Abstract: A filter assembly and a method of operating the same to detect water leaks are provided. The filter assembly includes a filter housing for receiving a filter cartridge and at least partially defining a drain trough positioned below the filter cartridge for collecting leaked water. A light source is positioned proximate the drain trough for directing light through the drain trough and a light sensor is positioned proximate the drain trough for sensing the light directed through the drain trough. A controller uses the light sensor to monitor the light generated by the light source and determines that a leak exists when an intensity of sensed light is reduced by the leaked water.

Abstract: Existing approaches to refuse handling are all based on historical approaches which rely on a network of refuse collection vehicles collecting waste from individual households and delivering this to a centralised landfill or MBI location. This is highly undesirable and wasteful. An alternative process is disclosed, relying on the thermal treatment of waste and like products produced or brought in to the residential property and processed within the domestic curtilage to produce fuel or other forms of energy. Thus, domestic waste will be thermally treated at the home instead of being collected by local authorities and disposed of. The waste input put material will be loaded into a domestically engineered thermal conversion unit either directly or after a pre-process such as shredding. The feedstock will be converted into fuels by a thermal treatment, such as pyrolysis.

Abstract: A blood-purification-treatment support system is capable of making an accurate judgement of whether or not any treatment conditions for blood purification treatment should be changed. The blood-purification-treatment support system is capable of supporting blood purification treatment. The system includes a storage device that stores patient-specific patient data that are acquired on a plurality of days including at least no-treatment days on which blood purification treatment is not conducted, an estimating device that compares the patient data for the plurality of days stored in the storage device with one another and estimates a pre-treatment patient state regarding blood purification treatment, and a judging device that judges from the pre-treatment patient state estimated by the estimating device whether or not any treatment conditions for blood purification treatment should be changed.

Abstract: A rod having a substantially-cylindrical shape with both ends being covered is provided to a lid body, which covers an upper end surface of a case having a bottomed substantially-cylindrical shape, the rod protruding in the case. A first hole is formed in a portion of a side surface of the rod, which is exposed to the inside of the case. Further, an air vent pit (passage) is formed in the lid body, and a second hole is formed in a portion of the side surface of the rod, which is exposed to the inside of the air vent pit. A moving member moves along the rod from a first position at which the moving member does not cover the first hole and a second position at which the moving member covers the first hole.

Abstract: A method of operating an extracorporeal blood treatment system to infuse blood into a patient at an end of an extracorporeal blood treatment includes clamping an access line of an arterial line set. The method further includes, after clamping the access line, initiating an operation to generate negative pressure in the arterial line set. The method further includes, after generating the negative pressure in the arterial line set, unclamping the access line to draw fluid in the access line further into the arterial line set in a direction away from an end of the access line that is connectable to an arterial access of the patient. The method further includes initiating an operation of a fluid pump engaged with the arterial line set such that the fluid in the arterial line set is infused into the patient through a venous line set.

Abstract: Provided is a method for cleaning a filtration membrane provided in a membrane filtration device that is immersed in a liquid to be treated and performs solid-liquid separation on the liquid to be treated. When a transmembrane pressure difference exceeds a first predetermined pressure difference P1, a first cleaning step W1 for cleaning a filtration membrane is performed using a first chemical solution; when the transmembrane pressure difference immediately after performing the first cleaning step W1 exceeds a second predetermined pressure difference P2 that is lower than the first predetermined pressure difference, a second cleaning step W2 for cleaning the filtration membrane is performed using a second chemical solution having a concentration higher than the first chemical solution; and when the second cleaning step W2 is performed, the concentration of the second chemical solution and/or the cleaning time is changed according to the temperature of the liquid to be treated.

Abstract: The invention relates to container bodies configured to be used in filter-as-you-pour systems, where filtering is achieved as the user pours water from the container. Such container bodies may have an undivided internal storage volume, so as to not include a reservoir compartment for unfiltered water. They may be part of systems configured to filter water both as water is introduced into a container body of the system and as water is poured from the container body of the system. The filter assembly may be attached to the container body at a location proximate the outlet of the system. Filter media of the filter assembly may comprise an activated carbon textile material that presents a curved surface to water passing through the filter assembly. The container body may be configured as a pitcher, carafe, water bottle, jug, or other shaped container.

Abstract: A water treatment system comprises a container, a closure system, at least one loop structure, and remediation media. The container defines a container chamber, a container opening, and at least one container edge. The container opening allows access to the container chamber. The closure system is arranged to allow the container opening to be selectively opened and closed. At least one loop structure is secured to the at least one container edge. The remediation media is disposed within the container chamber. The container is formed of material that allows water to pass from an exterior of the container to the container chamber and thereby come into contact with the remediation media within the container chamber.

Abstract: A highly portable advanced adult and pediatric compact ECLS system is based around an integrated pump-oxygenator. The system includes a central a blood inlet and flow path extending along a general longitudinal axis of the system; a pump housing defining a pump inlet in fluid communication with the central blood flow path; an impeller rotationally received within the area of the pump inlet, wherein the impeller is magnetically supported and magnetically driven; an array of hollow fiber membranes configured for gas transfer within the system for oxygenation of blood flowing across the hollow fiber membranes, wherein the membranes include a covalently-bonded heparin-based bioactive surface, and wherein the blood flow path extends from the impeller to a position to flow perpendicular over the array of hollow fiber membranes; and a blood outlet configured to receive blood flowing past the array of hollow fiber membranes.

