JP2007263018A - Micropump and rotor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a micropump for feeding fluid of minute flow rate continuously without pulsation, constantly and stably. <P>SOLUTION: The micropump 1 is provided with: an elastic tube 10 in which fluid is circulated; a tube support 20 supporting the elastic tube 10; a rotor 30 having a spiral projection part 32 formed thereon; and a motor 40 rotating the rotor 30. The rotor 30 is arranged along the elastic tube 10 supported by a tube supporter 20 and presses the elastic tube 30 at a plurality of pressing points along a longitudinal direction of the elastic tube 10. A motor 40 moves the plurality of pressing points along a longitudinal direction of the elastic tube 10. Intervals of pressing points adjoining along the longitudinal direction are changed along the longitudinal direction in at least a partial section of the longitudinal direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a micropump, and more particularly to a micropump suitable for handling a high-viscosity minute flow chemical such as a microreactor or a micro TAS (Total Analysis System). The present invention also relates to a rotating body, and more particularly to a rotating body used for a micropump.

  Conventionally, as a pump that accurately sends a small flow of fluid used in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process and medical use in one direction, it is externally provided by a screw pump, a roller, etc. that transfers the fluid inside the screw by rotating the screw. There are known tube pumps that transfer fluid by crushing the tube, syringe pumps that transfer fluid by controlling a piston of a syringe (syringe) with an actuator, and the like. All pumps have their merits and demerits. However, pumps used in chemical manufacturing processes and medical use are required to continuously and quantitatively transfer a small flow rate of fluid without pulsation.

  As the above-described tube pump, for example, a pump that realizes liquid feeding by using a tube twist together with a plurality of valves is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, in these tube pumps, it is difficult to reduce the pressure pulsation that occurs during liquid feeding, and there are many problems when used for various tests and manufactures in the medical and pharmaceutical fields described above.

  There is also known a tube pump that realizes miniaturization of the entire pump by using an ultrasonic motor using a piezoelectric element (see, for example, Patent Document 3). In various examinations and manufactures in the medical and pharmaceutical fields described above, it is usually required to stably supply a plurality of reagents having different states and physical properties at a constant flow rate without pulsation at the same time. The tube pump disclosed in 1 only has a single tube and can only deliver a single fluid. In addition, this tube pump does not have a structure that can reduce pressure pulsation that occurs during liquid feeding, and cannot fully satisfy specifications required in various inspections and manufacturing in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. .

  In addition, fluid transfer devices using screw-shaped protrusions (see, for example, Patent Document 4) and other tube pumps and syringe pumps have been developed, but specifications required in various tests and manufacture in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, That is, no technology has been developed that satisfies the requirement of stably supplying a plurality of reagents having different states and physical properties at a constant flow rate without pulsation.

JP 2004-278495 A JP 2001-82343 A JP 2003-49784 A JP 2000-146098 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and it is a first object to provide a micropump that can stably and quantitatively transfer a minute flow rate fluid without pulsation. The purpose. Moreover, this invention sets it as the 2nd objective to provide the rotary body which can be used suitably for this micropump.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a micropump capable of stably and quantitatively transferring a fluid having a minute flow rate without pulsation. The micropump includes an elastic tube through which a fluid flows, a tube support that supports the elastic tube, and a rotating body that is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube supported by the tube support. Yes. The rotating body is formed with a helical projection that presses the elastic tube at a plurality of pressing points along the longitudinal direction. The micropump includes a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the rotating body to move a plurality of pressing points of the elastic tube along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube. Further, in at least a part of the longitudinal direction, the interval between the pressing points adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction is changed along the longitudinal direction. In this case, the lead of the protruding portion may be changed along the longitudinal direction, or the number of stripes of the protruding portion may be changed along the longitudinal direction. In addition, it is not always necessary to change the interval between the pressing points adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube, and there are sections in which the intervals between the adjacent pressing points are the same. Also good. That is, by appropriately setting the lead or the number of the protrusions along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube, the interval between the pressing points adjacent along the longitudinal direction in at least a part of the longitudinal direction. Can be changed along the longitudinal direction.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a micropump that can stably and quantitatively transfer a minute flow rate fluid without pulsation. The micropump includes an elastic tube through which a fluid flows, a tube support that supports the elastic tube, and a rotating body that is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube supported by the tube support. Yes. The rotating body is formed with a helical projection that presses the elastic tube at a plurality of pressing points along the longitudinal direction. The micropump includes a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the rotating body to move a plurality of pressing points of the elastic tube along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube. Further, the outer diameter of the rotating body is changed along the longitudinal direction. In this case, the outer diameter of the rotating body may be continuously changed along the longitudinal direction, or both end portions along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body are smaller in outer diameter than the central portion. You may form so that it may become.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a micropump that can stably and quantitatively transfer a minute flow rate fluid without pulsation. The micropump includes an elastic tube through which a fluid flows, a tube support that supports the elastic tube, and a rotating body that is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube supported by the tube support. Yes. The rotating body is formed with a helical projection that presses the elastic tube at a plurality of pressing points along the longitudinal direction. The micropump includes a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the rotating body to move a plurality of pressing points of the elastic tube along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube. Furthermore, the gap between the projection and the tube support is changed along the longitudinal direction.

