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US 5,206,479 AGranted
Microwave heating system
AssigneeCEM Corporation
InventorsZairani Zakaria, Edwin D. Neas, Dennis P. Manchester, Wyatt P. Hargett
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AssigneeCEM Corporation
InventorsZairani Zakaria, Edwin D. Neas, Dennis P. Manchester, Wyatt P. Hargett
Estimating the term…
A microwave heating system which is especially useful for rapidly, uniformly and positively sterlizing biological media, such as broths and gels used as incubation or growth media for bacteria, includes a source of microwave radiation, a microwave chamber, a container or a plurality of containers in the chamber, and a mixer for mixing the contents of the container or containers during heating. The mixer is at least partially external to the container and is capable of operating when the container is positively sealed to prevent contamination of the contents, and the mixer is preferably a combination of an external magnet and a mixing element which is at least in part of magnetic material and is moved by changes in the magnetic field set up by the magnet, as the container and contained mixing element are moved with respect to the magnet, as on an oscillating turntable. Other systems for mixing the material in the container are also within the invention, although they are not as satisfactory as that previously described, and such other systems include mechanical systems, such as solenoid activated cores or extensions thereof for pushing vertically against a turntable and thereby moving it out of its normal horizontal plane, cams for accomplishing the same purpose, devices for causing the containers to swing, in pendulum-like motion, as they are rotated, and ultrasonic devices. The apparatus may be used for various other heating operations and even for mixings, without heatings.
A system for improved microwave heating of a material in a container in a microwave chamber, which comprises a walled chamber, a source of microwave radiation, which radiation is directed into the chamber, a walled container in the chamber for holding material to be heated, supporting means in the chamber for supporting the container and for moving it in substantially horizontal rotary or oscillating rotary motion, and means for mixing the material to be heated in the container during microwave heating thereof, which means comprises stationary magnetic means under the walled container and under the supporting means, and a magnetic mixer in the container, which magnetic mixer is set in motion by relative changes in a magnetic field generated by the stationary magnetic means as the container and the magnetic mixer in it are moved past the stationary magnetic means, thereby mixing contained material.
A process for simultaneously heating and mixing a fluent material which comprises heating such a material with microwave radiation while mixing it in a microwave transmissive container by means of a mixer in such container which moves in response to changes in a magnetic field, which field is generated by a stationary magnet located below the container, and which changes in such field are caused by moving the container relatively with respect to the magnet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.