Patent ID: 8430643
Filing Date: 2013-04-30
Classification: A61F,A61M,F04B

Abstract:
1. A method of pumping a fluid, comprising: providing a surface, a shaft, a shaft path, and a plurality of haptics operably coupled to the shaft; disposing a channel between the surface and the haptics, wherein the channel is configured to have a closed portion when compressed between the surface and one of the haptics, the closed portion having a thickness defined by a distance between the surface and the haptic that closes the channel; moving the haptics along a circular path about the shaft; moving the shaft relative to the surface and the shaft path, wherein the surface has a radius of curvature in the vicinity of the channel that is greater than the sum of a radius of the circular path and the thickness of the closed portion; while moving the haptics and the shaft, traversing at least one of the haptics along the surface so that the at least one haptic maintains the channel in a closed condition, wherein a length from a center of the shaft to a distal end of one of the haptics is greater than the distance between the surface and the center of the shaft when the channel is in its least compressed state during rotation of the shaft; moving the shaft along the shaft path radially away from the surface when at least one of the haptics traverses along a portion of the surface.