蠕动泵就像用手指夹挤一根充满流体的软管，随着手指向前滑动管内流体向前移动。蠕动泵也是这个原理只是由滚轮取代了手指。通过对泵的弹性输送软管交替进行挤压和释放来泵送流体。就像用两根手指夹挤软管一样,随着手指的移动,管内形成负压,液体随之流动。
A peristaltic pump is like squeezing a hose filled with fluid with your fingers, sliding the fluid inside the tube forward with your fingers. The peristaltic pump is also based on this principle, with the roller replacing the finger. Pump fluid by alternately squeezing and releasing the elastic delivery hose of the pump. Just like squeezing a hose with two fingers, as the fingers move, negative pressure forms inside the tube, and the liquid flows accordingly.
蠕动泵就是在两个转辊子之间的一段泵管形成“枕”形流体。“枕”的体积取决于泵管的内径和转子的几何特征。流量取决于泵头的转速与“枕”的尺寸、转子每转一圈产生的“枕”的个数这三项参数之乘积。“枕”的尺寸一般为常量（泵送粘性特别大的流体时除外）。
A peristaltic pump is a section of pump pipe between two rotating rollers that forms a "pillow" shaped fluid. The volume of the pillow depends on the inner diameter of the pump tube and the geometric characteristics of the rotor. The flow rate depends on the product of the speed of the pump head and the size of the "pillow", as well as the number of "pillows" produced per revolution of the rotor. The size of a pillow is generally constant (except when pumping fluids with particularly high viscosity).
拿转子直径相同的泵相比较，产生较大“枕”体积的泵，其转子每转一圈所输送的流体体积也较大，但产生的脉动度也较大。这与膜阀的情形相似。而产生较小“枕”体积的泵，其转子每转一圈所输送的流体体积也较小；而且，快速、连续地形成的小“枕”使流体的流动较为平稳。这与齿轮泵的工作方式相似。
Compared to pumps with the same rotor diameter, pumps that produce a larger "pillow" volume also transport a larger volume of fluid per revolution of the rotor, but also produce greater pulsation. This is similar to the situation of membrane valves. A pump that produces a smaller pillow volume also delivers a smaller volume of fluid per revolution of its rotor; Moreover, the rapid and continuous formation of small "pillows" makes the fluid flow more stable. This is similar to the working mode of a gear pump.