Method and device for treating a liquid medium
AssigneeAshland Inc.
InventorsEric De Meulenaer Cordemans, Baudouin Hannecart, Marie-Françoise Lepeltier, Yves Canivet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for treating liquid medium has an ultrasound emitter located relative to a compartment of a container holding a liquid medium and a microbubble emitter located relative to the compartment. The ultrasound emitter emits high-frequency ultrasound between about 200 KHz and 10 MHz. The microbubble emitter emits bubbles with an average diameter of less than 1 mm.
Claims22
A device for treating a liquid medium, comprising:
- a reservoir for holding the liquid medium to be treated, the reservoir being in fluid communication with a compartment providing liquid flow through the compartment during use of the device;
- an ultrasound emitter located relative to the compartment to emit ultrasound into the liquid in the compartment during use of the device, the ultrasound emitter emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 200 kHz and 10 MHz, wherein the ultrasound emitter is oriented obliquely to the axis of the compartment such that the ultrasound emitted does not generate a standing wave phenomena in the liquid flowing through the compartment;
- and
- a microbubble emitter emitting bubbles with an average diameter of less than 1 mm, the microbubble emitter being arranged relative to the compartment so as to emit microbubbles into the high-frequency ultrasound field emitted into the compartment during use of the device.
A device for treating a liquid medium to neutralize, remove and/or prevent the growth of undifferentiated cells and/or of microorganisms present in the liquid medium comprising:
- means for placing the liquid medium in fluid communication with a compartment to place medium in the compartment;
- means for providing a flow of said liquid medium through the compartment;
- means for emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 200 kHz and 10 MHZ into the medium in the compartment, wherein said means is oriented obliquely to the axis of the compartment such that the ultrasound emitted does not generate a standing wave phenomena in the liquid flowing through the compartment;
- and
- means for emitting microbubbles with an average diameter of less than 1 mm, into the high-frequency ultrasound field emitted into the medium in the compartment.
A method for treating a liquid medium to neutralize, remove and/or prevent the growth of undifferentiated cells and/or of microorganisms present in the liquid medium comprising the steps of:
- placing the liquid medium in fluid communication with a compartment to place medium in the compartment;
- flowing said liquid medium through the compartment;
- emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 200 kHz and 10 MHz into the medium in the compartment with an ultrasound emitter oriented obliquely to the axis of the compartment such that the ultrasound emitted does not generate a standing wave phenomena in the liquid medium flowing through the compartment;
- and
- emitting microbubbles with an average diameter of less than 1 mm, into the high-frequency ultrasound field emitted into the medium in the compartment.
A device for treating a liquid medium in an industrial circuit, comprising:
- a reservoir for holding the liquid medium to be treated, the reservoir being in fluid communication with a compartment providing liquid flow through the compartment during use of the device;
- an ultrasound emitter located relative to the compartment to emit ultrasound into the liquid in the compartment during use of the device, the ultrasound emitter emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 200 kHz and 10 MHz, wherein the ultrasound emitter is oriented obliquely to the axis of the compartment such that the ultrasound emitted does not generate a standing wave phenomena in the liquid flowing through the compartment;
- a microbubble emitter emitting bubbles with an average diameter of less than 1 mm, the microbubble emitter being arranged relative to the compartment so as to emit microbubbles into the high-frequency ultrasound field emitted into the compartment during use of the device.
A method for treating a liquid medium in an industrial circuit comprising:
- placing the liquid medium in a compartment;
- providing a means for flow of the liquid medium through the compartment;
- emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 200 kHz and 10 MHz into the medium in the compartment with an ultrasound emitter oriented obliquely to the axis of the compartment such that the ultrasound emitted does not generate a standing wave phenomena in the liquid flowing throughout the compartment;
- and
- emitting microbubbles with an average diameter of less than 1 mm, into the high frequeny ultrasound field emitted into the medium in the compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.