Miniature, stepper driven, valveless OEM pumps from Fluid Metering, Inc. (FMI) integrate FMI's CeramPump valveless pumping principle with precision stepper control. The CeramPump utilizes one moving part, a sapphire-hard ceramic piston, to perform all fluid control functions, eliminating valves typically present in low volume metering technologies. The pumps are suitable for low and micro-volume fluid control in medical diagnostic and clinical chemistry instrumentation.
The valveless function is accomplished by the synchronous rotation and reciprocation of the ceramic piston within a precisely mated ceramic liner. The reciprocation action of the piston, similar to a standard piston pump, accomplishes the pumping function. The piston also rotates, alternately aligning a flat at the end with the inlet and outlet ports of the pump. When the flat is aligned with the inlet port, fluid can be drawn into the pump. When the flat is aligned with the outlet port, fluid can exit the pump. Only one port is open at any time and at no point are both ports interconnected. This effectively functions as, and replaces, conventional check valves.
The pump will maintain 0.5 % precision for millions of cycles without maintenance or recalibration, according to FMI. The CeramPump, having only one moving part in contact with the fluid, eliminates multiple syringes, valves and actuators typically present in other low and micro-volume metering systems.
