Brief Summary

The peristaltic action is found widely used in nature, everything from the human gut to milking a cow. Peristaltic pump action was first patented in the USA by Eugene Allen in 1881, but it was not until the 1930’s that its advantages in medical use were widely recognised, it was the renowned heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey when as a medical student in the 1930’s,  first started to show the advantages of the peristaltic pump for the pumping of sterile liquids. Since then the peristaltic pump has become the main type of pump for medical use as well as laboratory and industry uses. This is because the liquid being pumped cannot come in contact with the pumping mechanism, so keeping the liquid sterile.