second port, the second reservoir configured to deliver a second liquid;
a second plunger disposed within the second reservoir, the second reservoir including a liquid side and a non-liquid side, wherein translation of the second plunger through the second reservoir in a direction toward the liquid side of the second reservoir causes liquid contained within the second reservoir to discharge through the port; and
the reference-volume assembly is coupled to the second acoustic housing through an acoustic port.

2. The pump assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a manifold, the manifold comprising:
a first connector port coupled to the first port;
a second connector port coupled to the second port;
a discharge port; and
a liquid path fluidly connecting together the first and second connector ports to the discharge port.

3. The pump according to claim 2 , wherein the manifold is attachable to the first and second connector ports.

4. The pump according to claim 1 , further comprising a vent in fluid communication with the non-liquid side of the first reservoir.

5. The pump according to claim 4 , wherein the vent is further configured to acoustically seal the non-liquid side of the reservoir from outside the first reservoir.

6. The pump according to claim 1 , further comprising a one-way valve in fluid communication with the non-liquid side of the first reservoir, wherein the one-way valve is configured to allow gas to enter into the non-liquid side of the first reservoir from outside the reservoir.

7. The pump according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first plunger disposed within the reservoir in a sliding engagement with an inner surface of the reservoir, wherein translation of the plunger through the reservoir in a direction toward the liquid side of the reservoir causes liquid contained within the reservoir to discharge through the port.

8. The pump according to claim 7 , wherein the first plunger is moveable between a fully discharged position and a fully loaded position, wherein the reference-volume chamber is in fluid communication with the non-liquid side of the first reservoir when the first plunger is positioned anywhere between the fully discharged position and the fully loaded position.

9. The pump according to claim 7 , wherein the first plunger comprises a first piston coupled to a first shaft.

10. The pump according to claim 9 , wherein the first piston engages an inner surface of the first reservoir.

11. The pump according to claim 10 , wherein the inner surface of the first reservoir defines a circular cross section, and wherein the first piston engages the inner surface of the first reservoir along the circular cross section.

12. The pump according to claim 10 , wherein the inner surface of the first reservoir defines a rectangular cross section, and wherein the first piston engages the inner surface of the first reservoir along the rectangular cross section.

13. The pump according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a speaker disposed within the reference-volume chamber; and
a microphone disposed within the reference-volume chamber.

14. The pump according to claim 13 , wherein:
the speaker is configured to generate the sound wave, and the microphone is configured to detect acoustic feedback from the sound wave.

15. The pump according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a processor, the processor being configured to estimate a volume of fluid discharged from the first reservoir as a function of the acoustic feedback.

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

• Kamen Dean
• Kerwin John M
• Murphy Colin H

Classifications

• G01F23/296

  Acoustic waves · CPC title

• A61M2205/6072

  Bar codes · CPC title

• A61M2205/6054

  Magnetic identification systems · CPC title

• A61M2205/582

  by tactile feedback · CPC title

• A61M2205/581

  by audible feedback · CPC title