1021 results about "Particle flow" patented technology

The instant invention relates to a method and the apparatus for collecting a hyperconcentrated platelet product. A fluid containing platelets and other particles flows into a fluid chamber at a flow rate. The flow rate of the fluid is selected to retain the majority of the platelets in the fluid chamber in a saturated bed. The platelets are collected from the fluid chamber without collecting the other particles to form a hyperconcentrated other particle reduced platelet product.

A method for detecting the presence of particles, such as sand, flowing within a fluid in a conduit is disclosed. At least two optical sensors measure pressure variations propagating through the fluid. These pressure variations are caused by acoustic noise generated by typical background noises of the well production environment and from sand particles flowing within the fluid. If the acoustics are sufficiently energetic with respect to other disturbances, the signals provided by the sensors will form an acoustic ridge on a kω plot, where each data point represents the power of the acoustic wave corresponding to that particular wave number and temporal frequency. A sand metric then compares the average power of the data points forming the acoustic ridge to the average power of the data points falling outside of the acoustic ridge. The result of this comparison allows one to determine whether particles are present within the fluid. Furthermore, the present invention can also determine whether the generated acoustic noise is occurring upstream or downstream of the sensors, thus giving an indication of the location of the particles in the fluid relative to the sensors.

A flow cytometer includes an optical flow cell through which particles to be characterized on the basis of at least their respective side-scatter characteristics are caused to flow seriatim. A plane-polarized laser beam produced by a laser diode is used to irradiate the particles as they pass through a focused elliptical spot having its minor axis oriented parallel to the particle flow path. Initially, the plane of polarization of the laser beam extends perpendicular to the path of particles through the flow cell. A half-wave plate or the like is positioned in the laser beam path to rotate the plane of polarization of the laser beam so that it is aligned with the path of particles before it irradiated particles moving along such path.

An instrument for measuring the size distribution of a particle sample by counting and classifying particles into selected size ranges. The particle concentration is reduced to the level where the probability of measuring scattering from multiple particles at one time is reduced to an acceptable level. A light beam is focused or collimated through a sample cell, through which the particles flow. As each particle passes through the beam, it scatters, absorbs, and transmits different amounts of the light, depending upon the particle size. So both the decrease in the beam intensity, due to light removal by the particle, and increase of light, scattered by the particle, may be used to determine the particle size, to classify the particle and count it in a certain size range. If all of the particles pass through a single beam, then many small particles must be counted for each large one because typical distributions are uniform on a particle volume basis, and the number distribution is related to the volume distribution by the particle diameter cubed.

A method and system for using spatially modulated excitation / emission and relative movement between a particle (cell, molecule, aerosol, . . . ) and an excitation / emission pattern are provided. In at least one form, an interference pattern of the excitation light with submicron periodicity perpendicular to the particle flow is used. As the particle moves along the pattern, emission is modulated according to the speed of the particle and the periodicity of the stripe pattern. A single detector, which records the emission over a couple of stripes, can be used. The signal is recorded with a fast detector read-out in order to capture the “blinking” of the particles while they are moving through the excitation pattern. This concept enables light detection with high signal-to-noise ratio and high spatial resolution without the need of expensive and bulky optics.

A technique using a curved channel of a spiral device to introduce a centrifugal force upon neutrally buoyant particles flowing in a fluid, e.g. water, to facilitate improved separation of such particles from the fluid is provided. As these neutrally buoyant particles flow through the channel, a tubular pinch effect causes the particles to flow in a tubular band. The introduced centrifugal force perturbs the tubular band (e.g. forces the tubular band to flow in a manner offset from a center of the channel), resulting in an asymmetric inertial migration of the band toward the inner wall of the channel. This allows for focusing and compaction of suspended particulates into a narrow band for extraction. The separation principle contemplated herein implements a balance of the centrifugal and fluidic forces to achieve asymmetric inertial equilibrium near the inner sidewall.

The present disclosure relates to microfluidic devices adapted for facilitating cytometry analysis of particles flowing therethrough. In certain embodiments, the microfluidic devices allow light collection from multiple directions. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices use spatial intensity modulation. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have magnetic field separators. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have the ability to stack. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have 3-D hydrodynamic focusing to align sperm cells. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have acoustic energy couplers. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have phase variation producing lenses. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have transmissive and reflective lenses. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have integrally-formed optics. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have non-integral geographically selective reagent delivery structures. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have optical waveguides incorporated into their flow channels. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have optical waveguides with reflective surfaces incorporated into their flow channels. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have virus detecting and sorting capabilities. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices display a color change to indicate use or a result.

The present disclosure relates to microfluidic devices adapted for facilitating cytometry analysis of particles flowing therethrough. In certain embodiments, the microfluidic devices have onboard data storage capabilities. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have onboard anticoagulants. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have onboard test and control channels. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have integrated collection media. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have multiple onboard test channels. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have localized temperature control. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have anatomy simulating regions. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have complete assay capabilities. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have dissociable sections. In certain other embodiments, the microfluidic devices have means for performing functional assays.

