Described are fluid pumping and fluid handling systems, which may be suitable for use in medical devices, such as artificial or extracorporeal blood pumping systems. The systems can include a dual housing configuration for pneumatic actuation comprising a main housing containing a pump cassette comprising a pneumatically actuated pump and pneumatically actuated valves. The pump can include a pump actuation chamber and pump pneumatic port, and the valves can each include a valve actuation chamber and valve pneumatic port. Connecting tubes can be used to fluidly connect the pump actuation ports and valve actuation ports to a tube-support housing having a first side receiving one end of each connecting tube and a second side providing a pneumatic interface arranged to connect to an array of pneumatic receptacles on a base unit of the system to facilitate easy, compact and accurate pneumatic interconnection between the pump cassette and the base unit.

Described are fluid pumping and fluid handling systems, which may be suitable for use in medical devices, such as artificial or extracorporeal blood pumping systems. The systems can include a dual housing configuration for pneumatic actuation comprising a main housing containing a pump cassette comprising a pneumatically actuated pump and pneumatically actuated valves. The pump can include a pump actuation chamber and pump pneumatic port, and the valves can each include a valve actuation chamber and valve pneumatic port. Connecting tubes can be used to fluidly connect the pump actuation ports and valve actuation ports to a tube-support housing having a first side receiving one end of each connecting tube and a second side providing a pneumatic interface arranged to connect to an array of pneumatic receptacles on a base unit of the system to facilitate easy, compact and accurate pneumatic interconnection between the pump cassette and the base unit.

A pump including one or more pumping chambers, one or more drive mechanisms for driving the one or more pumping chambers and a logic arrangement. The first pumping chamber of the one or more pumping chambers has a first inlet check valve, a first outlet check valve and a first temperature sensor. The logic arrangement is configured to identify a leak by applying logic to at least resistance-data indicative of a resistance of the first pumping chamber to the driving and temperature-data at least based on output from the first temperature sensor.

A double-acting pump device includes a piston arrangement being slidably arranged in a pump housing. The pump housing is separated into a drive section with a drive fluid inlet and a drive fluid outlet and a pump section with an inlet and an outlet for a pump fluid. The drive section includes a switch mechanism which utilizes the difference between the drive fluid supply pressure and the drive fluid outlet pressure to reciprocate the piston arrangement, such that axially acting forces are transferred to the pump fluid which thereby achieves a desired pressure increase. Thus, the double-acting pump is arranged to utilize the energy in a supplied drive fluid to provide a defined pressure increase in a supplied pump fluid.

A double-acting pump device includes a piston arrangement being slidably arranged in a pump housing. The pump housing is separated into a drive section with a drive fluid inlet and a drive fluid outlet and a pump section with an inlet and an outlet for a pump fluid. The drive section includes a switch mechanism which utilizes the difference between the drive fluid supply pressure and the drive fluid outlet pressure to reciprocate the piston arrangement, such that axially acting forces are transferred to the pump fluid which thereby achieves a desired pressure increase. Thus, the double-acting pump is arranged to utilize the energy in a supplied drive fluid to provide a defined pressure increase in a supplied pump fluid.

Methods, systems, and techniques for harnessing wind energy use a tethered airfoil and a digital hydraulic pump and motor, which may optionally be a combined pump/motor. During a traction phase, a wind powered airfoil is allowed to extend a tether and a portion of the wind energy harnessed through extension of the tether is stored prior to distributing the wind energy to an electrical service. During a retraction phase, the wind energy that is stored during the traction phase is used to retract the tether. The digital hydraulic pump and motor are mechanically coupled to the tether.

Methods, systems, and techniques for harnessing wind energy use a tethered airfoil and a digital hydraulic pump and motor, which may optionally be a combined pump/motor. During a traction phase, a wind powered airfoil is allowed to extend a tether and a portion of the wind energy harnessed through extension of the tether is stored prior to distributing the wind energy to an electrical service. During a retraction phase, the wind energy that is stored during the traction phase is used to retract the tether. The digital hydraulic pump and motor are mechanically coupled to the tether.

Systems for monitoring fluid flow in an extracorporeal blood circuit are described. The blood circuit of such systems can include plod pump having a pumping chamber of the blood pump separated from a control chamber of the blood pump by a flexible diaphragm. The control chamber can be configured to transmit positive or negative pressure to operate the diaphragm. The system can include a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure in the control chamber of the blood pump, and a controller configured to receive information from the pressure sensor and to control the delivery of pressure to the control chamber of the blood pump. The controller can also be configured to cause the application of a time-varying pressure waveform on the blood pump diaphragm during a fill-stroke of the blood pump, and to monitor a pressure variation in the control chamber measured by the pressure sensor. When so configured, such controller can transmit a value representing a magnitude of the measured pressure variation to a display associated with the extracorporeal blood circuit.

Systems for monitoring fluid flow in an extracorporeal blood circuit are described. The blood circuit of such systems can include plod pump having a pumping chamber of the blood pump separated from a control chamber of the blood pump by a flexible diaphragm. The control chamber can be configured to transmit positive or negative pressure to operate the diaphragm. The system can include a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure in the control chamber of the blood pump, and a controller configured to receive information from the pressure sensor and to control the delivery of pressure to the control chamber of the blood pump. The controller can also be configured to cause the application of a time-varying pressure waveform on the blood pump diaphragm during a fill-stroke of the blood pump, and to monitor a pressure variation in the control chamber measured by the pressure sensor. When so configured, such controller can transmit a value representing a magnitude of the measured pressure variation to a display associated with the extracorporeal blood circuit.

The invention relates to a method for operating a piston compressor (100) having a reciprocating piston (111) in a cylinder (110), wherein an inlet valve (112) and an outlet valve (113) are provided in the cylinder (110) on the side of a medium (b) which is to be compressed and conveyed, wherein the reciprocating piston (111) is moved to and fro by way of a hydraulic drive (120, 121) with a hydraulic piston (120) with the use of a hydraulic medium (a) in a first volume (141), with which the reciprocating piston (111) is loaded on the side of the hydraulic drive (120, 121), wherein, if required, hydraulic medium (a) is fed into the first volume (141) and/or is discharged from the first volume (141) in a manner which is dependent on a position of the hydraulic piston (120) and/or a rotational angle ((p) of a shaft (121) which is provided for moving the hydraulic piston (120) in relation to a position (x) of the reciprocating piston (120) and/or a pressure (p) in the first volume (141), and to a piston compressor (100) of this type.