Patents Examined by Bradley R Spies
  • Patent number: 11911547
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for preparing ready-to-use solutions for peritoneal dialysis that has a sterilization compartment; a filling line leading to the sterilization compartment and having a connector arranged at its end at the compartment side for connecting a disposable; a water treatment system arranged in the filling line; and a sealing system. The invention further relates to a disposable for preparing ready-to-use solutions for peritoneal dialysis in such an apparatus and to a method of preparing ready-to-use solutions for peritoneal dialysis using such an apparatus and such a disposable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Weiss
  • Patent number: 11911729
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed ion-exchange systems and devices that include composite ion-exchange membranes having 3D printed spacers on them. These 3D printed spacers can drastically reduce the total intermembrane spacing within the system/device while maintaining a reliable sealing surface around the exterior border of the membrane. By adding the spacers directly to the membrane using additive manufacturing, the amount of material used can be reduced without adversely impacting the manufacturability of the composite membrane as well as allow for complex spacer geometries that can reduce the restrictions to flow resulting in less pressure drop associated with the flow in the active area of the membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventors: Ethan L. Demeter, Michael James Connor, Jr., Chad Unrau, Brian M. McDonald
  • Patent number: 11912803
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a conjugated polyelectrolyte-grafted membrane, which is obtained by fixing a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) capable of generating active oxygen under visible light irradiation to a membrane through crosslinking, and can remove contaminants in water, while reducing bio-fouling on the surface of the membrane, by generating active oxygen through a photocatalytic reaction of the conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE), as well as to a method for manufacturing the same. The method for manufacturing a conjugated polyelectrolyte-grafted membrane includes the steps of: preparing a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE); coating a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) on the surface of a membrane; and carrying out crosslinking of the conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) with the surface of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jee Hye Byun, Eunhoo Jeong, Seok Won Hong
  • Patent number: 11912593
    Abstract: Methods are provided for treating intimately dispersed mixtures of water, bitumen, and fine clay particles, such as oil sands mature fine tailings (MFT). Select methods use dissolved silicate ions and a base (alkali), optionally in combination with a biopolymer, to flocculate a slurry. A mixing regime is disclosed involving the addition to MFT of silicate ions in solution and alkali, to initiate aggregation/destabilization of clay particles. Methods are exemplified that provide distinct sediment layers in conjunction with the release of residual bitumen (for example 40-50% of the initial bitumen content). In these exemplified embodiments, a densely packed bottom layer containing ˜75 wt. % solids showed high yield stress values (3.5-5.5 kPa) and entrapped little residual bitumen (0.2-0.3 wt. %). The methods accordingly segregate a material suitable for reclamation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: EnviCore Inc.
    Inventors: Milana Trifkovic, Shahrukh Shamim, Aleksandra Govedarica, Mahmoud Ansari
  • Patent number: 11904279
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process for isolating 2,4-bis-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (DIOPAT) from an aqueous alkaline mixture M having a pH of 10 or more and comprising the 2,4-bis-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, and aluminum salts, wherein the process comprises a nanofiltration step, a precipitation step, and a further filtration step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Jacek Malisz, Johannes Nagel, Michael Jacquier
  • Patent number: 11904276
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for extracting desired chemical species including, without limitation, lithium, specific lithium species, and/or other chemical compounds from input flows in a modular unit. The input flows may be raw materials in which lithium metal and/or lithium species are dissolved and/or extracted. The apparatuses and methods may include daisy chain flow through separate tanks, a column array, and/or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: International Battery Metals, Ltd.
    Inventor: John L. Burba
  • Patent number: 11897799
    Abstract: Described is a microorganism having an excellent effect of reducing oils and fats, and particularly, Asterotremella humicola strain 2-141-1 (Accession No. NITE BP-02641) or a microorganism having the same microbiological properties as those of the foregoing strain. Also described is an effluent treatment method including bringing the microorganism into contact with an effluent including oils and fats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: CCI HOLDINGS INC.
