Peristaltic pump header

Claim 1

An integral, one-way-flow, steriliable, pump header suitable for use in a peristaltic pump having a pump housing, an arcuate surface within said pump housing defining a stator, a driveshaft adapted to be motor driven and having a portion disposed within said housing, a rotor disposed within said housing and connected to said driveshaft and having a roller adapted to follow said stator when said driveshaft is driven by said motor, said pump header comprising: A. a flexible outer tube having an inlet, an outlet and a passageway there between, said flexible outer tube being dimensioned to be received between said roller and said stator of said peristaltic pump; B. a collapsible-expandable inner tube disposed within said passageway of said flexible outer tube, said inner tube including: (1) a normally closed in cross section and openable in response to a positive fluid pressure, inlet portion extending outside said inlet of said flexible outer tube and terminating at an inlet; (2) a normally closed in cross section and openable in response to a positive fluid pressure, outlet portion extending outside said outlet of said flexible outer tube and terminating at an outlet; and (3) a passageway between said inlet and said outlet of said inner tube; C. a pressure control valve member including: (1) a housing receiving said normally closed in cross section and openable in response to a positive fluid pressure, inlet portion of said inner tube; (2) an inlet portion connected to and in direct liquid communication with said inlet portion of said inner tube, so that positively-pressured fluid entering said inlet portion of said valve member enters said inlet of said inner tube and expands and opens said normally closed inlet portion of said inner tube; and (3) an outlet portion connecting said flexible outer tube to said inner tube adjacent said inlet of said flexible outer tube; D. a one-way flow valve member including: (1) a housing receiving said outlet portion of said inner tube with said outlet of said inner tube disposed within said housing, so that positively-pressured fluid entering said outlet portion of said inner tube from said passageway of said inner tube expands and opens said normally closed outlet portion of said inner tube and exits said outlet of said inner tube within said housing; (2) an inlet portion connecting said flexible outer tube to said inner tube adjacent said outlet of said flexible outer tube; and (3) an outlet portion in liquid communication with said outlet of said inner tube, so that positively-pressured fluid within said housing can only pass from said outlet portion of said one-way flow valve member, thereby restricting fluid flow to one direction through said pump header; E. a first resilient spacer having an inner wall affixed to said inner tube adjacent said inlet of said inner tube and an outer wall affixed to said inlet portion of said pressure control valve member; and F. a second resilient spacer having an inner wall affixed to said inner tube and an outer wall affixed to said outer tube adjacent said inlet of said outer tube, so that said inlet portion of said inner tube is substantially isolated from the remainder of said inner tube, thereby greater ensuring that said pressure control valve member only responds to pressure changes at said inlet of said inner tube.