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。
The peristaltic pump is like squeezing a flexible pipe filled with fluid with a finger, and moving the fluid forward along the sliding pipe with the finger. Peristaltic pumps are also based on the principle that the wheel replaces the finger. The fluid is pumped by alternating extrusion and release of the flexible conveying hose of the pump. Like squeezing a hose with two fingers, as the fingers move, a negative pressure is formed in the hose and the liquid flows along with it.
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）。
Peristaltic pump is a kind of "pillow" fluid formed in a section of pump pipe between two rollers. The volume of the "pillow" depends on the inner diameter of the pump pipe and the geometric characteristics of the rotor. The flow rate depends on the product of the rotational speed of the pump head and the size of the "pillow" and the number of "pillows" produced by the rotor in each turn. The size of "pillow" is usually constant (except when pumping fluid with extra viscous fluid).
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。
Comparing the pumps with the same diameter of the rotor, the pumps with larger "pillow" volume are produced, and the volume of fluid transported by the rotor in each turn is larger, but the pulsation degree is also larger. This is similar to the case of diaphragm valves. A pump with a smaller "pillow" volume is produced, and the fluid volume conveyed by the rotor is smaller in each turn; moreover, the small "pillow" formed rapidly and continuously makes the fluid flow more stable. This is similar to the working mode of gear pump.