Abstract: By irradiating target liquid L containing fine bubbles with ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic irradiation device 102, the fine bubbles in the target liquid L is reduced. By irradiating the target liquid L with ultrasonic waves, fine bubbles in the target liquid L can be reduced effectively. By using ultrasonic waves, bubbles with small diameters, particularly fine bubbles, can be effectively reduced, so that fine bubbles in the target liquid L can be efficiently reduced.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing machine (2) has a housing that provides a receptacle for receiving an expandable cartridge (12) that is coupled into the machine so that it can receive a charge of water. A kneading system (40) is provided to act on the cartridge within the receptacle. The kneading system is activated after water has been allowed to enter the cartridge and mechanically acts on or from the exterior of the cartridge in order to compress and release regions of the cartridge in order to create vigorous agitation to move the contents of the cartridge around inside the main compartment and bring them into close contact with a charge of water from the supply. Such a machine allows a wide variety of beverages to be created conveniently on demand from freeze-dried ingredients that can be stored inside the cartridges with a long shelf life.

Abstract: An automated reservoir filling system for a portable medical device is disclosed. The system includes a vial sealed by a septum partially filled with a liquid and a gas occupying a headspace. The system further includes a reservoir with a volume defined between a reservoir septum and a plunger head. The plunger head is coupled to a plunger arm which is further coupled to a drive system. Further included is a transfer system with a vial end that pierces the vial septum and remains in contact with the liquid, and a reservoir end that pierces the reservoir septum and remains in the reservoir volume. A controller coupled to the drive system to actuates the drive system automatically drawing fluid from the vial to the reservoir through the degas system.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method of dispersing solid forms of drugs or medications reliably and consistently may generally employ ultrasonic energy. The disclosed embodiments facilitate preparation of a liquid dose from solid medications for administration to a patient.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a mixing system at a peak energy efficiency point, maximum response point or reduced sound generation point based on displacement, velocity, acceleration or jerk operating conditions.

Abstract: A beverage container for a blender includes one or more vibrating mechanisms coupled to a bottom portion of the beverage container or integrated within one or more walls of the beverage container. After a beverage has been blended, the one or more vibrating mechanisms are activated as the beverage is being poured. Vibrations from the one or more vibrating mechanisms are mechanically transmitted to the beverage container, thereby promoting the pourability of the beverage from the beverage container, including dislodging ingredients in the beverage that became lodged or trapped in crevices of the beverage container during the prior blending process, and freeing up beverage ingredients that accumulated at the bottom of the beverage container during the prior blending process.

Abstract: An agitating device is described, a representative one of which includes: an agitating device for agitating a sample within a sample container, comprising: a base; a container holder for holding a sample container, which is provided so as to be movable relative to the base; and an agitation drive unit, which is provided on the base, for providing an agitation drive force to the container holder so as to cause the container holder to perform a agitating operation.

Abstract: A contactor apparatus is provided to treat ballast water that has exited a ballast tank before being expelled from a water-borne ship. Within the contactor apparatus, means are provided for supplying a combination of acoustic energy and dissolved ozone. The acoustic energy can be provided at two or more frequencies (e.g., at 16 and 20 kHz). The acoustic energy and dissolved ozone, together, offer a more-effective and more-efficient mode of disinfecting the ballast water before release.

Abstract: An analyzing apparatus for agitating plural different types of liquids to cause reaction to analyze a reaction liquid, includes a sound wave generator that generates a sound wave to agitate a liquid held in a vessel, a supply unit that supplies, to the vessel holding a first liquid and transported, a second liquid or a solid of an amount smaller than an amount of the first liquid, and a drive controller that controls generation of the sound wave by the sound wave generator so that the first liquid is agitated when the supply unit supplies the second liquid or the solid.

Abstract: A bail retainer is provided for use with a fluid mixer having a clamping area adapted to receive at least one container having a pivoting bail. The bail retainer includes an elastic member having a first fixed portion retained by the fluid mixer and a first free portion. A fastener is coupled to the elastic member first free portion. The elastic member is sufficiently elastic to move from a retracted position, in which the elastic member first free portion is outside of the clamping area, and an extended position, in which the elastic member first free portion is disposed within the clamping area so that the fastener may be coupled to the at least one container bail.

Abstract: A method for making phosphor ink is provided which uses ultrasonic vibrations to remove surface defect layers from phosphor particles and to quickly and uniformly disperse the phosphor particles throughout a slurry. Propagation of low frequency vibration through the slurry generates cavitation, causing distortion and then removal of the surface defect layer, and propagation of high frequency vibration through the slurry causes the particles to be dispersed quickly and uniformly throughout the slurry. In this manner, a quantity of light generated in the phosphor and corresponding luminance of a PDP is increased.