  In addition, the shape of the protrusion may be asymmetric with respect to the radial direction of the rotating body in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

  According to the 4th aspect of this invention, the rotary body in which the helical protrusion part used suitably for the micro pump mentioned above was formed is provided. In this rotating body, in at least a part of the section in the longitudinal direction, the interval between the protrusions adjacent along the longitudinal direction is changed along the longitudinal direction. In this case, the lead of the protruding portion may be changed along the longitudinal direction, or the number of stripes of the protruding portion may be changed along the longitudinal direction. In addition, it is not always necessary to change the interval between the protruding portions adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the rotating body, and there is a section where the intervals between the adjacent protruding portions are the same. Also good. That is, by appropriately setting the number of leads or strips of the protrusions along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body, the spacing between the adjacent protrusions along the longitudinal direction in at least a part of the longitudinal direction. Can be changed along the longitudinal direction.

  According to the 5th aspect of this invention, the rotary body in which the helical protrusion part used suitably for the micro pump mentioned above was formed is provided. In this rotating body, the outer diameter is changed along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body. In this case, the outer diameter of the rotating body may be continuously changed along the longitudinal direction, or both end portions along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body are smaller in outer diameter than the central portion. You may form so that it may become.

  In addition, the shape of the protrusion may be asymmetric with respect to the radial direction of the rotating body in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

  With the configuration described above, the protruding portion presses the elastic tube at a plurality of pressing points along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube, so that a certain volume of sealed space is formed inside the elastic tube between adjacent pressing points, A plurality of the sealed spaces are formed in series adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube. Then, when the pressing point is moved along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube by the rotational drive mechanism, the fluid in the elastic tube moves along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube along with the movement of the pressing point. The fluid supplied from one end of the elastic tube is transferred to the other end.

  Here, in the “sealed space”, not only the case where the adjacent pressing points are completely sealed, but also the inside of the elastic tube pressed at the pressing point, for the transfer of fluid and the pressure increase. In this case, a small gap that does not cause a practical problem is included. Even if such a small gap is formed, a predetermined pressure difference can be provided between adjacent sealed spaces, so that a desired pressure difference is maintained between the suction side and the discharge side of the micropump. It is possible to transfer a fluid or the like and increase the pressure.

  In addition, a predetermined pressure difference can be maintained by the sealed spaces formed in series adjacent to each other along the elastic tube, but this is more if the number of sealed spaces formed in series is large. It means that a larger pressure difference can be secured between one end (the suction side of the micro pump) and the other end (the discharge side of the micro pump) of the elastic tube. Therefore, the fluid can be pressurized to a higher pressure by increasing the number of sealed spaces formed in series.

  In particular, when a spiral projection and an elastic tube are used, there is no pulsation (including cases where there is a pulsation that can be ignored in practice), flow rate stability (constant flow rate), high discharge pressure, and high Although durability is required, the micropump according to the present invention can satisfy these requirements. In addition, when a reagent is transferred inside the pump in parallel with the progress of a chemical reaction, it is possible that a gas or solid is precipitated from the liquid by the chemical reaction, or the volume of the reagent is reduced or increased. However, the micropump according to the present invention can appropriately cope with such a case. That is, in the above description, a fixed space of a certain volume is formed inside the elastic tube between adjacent pressing points. This is, for example, a state at a certain moment during the micro pump operation, When the spiral leads and the number of strips of the spiral projection formed on the body change along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube, the volume of the sealed space formed inside the elastic tube is the rotation of the rotating body. Needless to say, it can change depending on the situation.

  In the present invention, the fluid transfer (conveyance) action by the elastic tube is directly the transfer action of the micropump according to the present invention. That is, one end of the elastic tube is connected to a supply source of a fluid to be transferred (conveyed), and the other end is connected to a side that uses the fluid (a side that requires fluid). As described above, a plurality of sealed spaces are formed in series in the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube, and these sealed spaces can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube by the rotation drive mechanism. This indicates the principle of fluid transfer by the micropump according to the present invention. Therefore, the fluid transfer (conveyance) action by the elastic tube is directly the transfer action of the micropump according to the present invention.

