4861results about "Settling tanks feed/discharge" patented technology

Items of mail are rapidly processed in a mail sampling system to determine if the mail is contaminated with a chemical or biological agent. The mail sampling system maintains a negative pressure in a containment chamber and includes a triggering sampler that makes a threshold determination regarding possible contamination, and a detecting sampler that obtains a sample for more detailed analysis in response to a signal from the triggering sampler. A sample of particulates collected from an item of mail is either removed for analysis or analyzed in the system to identify a contaminating agent. Optionally, the system includes an archiving sampler, which archives samples for subsequent processing and analysis, and a decontamination system, which is activated to decontaminate the mail if needed.

An endcap including a first plate member including a radial inner portion, a radial outer portion, and defining a longitudinal axis. The endcap also includes a flange disposed between the radial inner and outer portions of the first plate member and projecting axially along the longitudinal axis in a first direction. The endcap also includes a first seal member disposed adjacent the flange. The first seal includes a first portion thereof engaged with an axial facing surface of the first plate member and a second portion thereof engaged with a radially facing surface of the flange. The endcap further includes a second plate member disposed radially outward of the radial outer portion and a second seal member disposed adjacent the second plate member including at least a portion thereof axially spaced from the axially facing surface of the first plate member in a second direction along the longitudinal axis opposite the first direction.

The invention is directed to methods, apparatuses, and systems for treatment of a liquid flow comprising addition of a chemical treatment at at least two locations along a side stream of a main flow of said liquid, in which the dosing by such additions is sufficient to treat the entire main flow upon return of the side stream to the main flow. Algorithms are utilized to control the additions at the locations of addition of chemical treatments. In a typical embodiment, one chemical addition is principally proportional to the flow rate of the liquid flow, and the other chemical addition is principally adjusted based on signals from a primary measuring device that measures a parameter in the flow after one or both chemical additions. The addition of chlorine dioxide as the chemical treatment, to disinfect wastewater, is discussed.

A fluid treatment system is provided, the system including a fluid treatment cartridge for treating fluid passing therethrough. The cartridge has an inlet through which untreated fluid enters the cartridge and an outlet from which treated fluid exits the cartridge. The cartridge also has a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for storing data. The fluid treatment system also includes a connection manifold configured to detachably support the fluid treatment cartridge. The connection manifold has an inlet flow path for directing untreated fluid to the inlet of the cartridge and an outlet flow path for directing treated fluid from the outlet of the cartridge, and a data sensor for reading data stored on the RFID tag. The fluid treatment system further includes means for evaluating the data stored on the RFID tag and read by the data sensor, as well as means for deterring fluid treatment system use based upon the evaluation of the data stored on the RFID tag and read by the data sensor.

Hemodialysis dialysis systems are disclosed. Hemodialysis systems of the invention may include a dialysate flow path including a balancing circuit, a mixing circuit, and / or a directing circuit. The circuits may be defined within one or more cassettes. The fluid circuits may be at least partially isolated, spatially and / or thermally, from electrical components of the system. A gas supply may be provided in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and / or the dialyzer to urge dialysate through the dialyzer and blood back to the patient. The hemodialysis systems may include fluid handling devices, actuated using a control fluid, optionally delivered using a detachable pump. Fluid handling devices may be generally rigid and of a spheroid shape, optionally with a diaphragm dividing the device into compartments.

A multipurpose hemofiltration system (10) and method are disclosed for the removal of fluid and / or soluble waste from the blood of a patient. The system (10) continuously monitors the flow rates of drained fluid, blood, and infusate. When necessary, the pumping rates of the infusate, drained fluid and blood are adjusted to remove a preselected amount of fluid from the blood in a preselected time period. A supervisory controller (160) can monitor patient parameters, such as heart rate (120) and blood pressure (130), and adjust the pumping rates accordingly. The supervisory controller (160) uses fuzzy logic to make expert decisions, based upon a set of supervisory rules, to control each pumping rate to achieve a desired flow rate and to respond to fault conditions. An adaptive controller (162) corrects temporal variations in the flow rate based upon an adaptive law and a control law.

A system, program product and method continuously optimize an ultrafiltration rate during an extracorporeal renal replacement process by modeling physiological and actual rate data. The system maps the sensed, physiological data to a mathematical model to assess the data in terms of the ultrafiltration rate. The model provides parameters used to predict where the treatment is headed based on current conditions. The system processes the parameters in terms of preset criteria to generate the optimized ultrafiltration rate. Where the system is networked, communication of the data may be accomplished using remote and online communication techniques.

The present invention is directed to novel systems for conducting the filtration of blood using manifolds. The manifolds integrate various sensors and have fluid pathways formed therein to direct fluids from various sources through the requisite blood filtration or ultrafiltration system steps.

