# US 2014/0150888 A1 · Method and device for changing the properties of at least one liquid medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150888 A1 - Document ID: US20140150888A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/131,691 - Filed: 2012-07-13 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-13 - Assignees: Dr. Hielscher GmbH - Inventors: Harald Hielscher; Thomas Hielscher; Holger Hielscher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150888A1 ## CPC - B01J 19/10: employing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations - Y10T 137/0391: Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy - Y10T 137/206: Flow affected by fluid contact, energy field or coanda effect [e.g., pure fluid device or system] - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Method and device for changing the properties of at least one liquid medium, in which method the liquid medium is exposed in at least one container to vibrations in the low-frequency power ultrasonic range and, to regulate the flow speed of the liquid material in the container in which the liquid medium is present for ultrasonic irradiation and/or to regulate the internal pressure of the container, the cross-section inside a line upstream of an inlet of the container in the direction of flow and/or downstream of an outlet of the container in the direction of flow is varied by means of at least one pinch valve. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 A method for changing a property of at least one liquid medium, comprising: exposing the at least one liquid medium contained in at least one vessel to ultrasonic oscillations in a low-frequency high-power ultrasound range, and regulating at least one of a flow velocity of the at least one liquid medium in the at least one vessel in which the at least one liquid medium is contained for exposure to ultrasound and an internal pressure of the at least one vessel by varying with at least one pinch valve a cross-section of at least one of a line located upstream of an inlet of the at least one vessel in a flow direction and a line located downstream of an outlet of the at least one vessel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the exposure to ultrasound occurs at a pressure in the at least one liquid medium that is different from ambient pressure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one pinch valve is pneumatically controlled. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one pinch valve is hydraulically controlled. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one pinch valve is electrically controlled. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one pinch valve is controlled by at least one spring element. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein a constant control pressure is applied to the at least one pinch valve. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein a constant control pressure is applied to the at least one pinch valve. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the cross-section of the at least one line is varied with the at least one pinch valve during ultrasonic operation. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method according to claim 23, wherein the line cross-section of the at least one line is varied as a function of an ultrasonic parameter. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein the ultrasonic parameter includes ultrasonic power. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the ultrasound has a frequency between 15 and 40 kHz. ### Claim 28 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the ultrasound has an ultrasonic power between 50 W and 20,000 W. ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the ultrasonic oscillations have a maximum amplitude greater than 1 μm (peak-peak). ### Claim 30 A device for changing a property of at least one liquid medium, comprising: at least one vessel for accommodating the at least one liquid medium, said at least one vessel comprising an inlet and an outlet, at least one of a line arranged upstream of the inlet in a flow direction and a line arranged downstream of the outlet, at least one pinch valve disposed on or in at least one of the lines and configured to regulate at least one of a flow velocity of the at least one liquid medium in the at least one vessel in which the at least one liquid medium resides for exposure to ultrasound and an internal pressure of the at least one vessel, and an apparatus for transmitting low-frequency high-power ultrasound into the at least one liquid medium residing in the at least one vessel. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The device according to claim 30, wherein the at least one pinch valve is configured to completely close the at least one line. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The device according to claim 30, further comprising a control device configured to control the at least one pinch valve so as to reduce of a cross-section of the at least one line as a function of at least one ultrasonic parameter. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The device according to claim 32, wherein the at least one ultrasonic parameter includes ultrasonic power.