  According to the micropump of the present invention, at least pressure and flow pulsation (fluctuation with respect to time) are reduced to a level that can be ignored in practice, and a small flow rate fluid is stably transferred at a constant and constant flow rate. Can do. That is, according to the micropump according to the present invention, a single elastic tube can be pressed at a number of pressing points in the longitudinal direction. By pressing at a large number of pressing points in this way, even if fluid leaks occur on both sides of one pressing point, the fluid is leaking at the other numerous pressing points. Can be reduced. Therefore, when a very small amount of fluid is transferred, for example, even when the rotational speed is low, the fluid can be transferred quantitatively (at a constant flow rate).

  In addition, less leakage means that the flow rate of back flow is small even when the fluid is pressurized, so that a high-pressure fluid can be transferred or a fluid can be transferred from the low-pressure portion to the high-pressure portion. Furthermore, since the fluid to be transferred is sealed in a tube and does not touch external machinery, dangerous fluids (reagents) do not leak to the outside and can be operated safely (transferable). Pump cleaning and chemical resistance can also be increased. Moreover, since it can prevent that a foreign material melt | dissolves into the fluid from the outside on the contrary, it can be transferred without lowering the purity of the fluid. Furthermore, since the fluid can be transferred using a rotational motion rather than a reciprocating motion, a micropump with a quiet sound during operation can be obtained.

  Furthermore, by appropriately designing the number of spiral protrusions, the number of leads, the pitch, and the lead angle, micropumps with various discharge pressures and flow rates can be realized. In addition, since the simple principle of pressing the elastic tube at the pressing point and suppressing fluid leakage to the extent that is practically acceptable on both sides of the pressing point is used, liquids, gas-liquid mixed fluids and It is possible to widely handle (transfer) substances in various states such as a solid-liquid mixed fluid in which minute solid particles are mixed in a liquid and a fluid in which gas is mixed in a solid-liquid mixed fluid.

  Moreover, if it comprises so that a different chemical | medical solution etc. may be distribute | circulated to each of a some elastic tube, a some chemical | medical solution can be simultaneously transferred. Furthermore, if an elastic tube is formed of a material suitable for the physical properties of chemicals (for example, viscosity) and chemical properties (for example, hydrogen ion exponent pH), a very wide variety of substances can be transferred. be able to.

  As described above, according to the micropump of the present invention, a small flow rate of fluid can be transferred continuously and quantitatively stably without pulsation. Further, according to the micropump of the present invention, since the fluid to be transferred is sealed in a tube and does not touch external machinery, it is possible to improve the cleaning property and chemical resistance of the micropump. In addition, when a very small amount of fluid is transferred, for example, even when the rotational speed is low, the fluid can be quantitatively transferred. In addition, since the fluid can be transferred using a rotational motion rather than a reciprocating motion, a micropump with a quiet sound during operation can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a micropump according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16. 1 to 16, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a micropump 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the micropump 1 is accommodated in a plurality of elastic tubes 10 in which fluid is circulated, a cylindrical tube support 20 that supports the elastic tubes 10 on an inner peripheral surface, and the tube support 20. And a motor 40 that rotates the rotating body 30. The motor 40 and the tube support 20 are fixed to the base 50, and are configured so that the tube support 20 does not rotate with the rotating body 30.

  Here, both ends or one end of the rotating body 30 may be supported by a sliding bearing, a rolling bearing, a V block, or the like. The motor 40 is not limited to a DC motor or an AC motor, and any type of motor such as a stepping motor, a pulse motor, an ultrasonic motor, and an air turbine motor can be used. Further, a torque transmission mechanism such as an elastic coupling or a magnetic coupling may be interposed between the motor 40 and the rotating body 30 without directly connecting the motor 40 and the rotating body 30.

  As the elastic tube 10, for example, an elastic tube made of silicon rubber having an inner diameter of 1 mm can be used. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the suction ends of the elastic tubes 10a, 10b, and 10c are connected to the first reagent tank 51 in which the first reagent is stored, and the suction ends of the elastic tubes 10d, 10e, and 10f are The second reagent tank 52 in which the second reagent is stored is connected. The discharge ends of these tubes 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, and 10f are microreactors (not shown) that perform raw material supply, chemical reaction, separation and purification at a flow rate of several ml / min to several tens ml / min. It is connected to the.

  Each tube 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f is fixed to the tube support 20 by a fixing ring 21 attached to the inlet and outlet of the tube support 20. In the present embodiment, a plurality of tubes 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, 10 d, 10 e, and 10 f are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the rotating body 30. In the present embodiment, an example using six tubes 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, and 10f will be described, but the number of tubes 10 is not limited to this.