A cyclonic separation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present application preferably includes a first cyclone chamber having a cylindrical shape with a predetermined diameter, the first cyclone chamber including, a tangential inlet positioned on a first longitudinal end of the first cyclone chamber, a baffle plate positioned in the first cyclone chamber a predetermined distance from the tangential inlet, a tangential dirt outlet positioned on a second end of the cyclone chamber, opposite the inlet and on an opposite side of the baffle plate from the tangential inlet and a center exit duct mounted in the center of the cyclone chamber having an inlet opening positioned upstream from the baffle plate such the centrifuged fluid without particles flows into the center exit duct and out of the cyclone chamber.

A suction-recirculation device for stabilizing the flow of a curtain of blackened heat absorption particles falling inside of a solar receiver with an open aperture. The curtain of particles absorbs the concentrated heat from a solar mirror array reflected up to the receiver on a solar power tower. External winds entering the receiver at an oblique angle can destabilize the particle curtain and eject particles. A fan and ductwork is located behind the back wall of the receiver and sucks air out through an array of small holes in the back wall. Any entrained particles are separated out by a conventional cyclone device. Then, the air is recirculated back to the top of the receiver by injecting the recycled air through an array of small holes in the receiver's ceiling and upper aperture front wall. Since internal air is recirculated, heat losses are minimized and high receiver efficiency is maintained. Suction-recirculation velocities in the range of 1-5 m / s are sufficient to stabilize the particle curtain against external wind speeds in excess of 10 m / s.

The invention enables accurate control of particle flow with regard to feeding abrasive material to a surface. The unit does not employ a vibrator and may be used to remove undesired material from a surface. A particular application is in a dental air abrasion unit for both cleaning and cutting tooth surfaces. When used in an air abrasion dental instrument, the abrasive material is stored in a container which is separated from a mixing chamber by an orifice member. The flow of particles is electronically controlled by the differential in pressure in the container section above the particle level and the pressure below an orifice member in a mixing chamber. The resulting particle flow to the surface is substantially linear and less erratic than that of prior air abrasion instruments.

A particle analyzer that includes optical waveguides, a support, and a detector. The optical waveguides direct spatially separated beams from a source of radiation to produce measuring beams in a sample flow measuring area. The support maintains each of the optical waveguides in a fixed relative position with respect to each other and maintains the positioning of the measuring beams within the measuring area. The detector senses light produced from the measuring beams interacting with a particle flowing through the measuring area. At least one of the support and the detector can be coupled to the core stream sample system. The coupling can use an optical waveguide device configured to convey optical radiation arising from sample interaction to the detector. In another example, a particle analyzer comprises an optical system configured to be fixedly coupled to a sample system and configured to direct beams along independent beam paths from a source of radiation to produce measuring beam spots in a sample flow measuring area of the sample system and a detection system configured to sense radiation delivered from the sample flow measuring area.

The invention comprises a charged particle beam extraction method and apparatus optionally used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The system uses a radio-frequency (RF) cavity system to induce oscillation of a charged particle stream. Sufficient amplitude modulation of the charged particle stream causes the charged particle stream to hit a material, such as a foil element of a set of foils. The foil decreases the energy of the charged particle stream, which decreases a radius of curvature of the charged particle stream in the synchrotron sufficiently to allow a physical separation of the reduced energy charged particle stream from the original charged particle stream where thickness of a selected foil is a function of energy of circulating charged particles. The physically separated charged particle stream is then removed from the system by use of an applied field and deflector.

In one example embodiment, a micro-particle sorting apparatus includes: (a) a microchip in which a flow path through which liquid containing a micro particle flows and an orifice through which the liquid flowing through the flow path is discharged into a space outside the chip; (b) an oscillating element for transforming the liquid into a liquid drop and discharging the liquid drop at the orifice; (c) a charge means for adding an electric charge to the discharged liquid drop; (d) an optical detection means that detects an optical property of the micro particle flowing through the flow path, upstream of a liquid-delivering direction with respect to the orifice; (e) paired electrodes opposed to each other while sandwiching the moving liquid drop along a movement direction of the liquid drop discharged into the space outside the chip; and two containers that collect the liquid drop passing between the paired electrodes.

The present invention relates to methods and devices for determining the weight of small particles, typically being nano-sized particles by use of resonating fibers in the form of elongate members being driven into resonance by an actuator or e.g. thermal noise / fluctuation. The frequency shift in resonance frequency due to depositing of nano-sized particles is correlated with the mass deposited on the elongate member and the vibration frequency of the elongate member is determined by a detector. The read-out from the detector is transformed into a mass deposited on the elongate member. Particles are deposited by letting a fluid with the particles flow past the elongate member.

