A diaphragm for separating fluid chambers in a fluid assembly. The diaphragm includes a sheet of flexible material having a central region and a peripheral Region, and wherein the peripheral region is provided with a larger dimension peripheral feature extending axially from the plane of the sheet.

A microfluidic treatment apparatus has a microfluidic channel system having a filtering branch, a pumping branch connected in parallel with the filtering branch, and a filter chamber arranged in the filtering branch and configured to accommodate a filter element. The filtering branch is coupled to a channel inlet via a first channel-crossover element and to a channel outlet via a second channel-crossover element, and the filter chamber can be isolated from the rest of the channel system by at least two filter valves. A pumping device is arranged in the pumping branch, is configured to produce fluid flow in the channel system, and includes at least one pumping valve and at least one pumping chamber. The pumping branch is coupled to the channel inlet via a connection of the first channel-crossover element and to the channel outlet via a connection of the second channel-crossover element

Hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems including a variety of systems and methods that make hemodialysis more efficient, easier, and/or more affordable, and include new fluid circuits for fluid flow in hemodialysis systems and a reciprocating diaphragm pump for pumping fluids. The reciprocating diaphragm pump includes a flexible diaphragm, a first rigid body having a curved pumping chamber wall, a second rigid body having an opposing curved control chamber wall. The diaphragm is interposed between the pumping chamber wall and the control chamber wall to define a pumping chamber and a control chamber. The diaphragm of the pump has a peripheral bead arranged to locate the diaphragm between the first rigid body and the second rigid body and a diaphragm body having a curved, semi-spheroid or domed shape. The diaphragm is pre-formed or molded so that during a delivery stroke of the pump, the elastic force of the diaphragm resisting its deployment into the pumping chamber prevents a peripheral portion of the diaphragm body from fully contacting the pumping chamber wall.

A diaphragm for use in a pump includes a cover configured to contact fluid to pump the fluid and a backing disposed at least partially within the cover. The backing includes a flexible plate that extends outward relative to a core of the backing, the flexible plate configured to flex during reciprocation of the diaphragm. The cover is formed from a first polymer and the flexible plate is formed from a second polymer.

A pump head of a diaphragm booster pump, a diaphragm booster pump, a water treatment device and a method of operating a pump head. The pump head includes: a piston chamber, including a booster chamber arranged on an inner wall of the piston chamber; and a diaphragm, the booster chamber formed through enclosing the diaphragm, and the booster chamber radially expanding or compressing. The movement of two eccentric wheels with a phase difference of 180° in an eccentric assembly drives balance wheels of a balance wheel assembly to move oppositely. During rotation of the eccentric assembly, eccentric forces counteract each other, and the moment keeps balanced. The balance wheel assembly includes big small balance wheels, which are a first small balance wheel, the big balance wheel and a second small balance wheel in sequence, and the eccentric assembly drives the balance wheel assembly to swing eccentrically through a bearing.

A multi-chamber wobble plate pump having a housing with an inlet port, an outlet port and a plurality of pump chambers. A wobble plate is coupled to a diaphragm and a plurality of pistons. Rotation of the wobble plate moves the pistons within the pump chambers to draw in and force fluid out of the chambers. The pump includes a plurality of inlet valves each located within one of the pump chambers to control fluid flow from the inlet port to the pump chambers. Each inlet valve has an asymmetric cross-section, a thin section and a stem along a longitudinal axis. The thin section of the valve has less mechanical strength than the remaining portion of the valve. The valve is configured to open first at the thin section from reduced pressure during outward movement of the piston allowing air to be removed from the chambers.

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the “as collected” condition without drying or grinding. The system generally includes a sample preparation sub-system which receives soil samples collected by a probe collection sub-system and produces a slurry (i.e. mixture of soil, vegetation, and/or manure and water), and a chemical analysis sub-system which processes the prepared slurry samples for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The sample preparation and chemical analysis sub-systems can be used to analyze soil, vegetation, and/or manure samples. A soil collection system is disclosed which captures and directs samples to the sampling system for processing.

A multiple cavity reciprocating positive displacement pump (200) comprises a plurality of pump cavities (222), each pump cavity (222) including at least an inlet valve (228) and an outlet valve (231), wherein respective inlet valves (228) are in fluid communication with a common inlet (224) and respective outlet valves (231) are in fluid communication with a common outlet (238), and wherein the pump cavities (222) are arranged about a pump axis (AR) and around said common inlet (224) and said common outlet (238).

This invention concerns a contractile device. The device includes a body, which has a wall including a tessellation of elements. The body is deformable through pressurisation of fluid within the body between a first, extended state and a second, contracted state in which the axial length of the body is reduced and the internal volume increased compared to the first, normal state. The tessellation of elements includes a series of protruding and intruding formations which are arranged such that the body remains substantially cylindrical through its deformation between its normal and deformed states. The protruding and intruding formations of the tessellation of elements may be in the form of protruding and intruding pyramids.

A fluid control apparatus (10) includes a first major plate (20), a piezoelectric device (30), a second major plate (40), a peripheral plate (50), a first film (61), and a second film (62). A space enclosed by the first major plate (20), the second major plate (40), and the peripheral plate (50) serves as a pump chamber (100) of the fluid control apparatus (10). A rectification base member (80) is provided between the first major plate (20) and the second major plate (40). The first film (61) is provided on the first major plate (20) and includes a movable portion positioned closer to the peripheral plate (50) than a fixed end thereof. The second film (62) is provided on a major surface (802) of the rectification base member (80) and includes a movable portion positioned across the fixed end thereof from the peripheral plate (50).