What is a peristaltic pump?

The main advantage of peristaltic pumps is that the liquid transferred remains enclosed inside a tubing. As a result, the risk of contaminating either the product or the pump itself is prevented. Peristaltic pumps can be used for numerous applications, from filling small test tubes in laboratories to pumping concrete on construction sites.

The peristaltic pump was first patented in the United States by Eugene Allen in 1881. However, it took almost half a century to become more popular; thanks to Dr. Michael DeBakey, a world-famous heart surgeon, who used it as an essential component for the first heart-lung-machine. This innovation made open heart surgery possible for the first time.

How does a peristaltic pump operate?

Peristaltic pumps move the liquid through a flexible tubing (often silicone) by mechanically deforming the tubing. This tube squeezing mechanism called “peristalsis” is a common principle used by many biological systems such as the gastrointestinal tract for moving various fluids.

Choose the right peristaltic pump

Finding a pump that optimally suits your laboratory liquid dispensing needs is anything but easy as there are many suppliers and different types on the market.

Follow these steps to select the right peristaltic pump:

1. Make an informed decision:

It is important to first establish an understanding of what your requirements are concerning sterility, the range of fluid viscosities to be handled and the desired precision.

2. Determine the correct tubing material:

Knowing about the chemical composition of the fluid to be pumped and dispensed is important too, especially if it is chemically aggressive. Be sure that your pump parts that come into contact with the fluids are compatible – in the case of peristaltic pumps this means carefully selecting the correct tubing material.

3. Find the right space:

Furthermore, consider the space which is available in your lab. Unfortunately, a lot of laboratory peristaltic pumps are complicated to program, oversized and bulky.

Advantages of a peristaltic pump

When selecting a peristaltic pump suitable for your laboratory, the following features are attractive:

Enclosed system

A particular advantage of peristaltic pumps is that the fluid remains enclosed inside the tubing. As a result, the risk of contaminating either the product or the instrument itself is minimized. Moreover, the tubing can easily be cleaned and sterilized after every use. This guarantees sterile conditions and reduces the risk of contaminations. In addition, even chemically aggressive liquids can be transferred without the risk of damaging parts of the pump.

Gentle delivery

Using a peristaltic pump makes it possible to transfer even delicate liquids such as blood in a way that will not degrade the samples. Its gentle rolling mechanism is far less likely to damage blood cells than pump designs that use rapid moving propeller blades to move the fluid.

Easy and budget-friendly maintenance

Peristaltic pumps have neither valves nor seals that may be damaged or contaminated by processed fluids. Consequently, they require considerably less part replacement and maintenance is easier and less expensive.

Read more about INTEGRA peristaltic pumps.