The present invention generally relates to hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems, including a variety of systems and methods that would make hemodialysis more efficient, easier, and / or more affordable. One aspect of the invention is generally directed to new fluid circuits for fluid flow. In one set of embodiments, a hemodialysis system may include a blood flow path and a dialysate flow path, where the dialysate flow path includes one or more of a balancing circuit, a mixing circuit, and / or a directing circuit. Preparation of dialysate by the preparation circuit, in some instances, may be decoupled from patient dialysis. In some cases, the circuits are defined, at least partially, within one or more cassettes, optionally interconnected with conduits, pumps, or the like. In one embodiment, the fluid circuit and / or the various fluid flow paths may be at least partially isolated, spatially and / or thermally, from electrical components of the hemodialysis system. In some cases, a gas supply may be provided in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and / or the dialyzer that, when activated, is able to urge dialysate to pass through the dialyzer and urge blood in the blood flow path back to the patient. Such a system may be useful, for example, in certain emergency situations (e.g., a power failure) where it is desirable to return as much blood to the patient as possible. The hemodialysis system may also include, in another aspect of the invention, one or more fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, mixers, or the like, which can be actuated using a control fluid, such as air. In some cases, the control fluid may be delivered to the fluid handling devices using an external pump or other device, which may be detachable in certain instances. In one embodiment, one or more of the fluid handling devices may be generally rigid (e.g., having a spheroid shape), optionally with a diaphragm contained within the device, dividing it into first and second compartments.

A method and device for adjusting a volumetric flow balancing system for an extracorporeal blood treatment system receives a pressure signal and calculates a compensation factor that is used to adjust the relative flow rates of the volumetrically balanced fluids. For example, in a hemofiltration system, the flow of waste and and replacement fluid may be balanced volumetrically. Ultrafiltrate may be pumped in a bypass circuit in such a system. The rate of ultrafiltrate flow may be adjusted by the compensation signal. The compensation signal may be empirically derived.

A multiport rotary valve apparatus for directing fluid streams which has two circular stationary heads and two circular rotating heads. The first stationary head has at least two and preferably more primary ports for connection with fluid streams and a corresponding number of secondary ports for connection to fluid-solid contacting chambers. The second stationary head has the same number of primary ports as the first stationary head (at least two and preferably more) for connection with the fluid streams and the same number of secondary ports for a second connection to the fluid-solid contacting chambers. Each stationary head includes internal conduits for the connection of the primary and secondary ports to a rotating head. The first rotating head is in communication with the first stationary head while the second rotating head is in communication with the second stationary head. Each rotating head has internal transverse conduits formed therein for the purpose of redistributing the flow coming from a primary port in the stationary head back to the secondary port in the same stationary head. In conjunction with offset and recessed arcuate obround windows in either the stationary or rotating heads, the internal transverse conduits in the rotating heads are formed in a very specific pattern that allows each primary port to connect to each secondary port and thereby each fluid-solid contacting chamber in a sequential manner upon one index of the rotating heads. The timing of the index can be varied to accommodate the specifics of each process. The net effect of the apparatus is the simulated movement of each chamber through the various fluid streams without physically moving the chambers.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for the performance of kidney replacement therapy having or using a dialyzer, control components, sorbent cartridge, and fluid reservoirs configured to be of a weight and size suitable to be worn or carried by an individual requiring treatment are disclosed. The system has a controlled compliance dialysis circuit, where a control pump controls the bi-directional movement of fluid across a dialysis membrane. A first sorbent cartridge is provided for use in a portable treatment module having activated carbon and zirconium oxide. The system also provides for the monitoring of an inlet and outlet conductivity of a sorbent cartridge containing urease to provide a facility to quantify or monitor the removal of urea by a detachable urea removal module.

Methods and arrangements for production of petroleum products from a subsea well. The methods comprise control of a downhole separator, supplying power fluid to a downhole turbine / pump hydraulic converter, performing pigging of a subsea manifold, providing gas lift and performing three phase downhole separation. Arrangement for performing the methods are also described.

Airborne particles are impacted on a collection surface, analyzed, and then the collection surface is regenerated. Thus, the same collection surface can be used in numerous cycles. The analysis can be focused on one or more properties of interest, such as the concentration of airborne biologicals. Sensors based on regenerative collection surfaces may be incorporated in many networks for applications such as building automation.

A separator disk (4) for use in centrifugal separation of components is designed to automatically position itself during separation at the interface between the supernatant and the remaining components. Preferably the interface is between plasma and red blood cells.

