Device and process for treating a liquid medium
AssigneeAshland Inc.
InventorsEric Cordemans de Meulenaer, Baudouin Hannecart, 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.
Claims23
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;
- an ultrasound emitter located relative to the compartment to emit ultrasound into the liquid medium in the compartment during use of the device, the ultrasound emitter emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 100 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 medium in 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 emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 100 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 medium in 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;
- emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 100 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 in 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;
- an ultrasound emitter located relative to the compartment to emit ultrasound into the liquid medium in the compartment during use of the device, the ultrasound emitter emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 100 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 medium in 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;
- emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 100 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 in 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 method for treating cancer cells in a liquid medium comprising:
- emitting high-frequency ultrasound between about 100 kHz and 10 MHz into the medium with an ultrasound emitter;
- and
- emitting microbubbles with an average diameter of less than 1 mm, into the high-frequency ultrasound field emitted into the medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.