Abstract: A fixing device is adapted for installing on a water filter which includes a base seat and an outer shell. The fixing device includes first and second curved members adapted to be clipped on a junction between the base seat and the outer shell, and a fixing module. The fixing module includes a hook member and a fastener unit that includes a handle member and a ring member which is removably engaged with the hook member. The handle member is pivotable between a fastened position and a released position, where the ring member is permitted to be disengaged from the hook member to release the first and second curved members from the junction between the base seat and the outer shell. A water filter including the fixing device is also provided.

Abstract: A device is provided for disinfecting water of a swimming pool, which includes an inlet for water from the swimming pool and an outlet for the water, an ozonation device, and a mixing section for ozone-containing water, wherein the ozonation device includes at least one UV light source for generating ozone, and an admixing unit for admixing the ozone to the water of the inlet, and the mixing section comprises a housing connected to the inlet, wherein the UV light source is arranged within the housing to emit UV light into the housing interior. The housing has deflecting surfaces for water protruding into the housing interior, which ensure a meandering flow within the housing. The device enables improved disinfection and can be designed to be more space-saving and visually appealing than conventional devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a filter coupling device having joint members, a base plate, a filter holder, a rotation shaft, and a leg. The filter holder allows support of a first filter and a second filter. The rotation shaft is connected with the filter holder. The filter holder takes a first attitude and a second attitude by rotating around the rotation shaft. The filter holder includes a first filter holder configured to support the first filter in the first attitude, and a second filter holder configured to support the second filter in the second attitude.

Abstract: A bubble generation device intermittently generates large bubbles in a liquid phase. The bubble generation device includes a bubble storing container, a pivot, and a pair of edge portion receivers. The bubble storing container stores bubbles generated by a gas supply nozzle in the liquid. The pivot allows the bubble storing container to pivot thereon, thereby releasing the large bubbles from the bubble storing container. The pair of edge portion receivers receives and blocks an edge portion of the bubble storing container to limit pivot of the bubble storing container. An inside of the bubble storing container is partitioned by a partition that is installed in an axial direction of the pivot.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses for energy-efficient supercritical water oxidation of waste. The supercritical water oxidation processes and systems described herein may incorporate one or more of the following features: compression of large amounts of oxidant for plant-scale operations in an energy-efficient manner; the use of air as an oxidant; using reactor effluent to drive a turbine or other gas expander for energy recovery; and recovery of pressure and heat of reactor effluent. In some embodiments, the systems and methods are energy-neutral or energy-positive.

Abstract: A water filtration apparatus comprises a housing having a housing outlet and a housing inlet, the housing outlet configured to allow filtered water to exit therefrom, the housing inlet includes a valve stem, where the housing has latch arms disposed adjacent to the valve stem. At least one filter is disposed in the interior portion of the housing, and the at least one filter is in fluid communication with the housing outlet and the housing inlet. A valve assembly includes a valve body releasably coupled with the valve stem, where the valve body has a faucet interface component, and the valve body configured to fluidly couple with a faucet via the faucet interface component. The valve assembly has a valve body release coupled with the valve body, and the valve body release is slidable relative to the valve body and the one or more latch arms.

Abstract: A manual clot aspiration and filtration system enables a method of removing a clot without general anesthesia and the expense of an operating room. An aspiration and filtration system for bodily fluid utilizes a syringe coupled with a filter unit to draw bodily fluid through the filter unit to collect debris on the filter. A flow valve may then be turned and the plunger depressed to force the filtered fluid back into the body. The filter may be configured to capture particles such as blood clots and plaque. The filter unit has a cover that can be removed for inspection and/or removal of the collected debris. When the cover is replaced, trapped air may be removed by turning the flow-valve to a purge direction and pressing the plunger into the syringe to force fluid back toward the filter unit to purge the trapped air through the purge valve.

Abstract: An aerobic treatment system is disclosed herein in which an aerobic holding treatment tank, having an inlet adapted to receive wastewater and an outlet adapted to discharge treated wastewater therefrom, is in communication with an aeration pump having an inlet nozzle in communication with the aerobic holding treatment tank for providing a source of air to the contents of the aerobic holding treatment tank. The aerobic treatment system may further include a generation pump disposed below ground level and in fluid communication with the aerobic holding treatment tank. The generation pump is provided in fluid communication with a high pressure pump in fluid access with an evaporator fan and misting nozzle. The system may further include electronics to connect to grid power, backup electronics for connection to auxiliary power sources, and at least one solar collector for providing a source of electricity.

Abstract: Manifolds suitable for use in hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, and peritoneal dialysis are provided. One or more of the manifolds can include a manifold body and an external tube. The manifold body can include at least one conduit including a first conduit and at least one port including a first port in fluid communication with the first conduit. The external tube can be in fluid communication with the first port and can include a main segment, a first branch segment, and a second branch segment containing at least one bacterial filter. The first branch segment and/or second branch segment can include at least one flow restrictor. Dialysis machines, systems, and kits including one or more such manifold are also provided, as are methods of performing hemodiafiltration using such manifolds.

Abstract: A method of actuating a water softening system is provided. The method comprises providing a sensing device containing sensing material in a water treatment tank of the water softening system, the sensing device being positioned at a top of the water treatment tank with a body thereof partially embedded in a resin bed of the water treatment tank.

Abstract: Disclosed are porous elements that include sintered polymeric particles. The polymeric particles can be formed of a thermoplastic composition that includes a polyarylene sulfide. The polymeric particles sintered to form the porous elements have a very narrow size distribution. The porous elements can maintain their functionality and morphology even when utilized in high temperature applications.