Pumps for Clinical Diagnostics & Analytics

Degassing is the process of removing dissolved gasses or bubbles from reagent, buffer, diluent, sample, or other fluids. As entrained gases affect the overall accuracy of the results obtained, it is always a good practice to remove them by the process called degassing or debubbling. Sometimes this is highly critical to the success of the analysis. KNF diaphragm gas pumps are reliable components in degassing applications, where they provide deep vacuum and handle moist gas during their long service life.

Accuracy and repeatability are important when measuring or dosing reagents or samples from a large supply volume and transferring them to sample analysis locations. Diaphragm liquid pumps by KNF are a popular choice for this function. Our medical liquid transfer pumps confidently convey the same quantity of medium over a certain period of time while keeping media pure and clean.

Diagnostic instruments include many types of liquid handling processes, including probe washing, sample pan or cuvette emptying and washing, slide staining, rinsing, reagent washing, and general draining. All of these generate liquids that must be pumped to waste. There are two main methods for removing liquid waste: direct handling and waste collection followed by evacuation. KNF medical liquid transfer pumps enable collection and removal via direct or vacuum-over-liquid pumping.

After syringe needles have been washed, many instrument manufacturers add a drying step to remove any residual wash fluid and thus avoid re-contamination. In order to blow clean air to dry the inside and outside of the needles, manufacturers often use diaphragm gas pumps. For clinical diagnostics applications, KNF pumps have proven to be a reliable choice for decades.

Syringe-type needles are commonly used to measure or dose liquid samples or reagents in clinical diagnostic and analytical lab equipment. In order to prevent carry-over, needles must be cleaned after each use when handling samples. Additionally, KNF medical liquid transfer pumps are used to pump cleaners and/or water through the needle or to aspirate wash fluid waste from the wash pan or cuvette. KNF offers either discreet pumps or a tandem design to accomplish this task.

Many medical diagnostic devices need air for different purposes such as actuating pistons, blowing away debris, air operated valves, fluidic circuit control, and much more. This also includes vacuum cups to hold and lift items. Manufacturers of medical devices have relied on diaphragm gas pumps and swing piston pumps for decades in order to achieve these functions.

Some liquids must be constantly mixed to stay in suspension or to maintain system temperature for analytical or incubation reasons. Either requires a circulation loop. Diaphragm pumps are preferred as they are gentler than other pump types. Too much pressure can burst the tubing while too much vacuum can cavitate liquid. Medical device manufacturers can rely on KNF’s long-standing experience in this field that we have successfully applied to our pump solutions.

Liquid supply and replenishment are functions for which medical liquid transfer pumps have proven to be reliable. Diaphragm liquid pumps keep media pure and clean while diaphragm gas pumps provide pressure over liquid for low pulse flow. Both are used in various analysis and diagnostics applications to transfer water, cleaners or reagents from bulk supply to a smaller reservoir or to point of use.

These disciplines require the handling of many different liquids, each with its potential problems – low viscosity liquids are more prone to leakage, some liquids are at high temperatures, and some require chemical inertness – and KNF provides solutions to handle any type of liquid. Our pumps for medical devices have proven to be reliable components in numerous applications in pathology and histology. They are utilized in tissue preparation, paraffin wax embedding, histochemical stain wash, provisioning of warm water baths after sectioning, coverslip handling, and other functions.