Abstract: A method for preparing a black liquor according to the present invention comprises digesting a tobacco raw material under an alkaline condition to obtain the black liquor. Further, a method for preparing a flavor component-containing liquid according to the present invention comprises digesting a tobacco raw material under an alkaline condition, separating the obtained digesting product into a black liquor and a tobacco fiber, and desalinating the black liquor to obtain the flavor component-containing liquid.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of extracting and isolating certain compounds from tobacco. The resulting isolate can include more than 90% by weight of a given compound and can be used as a flavor component for tobacco material used in smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions. Exemplary compounds that may be present in the isolate according to the invention include, but are not limited to, solanone, neophytadiene, megastigmatrienone, ?-damascenone, norsolanadione, cis-abienol, ?-cembratrienediol, ?-cembratrienediol, sucrose esters, and lutein.

Abstract: A rotary shear cutting apparatus to cut discrete non-rectangular portions from a web of smoking article sheet material, comprises a first rotary carrier provided with a first cutting edge and a second rotary carrier provided with a second cutting edge, wherein said first and second cutting edges are configured to cooperate during rotation of said first and second rotary carriers to cut a non-rectangular portion from the web.

Abstract: A multi-chambered water pipe comprising an inner chamber and exterior chamber.

Abstract: A hemodialysis machine including a cartridge which defines a fluid pathway for delivering a dialysate solution base to a mixing pump, a main body having a platen which, in use, abuts the cartridge, the cartridge having a chassis with a platen side covered by a deformable membrane which, in use, abuts the platen, the chassis and membrane defining the flow path, the flow path including a dialysate base solution pump chamber, the platen having a dialysate base solution pump cavity which, collectively with the dialysate base solution pump chamber, forms a dialysate base solution pump for pumping dialysate base solution to the mixing pump by actuation of the membrane, wherein the volume of the dialysate base solution pump cavity is variable so as to allow a variation in the volume of dialysate base solution pumped from the dialysate base solution pump chamber to the mixing pump chamber on each stroke of the solution pump.

Abstract: The removal of oxoanions from an aqueous stream having a concentration of a metal cation and a concentration of an oxoanion that varies over time may involve continuously monitoring the concentration of the metal cation and the concentration of the oxoanion to provide a current metal cation concentration and a current oxoanion concentration. A metal cation source and an aluminum reagent may be added to the aqueous stream based on the measured current metal cation concentration and the current oxoanion concentration. The amount of the metal cation source and the aluminum reagent added to the stream may be effective to reduce the concentration of the oxoanion in the aqueous stream below a target threshold.

Abstract: A system includes an ion separation unit that may receive dilute hydrochloric acid and may generate a concentrated hydrochloric acid and a chamber fluidly coupled to the ion separation unit. The chamber may receive the concentrated hydrochloric acid and may separate the concentrated hydrochloric acid into a liquid concentrated hydrochloric acid and a vapor containing vaporized hydrochloric acid. The system also includes a scrubber fluidly coupled to the chamber. The scrubber may receive the vapor from the chamber, and the scrubber is may remove at least a portion of the vaporized hydrochloric acid from the vapor via a purified condensate to generate a purified vapor and the dilute hydrochloric acid. The system also includes a condenser fluidly coupled to the scrubber The condenser may receive the purified vapor from the scrubber to condense the purified vapor into the purified condensate, and to output the purified condensate to the scrubber.

Abstract: An attachment device for water percolation filtering of a substance such as a vaporized tobacco or marijuana is provided. The attachment device includes an intake chamber, a mouthpiece and a water pipe percolator section. The intake chamber has an opening configured to receive one of a plurality of secondary device mouthpieces or atomizers in sealing engagement, the secondary device mouthpieces or atomizers each belonging to one of a variety of different corresponding design of devices such as vaporizers. The percolator section is in fluid communication with the intake chamber and the mouthpiece and interposed between the two. The percolator is a dome percolator with a cylindrical housing. The intake chamber and the mouthpiece are oriented as in-line extensions of the cylindrical housing.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a hookah that utilizes a new type of hookah stem. Preferred hookah embodiments of the present invention provide a joinder without the use of traditional threading, yet may still employ a rotational-based sealing method. Hookahs of the present invention offer a superior seal while utilizing a highly-advantageous manufacturing technique that obviates the need for high-precision, small negative spaces.

Abstract: A multi-chambered water pipe comprising an inner chamber and exterior chamber.