  A protrusion 32 extending in a spiral shape is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 30, and the protrusion 32 functions as a pressing portion that presses the tube 10 at a plurality of locations (pressing points) along the longitudinal direction. To do. In addition, it is preferable that the front-end | tip of this projection part 32 has not a sharp shape like a normal screw thread but a smooth curved surface shape. Further, the motor 40 in the present embodiment functions as a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the rotating body 30 and moves the pressing point of the tube 10 along the longitudinal direction of the tube 10.

  In the micropump 1 having such a configuration, the tube 10 is pressed and deformed at a plurality of pressing points by the protrusions 32 of the rotating body 30. At these pressing points, the inner surfaces of the tubes 10 are in close contact with each other, and the fluid passage (flow path) is closed. Thus, in each tube 10, a certain volume of sealed space is formed in the tube 10 between adjacent pressing points, and a plurality of the sealed spaces are formed in series adjacent to each other along the tube 10. .

  When the rotating shaft of the rotating body 30 is fixed to the tube support 20 and the motor 40 is driven to rotate the rotating body 30 relative to the tube support 20, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 30 is rotated. A contact point (pressing point) between the protrusion 32 and the tube 10 moves along the longitudinal direction of the tube 10. Along with the movement of the pressing point, the fluid in the tube 10 moves along the longitudinal direction of the tube 10 so as to be squeezed by the protrusion 32, and as a result, the fluid in the tube 10 is transferred.

  That is, the micropump 1 does work to increase the static pressure of the fluid in the tube 10 so that the fluid pressure at the outlet of the micropump 1 can rise to a desired value. When the fluid in the tube 10 is a liquid and the flow velocity is sufficiently lower than the speed of sound, the volume of the fluid in the tube 10 does not change. If the discharge pressure is excessive and the fluid in the tube 10 cannot be pressed by the flow path closing portion at the pressing point, a small amount of fluid in the tube 10 leaks upstream. That is, the fluid flows from upstream to downstream as a whole, but only a small part flows backward. For this reason, in the tube 10, a pressure distribution that rises in a stepwise manner is generated for each pitch from the upstream side to the downstream side, that is, for each adjacent sealed space. In the normal tube pump, since the point from the upstream side to the downstream side of the tube is pressed at one point, the discharge pressure that can be obtained remains low, but according to the micropump 1 according to the present embodiment. In this case, since the tube 10 is pressed at a plurality of pressing points by the protrusion 32 of the rotating body 30, the discharge pressure can be increased. For example, when a pressure difference of 0.1 MPa can be obtained with one pitch of the protrusions 32, in other words, if a pressure difference of 0.1 MPa can be achieved as the pressure difference between adjacent sealed spaces, the protrusions 32 of 10 pitch are formed. By providing in the tube support 20, a pump with a discharge pressure of 1 MPa can be realized. In the above description, an example of a micropump having a flow rate of several ml / min to several tens ml / min using an elastic tube made of silicon rubber having an inner diameter of 1 mm is shown. For example, an elastic tube having a smaller inner diameter is shown. For example, by adjusting the rotational speed of the rotating body 30 or the like, it is possible to transfer a fluid having a minute flow rate of 0.1 ml / min or less.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, since the pressing portion of the projection 32 is directed obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tube 10, it is advantageous for reducing the pulsation of the fluid discharged from the micropump 1. To do. Therefore, by adjusting the pitch and lead of the protrusion 32 of the rotating body 30 and the length of the rotating body 30, it is possible to suitably design pump characteristics such as the pump discharge pressure and flow rate. In addition, when the lead angle of the projection part 32 becomes large, the inclination with respect to the axial direction of the projection part 32 in FIG. 1 becomes small.

  Further, if a plurality of elastic tubes 10 are used for transferring a certain fluid, the sealed space in each elastic tube 10 can reach the discharge end of the micropump 1 at regular time intervals. Compared with the case where the flow rate is transferred by a single elastic tube, the time fluctuation (pulsation) of the pressure and the flow rate on the discharge side can be reduced. Thus, the effect of reducing the pulsation of the fluid discharged from the micropump 1 can also be obtained by using a plurality of elastic tubes.

  For example, if the rotating body 30 is lengthened, it can press with respect to the one tube 10 at many press points. By pressing at a large number of pressing points, even if fluid leaks between the sealed spaces on both sides across one pressing point, the fluid is leaked as a whole because it is pressed at a number of other pressing points. The amount can be reduced. That is, since the differential pressure between the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the micropump 1 is shared and held at a number of pressing points, the pressure difference to be held at one pressing point is reduced, and the sealed space on both sides thereof is reduced. It becomes difficult for fluid to leak between. Therefore, a high-pressure fluid can be transferred.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the rotating body 30 of the micropump 1 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating body 30 in the present embodiment is configured as a single screw having a single protrusion 32 (in other words, the rotating body 30 has a single spiral protrusion 32. The lead (pitch) of the spiral protrusion 32 varies along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body 30, so that the spacing between the adjacent protrusions 32 along the longitudinal direction is reduced. Varies along the longitudinal direction. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the lead (pitch) of the protrusion 32 is constant in the upstream section A ₁ , but gradually protrudes from the suction side to the discharge side of the micropump 1 in the downstream section A _2. The lead (pitch) of the part 32 is made small. By using such a rotating body 30, it is possible to compress and pressurize a highly compressible reagent (gaseous reagent). Further, even when the volume of the reagent in the tube 10 decreases during the transfer due to a chemical reaction, the pressure of the reagent can be increased. In the present specification, a rotating body in which a spiral protrusion is formed along the longitudinal direction, such as the rotating body 30 shown in FIG. 2, is also referred to as a screw as appropriate.

