Apparatus and methods for manipulating deformable fluid vessels

1. An apparatus for processing a fluid module including a collapsible vessel supported on a planar substrate by applying a force compressing the vessel against the substrate, said apparatus comprising:

a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction that is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate;

guides configured to support the first actuator component and prevent movement of the first actuator component in a direction normal to the plane of the substrate;

a second actuator component configured to apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate by moving in a second direction having a component that is generally normal to the plane of the substrate; and

a motion conversion mechanism coupling the first actuator component with the second actuator component and constructed and arranged to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the second actuator component in the second direction to thereby apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first actuator component comprises an actuator plate configured to be movable in the first direction and including a cam follower element;

the second actuator component comprises a platen configured to be movable in the second direction to apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate; and

the motion conversion mechanism comprises a cam body having a cam surface, said cam body being coupled to said platen and being configured such that the cam follower element of the actuator plate engages the cam surface of the cam body as the actuator plate moves in the first direction, thereby causing movement of the cam body that results in movement of the platen in the second direction.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the guides comprise rollers engaged with opposed edges of the actuator plate, wherein the rollers are rotatable about axes that are perpendicular to the actuator plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the motion conversion mechanism further comprises a spring element configured to bias the cam body into a first position at which the platen does not apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the cam follower element of the actuator plate comprises a roller configured to rotate about an axis of rotation that is parallel to the actuator plate and normal to the first direction; and

the motion conversion mechanism further comprises a chassis, and the cam body is pivotally attached at one portion thereof to the chassis and at another portion thereof to the platen.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cam surface of the cam body comprises an initial flat portion and a convexly-curved portion, and movement of the roller from the initial flat portion to the convexly-curved portion causes the movement of the cam body that results in movement of the platen in the second direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first actuator component comprises a cam rail configured to be movable in the first direction;

the second actuator component comprises a platen configured to be movable in the second direction to apply a force compressing the vessel against the substrate; and

the motion conversion mechanism comprises a cam surface moveable with the cam rail and a cam follower coupling the cam rail to the platen and configured to convert motion of the cam rail in the first direction into movement of the platen in the second direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the guides comprise a first transverse rod extending through a first slot formed in the cam rail and extending in the first direction of travel and by a second transverse rod extending through a second slot formed in the cam rail and extending in the first direction of travel.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the cam surface comprises a cam profile slot formed in the cam rail; and

the cam follower comprises a follower element coupling the platen to the cam profile slot such that movement of the cam rail in the first direction causes movement of the cam follower within the cam profile slot that results in the movement of the platen in the second direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said the cam profile slot comprises a first straight section, a second straight section parallel with the first section and offset relative to the first section, and a straight angled section connecting one end of the first section with one end of the second section.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cam follower comprises a rod extending from the platen through the cam profile slot.

12. An apparatus for processing a fluid module including two or more collapsible vessels supported on a planar substrate by applying a force compressing each vessel against the substrate, said apparatus comprising:

a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction that is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate;

guides configured to support the first actuator component and prevent movement of the first actuator component in a direction normal to the plane of the substrate;

a second actuator component associated with each of the collapsible vessels and configured to apply a force compressing the associated vessel against the substrate by moving in a second direction having a component that is generally normal to the plane of the substrate; and

a motion conversion mechanism associated with each of the second actuator components and coupling the first actuator component with the associated second actuator component, wherein each motion conversion mechanism is constructed and arranged to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the associated second actuator component in the second direction to thereby apply a force compressing the associated vessel against the substrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

the first actuator component comprises an actuator plate configured to be movable in the first direction and including two or more cam follower elements, each cam follower element being associated with one of the motion conversion mechanisms;

each second actuator component comprises a platen configured to be movable in the second direction to apply a force compressing the associated vessel against the substrate; and

each motion conversion mechanism comprises a cam body having a cam surface, said cam body being coupled to the platen of the associated second actuator component and being configured such that the associated cam follower element of the actuator plate engages the cam surface of the associated cam body as the actuator plate moves in the first direction, thereby causing movement of the associated cam body that results in movement of the associated platen in the second direction.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the guides comprise rollers engaged with opposed edges of the actuator plate, wherein the rollers are rotatable about axes that are perpendicular to the actuator plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each motion conversion mechanism further comprises a spring element configured to bias the cam body of the motion conversion mechanism into a first position at which the platen of the associated second actuator component does not apply a force compressing the associated vessel against the substrate.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:

each cam follower element of the actuator plate comprises a roller configured to rotate about an axis of rotation that is parallel to the actuator plate and normal to the first direction; and

the cam body of each motion conversion mechanism is pivotally attached at one portion thereof to a chassis and at another portion thereof to the platen of the associated second actuator component.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the cam surface of each cam body comprises an initial flat portion and a convexly-curved portion, and movement of the associated roller from the initial flat portion to the convexly-curved portion causes the movement of the cam body that results in movement of the platen in the second direction.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

the first actuator component comprises a cam rail configured to be movable in the first direction;

each second actuator component comprises a platen configured to be movable in the second direction to apply a force compressing the associated vessel against the substrate; and

each motion conversion mechanism comprises a cam surface moveable with the cam rail and a cam follower engaging the cam surface and coupling the cam rail to the platen of the associated second actuator component, each motion conversion mechanism being configured such that the cam follower engaged with the cam surface causes movement of the associated platen in the second direction as the cam rail moves in the first direction.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the guides comprise a first transverse rod extending through a first slot formed in the cam rail and extending in the first direction of travel and by a second transverse rod extending through a second slot formed in the cam rail and extending in the first direction of travel.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:

each cam surface comprises a cam profile slot formed in the cam rail; and

each cam follower comprises a follower element coupling the associated platen to the cam profile slot such that movement of the cam rail in the first direction causes movement of the cam follower within the associated cam profile slot that results in the movement of the associated platen in the second direction.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein each cam follower comprises a rod extending from the associated platen through the associated cam profile slot.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein each of the cam profile slots comprises a first straight section, a second straight section parallel with the first section and offset relative to the first section, and a straight angled section connecting one end of the first section with one end of the second section.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein each cam follower comprises a rod extending from the associated platen through the associated cam profile slot.