Systems, methods, and apparatus for manipulating deformable fluid vessels

摘要

An apparatus for processing a fluid module, including a collapsible vessel supported on a planar substrate, comprises a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate, a second actuator component configured to be movable in a second direction having a component that is normal to the plane of the substrate, and a motion conversion mechanism coupling the first actuator component with the second actuator component and configured to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the second actuator component in the second direction. A fluid container comprises a first vessel, a second vessel connected or connectable to the first vessel, and a sealing partition preventing fluid flow from the second vessel. The container further includes a spherical opening element initially supported within the second vessel by the sealing partition and configured to be contacted with the sealing partition to open the sealing partition and permit fluid flow from the second vessel. An apparatus configured for displacing fluid from a fluid container comprises first and second actuators configured to be movable together until the first actuator compresses a first part of the fluid container and then moveable independently until the second actuator compresses a second part of the fluid container. Fluid containers comprise a first vessel, a second vessel, and a sealing partition preventing fluid flow from the second vessel and further include piercing means for piercing the sealing partition to permit fluid flow from the second vessel. A fluid container comprises a vessel configured to be collapsed to displace fluid from the vessel, a housing surrounding at least a portion of the vessel, and a floating compression plate movably disposed within the housing and configured to permit an external actuator to press the compression plate into the vessel to collapse the vessel and displace the fluid contents therefrom.