Abstract: An electronic-cigarette box including a box body, wherein, a first printed circuit board is accommodated in the box body, an LED lamp for displaying electric quantity and a push-button switch for controlling the LED lamp are disposed on the first printed circuit board, two or more through holes are disposed in the side wall of the box body, and the cigarette box also includes an LED light guide piece which comprises a substrate, with one side of the substrate extending outward and forming light guide cylinder and push-button corresponding to the through holes, wherein the light guide cylinder corresponds to the LED lamp, the push-button corresponds to the push-button switch. The LED light guide piece has a simple structure and is easy to be installed.

Abstract: A fluid filtering apparatus such as for filtering particulates and other materials from treated water includes a tank and a filtering region configured as a plurality of individual effluent regions, defined in part by channel frames, disposed between a plurality of influent regions interposed between the effluent regions. Filter plates having an opening therethrough covered by a filter media are removable receivable in the channel frames, such that filter media in filter plates in adjacent channel frames is in a facing, opposed, relationship. A double sided backwash shoe is scannable in the influent regions, to simultaneously clean opposed filter media exposed thereto. The backwash shoe is free to move inwardly and outwardly of the opposed filter media. Additionally, the tank may include a second filtering region, which is selectively isolatable from the first filtering region.

Abstract: A process for recovery of solids from a drilling fluid includes the steps of passing a solids-containing drilling fluid through a grinder, grinding the solids from the drilling fluid to a desired size, pumping the ground solids and the drilling fluid to hydrocyclone such that the hydrocyclone produces an overflow and an underflow. The overflow contains low-density solids and the underflow contains high-density solids. The high-density solids are passed to a container. The solids-containing drilling fluid is shaken prior to the step of grinding so as to remove oversize solids from the drilling fluid. The ground solids are pumped to the hydrocyclone at a generally constant pressure.

Abstract: Powder blends are described comprising blends of particulate water soluble high molecular weight polymer flocculants. The polymer flocculants can include polyethylene oxide, polyDadmac, Dadmac-acrylamide copolymers, copolymers thereof and combinations thereof. The powder blends allows the use of fine powders while reducing potential air quality and safety issues. The powder blends can be used for waste water purification, fiber dewatering, and the like. The powder blends can be diluted by a water dilution flow prior to entering a waste water stream.

Abstract: A non-combustion-type flavor inhaler containing a heat source and a holding member for detachably holding the heat source. The heat source includes a latent heat storage material containing a sugar alcohol of four or more carbons atoms.

Abstract: An electronic cigarette, cigar or pipe has a capacitor sensor includings a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate configured to form a capacitor circuit. An output of the capacitor sensor is based at least in part on the capacitance of the capacitor circuit. A pressure sensitive component is connected to the first conductive plate and configured to move the first conductive plate based on a pressure differential between two sides of the pressure sensitive component to change a capacitance of the capacitor circuit.

Abstract: A fluid filtering apparatus such as for filtering particulates and other materials from treated water includes a tank and a filtering region configured as a plurality of individual effluent regions, defined in part by channel frames, disposed between a plurality of influent regions interposed between the effluent regions. A double sided backwash shoe is scannable in the influent regions, to simultaneously clean opposed filter media exposed thereto. The backwash shoe is free to move inwardly and outwardly of the opposed filter media. Additionally, the backwash shoe includes an end opening, positioned adjacent to the base of the tank, to remove sludge and particulates which have settled to the area near the base of the tank while backwashing a filter media.

Abstract: Blood treatment apparatus and methods of using the same are described herein that include two or more intermediate containers located between a treatment solution source and a port through which the treatment solution is to be delivered with the blood treatment apparatus. The weight of the intermediate containers is measured and used to control the refilling and emptying of treatment solution in the intermediate containers.

Abstract: A method of preparing hydrogel particles includes applying a solution including a plurality of hydrogel particles to a stir cell. A retentate side of a filter defines a lower surface of the stir cell. The filter has the retentate side and a permeate side. The method further includes, while stirring the solution within the stir cell, dispensing a buffer solution at a first flow rate to the stir cell and drawing a permeate from the permeate side of the filter using a pump at a second flow rate, the permeate including a subset of the plurality of hydrogel particles.

Abstract: An electronic cigarette (“e-Cig”) may be wirelessly charged through an inductive charging system. A receiving coil in or on the e-Cig may be in proximity to a wireless charger that transmits electrical power to the battery of the e-Cig. Alignment of the receiving coil in the e-Cig with a charging base can wirelessly charge the battery of the e-Cig.