    Inventors: Koki Ozaki, Yuta Wakao
  • Patent number: 11896937
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of preparing a filtration membrane. The method includes providing a copolymer solution by dissolving a statistical copolymer in a mixture of a co-solvent and a first organic solvent, coating the copolymer solution onto a porous support layer to form a polymeric layer thereon, coagulating the polymeric layer on top of the support layer to form a thin film composite membrane, and immersing the thin film composite membrane into a water bath to obtain a filtration membrane. Also disclosed are a filtration membrane prepared by the method, and a process of filtering a liquid using the filtration membrane thus prepared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Trustees of Tufts College
    Inventors: Prity Bengani-Lutz, Ayse Asatekin Alexiou
  • Patent number: 11891323
    Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are destroyed by oxidation in supercritical conditions. PFAS in water is concentrated in a reverse osmosis step and salt from the resulting solution is removed in supercritical conditions prior to destruction of PFAS in supercritical conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Revive Environmental Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen H. Rosansky, Michael Miller, Patrick Norris, Darwin Argumedo, Douglas Hendry, Ian Haggerty, Keith Brown, Joshua James, Joseph Casciano, Slawomir Winecki, Vivek Lal, Tom McGuinness
  • Patent number: 11890610
    Abstract: The present invention provides a particulate cobalt ion adsorbent which has a high adsorption capacity. A particulate cobalt ion adsorbent which contains potassium hydrogen dititanate hydrate represented by chemical formula K2-XHxO.2TiO2.nH2O (wherein x is 0.5 or more and 1.3 or less, and n is greater than 0), and no binder, wherein the particulate cobalt ion adsorbent has a particle size range of 150 ?m or more and 1000 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: TITAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Sakuma, Makoto Komatsu, Takeshi Izumi, Nobuyuki Hashimoto, Toshimasa Seki, Takafumi Tanaka, Hidenori Ishioka
  • Patent number: 11883782
    Abstract: A forward osmosis system is provided. The system includes forward osmosis container having a semipermeable membrane dividing the forward osmosis chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber, a draw solution water removal unit including a quantity of draw solution solvent and water, wherein the draw solution solvent includes a nonaqueous liquid and a condenser configured to receive either water vapor or draw solution solvent vapor from the draw solution water removal unit and provide condensed draw solution solvent to the second chamber. The second chamber provides a water diluted draw solution solvent to the draw solution water removal unit. The first chamber takes in received water including a dissolved solute at an input mass per unit of volume and provides a fluid output having an output mass per unit of volume greater than the input mass per unit of volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Pureline Treatment Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Neal Sleszynski
  • Patent number: 11883764
    Abstract: An apparatus for wasting flocculant sludge from a clarifier is provided including a wasting pipe fluidly connectable to a waste conduit, a manifold fluidly connectable to the wasting pipe, an upper header for collecting the flocculant sludge fluidly connectable to the manifold, a return sludge pipe fluidly connectable to a return sludge well, a lower header for collecting settled sludge fluidly connectable to the return sludge pipe, and a drive mechanism for rotating the upper header and the lower header about a center axis. A wastewater treatment system is provided including the clarifier fluidly connectable to a source of a mixed liquor and the apparatus for wasting flocculant sludge. A method of separating settled sludge from a clarifier is provided including withdrawing flocculant sludge and withdrawing settled sludge. A method of retrofitting a clarifier is also provided including providing the manifold, the upper header, and the drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Donald J. Thiel, Jeffrey P. Germait, Govardhan R. Katta, Allen Lepak
  • Patent number: 11878273
    Abstract: A method for washing a filter is used in a seawater desalination process including a first filtration step for subjecting seawater to microfiltration or ultrafiltration, and a second filtration step for subjecting seawater after the first filtration step to a reverse osmosis treatment. The filter is a microfiltration membrane or ultrafiltration membrane used in the first filtration step. An iron compound is added to seawater in any stage in the washing method. The washing method includes a washing chemical liquid preparation step for preparing washing chemical liquid, and a sticking matter removal step for removing matter sticking to the filter by bringing the filter into contact with washing chemical liquid. In the washing chemical liquid preparation step, seawater after the first filtration step is mixed with at least hydrogen peroxide to prepare washing chemical liquid having an iron compound concentration of 1.50 mmol/L or more in terms of iron atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: ASAHI KASEI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaka Gojo, Takahide Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11878921