  Incidentally, in FIG. 2, if the value of the spiral angle of the spiral formed on the rotating body 30 by the protrusion 32 is a positive value on the left side of FIG. It can be expressed that the absolute value of the winding angle is small. A state where the wrapping angle is 0 (zero) can mean that the transfer of the fluid in the elastic tube is stopped at that location, and setting the wrapping angle to a negative value locally causes the fluid to flow locally. Since it can be transferred in the reverse direction (reverse flow), the spiral angle is normally kept at a positive value unless there are special circumstances.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a modified example 30a of the rotating body shown in FIG. In this example, the lead (pitch) of the protrusion 32 is constant in the upstream section A ₁ , but in the downstream section A ₂₁ , the protrusion 32 gradually moves from the suction side to the discharge side of the micropump 1. lead is reduced further gradually lead protrusion 32 toward the discharge side from the section a ₂₂ in the suction side of the downstream side is increased. That is, in FIG. 3, as the rotating body 30 a moves from the left end toward the right end, the helical angle of the protrusion 32 starts from a positive value and decreases to near 0 (zero) and then increases again. .

  In addition, the pitch of the protrusions 32 may be gradually increased from the suction side to the discharge side of the micropump 1. With such a configuration, the volume of the reagent in the tube 10 is increased during the transfer due to a chemical reaction. Such cases can also be handled. In particular, a microreactor using a micropump is effective for safely performing an explosive reaction due to a small specific volume of a reaction portion, so that gas is generated when a chemical reaction occurs. If the micropump 1 according to the present embodiment is applied to a case where an explosive reaction occurs, the advantage obtained is considered to be great.

  That is, conventionally, for example, when an explosive reaction is performed in a batch process, there is a limit to the absolute amount of the reagent in order to cause the reaction not to run out of temperature. Due to the nature of batch processing, all of the reagents added for reaction affect the reaction. For example, in order to prevent temperature runaway in a batch type reaction vessel in a certain chemical reaction, assuming that only 10 ml of product can be obtained in the reaction, if 1000 ml of product is desired in the reaction, conventional batch processing When using this, it is necessary to perform the reaction 100 times by dividing the reagent into 100 equal parts, which has to be a very troublesome work. On the other hand, according to the micropump according to the present invention, the reagent can be reacted in the elastic tube. That is, by using an extremely thin elastic tube in the micropump according to the present invention, the volume of the sealed space formed between the pressing points can be reduced to such an extent that no danger is caused by reaction. Furthermore, it is possible to move the reaction place sequentially and sequentially. Therefore, in the elastic tube of the micropump, the position where the reagent reacts, for example, the position in the longitudinal direction is determined, and the micropump is configured so that the operation such as cooling can be performed on the elastic tube at that position. By controlling the operation, for example, it is possible to safely and continuously generate reactants from reagents and the like with a micropump while preventing temperature runaway. In addition, this makes it possible to improve workability because it is not necessary to repeat the same operation even when a large amount of reaction product is required.

  As described above, when the spiral protrusion is formed on the rotating body, the interval between the adjacent protrusions along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body is reduced or increased along the longitudinal direction. Thus, for example, when the protrusion is formed in consideration of the volume change accompanying the reaction of the reagent to be transferred and used in the micropump according to the present invention, the elastic tube between adjacent pressing points in each elastic tube The volume of the internal space can be reduced or increased as the pressure point (i.e. the space inside the elastic tube) moves in the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube so Can also be suitably performed. Needless to say, in the rotating body described above, in the portion corresponding to before the reaction of the reagent or the like or after the reaction and after the reaction product volume is stabilized, in the longitudinal direction of the rotating body. The spacing between adjacent protrusions along the line may be the same.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 130 of the micropump according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Since parts other than the rotating body 130 of the micropump in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, description thereof is omitted here. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating body 130 in this embodiment includes a single screw portion 133 a configured by a single screw having a single protrusion 132 a and two strips having two protrusions 132 a and 132 b. And a two-thread screw portion 133b constituted by a screw. That is, the number of protrusions formed on the rotating body 130 changes along the longitudinal direction.

