31018 results about "Carbon dioxide" patented technology

An artificial intervertebral disc and disc nucleus are described herein having chambers and dampening members. The dampening members may be within or outside of the main body of the device. The chambers may be filled with a suitable liquid, gas, or both, and separated by valves to regulate flow of fluid between chambers, within a dampening member, between the main body and dampening member, or all of the above. Chambers may be filled with responsive hydrogels, EPAM, or other suitable materials, and the device may have activation plates or members, a strain gauge, a pressure sensor, or other means for detecting changes in the materials and / or triggering desired changes in the materials in order to mimic the behavior of a healthy native disc or disc nucleus. A control system may be in communication with the device for receiving feedback and delivering stimuli to initiate desired changes in the fluids or other materials. Membranes may be of variable permeability and may be metallized to ensure as low permeability as possible. Dampening members may be filled during manufacture with carbon dioxide or other suitable gas which may be in a supercritical state and allowed to return to ambient temperature and gaseous state or by other means. Methods of manufacture, delivery of the artificial disc and related structures, and methods of treatment are also described.

A method and apparatus for the transcutaneous monitoring of blood gases generally comprises a blood gas data acquisition device, a vacuum source and a blood gas transducer unit. The blood gas transducer unit is adapted for application to a patient's skin and administration of a local vacuum at the area of patient application. It further comprises an electrochemical blood gas transducer, well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, which is disposed entirely within the local vacuum at the area of patient application. The vacuum source is placed in fluid communication with the blood gas transducer unit, through a hydrophobic membrane filter for safety purposes, in order to induce a condition of hyperperfusion in the locality of the electrochemical blood gas transducer. Under the control of a microcontroller, or equivalent means, the blood gas acquisition device is then utilized to capture a measure of skin surface oxygen or carbon dioxide pressure. The microcontroller can then utilize this measure to arrive at an estimate of arterial partial pressure of oxygen or carbon dioxide, accordingly. Because vacuum induced perfusion produces the requisite condition of hyperperfusion without local heating and, therefore, without acceleration of the local metabolic function, the present invention results in more accurate than previously available estimates of partial pressure blood gas pressures and does so while eliminating a significant risk for injury to the patient.

A sensor system including a holder with at least one semi-permeable layer that forms a chamber, at least one reactant that reacts with at least one analyte, the at least one reactant being contained within the chamber, and a detector disposed proximate the at least one semi-permeable layer and configured to detect and measure a concentration of a reaction product from reaction of the at least one reactant with the at least one analyte. The at least one semi-permeable layer allows passage of the analyte into the chamber and allows passage of the reaction product to the detector. In a preferred embodiment, the analyte includes glucose, and the reaction product detected includes carbon dioxide.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. In recent years, the preferred method of separating a hydrocarbon gas stream generally includes supplying at least portions of the gas stream to a fractionation tower having at least one reboiler, and often one or more side reboilers, to supply heat to the column by withdrawing and heating some of the tower liquids to produce stripping vapors that separate the more volatile components from the desired components. The reboiler and side reboilers (if any) are typically integrated into the feed stream cooling scheme to provide at least a portion of the refrigeration needed to condense the desired components for subsequent fractionation in the distillation column. In the process disclosed, the tower reboiling scheme is modified to use one or more tower liquid distillation streams from a point higher in the column than is used in the conventional reboiling scheme, providing colder stream(s) for the reboiler(s) that allow more effective cooling of the feed streams and thereby improve the efficiency with which the desired components are recovered. In addition, the tower liquid streams withdrawn from a higher point in the column contain larger quantities of the more volatile components, which when vaporized provide better stripping of undesirable components like carbon dioxide without reducing the recovery of the desired components. The heated distillation stream is returned to a lower point on the fractionation tower that is separated from the withdrawal point by at least one theoretical stage.