The invention provides a pump for liquid chromatography excellent in feeding liquid stably at an extremely low flow rate and in discharging bubbles at startup. In a pump for liquid chromatography including a cylinder and a plunger that reciprocates in the cylinder to suck and discharge fluid, the pump further includes a large-flow-rate pump that feeds liquid by the plunger, a small-flow-rate pump that feeds the liquid by the plunger, motion conversion means that converts the rotational motion of a motor to a reciprocating motion, an actuator that directly drives the plunger, and a drive part that drives the actuator, and selectively switches means for driving the plunger.

Systems and methods for improving medical fluid delivery systems, such as hemofiltration (“HF”) and hemodiafiltration (“HDF”) are provided. In first embodiments, systems and methods for selectively performing pre- and postdilution HF and HDF clearance modes is provided. In other embodiments, systems and methods for providing prime bolus and rinseback fluid volumes before, during and / or after HF and HDF therapies are provided. In further embodiments, improved systems and methods for removing ultrafiltrate from the patient are provided. Still further, improved filtration configurations and methods are provided.

A remote water meter monitoring system is provided. A mesh network-type transceiver unit is coupled to a water meter housing having a water counting mechanism inside to transmit water consumption information as well as other sensor information, such as backflow detection, water pressure, and water metrics (e.g., residual chlorine and temperature) to a central server system via a bridge device and a corresponding mesh network. Mechanical energy from the water flowing through the water meter housing is converted to electrical energy via an energy conversion unit. An electrically powered shut off valve is remote addressable via the transceiver unit.

A fully automatic deionizer comprising five sub-systems for removing ionic contaminants from various liquids at low energy consumption is devised. Based on the charging-discharging principle of capacitors, the deionizer conducts deionization through applying a low DC voltage to its electrodes for adsorbing ions, while more than 30% of the process energy is recovered and stored by discharging the electrodes. At the mean time of discharge, surface of the electrodes is regenerated on site and reset for performing many more cycles of deionization-regeneration till the desirable purification is attained. In one moment, both deionization and regeneration proceed simultaneously on different groups of electrode modules, and in the next moment the electrode modules quickly switch the two processes. Such swift reciprocating actions are engaged in synchronized coordination of sub-systems of electrode modules, energy management, fluid flow, and automatic control.

The invention is directed to an apparatus and a method of separating particles, such as cells, from a heterogeneous fluid, such as blood, where the particles have a large range of sizes.

A method and device for adjusting a volumetric flow balancing system for an extracorporeal blood treatment system receives a pressure signal and calculates a compensation factor that is used to adjust the relative flow rates of the volumetrically balanced fluids. For example, in a hemofiltration system, the flow of waste and and replacement fluid may be balanced volumetrically. Ultrafiltrate may be pumped in a bypass circuit in such a system. The rate of ultrafiltrate flow may be adjusted by the compensation signal. The compensation signal may be empirically derived.

A method and apparatus for determining a fluid level and / or output flow during operation of a centrifugal pump, are provided, which may be used for production of gas and / or oil from a well, and include a vector feedback model to derive values of torque and speed from signals indicative of instantaneous current and voltage drawn by the pump motor, a pump model which derives values of the fluid flow rate and the head pressure for the pump from torque and speed inputs, a pumping system model that derives, from the estimated values of the pump operating parameters, an estimated value of fluid level and other pumping system parameters. Controllers responsive to the estimated values of the pumping system parameters control the pump to maintain fluid level at the pump input, near an optimum level, or within a safe operating range and / or output flow from the pump.

An extracorpeal blood circuit for removal of contrast from human blood using a filter and withdrawal filter pump and a by-pass pump. The withdrawal filter blood pump operates when a contrast bolus has been detected. Otherwise the bypass blood pump maintains physiological blood flow from the coronary sinus preventing the need for deflation and re-inflation of the balloon catheter. When contrast is detected blood the bypass blood pump is stopped to prevent contrast from leaking back into the patients circulatory system via the bypass pump and CS blood flow is maintained at its physiological blood flow resulting in the heart being oblivious to the transition by the prefilter blood pump.

Methods and apparatus employing membrane filtration in biodegradation processes for treatment of wastewater are described. A bioreactor system is described having an equalization system, a membrane bioreactor system, and a controller. Aeration systems for a membrane bioreactor, such as a mixer, and an ultrafilter subsystem are also described, as is a rotary membrane ultrafilter.

This invention relates to a fuel filter for use with internal combustion engines. The fuel filter includes a fuel additive that can be released into fuel. The rate of release for the fuel can be controlled. In one form the fuel additive can be mixed with a matrix material and released at a substantially constant rate to maintain a uniform level of fuel additive in the fuel. Use of the present invention provides a fuel filter having an extended life span that is longer than fuel filters typically used with combustion engines.