A flexible pump comprises: a flexible pump balloon comprising multiple non-stretchable tubular flexible films that have a shuttle-shaped cross-section, are arranged in a ring array, and are spliced adjacently, a middle section of each tubular flexible film being a fill area saturated with a liquid medium with high breakdown strength, and a positive electrode and a negative electrode being fixed on a surface of one side of the middle section of each tubular flexible film in a radial direction and symmetrically located on two sides of an axial reference plane of the middle section respectively; and a pair of rigid end covers. The flexible pump solves the technical problems of liquid transport and pressurization.

Provided is a sauce dispenser module used in an automatic hamburger production system. The sauce dispenser module includes a sauce storage unit for storing a sauce to be dispensed, a sauce transfer unit configured to transfer the sauce of the sauce storage unit, a nozzle unit configured to dispense the sauce transferred by the sauce transfer unit in various forms, a sensor configured to monitor a state of the sauce dispensed by the nozzle unit, and a control unit configured to control the sauce transfer unit according to monitoring with a signal of the sensor.

An apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising: a microfluidic channel (3); an electromechanical gel (5) provided within the microfluidic channel (3); at least one pair of electrodes (7) wherein the at least one pair of electrodes (7) are configured to control the electric field across the microfluidic channel (3) to cause the electromechanical gel (5) to deform in response to a voltage applied to the electrodes (7) such that the deformation enables fluid to be pumped through the microfluidic channel (3).

An apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising: a microfluidic channel (3); an electromechanical gel (5) provided within the microfluidic channel (3); at least one pair of electrodes (7) wherein the at least one pair of electrodes (7) are configured to control the electric field across the microfluidic channel (3) to cause the electromechanical gel (5) to deform in response to a voltage applied to the electrodes (7) such that the deformation enables fluid to be pumped through the microfluidic channel (3).

A piezoelectric cooling system and method for driving the cooling system are described. The piezoelectric cooling system includes a first piezoelectric cooling element and a second piezoelectric cooling element. The first piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct a fluid toward a surface of a heat-generating structure. The second piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct the fluid to an outlet area after heat has been transferred to the fluid by the heat-generating structure.

Described is a method for regulating a volume of liquid delivered by a peristaltic pump and a peristaltic pump system that can be used to perform the method. The method includes sensing an ambient temperature of the peristaltic pump. The peristaltic pump includes a pump motor. At least one of a motor speed and a motor operation duration is determined from the sensed temperature, a selected volume of liquid to be delivered and a predetermined correspondence of the motor speed to ambient temperature. The pump motor is operated at the determined motor speed or for the determined motor operation duration to deliver the selected volume of liquid from the peristaltic pump.

A peristaltic pump includes a plunger-cam follower, a tube receiver, a spring-biased plunger, a spring, a position sensor, and a processor. The plunger-cam follower engages the plunger cam to follow the plunger cam and to disengage from the plunger cam. The spring-biased plunger is coupled to the plunger-cam follower and the spring biases the spring-biased plunger toward the tube receiver. The position sensor determines a position of the spring-biased plunger when the plunger-cam follower is disengaged from the plunger came. The processor estimates fluid flow utilizing at least the position of the spring-biased plunger as indicated by the position sensor when the plunger-cam follower is disengaged from the plunger cam and the spring biases the spring-biased plunger against the tube.

A cooling system and method for using the cooling system are described. The cooling system includes a plurality of individual piezoelectric cooling elements spatially arranged in an array extending in at least two dimensions, a communications interface and driving circuitry. The communications interface is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements such that selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements within the array can be activated based at least in part on heat energy generated in the vicinity of the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements. The driving circuitry is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements and is configured to drive the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements.

A method of dispensing a therapeutic fluid from a line includes providing an inlet line connectable to an upstream fluid source. The inlet line is in downstream fluid communication with a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a pump outlet. The method also includes actuating a force application assembly so as to restrict retrograde flow of fluid through the inlet while pressurizing the pumping chamber to urge flow through the pump outlet. A corresponding system employs the method.

A method of dispensing a therapeutic fluid from a line includes providing an inlet line connectable to an upstream fluid source. The inlet line is in downstream fluid communication with a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a pump outlet. The method also includes actuating a force application assembly so as to restrict retrograde flow of fluid through the inlet while pressurizing the pumping chamber to urge flow through the pump outlet. A corresponding system employs the method.