  By using such a rotating body 130, the reagent in the tube is further subdivided toward the discharge side, that is, it is formed inside by increasing the number of pressing points along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube. The number of sealed spaces can be increased. In this way, the reagent can be boosted to a higher pressure by increasing the portion that presses the tube along the longitudinal direction. For example, when the entire rotating body 130 is constituted by a double screw, the contact portion between the tube and the rotating body 130 increases, so that friction increases and efficiency as a pump decreases, and the durability of the tube decreases. On the other hand, if the number of screw portions on the discharge side of the rotating body 130 is increased as in this embodiment, leakage inside the tube is effectively reduced in the discharge portion that becomes high pressure, and high pressure, high Efficiency and high durability can be achieved. In this embodiment, the example in which the number of threads on the discharge side is increased has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and depending on the properties and reaction characteristics of the transfer target substance such as a reagent, The number of threads of the screw part may be increased.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 230 of a micropump according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Since parts other than the rotating body 230 of the micropump in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, description thereof is omitted here. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotator 230 in the present embodiment is configured by a single screw having a single protrusion 232, but in the longitudinal direction of the rotator 230 (the direction in which the reagent flows in the tube). The outer diameter of both ends is gradually smaller than that of the central portion, and accordingly, the outer diameter of both ends of the protrusion 232 is also reduced.

  For example, in the rotating body 30 of the micropump shown in FIG. 2, there is a concern that a phenomenon may occur in which the tube bites into the edge portion of the protrusion 32 at the point where the tube and the protrusion 32 start to contact. When the tube bites into the edge portion of the projecting portion 32, that is, the end portion of the projecting portion 32 in this manner, an increase in driving torque, uneven rotation (pulsation associated therewith), and damage to the tube are caused. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by gradually increasing the outer diameter of the protrusion 232 at the portion where the protrusion 232 and the tube begin to contact, the contact between the tube and the protrusion 232 is started smoothly, It solves the problem mentioned above.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 330 of a micropump according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Since parts other than the rotating body 330 of the micropump in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, description thereof is omitted here. As shown in FIG. 6, the rotator 330 in the present embodiment is configured as a single screw having a single protrusion 332, but the rotator along the longitudinal direction (the direction in which the reagent flows in the tube). The outer diameters of 330 and the protrusion 332 are continuously changing. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the outer diameters of the rotating body 330 and the protrusion 332 are continuously increased from the suction side to the discharge side of the micropump.

  By using such a rotating body 330, the gap between the rotating body 330 and the tube support 20 (see FIG. 1) becomes smaller toward the discharge side, so that the rotating body 330 is disposed between the rotating body 330 and the tube support 20. The pressing pressure of the tube gradually increases toward the downstream side, and a high discharge pressure can be obtained. For example, if the entire rotating body 330 is formed with the outer diameter on the discharge side in FIG. 6, the gap between the rotating body 330 and the tube support 20 is reduced over the entire length of the pump. Decreases and the durability of the tube decreases. On the other hand, as in this embodiment, if the gap between the rotating body 330 and the tube support 20 is reduced toward the discharge side, high pressure, high efficiency, and high durability can be achieved.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 430 and a tube support 420 of a micropump according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the three-dimensional shape of the rotating body 330 is complicated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotating body 430 having the single protrusion 432 is accommodated inside the truncated cone-shaped tube support 420, and the gap between the protrusion 432 and the tube support 420 is along the longitudinal direction. To change. According to such a configuration, the same effect as that of the fourth embodiment described above can be obtained by using the rotator 430 having a very basic shape.

  The first to fifth embodiments described above can be appropriately combined within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Hereinafter, examples of these combinations will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 530 of a micropump according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, which is a combination of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and the second embodiment shown in FIG. It is. That is, the rotating body 530 in the present embodiment is configured by a single thread screw portion 533a configured by a single thread screw having a single projecting portion 532a and a double thread screw having two projecting portions 532a and 532b. The number of protrusions formed on the rotating body 530 changes along the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the pitches (leads) of the protrusions 532a and 532b change along the longitudinal direction. By using such a rotating body 530, even when a compressible fluid or a fluid whose volume changes due to various reactions is used, it is possible to increase the pressure to a higher pressure while taking into account the volume fluctuation. An effect can be obtained.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 630 of a micropump according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. This is a combination with the third embodiment. That is, the rotating body 630 in the present embodiment is configured by a single thread screw portion 633a configured by a single thread screw having a single projecting portion 632a and a double thread screw having two projecting portions 632a and 632b. And the number of protrusions formed on the rotating body 630 varies along the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the pitches (leads) of the protrusions 632a and 632b change along the longitudinal direction. In addition, the outer diameter of both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the rotating body 630 (the direction in which the reagent flows in the tube) is gradually smaller than that of the central portion.