Abstract: An assay apparatus includes a cell with a working electrode and a sonicating device structurally coupled to the cell for sonication the contents of the cell.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method initiates with introducing a liquid onto the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. Then, a bottom surface of a resonator is coupled to a top surface of a semiconductor substrate through the liquid. Next, sonic energy is transmitted through the resonator to the liquid. Then, the liquid is heated through the bottom surface of the resonator. A method for applying localized heating to a cleaning chemistry during a cleaning operation of a semiconductor substrate is also provided. The method initiates with positioning a resonator to contact a surface of a cleaning chemistry applied to a semiconductor substrate. Then, heat energy is simultaneously applied with the sonic energy through the resonator to clean the semiconductor substrate. A device for cleaning a semiconductor substrate and system for cleaning a semiconductor substrate are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus including at least one sonotrode (2) designed to generate ultrasound of variable power in at least one biological sample (5) containing cells to be lysed, the sample (5) being contained in at least one receptacle (4 or 10) such that the sonotrode (2) is in direct contact with the receptacle(s) (4). Also disclosed is a method for using ultrasound to lyse a biological sample (5) contained in a receptacle (4), which includes placing the receptacle (4) in direct contact with the sonotrode (2), and activating the sonotrode (2) for long enough to lyse the cells in the sample (5) but preserve the DNA and/or RNA molecules released for subsequent operations, e.g. amplification. The invention is particularly applicable in the discipline of molecular biology.

Abstract: A system for treating waste water includes a dry-feed hopper and a wetting flume for receipt of dry flocculant and waste water. The dry-feed hopper includes a container with a volume of dry flocculant therein. A manifold receives a nozzle connected to an air source to periodically deliver dry flocculant to the wetting flume. An inline static mixer is provided after the wetting flume. The output of the inline static mixer is introduced into an agitation stage via a constricting nozzle which includes a base support and a cylindrical housing with an outer wall and an, inner wall and is resiliently mounted to the top surface of said base support. A downward spiraling length of corrugated hose is positioned between the outer wall and the inner wall. Waste water from the inline static mixer is introducing into the top entry port of the length of corrugated hose to exit at the bottom exit port of the corrugated hose.

Abstract: An assay apparatus includes a cell with a working electrode and a sonicating device structurally coupled to the cell for sonication the contents of the cell.

Abstract: A member within a container is reciprocated to vibrate the container contents. A drive unit is releasably connectable to the reciprocating member so that the drive unit can be used for other purposes, such as for driving the reciprocal members of other containers when not required for the container in question. The drive unit comprises a reciprocal output member with a releasable mechanism for drivably connecting the output member with the reciprocal member of the container and a device for removably mounting the container on the drive unit.

Abstract: In the reactor for carrying out chemical reactions with ultrasound, at least three ultrasonic transducers (15) are arranged on the bottom (13) of the reactor (10) and at least six ultrasonic transducers (15) are arranged on the wall (14).

Abstract: An input energy saving device for a low frequency vibration type washing machine. The device lets the resonance frequency of the washing tub and the input frequency of the oscillating disc be equal to each other during generation of resonance phenomena in the multi-phase washing medium for clothes washing, thus to save the input energy required in generation of the resonance phenomena. The device comprises a washing tub receiving multi-phase washing medium therein and an oscillating disc provided in the washing tub for generation of resonance phenomena in the washing medium. A flexible elastic body is placed between the disc and the inner bottom of the washing tub for letting the input frequency of the disc means and the resonance frequency of the washing tub be equal to each other. An actuator is coupled to the disc through a shaft so as to drive the disc means.

Abstract: A supersonic humidifier with a reduced number of components has a centrifugal ventilator fan contained in a casing which is not separately constructed but unistructurally formed on the lower surface of the housing. The fan is connected to a motor through a board having an air intake opening and the bottom surface of the casing is open. The bottom cover of the housing is designed to sealingly close the bottom surface of the casing.

Abstract: An apparatus for discharging powder and/or pellets from a hopper defining an outlet adjacent the base thereof. The apparatus includes a baffle associated with the outlet to control the rate of flow of said powder and/or pellets and a chute located under the baffle to receive the powder and/or pellets. The powder and/or pellets is discharged through an outlet from the chute. The baffle is vibrated substantially horizontally due to the dampening forces of the powder and/or pellets supported by the baffle.

Abstract: A single-pass blending apparatus for blending particulate solids including a blending bin having a bin wall, an upper bin end, a lower bin end, a first bin opening passing through the bin wall, and a second bin opening passing through the bin wall and spaced vertically and horizontally from the first bin opening. The bin wall defines a bin chamber. A plurality of flow openings pass through the lower bin end. A blending chamber is positioned beneath the bin chamber and communicates with the bin chamber through the flow openings. A first external blending tube is positioned outside of the blending bin and has an upper tube end communicating with the first bin opening and a lower tube end external of the bin chamber and communicating with the blending chamber. A second external blending tube is positioned outside of the blending bin and has an upper tube end communicating with the second bin opening and a lower tube end external of the bin chamber and communicating with the blending chamber.

Abstract: A wall-mounted agitator for particulate material having an agitator panel within a gravity conveying wall for the material and a frame with a vibrator external to the wall and attached to the panel by means of resilient mounts. The mounts each include annular flange means for attachment to an aperture in the wall and an elastic annulus of sleeve-like form. The annulus extends from the flange means to the panel and frame, respectively, in opposite directions.

Abstract: The present invention is a universal blending system and method for blending the material contents of a silo having a predetermined interior cross-sectional area by layer blending or across vertical columns, column blending, or a combination of layer and column blending.The presently preferred method of the present invention employs either vertical displacement of a partial vertical column of the silo content to provide a representative mixture in every horizontal cross-section in order to reduce the number of necessary recycles to a minimum or substantially simultaneous multilevel displacement, with subsequent uniform discharge over the whole horizontal cross-section of the silo to remix material that may have been segregated during the filling or recycling.