Peristaltic pump tubing with outer sleeve tubing

Abstract

A peristaltic pump system includes a peristaltic pump having a roller assembly and a roller assembly housing. The roller assembly is disposed within the housing. The peristaltic pump defines a tubing maximum diameter and is configured for use with conventional tubing having a conventional tubing wall thickness less than half of the tubing maximum diameter. The system includes peristaltic pump tubing including mainline tubing and outer sleeve tubing. The outer sleeve tubing is co-axially disposed about the mainline tubing. The mainline tubing and the outer sleeve tubing extend into, through, and out of the peristaltic pump and are engaged with the roller assembly. The mainline tubing has a mainline wall thickness. The outer sleeve tubing has a sleeve wall thickness. The mainline wall thickness and the sleeve wall thickness together are approximately the same as the conventional tubing wall thickness. A method of using the pump system is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A peristaltic pump system comprising:
 a peristaltic pump having a roller assembly and a roller assembly housing, the roller assembly being disposed within the roller assembly housing, the peristaltic pump defining a tubing maximum diameter and configured for use with conventional tubing having a conventional tubing wall thickness less than half of the tubing maximum diameter; and   elastomeric peristaltic pump tubing including mainline tubing and outer sleeve tubing, the outer sleeve tubing being co-axially disposed about the mainline tubing, the mainline tubing and the outer sleeve tubing extending into, through, and out of the peristaltic pump and engaged with the roller assembly, the mainline tubing having a mainline wall thickness, the outer sleeve tubing having a sleeve wall thickness, the mainline wall thickness and the sleeve wall thickness together being approximately the same as the conventional tubing wall thickness.   
     
     
         2 . The peristaltic pump system of  claim 1  wherein the mainline tubing has an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the outer sleeve tubing. 
     
     
         3 . The peristaltic pump system of  claim 1  wherein the mainline wall thickness is a constant thickness. 
     
     
         4 . The peristaltic pump system of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve wall thickness is a constant thickness. 
     
     
         5 . The peristaltic pump system of  claim 1  wherein the outer sleeve tubing has a length less than a length of the mainline tubing. 
     
     
         6 . The peristaltic pump system of  claim 1  wherein the mainline tubing is formed of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. 
     
     
         7 . The peristaltic pump system of  claim 1  wherein the outer sleeve tubing is formed of a silicon material. 
     
     
         8 . A method of use of a peristaltic pump system, the method comprising:
 a) providing a peristaltic pump having a roller assembly and a roller assembly housing, the roller assembly being disposed within the roller assembly housing, the peristaltic pump defining a tubing maximum diameter and configured for use with conventional tubing having a conventional tubing wall thickness less than half of the tubing maximum diameter;   b) providing elastomeric peristaltic pump tubing including mainline tubing and outer sleeve tubing, the mainline tubing having a mainline wall thickness, the outer sleeve tubing having a sleeve wall thickness, the mainline wall thickness and the sleeve wall thickness together being approximately the same as the conventional tubing wall thickness;   c) positioning the outer sleeve tubing co-axially about the mainline tubing; and   d) feeding the mainline tubing and the outer sleeve tubing into, through, and out of the peristaltic pump with the mainline tubing and the outer sleeve tubing engaged with the roller assembly.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the outer sleeve tubing is directly engaged with the roller assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein step c) includes sliding the outer sleeve tubing axially along the mainline tubing. 
     
     
         11 . A peristaltic pump tubing comprising:
 a mainline tubing section and outer sleeve tubing section, the outer sleeve tubing section being co-axially disposed about the mainline tubing section, the mainline tubing section and the outer sleeve tubing section sized and configured to extend into, through, and out of the peristaltic pump and engage with a roller assembly of the peristaltic pump, the mainline tubing section having a mainline wall thickness, the outer sleeve tubing section having a sleeve wall thickness, the mainline wall thickness and the sleeve wall thickness together being approximately the same as a conventional tubing wall thickness.