  In the micropump according to the present invention, it is necessary to reduce the gap between the rotating body and the surrounding tube support in order to achieve high pressure, but when the gap is reduced, the tube and the protrusion start to contact each other. Sometimes the risk of the rotator getting into the tube is greater. For this reason, in this embodiment, such a risk is reduced by reducing the outer diameter of the both ends of the rotary body 630 in the longitudinal direction. The outer diameter of the end of the rotator 630 on the micropump suction side is gradually smaller than the central part as shown in FIG. 9, but the outer diameter of the end of the rotator 630 on the micropump discharge side is For example, in order to further increase the discharge side pressure, the same outer diameter as that of the central portion may be maintained as shown in FIG. 2 as necessary. This is because, in a normal case, the protrusions 632a and 632b (or 32, etc.) relatively move away from the elastic tube on the discharge side of the micropump, so that there is generally no risk of entrainment.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 730 of a micropump according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, which is a combination of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. It is. That is, in the rotating body 730 in the present embodiment, the outer diameters of the rotating body 730 and the protrusion 732 continuously change along the longitudinal direction, and the pitch (lead) of the protrusion 732 changes along the longitudinal direction. is doing.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 830 of a micropump in the ninth embodiment of the present invention, which is a combination of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. It is. That is, the rotating body 830 in the present embodiment is configured by a single thread screw portion 833a configured by a single thread screw having a single projecting section 832a and a double thread screw having two projecting sections 832a and 832b. And the outer diameters of the rotating body 830 and the protrusions 832a and 832b continuously change along the longitudinal direction.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a rotating body 930 of a micropump according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. This is a combination of the fourth embodiment. That is, the rotating body 930 in the present embodiment is configured by a single thread screw portion 933a configured by a single thread screw having a single projecting portion 932a and a double thread screw having two projecting portions 932a and 932b. The number of protrusions formed on the rotating body 930 changes along the longitudinal direction. The pitches (leads) of the respective protrusions 932a and 932b change along the longitudinal direction, and the outer diameters of the rotating body 930 and the protrusions 932 continuously change along the longitudinal direction. .

  In addition to the embodiment described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotating body 30 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and the tube support 420 of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 7 may be combined. it can. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 14, the rotating body 130 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and the tube support 420 of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 7 can be combined. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15, the rotating body 530 of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 and the tube support 420 of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 7 can be combined.

  FIG. 16 is a radial cross-sectional view of a rotating body 1030 that can be employed in each of the above-described embodiments. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 1032 of the rotating body 1030 is asymmetric with respect to the radial direction of the rotating body 1030. By setting it as such a cross section, it can avoid that the tube 10 is dragged together with the rotary body 1030, or that the tube 10 is bitten when the rotary body 1030 contacts the tube 10.

  The micropump according to the present invention uses a phenomenon that, as one of the principles of transferring the fluid, when the elastic tube is pressed at the pressing point, the inside of the elastic tube is closed at the pressing point. As the state of the substance that can be treated, liquid is most preferable. In addition to high-viscosity liquids, in addition to gas-liquid mixed fluids of liquids and gases, solid-liquid mixed fluids containing minute solid particles in liquids, or gases mixed with solid-liquid mixed fluids It is possible to widely transfer substances in various states such as fluid.

  Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, although the example which used the motor as a rotational drive mechanism which rotates a rotary body was demonstrated, a rotational drive mechanism is not restricted to a motor. For example, various rotational drive mechanisms such as a rotational drive mechanism having a crankshaft that converts a reciprocating linear motion into a rotational motion and a rotational drive mechanism including a mechanism that rotates by hand can be used. If a motor (electric motor) is used as the rotation drive mechanism, starting and stopping, adjustment of the rotation speed, and the like are easy, and continuous operation at a constant rotation speed is also easy, and optimal operation can be realized.

  According to the micropump in each of the embodiments described above, for example, a fluid having a minute flow rate of 0.1 ml / min or less can be transferred. Further, the pressure of the fluid can be increased by about 1 MPa, for example. Furthermore, since the chemical solution to be transferred is sealed in a tube and does not touch external machinery, foreign matter can be prevented from being dissolved in the fluid, and the cleaning property and chemical resistance of the micropump can be improved. In addition, when a very small amount of fluid is transferred, for example, even when the rotational speed is low, the fluid can be quantitatively transferred.