A system and method for detecting, monitoring and analyzing physiological characteristics. Signals from a subject are acquired from a suite of sensors, such as temperature, carbon dioxide, humidity, light, movement, electromagnetic and vibration sensors, in a passive, non-invasive manner. The signals are processed, and physiological characteristics are isolated for analysis. The system and method are to analyze sleep patterns, as well as to prevent bed sores or detect conditions such as illness, restless leg syndrome, periodic leg movement, sleep walking, or sleep apnea. However, numerous other applications of the invention are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to novel nasal pulse oximeter probes that are configured to be placed across the septum of the nose. These probes are fabricated to provide signals to obtain arterial oxygen saturation and other photoplethysmographic data. The present invention also relates to a combined nasal pulse oximeter probe / nasal cannula. The present invention also relates to other devices that combine a pulse oximeter probe with a device supplying oxygen or other oxygen-containing gas to a person in need thereof, and to sampling means for exhaled carbon dioxide in combination with the novel nasal probe. In certain embodiments, an additional limitation of a control means to adjust the flow rate of such gas is provided, where such control is directed by the blood oxygen saturation data obtained from the pulse oximeter probe.

Methods are provided for depositing an oxygen-doped dielectric layer. The oxygen-doped dielectric layer may be used for a barrier layer or a hardmask. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including positioning the substrate in a processing chamber, introducing a processing gas comprising an oxygen-containing organosilicon compound, carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof, and an oxygen-free organosilicon compound to the processing chamber, and reacting the processing gas to deposit an oxygen-doped dielectric material on the substrate, wherein the dielectric material has an oxygen content of about 15 atomic percent or less. The oxygen-doped dielectric material may be used as a barrier layer in damascene or dual damascene applications.

A method and apparatus to extract and sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) from a stream or volume of gas wherein said method and apparatus hydrates CO2, and reacts the resulting carbonic acid with carbonate. Suitable carbonates include, but are not limited to, carbonates of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, preferably carbonates of calcium and magnesium. Waste products are metal cations and bicarbonate in solution or dehydrated metal salts, which when disposed of in a large body of water provide an effective way of sequestering CO2 from a gaseous environment.

Methods of sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) are provided. Aspects of the methods include precipitating a storage stable carbon dioxide sequestering product from an alkaline-earth-metal-containing water and then disposing of the product, e.g., by placing the product in a disposal location or using the product as a component of a manufactured composition. Also provided are systems for practicing methods of the invention.

The present invention relates to novel lip / cheek probes for detection of pulse-based differences in light absorbence across the vascularized tissue of a lip or cheek of a patient. These probes are fabricated to provide signals to estimate arterial oxygen saturation, and / or to obtain other photoplethysmographic data. The present invention also relates to a combined probe / cannula. The present invention also relates to other devices that combine a pulse oximeter probe with a device supplying oxygen or other oxygen-containing gas to a person in need thereof, and to sampling means for exhaled carbon dioxide in combination with the novel lip / cheek probes. In certain embodiments, an additional limitation of a control means to adjust the flow rate of such gas is provided, where such control is directed by the blood oxygen saturation data obtained from the pulse oximeter probe.

The present invention provides methods and system for power generation using a high efficiency combustor in combination with a CO2 circulating fluid. The methods and systems advantageously can make use of a low pressure ratio power turbine and an economizer heat exchanger in specific embodiments. Additional low grade heat from an external source can be used to provide part of an amount of heat needed for heating the recycle CO2 circulating fluid. Fuel derived CO2 can be captured and delivered at pipeline pressure. Other impurities can be captured.

In a method for generating energy in an energy generating installation (10) having a gas turbine (12), in a first step, an oxygen-containing gas is compressed in a compressor (13, 14) of the gas turbine (12), in a second step the compressed gas is supplied, with the addition of fuel, for combustion in a combustion chamber (15), in a third step the hot flue gas from the combustion chamber (15) is expanded in a turbine (16) of the gas turbine (12) so as to perform work, and, in a fourth step, a branched-off part stream of the expanded flue gas is recirculated into a part of the gas turbine (12) lying upstream of the combustion chamber (15) and is compressed. A reduction in the CO2 emission, along with minimal losses of efficiency, is achieved in that carbon dioxide (CO2) is separated from the circulating gas in a CO2 separator (19), and in that measures are taken to compensate for the efficiency losses in the gas turbine cyclic process which are associated with the CO2 separation.

