Fluid supply apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352082-B2
Application number	US-201314074434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2013
Priority date	Nov 12, 2012
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A fluid supply apparatus which supplies fluid to a medical apparatus includes: a pump mechanism including a first pump capable of a suction operation of the fluid after a feeding operation of the fluid, and a second pump capable of a suction operation of the fluid during the feeding operation and a feeding operation of the fluid during the suction operation; a flow path which includes an elastic member and which communicates with the first pump and the second pump and supplies the fluid to the medical apparatus; and a flow path deforming unit which deforms a part of the flow path. The flow path deforming unit starts first deformation of the flow path before the first pump switches from the feeding operation to the suction operation, and completes the first deformation and starts second deformation of the flow path during the feeding operation by the second pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid supply apparatus which supplies fluid to a medical apparatus, comprising:
a first pump capable of switching between suction of the fluid and ejection of the fluid;
a second pump capable of switching between suction of the fluid and ejection of the fluid;
a flow path which communicates with the first pump and the second pump and supplies the fluid to the medical apparatus; and
a flow path deforming unit which deforms a part of the flow path;
wherein the flow path deforming unit presses the flow path before the first pump switches to the state of sucking the fluid,
wherein a speed at which the flow path deforming unit presses the flow path is the fastest when the first pump switches from the state of ejecting the fluid to the state of sucking the fluid.

2. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first pump ejects the fluid when the second pump sucks in the fluid,
the second pump ejects the fluid when the first pump sucks in the fluid, and
the flow path deforming unit cancels the pressing on the flow path before the first pump switches from the state of sucking the fluid to the state of ejecting.

3. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of deformation of the flow path by the flow path deforming unit is at a maximum during a period from when an amount of ejection per unit time by the first pump reaches a predetermined amount of fluid fed, until the amount of ejection per unit time becomes smaller than the predetermined amount of ejection.

4. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second pump switches from the suction to the ejection when the first pump switches from the state of ejecting the fluid to the state of sucking the fluid.

5. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, where one cycle from when the first pump ejects the fluid until the suction of the fluid ends is T, a deformation period during which the flow path deforming unit presses the flow path is T/2 or shorter.

6. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path deforming unit deforms the flow path by pressing an outer wall surface of the flow path.

7. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path includes a first flow path connected to the first pump, a second flow path connected to the second pump, and a third flow path that is a flow path into which the first flow path and the second flow path join together, and
the flow path deforming unit presses the third flow path.

8. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path deforming unit presses the flow path to block the flow path, and thus stops supply of the fluid from the first pump and the second pump to the medical apparatus.

9. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the medical apparatus is a therapeutic apparatus which ejects the fluid to the living body and thus treats the living body.

10. A fluid supply apparatus which supplies fluid to a medical apparatus, comprising:
a pump mechanism having plural pumps capable of ejecting the fluid outside;
a flow path which is elastic and supplies the fluid ejected from each of the pumps to the medical apparatus; and
a flow path deforming unit which presses the flow path at a predetermined timing that is set in advance,
wherein a speed at which the flow path deforming unit presses the flow path is the fastest when a first pump of the plural pumps switches from a state of ejecting the fluid.

11. A control method for a fluid supply apparatus which supplies fluid to a medical apparatus, the fluid supply apparatus including
a first pump which alternately carries out suction and ejection of the fluid,
a second pump which alternately carries out suction and ejection of the fluid,
a flow path which communicates with the first pump and the second pump and supplies the fluid, and
a flow path deforming unit which deforms a part of the flow path,
the method comprising:
causing the second pump to eject the fluid when the first pump sucks in the fluid;
causing the first pump to eject the fluid when the second pump sucks in the fluid; and
causing the flow path deforming unit to start first pressing on the flow path before the first pump switches from the state of ejecting the fluid to the state of sucking the fluid, and to start second pressing on the flow path when the second pump carries out the ejection,
wherein a speed at which the flow path deforming unit presses the flow path is the fastest when the first pump switches from the state of ejecting to the state of sucking.

12. The control method for the fluid supply apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein an amount of deformation of the flow path by the flow path deforming unit has a peak during a period from when an amount of ejection per unit time by the first pump reaches a predetermined amount of ejection, until the amount of ejection per unit time becomes smaller than the predetermined amount of ejection.

13. The control method for the fluid supply apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the second pump switches from the state of sucking to the state of ejecting when the first pump switches from the state of ejecting to the state of sucking.

14. The control method for the fluid supply apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein, where one cycle from when the first pump starts the ejection until the suction ends is T, a deformation period during which the flow path deforming unit presses the flow path is T/2 or shorter.

15. The control method for the fluid supply apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the flow path deforming unit deforms the flow path by pressing an outer wall surface of the flow path.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Uchida Kazuaki
• Hirabayashi Atsuya
• Seto Takeshi
• Matsuzaki Takahiro

Classifications

• A61M5/1422 Primary

  with double acting or multiple pistons · CPC title

• A61B17/3203 Primary

  Fluid jet cutting instruments · CPC title

• F04B11/005

  using two or more pumping pistons · CPC title