Patent ID: 7641860

Claim:
A cartridge system comprising: a. a manifold; b. a plurality of terminals formed in the manifold for receiving fluid into the manifold or supplying fluid out of the manifold; c. a plurality of small bore connection passageways extending between the terminals for carrying fluid to and from the terminals, the small bore connection passageways being configured and connected to receive fluid from one small bore component through a terminal and transfer the fluid to another terminal and into another small bore component; d. a plurality of small bore components having small bore component passageways for connecting to the terminals, for supplying fluid to the terminals, and for receiving fluid from the terminals, the small bore connection passageways and the small bore component passageways each having an inside diameter of about one to about twenty-five hundred micrometers, wherein at least one of the plurality of small bore components comprises a cartridge comprising: (i) a first transport portion for connecting to the terminals; (ii) a second transport portion for connecting to the terminals; and (iii) a body portion substantially in the shape of a coil for connecting the first transport portion to the second transport portion, and (iv) a protector comprising a spool at least substantially encasing the body passageway portion of the component, the body portion being at least partially supported by an inside surface of the spool; and wherein the first transport portion is disposed along a first axis, the small bore tubing of the body portion is coiled around a second axis, and the second transport portion of the cartridge is disposed along a third axis, the first axis of the first transport portion and third axis of the second transport portion being substantially in parallel; the second axis of the coil being substantially parallel to the plane of the manifold and not in parallel with the first axis and the third axis; and the first axis and the third axis being substantially perpendicular to a plane of the manifold; e. the small bore components being configured for connection to the manifold with the small bore component passageways connected to transfer fluid to and from the terminals.