A process for selectively removing carbon dioxide from a gaseous stream by converting the carbon dioxide to a solid, stable form is provided. In a sequestration process, carbon dioxide enriched air is passed through a gas diffusion membrane to transfer the carbon dioxide to a fluid medium. The carbon dioxide rich fluid is then passed through a matrix containing a catalyst specific for carbon dioxide, which accelerates the conversion of the carbon dioxide to carbonic acid. In the final step, a mineral ion is added to the reaction so that a precipitate of carbonate salt is formed. This solid mineral precipitate can be safely stored for extended periods of time, such as by burying the precipitate in the ground or depositing the precipitate into storage sites either on land or into a body of water. An apparatus for removing carbon dioxide from a gaseous stream is also provided.

This disclosure relates in general to a method and system for monitoring a conduit, a wellbore or a reservoir associated with hydrocarbon production or transportation and / or carbon dioxide sequestration. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, embodiments of the present invention provide for using an optical fiber as a distributed interferometer that may be used to monitor the conduit, wellbore or reservoir. In certain aspects, the distributed interferometric monitoring provides

The devices and methods of placement of such devices disclosed herein are directed to altering gaseous flow within a lung to improve the expiration cycle of, for instance, an individual having Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. More particularly, these devices produce and maintain collateral openings or channels through the airway wall so that oxygen depleted / carbon dioxide rich air is able to pass directly out of the lung tissue to facilitate both the exchange of oxygen ultimately into the blood and / or to decompress hyper-inflated lungs. The medical kits disclosed herein are also directed to produce and maintain collateral openings through airway walls.

Method and apparatus for controlling a ventilator are described. The invention can be used to control mechanical ventilators as well as respiratory assist devices such as CPAP machines. The apparatus receives input data indicative of patient's oxygen level. A controller determines PEEP, or CPAP, and FIO2, on the basis of data indicative of the patient's oxygen level. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus further receives input data indicative of patient's carbon dioxide levels, respiratory elastance and airway resistance, and barometric pressure. The controller further utilizes the said input data to determine the optimal values of tidal volume and breathing frequency for a next breath of the patient, and uses the respiratory elastance and airway resistance data to determine any necessary adjustments in the I:E ratio. The controller also applies safety rules, detects and corrects artifacts, and generates warning signals when needed.

An apparatus and method for cleaning the objective lens of a laparoscope, endoscope, or coeloscope during surgery and also removing the solution and debris during and after the cleaning. The result is obtained by using a rigid hollow split sheath for the scope. The split sheath has two separate channels. One channel is for irrigation and the cleaning fluid flows through this channel to be directed onto the lens. The other channel is for suction to remove the solution and debris during and after the cleaning. Control buttons located at the operator's end activate the irrigation and suction functions. The control buttons for irrigation and suction are fabricated into an existing valve type device which can regulate either of these functions. In addition, two ports, one for irrigation and one for suction emerge from the operator's end to connect to the appropriate tubing for irrigation and suction. A rubber ring device screws down at the operator's end allowing the surgeon to secure the sheath to the scope and prevent any leakage of the standard carbon dioxide gas used to distend the abdomen for operative laparoscopy in the patient.

A low or no pollution engine is provided for delivering power for vehicles or other power applications. The engine has an air inlet which collects air from a surrounding environment. At least a portion of the nitrogen in the air is removed. The remaining gas is primarily oxygen, which is then routed to a gas generator. The gas generator has inputs for the oxygen and a hydrocarbon fuel. The fuel and oxygen are combusted within the gas generator, forming water and carbon dioxide. The combustion products are then expanded through a power generating device, such as a turbine or piston expander to deliver output power for operation of a vehicle or other power uses. The combustion products are then passed through a condenser where the steam is condensed and the carbon dioxide is collected or discharged. A portion of the water is routed back to the gas generator. The carbon dioxide is compressed and delivered to a terrestrial formation from which return of the CO2 into the atmosphere is inhibited.

