Peristaltic pump mechanism for differential bidirectional transport in a single channel

Abstract Peristaltic pumps are widely employed in fields such as medicine, food industries, and biotechnology. In nature, it is known that gastropods such as snails, which utilize peristaltic motion for locomotion, generate propulsion in the direction opposite to the propagation of their muscle contraction waves. Therefore, in this study, we developed a transport device capable of bidirectional transport within a single channel by employing a mechanism that mimics this gastropod peristalsis. The device is composed of a parallel link mechanism and a flexible silicone rubber tube, inducing continuous peristaltic motion in the tube solely through motor rotation. By utilizing eccentric shafts to generate waveform motion and continuously converting the force transmitted to the tube section, smooth wave-like motion was achieved. Experimental results demonstrated that while liquid is transported in the direction of wave propagation, slender objects constrained by the tube walls are transported in the opposite direction. This paper presents the proposal and analysis of this transport mechanism and aims to provide new insights into conventional fluid and object transport technologies.