Peristaltic pump tubing with stopper and cooperative roller assembly housing having no moving parts

Abstract

A peristaltic pump system includes elastomeric pump tubing and a roller pump. The pump tubing has a pumping segment and an inlet segment. The inlet segment has an inlet segment outer diameter. The pumping segment has a pumping segment outer diameter less than the inlet segment outer diameter. The roller pump has a roller assembly and a roller assembly housing. The roller assembly is disposed within the roller assembly housing and engaged with the pumping segment within the roller assembly housing. The roller assembly housing has an inlet gap formed through the roller assembly housing. The inlet gap defines an inlet gap inner diameter smaller than the pumping segment outer diameter. The inlet gap is adapted to frictionally receive the inlet segment for aligning the pump tubing with a roller assembly and mitigate longitudinal movement of the pump tubing into the roller assembly housing.

1 . A tubing for a peristaltic pump system having an inlet gap defining an inlet gap inner diameter, the tubing comprising:
 an elongate body having a round exterior surface, the elongate having a lumen extending between opposed ends of the elongate body for delivering the fluid, the elongate body being fabricated from an elastomeric material, the elongate body having a pumping segment and an inlet segment, the inlet segment having an inlet segment outer diameter larger than the inlet gap inner diameter, the pumping segment having a pumping segment outer diameter less than the inlet segment outer diameter.   
     
     
         2 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the inlet segment has a constant wall thickness along a length of the pumping segment. 
     
     
         3 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the pumping segment has a varying wall thickness along a length of the pumping segment. 
     
     
         4 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the inlet segment outer diameter is constant along a length of the pumping segment. 
     
     
         5 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the pumping segment outer diameter varies along a length of the pumping segment. 
     
     
         6 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the pump tubing further has an outlet segment with the pumping segment disposed between the inlet segment and the outlet segment, the outlet segment is engaged with the pumping segment 
     
     
         7 . The tubing of  claim 6  wherein the outlet segment has an outlet segment outer diameter that is constant along a length of the outlet segment. 
     
     
         8 . The tubing of  claim 6  wherein the outlet segment has an outlet segment outer diameter that is the same as the pumping segment outer diameter. 
     
     
         9 . The tubing of  claim 6  wherein the inlet segment has a wide portion and a narrow portion with the wide portion disposed between the narrow portion and the pumping segment, the inlet segment outer diameter is disposed at the wide portion. 
     
     
         10 . The tubing of  claim 9  wherein an outer diameter of the narrow portion is less than the inlet segment outer diameter. 
     
     
         11 . The tubing of  claim 10  wherein the outer diameter of the narrow portion is the same as the outer diameter of the outlet segment. 
     
     
         12 . The tubing of  claim 9  wherein a wall thickness of the wide portion is greater than a wall thickness of the pumping section. 
     
     
         13 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the inlet segment includes a stopper ring disposed circumferentially about the tubing, the stopper ring defines the inlet segment outer diameter. 
     
     
         14 . The tubing of  claim 13  wherein the stopper ring is torus-shaped. 
     
     
         15 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the inlet segment includes a semi-tubular segment disposed circumferentially about the tubing, the semi-tubular segment defines the inlet segment outer diameter. 
     
     
         16 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the pumping segment and the inlet segment are formed of a single continuous piece of material. 
     
     
         17 . A peristaltic pump system comprising:
 an elongate body having a round exterior surface, the elongate having a lumen extending between opposed ends of the elongate body for delivering the fluid, the elongate body being fabricated from an elastomeric material, the elongate body having a pumping segment and an inlet segment, the inlet segment having an inlet segment outer diameter, the pumping segment having a pumping segment outer diameter less than the inlet segment outer diameter; and   a roller pump having a roller assembly and a roller assembly housing, the roller assembly being disposed within the roller assembly housing and engaged with the pumping segment within the roller assembly housing, the roller assembly housing having an inlet gap formed through the roller assembly housing, the inlet gap defining an inlet gap inner diameter smaller than the pumping segment outer diameter, the inlet gap being adapted to frictionally receive the inlet segment for aligning the pump tubing with a roller assembly and mitigate longitudinal movement of the pump tubing into the roller assembly housing.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the elongate body has a constant wall thickness. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the elongate body has a varying wall thickness. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a stopper disposed around the inlet segment wherein the stopper defines the inlet segment outer diameter. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the stopper is permanently attached to the elongate body.