Perfusion Pumps FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions > Perfusion Pumps

1: Why do Dentsleeve pumps give superior infection control compared to other pumps?

By making easy infection control a primary design criterion, which is not the case with other pumps. All of the water pathway components are easily removed for disinfection or inexpensive replacement. Inaccessible crevices and isolated pockets have been eliminated from the water perfusate circuit.

2: Can I use any type of water perfused catheter with a Dentsleeve perfusion pump?

Yes. Our pumps are suited to all types of water-perfused catheters.

3: Why are Dentsleeve pumps easier to set up and debubble?

Because they have been designed with this need in mind. Bubble-trapping crevices and steps have been virtually eliminated from the water circuit. Where they remain they are accessible (eg hydraulic resistor connectors). Large bubbles are easily purged. Our pump manual describe these procedures.

4: How are the pumps powered?

Our pumps are available with or without an air compressor. The air compressor generates and stores the compressed air. Two voltage versions are available (110v and 240v), catering for different country voltage requirements. High pressure gas bottles can be used instead of a compressor and require a high pressure regulator. Compressed air can also be used from a wall-mounted compressed air system.

5: How is the compressor set up and operated? (Version 1.3)

This comes in its own enclosure that fits neatly underneath the main deck of our Mark II Horizontal Deck pump, or out of sight on the recording system trolley for our Mark III Vertical Deck pump.

All of our new Mark II and III pumps are equipped to work with the Version 1.3 compressor. They have a switch installed on the pump control box which turns the compressor on and off and a second pressure gauge that shows the air pressure being delivered from the compressor.

6: Can I use a Dentsleeve compressor with my Dentsleeve pump supplied before the compressor was introduced?

Yes. Our Version 1.2 of the compressor is designed for this, having the on/off switch and compressor air pressure gauge installed into the compressor enclosure.

7: Why does the compressor have a dessicant chamber?

This ensures that the air that enters the compressor is very dry, otherwise water condenses in the pressurised air storage cylinders and in air lines and can cause two problems over time.

	Malfunction of the perfusion pump air circuit directly due to deposition of water in it and from corrosion caused by moisture.
	Trapping of water within the compressor could lead to colonisation of the compressor and pump air circuits with organisms.

8: Why isn't the dessicant chamber installed inside the compressor
box?

Because the dessicant colour needs to be seen, as it goes colourless when it is no longer able to absorb any more water. This indicates the need to replace or regenerate the dessicant, which is easily done because the chamber is externally mounted.

The dessicant should last for months, but this depends on hours of use and room air humidity.

9: Surely air perfusion gives an unreliable pressure recording?

Yes, if you want to measure pressure accurately, as air is too compressible to transmit large pressures faithfully to an external transducer.

For swallow monitoring though, all that is needed is recognition of the occurrence of a pharyngeal pressure wave. Our unique air perfusion feature, developed by us, detects pharyngeal peristalsis and is the best way to monitor swallowing.

10: How do I change to different perfusion rates for different applications?

Just by changing to a different set of hydraulic resistors, the standard resistors being colour coded for the perfusion rate they deliver. The compact resistors have their flow rate engraved on them. The design of Dentsleeve pumps makes it very simple to change resistors, which is also important for infection control.

11: Other pumps just provide one perfusion rate of 0.6ml/min. Why do Dentsleeve pumps come with such a wide choice of perfusion rates?

This may seem an unwelcome complexity, but this unique feature ensures that your Dentsleeve pump is versatile and tailored to your needs.

12: Why is it sensible to provide a range of hydraulic resistors with different perfusion rates?

For some uses of perfusion manometry, such as studies in children and neonates, much smaller diameter manometric channels are used which require low perfusion rates. This has two major advantages:

	Very small overall diameter catheters can be used, giving much better tolerance of the procedure.
	The child, infant or neonate does not receive an excessive fluid load.

13: I don't care how much water is being perfused, why can't I just use standard resistors which give a perfusion rate of 0.6ml/minute for all applications?

Use of this flow rate for smaller diameter manometric channels (less than 0.6mm) generates a very high back pressure because of the resistance of the manometric channel to such a relatively high flow rate.

This makes it impossible to make technically adequate pressure measurements with both the sleeve and sideholes.

14: Why can't I adjust the perfusion rate by varying the pump driving pressure (the pressure applied to the perfusate reservoir)?

This can be done, but only over a narrow range. If the pump driving pressure is set below 10 psi/67 kpa, measurement accuracy is unacceptably impaired. At 10 psi/67 kpa, a 0.6ml/min resistor delivers 0.4ml/min, still at least 6 times higher than is appropriate for the micro-manometric recording channels used mainly in children and infants.

15: What is the best choice of hydraulic resistor flow rate?

This is very simple for most users, as clinical manometry is done with catheters that have standard sized manometric channels, which need a standard perfusion rate of 0.6ml/min.

More specialised applications of manometry may use smaller diameter manometric channels which require resistors that give a lower flow rate.

16: What is routinely included with each pump supplied by Dentsleeve?

Essentially everything that is needed to do manometry, apart from catheters and the air supply system which are ordered separately.
We also do not supply transducers, but tailor the transducer bar to suit a particular transducer type.