The new valveless Waste Transfer Pump from Fluid Metering, Inc. (FMI) was designed for removal of waste fluid generated by medical diagnostic instrumentation during the process of analyzing a variety of patient fluid samples. The waste fluid generally consists of, but not limited to, a mixture of patient samples combined with reagents, byproducts of reagent reactions and wash fluids. These fluids can have a broad range of physical characteristics, viscosity, suspended solids, human tissue, blood cells, just to name a few.
Technology and design
The Valveless, Brushless DC Waste Transfer Pump utilizes FMI’s unique CeramPump® valveless piston fluid control technology. One moving part, a rotating and reciprocating ceramic piston accomplishes all fluid control functions within the pump, thereby eliminating the need for check valves present in other reciprocating pump designs. The variety of suspended solids and particulates present in medical instrumentation waste often causes check valves to stick, clog, and eventually fail requiring the pumps to be removed from the system and serviced.
Components
The sapphire-hard, dimensionally stable ceramic internal components of the CeramPump® also substantially outperforms peristaltic pumps relying on flexible tubing. Peristaltic pumps can have integrity issues as flexible tubing over time wears and needs to be routinely replaced, at best, and at worst, can rupture resulting in bio-contaminants leaking out of the system.
Advantages
FMI’s Valveless, Brushless DC motor Waste Transfer Pump integrates the long-life performance of a brushless motor, with a built-in driver, together with the advantages of FMI’s CeramPump® valveless fluid transfer technology. The pump is easily integrated into any existing system design. All that is needed is a simple 24VDC input supply. Flow rates can be factory calibrated from 20 mL/min to 400 mL/min. The integral compact design with a small 6” x 2” x 2” footprint makes it ideal for medical and analytical instrumentation applications.