  In addition, since the fluid is transferred using a rotational motion rather than a reciprocating motion, a micropump with a quiet sound during operation can be obtained. In addition, by providing a plurality of elastic tubes at the same time in one pump, it is possible to simultaneously send liquids with the same flow rate, so that a plurality of reagents can be simultaneously transferred in equal amounts. For this reason, it is suitable for application to a microreactor in which an equal amount of chemical solution needs to be mixed. In addition, even when chemical reactions that are not equal amounts are performed, the mixing ratio of the chemical solutions can be freely controlled by appropriately setting the number of elastic tubes that send the same chemical solution. Furthermore, even with an elastic tube having the same outer diameter, the flow rate can be adjusted by changing the inner diameter and rigidity.

  In addition, the micropump in each of the above-described embodiments can be used for superfocus technology. The superfocus technique is a technique for promoting the mixing of each reagent by shortening the diffusion distance of each reagent by rapidly narrowing the flow path. In the superfocus, a micro-sized reagent layer can be obtained without using a micro structure by alternately arranging channels for a plurality of types of reagents and constricting these channels. In this superfocus, it is required to simultaneously send equal amounts of each reagent to a large number of flow paths, but this can be achieved by using the micropump in each of the above-described embodiments.

  Although the limited embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented in various forms within the scope of the technical idea.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the micropump in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of the rotary body shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body and tube support of a micropump in the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 8th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 9th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotary body of the micropump in the 10th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example which combined the rotary body of 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and the tube support of 5th Embodiment shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example which combined the rotary body of 2nd Embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and the tube support of 5th Embodiment shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example which combined the rotary body of 6th Embodiment shown in FIG. 8, and the tube support of 5th Embodiment shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the micro pump concerning the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Elastic tube 20, 420 Tube support 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 530, 730, 830, 930, 1030 Rotating body 32, 132a, 132b, 232, 332, 432, 532a, 532b, 632a, 632b , 732, 832 a, 832 b, 932 a, 932 b, 1032 Protrusion part 40 Motor 50 Base 51, 52 Reagent tank 133 a, 533 a, 633 a, 833 a, 933 a Single screw part 133 b, 533 b, 633 b, 833 b, 933 b Double screw part

Claims (15)

An elastic tube through which fluid flows;
A tube support for supporting the elastic tube;
A rotating body that is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube supported by the tube support, and in which a spiral protrusion is formed that presses the elastic tube at a plurality of pressing points along the longitudinal direction;
A rotation drive mechanism for rotating the rotating body and moving a plurality of pressing points of the elastic tube along a longitudinal direction of the elastic tube;
With
The micropump characterized in that an interval between the pressing points adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction changes along the longitudinal direction in at least a part of the longitudinal direction.   The micropump according to claim 1, wherein a lead of the protruding portion changes along the longitudinal direction.   The micropump according to claim 1, wherein the number of the protrusions is changed along the longitudinal direction. An elastic tube through which fluid flows;
A tube support for supporting the elastic tube;
A rotating body that is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube supported by the tube support, and in which a spiral protrusion is formed that presses the elastic tube at a plurality of pressing points along the longitudinal direction;
A rotation drive mechanism for rotating the rotating body and moving a plurality of pressing points of the elastic tube along a longitudinal direction of the elastic tube;
With
The micropump characterized in that an outer diameter of the rotating body changes along the longitudinal direction.   5. The micropump according to claim 4, wherein both end portions of the rotating body along the longitudinal direction are formed to have an outer diameter smaller than that of a central portion.   The micropump according to claim 4, wherein an outer diameter of the rotating body is continuously changed along the longitudinal direction. An elastic tube through which fluid flows;
A tube support for supporting the elastic tube;
A rotating body that is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube supported by the tube support, and in which a spiral protrusion is formed that presses the elastic tube at a plurality of pressing points along the longitudinal direction;
A rotation drive mechanism for rotating the rotating body and moving a plurality of pressing points of the elastic tube along a longitudinal direction of the elastic tube;
With
The micropump characterized by the gap between the projection and the tube support changing along the longitudinal direction.   The micropump according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the protrusion has an asymmetric shape with respect to a radial direction of the rotating body in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A rotating body formed with a spiral protrusion,
The rotating body characterized in that, in at least a part of the section in the longitudinal direction of the rotating body, an interval between the protrusions adjacent along the longitudinal direction changes along the longitudinal direction.   The rotating body according to claim 9, wherein a lead of the protruding portion changes along the longitudinal direction.   The rotating body according to claim 9, wherein the number of the protrusions changes along the longitudinal direction. A rotating body formed with a spiral protrusion,
An outer diameter of the rotating body changes along a longitudinal direction of the rotating body.   The rotating body according to claim 12, wherein both end portions of the rotating body along the longitudinal direction are formed to have an outer diameter smaller than that of a central portion.   The rotating body according to claim 12, wherein an outer diameter of the rotating body continuously changes along the longitudinal direction.   The rotating body according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the protruding portion has an asymmetric shape with respect to a radial direction of the rotating body in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

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