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of industrial wastewater treatment, and particularly discloses a nanofiltration membrane for treating printing and dyeing wastewater and its preparation method. The preparation method comprises the following steps: S1, pouring an aqueous solution containing m-phenylenediamine, camphorsulfonic acid and triethylamine onto the surface of a polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane, setting still for 10 s to 30 s, and then removing the excess aqueous solution from the surface; S2, pouring an organic solution containing trimesoyl chloride and an interface auxiliary polymerization agent onto the surface of the membrane obtained in step S1, reacting for 5 s to 20 s, and then removing the excess solution from the surface; and S3, setting the membrane obtained in step S2 still and then carrying out heat treatment and water rinsing on the membrane in sequence, thus obtaining the nanofiltration membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignees: Tiangong University, Zhejiang Jinmo Environmental Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Na Chang, Haitao Wang, Yinong Xu, Donggen Chen, Rui Liu, Wei Shao, Zedong Li, Yanjun Jia, Miaomiao Yin
  • Patent number: 11872529
    Abstract: A bubble generation device is provided which is capable of discharging bubbles of about the same size from each of a plurality of bubble discharge ports. The device is provided with a bubble discharge chamber communicating with each of a plurality of bubble discharge ports, a turnaround path including a first communication port communicating with a gas storage chamber and a second communication port communicating with the bubble discharge chamber on a downstream side in a gas traveling direction of a turn-around point of the turnaround path, opening areas of the plurality of bubble discharge ports being the same as each other, and a total of the opening areas of the plurality of bubble discharge ports being smaller than an opening area of the second communication port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: MEIDENSHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Noguchi, Akitoshi Nakagawa, Terutake Niwa
  • Patent number: 11873238
    Abstract: A mineral recovery system for use in a mining operation is described. The mineral recovery system a thickener includes a process water input, an underflow output having an underflow controller configured to adjust outflow of thickened slurry from the thickener, an overflow output configured to dispense clarified water from the thickener; and a flocculant input and a flocculant dilution input, a thickener controller configured to control an operation of the thickener; and a processor executing a mining operations generated model to issue commands to the thickener controller, based on inputs of sensed conditions, wherein the mining operations model incorporates a thickener sub-model and a material sub-model, wherein the mining operations model is employed to predict a future state of a thickener based on inputs of sensed conditions in the thickener and predictions made by the thickener sub-model and the material sub-model in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Intellisense.Io Ltd
    Inventors: Sam Bose, Denis Rubtsov, Hugh Mcnamara, Boris Wolter, Mark De Geus
  • Patent number: 11866356
    Abstract: In a water treatment system, a pretreatment chemical is added to water stream in a pretreatment process including a coagulation, flocculation and separation to reduce amount of dissolved and/or particulate matter in the water stream. Hydrophobic conditions in the water stream are monitored upstream or downstream from adding the pretreatment chemicals. Dosing of the pretreatment chemical to the water stream is controlled based on the monitored hydrophobic conditions. Thereby a membrane fouling in subsequent membrane filtration stage can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: KEMIRA OYJ
    Inventors: Mehrdad Hesampour, Roderick Abinet, Marjatta Piironen, Eija Korte, Iiris Joensuu
  • Patent number: 11850341
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to extracorporeal blood processing or other processing of fluids. Volumetric fluid balance, a required element of many such processes, may be achieved with multiple pumps or other proportioning or balancing devices which are to some extent independent of each other. This need may arise in treatments that involve multiple fluids. Safe and secure mechanisms to ensure fluid balance in such systems are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NxStage Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Burbank, Dennis M. Treu, Daniel Joseph Rubery, Jr., Scott W. Newell, James M. Brugger, William J. Schnell, William K. Weigel, Steven A. White, Mark T. Wyeth, Jerome James, David Desouza, Joseph E. Turk, Jr., Garrett Casey
  • Patent number: 11850555
    Abstract: A dual-layer membrane and a method for preparing thereof. By adding a modifying monomer containing an active group and a characteristic group to a dope solution or spinning solution during the preparation of the dual-layer membrane, the grafting reaction occurs between the active group of the monomer and the polymer in the dope solution or spinning solution, and the intermolecular interaction with other polymers is enhanced by the characteristic group of the monomer, to improve the miscibility between the polymers. The method is suitable for preparing both a dual-layer flat sheet membrane and a dual-layer hollow fiber membrane, and can realize the preparation of a dual-layer membrane with an interpenetrated structure at the interface under mild preparation conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NANJING TECH UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shipeng Sun, Zhenyuan Wang, Zhengjun Fu, Mengmeng Tang, Dandan Shao, Weihong Xing
  • Patent number: 11851354
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for treating waste water from an industrial process for producing propylene oxide, which comprises subjecting the waste water to a catalytic wet oxidation treatment comprising: feeding a stream comprising the waste water to a reactor; subjecting the stream comprising the waste water to an oxidation treatment in the presence of oxygen and a catalyst resulting in a treated stream; sending at least part of the treated stream to a separator wherein the treated stream is separated into a gas stream and a liquid stream; and recycling part of the liquid stream to the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SHELL USA, INC.
    Inventors: Kaushik Basak, Arian Van Mourik, Nishith Verma, Ashish Yadav