Method and apparatus for sorting particles suspended in a fluid
OwnerSteven H. Reichenbachinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for dispersing particles suspended in a fluid by creating an obstacle field in a region of a conduit or receptacle and causing the fluid to flow through the conduit where the obstacle field has a configuration that causes the particles suspended in the fluid to disperse in a differential manner in a direction perpendicular to the flow of fluid as the fluid flows through the obstacle field.
Claims65
An apparatus for dispersing particles suspended in a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
- a conduit having an inlet, an outlet and an inner lumen extending from said inlet to said outlet;
- and
- a non-uniform obstacle field disposed in said inner lumen of said conduit, said non-uniform field having a configuration that causes said particles suspended in the fluid to disperse in a differential manner in a direction perpendicular to the flow of fluid as it flows through said conduit.
A method for dispersing particles suspended in a fluid comprising the steps of:
- providing a conduit having an inlet, an outlet and an inner lumen extending from said inlet to said outlet;
- providing a non-uniform obstacle field in a portion of said conduit;
- injecting a fluid having particles suspended therein in said inlet of said conduit;
- and
- collecting said particles at said outlet of said conduit.
A method for separating particles from a particle entrained fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
- directing said fluid to flow though a conduit having an inlet, an outlet and an inner lumen extending from said inlet to said outlet;
- and
- dispersing the particles in a direction perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow through said conduit to create a particle depleted region at said outlet of said conduit.
An apparatus for dispersing particles suspended in a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
- a receptacle for receiving the fluid having particles suspended therein;
- and
- a first obstacle field disposed in the receptacle, the obstacle field having a configuration that causes the particles suspended in the fluid to disperse in a differential manner in a direction perpendicular to the flow of fluid as it flows through the receptacle.
A method for dispersing particles suspended in a fluid comprising the steps of:
- providing a receptacle for receiving the fluid having particles suspended therein;
- providing an obstacle field in at least a portion of the receptacle;
- causing a fluid having particles suspended therein to flow through the obstacle field wherein the obstacle field causes the particles to disperse in a differential manner in a direction perpendicular to the flow of fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.