Processes and apparatuses are described for the selective removal and recovery of acid gases from a gas source comprising at least hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. A step-wise approach is illustrated wherein hydrogen sulfide may be selectively removed from a gas source by treatment with methanol under conditions where substantially all the hydrogen sulfide may be removed. The partially purified gas source may then be provided with a second treatment with methanol under conditions which selectively remove carbon dioxide from the gas stream. Such methods are generally applicable to any gas source comprising at least hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, for example, a gas source produced from the catalytic gasification of a carbonaceous material, the combustion of a carbonaceous material, or the oxy-blown gasification of a carbonaceous material.

Desalination methods that include carbonate compound precipitation are provided. In certain embodiments, feed water is subjected to carbonate compound precipitation conditions prior to desalination. In certain embodiments, desalination waste brine is subjected to carbonate compound precipitation conditions. In yet other embodiments, both feed water and waste brine are subjected to carbonate compound precipitation conditions. Aspects of embodiments of the invention include carbone dioxide sequestration. Embodiments of the invention further employ a precipitate product of the carbonate compound precipitation conditions as a building material, e.g., a cement. Also provided are systems configured for use in methods of the invention.

A method of generating energy in a power plant (30) having a gas turbine (29), includes a first step a gas containing air (1) is compressed in a first compressor (2) of the gas turbine (29), a second step the compressed gas (3, 3a, 3b; 5; 7a, 7b) is fed to a combustion process with the addition of fuel (8) in a combustor (23), a third step the hot flue gas (9) from the combustor (23) is expanded in an expander or a turbine (10), driving a generator (18), of the gas turbine (29) while performing work, and a fourth step a partial flow of the expanded flue gas (11) is recirculated to the inlet of the first compressor (2) and admixed with the gas containing air (1). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is separated from the compressed gas (3, 3a, 3b; 5; 7a, 7b) in a CO2 separator (6) before the third step. In such a method, the overall size and energy costs are reduced by virtue of the fact that, to permit increased CO2 concentrations in the CO2 separator (6), not more than about 70% of the carbon dioxide contained in the compressed gas (3, 3a, 3b; 5, 5a, 5b; 7a, 7b) is removed from the compressed gas (3, 3a, 3b; 5, 5a, 5b; 7a, 7b).

New low-cost CO2 sorbents are provided that can be used in large-scale gas-solid processes. A new method is provided for making these sorbents that involves treating substrates with an amine and / or an ether so that the amine and / or ether comprise at least 50 wt. percent of the sorbent. The sorbent acts by capturing compounds contained in gaseous fluids via chemisorption and / or physisorption between the unit layers of the substrate's lattice where the polar amine liquids and solids and / or polar ether liquids and solids are located. The method eliminates the need for high surface area supports and polymeric materials for the preparation of CO2 capture systems, and provides sorbents with absorption capabilities that are independent of the sorbents' surface areas. The sorbents can be regenerated by heating at temperatures in excess of 35° C.

Devices and methods are described for converting a carbon source and a hydrogen source into hydrocarbons, such as alcohols, for alternative energy sources. The influents may comprise carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas or water, obtainable from the atmosphere for through methods described herein, such as plasma generation or electrolysis. One method to produce hydrocarbons comprises the use of an electrolytic device, comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte. Another method comprises the use of ultrasonic energy to drive the reaction. The devices and methods and related devices and methods are useful, for example, to provide a fossil fuel alternative energy source, store renewable energy, sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, counteract global warming, and store carbon dioxide in a liquid fuel.

A method of sequestering carbon dioxide and producing natural gas including: (a) injecting an injectant containing at least some amount of carbon dioxide into a zone containing natural gas hydrates; (b) releasing natural gas from the hydrates by allowing thermal transfer and pressure changes from the injectant to the hydrates; and (c) sequestering the carbon dioxide in the zone that previously contained the natural gas hydrates.

A method and apparatus for extracting CO2 from air comprising an anion exchange material formed in a matrix exposed to a flow of the air, and for delivering that extracted CO2 to controlled environments. The present invention contemplates the extraction of CO2 from air using conventional extraction methods or by using one of the extraction methods disclosed; e.g., humidity swing or electro dialysis. The present invention also provides delivery of the CO2 to greenhouses where increased levels of CO2 will improve conditions for growth. Alternatively, the CO2 is fed to an algae culture.

An improved optical system for treatment of disorders of the skin, especially vascular lesions, such as Port Wine Stains. The system irradiates the skin with radiation at a predetermined wavelength and cools the skin during a predetermined time interval in coordination with delivery of the radiation. The absorption of the radiation by the skin and the change in temperature of the skin is monitored by the system and the operation of the radiation delivery system is controlled to optimize treatment of the vascular lesion. The source of irradiation is an arc lamp and the cooling system delivers a cooling gas to a lens in contact with the skin. The cooling gas can be carbon dioxide, freon, or any other appropriate gas. The lens used has a high heat conductivity and may be formed of sapphire.

The present invention is a method, process and apparatus for selective cleaning, drying, and modifying substrate surfaces and depositing thin films thereon using a dense phase gas solvent and admixtures within a first created supercritical fluid antisolvent. Dense fluids are used in combination with sub-atmospheric, atmospheric and super-atmospheric plasma adjuncts (cold and thermal plasmas) to enhance substrate surface cleaning, modification, precision drying and deposition processes herein. Moreover, conventional wet cleaning agents such as hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride may be used with the present invention to perform substrate pre-treatments prior to precision drying and cleaning treatments described herein. Finally, dense fluid such as solid phase carbon dioxide and argon may be used as a follow-on treatment or in combination with plasmas to further treat a substrate surface.

The present invention relates to processes and continuous processes for preparing gaseous products, and in particular, methane via the catalytic gasification of carbonaceous feedstocks in the presence of steam. In one aspect of the invention, the processes comprise at least partially combusting a first carbonaceous feedstock with an oxygen-rich gas stream in an oxygen-blown gasifier, under suitable temperature and pressure, to generate a first gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and superheated steam; and reacting a second carbonaceous feedstock and the first gas stream in a catalytic gasifier in the presence of a gasification catalyst under suitable temperature and pressure to form a second gas stream comprising a plurality of gaseous products comprising methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. The processes can comprise using at least one catalytic methanator to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the gaseous products to methane and in certain embodiments do not recycle carbon monoxide or hydrogen to the gasifier.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. In recent years, the preferred method of separating a hydrocarbon gas stream generally includes supplying at least portions of the gas stream to a fractionation tower having at least one reboiler, and often one or more side reboilers, to supply heat to the column by withdrawing and heating some of the tower liquids to produce stripping vapors that separate the more volatile components from the desired components. The reboiler and side reboilers (if any) are typically integrated into the feed stream cooling scheme to provide at least a portion of the refrigeration needed to condense the desired components for subsequent fractionation in the distillation column. In the process disclosed, the tower reboiling scheme is modified to use one or more tower liquid distillation streams from a point higher in the column than is used in the conventional reboiling scheme, providing colder stream(s) for the reboiler(s) that allow more effective cooling of the feed streams and thereby improve the efficiency with which the desired components are recovered. In addition, the tower liquid streams withdrawn from a higher point in the column contain larger quantities of the more volatile components, which when vaporized provide better stripping of undesirable components like carbon dioxide without reducing the recovery of the desired components. The heated distillation stream is returned to a lower point on the fractionation tower that is separated from the withdrawal point by at least one theoretical stage.

Integrated catalytic gasification processes are provided involving generating steam for converting carbonaceous materials to combustible gases, such as methane. Generally, steam generated from the combustion of a biomass is provided to a catalytic gasifier, wherein under appropriate temperature and pressure conditions, a carbonaceous feedstock is converted into a plurality of product gases, including, but not limited to, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.