Method and apparatus are provided for transferring particles from an upper zone through an intermediate zone to a lower zone. The transfer of particles between the zones through valveless conduits is regulated by varying the pressure of the intermediate zone and the flow rate of gas passing through the valveless conduits. A body within the lower zone is in particle communication with a valveless conduit and obstructs the particle flow within the lower zone.

A cyclonic separation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present application preferably includes a first cyclone chamber having a cylindrical shape with a predetermined diameter, the first cyclone chamber including, a tangential inlet positioned on a first longitudinal end of the first cyclone chamber, a baffle plate positioned in the first cyclone chamber a predetermined distance from the tangential inlet, a tangential dirt outlet positioned on a second end of the cyclone chamber, opposite the inlet and on an opposite side of the baffle plate from the tangential inlet and a center exit duct mounted in the center of the cyclone chamber having an inlet opening positioned upstream from the baffle plate such the centrifuged fluid without particles flows into the center exit duct and out of the cyclone chamber.

The present invention discloses a method and a device for preserving message sequence; the device comprises a flow classification and identification unit, a message processing unit, a flow state monitoring unit and a sequence-preserving, controlling and emitting unit. The flow classification and identification unit classifies the received messages into different business flows according to the specified rules and at the same time completes the multi-core and multi-thread load balancing distribution of message; the message processing unit processes the received message; the flow state monitoring unit is used for maintaining flow-state queues and identifying the processing state of the message and keeping the flow-state queues and the business flow queues corresponding to each other one to one; the sequence-preserving, controlling and emitting unit realizes the synchronization of message control and emission according to the message state vector in the flow-state queues and correspondingprocessing strategies. The present invention emits the sequence number through variable particle flow and at the same time has the sequence-preserving functions of the normal message and the abnormalmessage of business flow; the sequence-preserving strategy is improved and the sequence-preserving function is more stable and effective.

An arrangement for the controlled production of an essentially linear array of hydrocarbon feed injection jets reduces required clearances and elevation while facilitating modification of the contacting locating a feed distributor containing a linear array of jets at a standpipe junction point to provide choke point for particle flow control. The flow properties of the extended particle layer are controlled by adjusting the density of the particles above the choke point created by the upper part of the standpipe inside diameter and the top of the distributor. Steam or another fluidization medium may be added to the particles directly above the distributor for this purpose. This invention can also modify the particle or feed injection characteristics by changing the projection of the distributor into the standpipe to adjust the flow area over the choke point and by the use of bottom slides or baffles to change the flow area size and configuration. Location of the distributor at a standpipe junction will also typically allow the placement of the distributor at a lower location in the process which eliminates the need to add vessel height for supplying pressure drop for the particle discharge point. The distributor arrangement also fits compactly into most common standpipe junctions. Thus, the arrangement of this invention solves the problem of inserting an extended array of feed injection points into a fluidized particle contacting process without providing a large amount of clearance or additional vessel height.

A system for detecting signal components of light induced by multiple excitation sources including: a flow channel including at least two spatially separated optical interrogation zones; a non-modulating excitation source that directs a light beam of a first wavelength at a near constant intensity onto a first of the optical interrogation zones; a modulating excitation source that directs a light beam of a second wavelength with an intensity modulated over time at a modulating frequency onto a second of the optical interrogation zones; a detector subsystem comprising a set of detectors configured to detect light emitted from particles flowing through the at least two optical interrogation zones and to convert the detected light into a total electrical signal; and a processor that determines signal components from the light detected from each of the optical interrogation zones.

Vector Doppler Imaging (VDI) improves on conventional Color Doppler Imaging (CDI) by giving speed and direction of blood flow at each pixel of a display generated by a computing system. Multiple angles of Plane wave transmissions (PWT) via an ultrasound transducer conveniently give projected Doppler measurements over a wide field of view, providing enough angular diversity to identify velocity vectors in a short time window while capturing transitory flow dynamics. A fast, aliasing-resistant velocity vector estimator for PWT is presented, and VDI imaging of a carotid artery with a 5 MHz linear array is shown using a novel synthetic particle flow visualization method.

A planar velocity measurement system (100) is operative to measure all three velocity components of a flowing fluid (106) across an illuminated plane (108) using only a single line of sight. The fluid flow is seeded with small particles which accurately follow the flow field fluctuations. The seeded flow field is illuminated with pulsed laser light source (102) and the positions of the particles in the flow are recorded on CCD cameras (122,124). The in-plane velocities are measured by determining the in-plane particle displacements. The out-of-plane velocity component is determined by measuring the Doppler shift of the light scattered by the particles. Both gas and liquid velocities can be measured, as well as two-phase flows.

Belonging to a rock mechanical determination method, the invention provides a determination method for mesoscopic parameters simulating mechanical properties of an intermittent crack rock. The method includes: firstly sampling an engineering rock mass to be tested, and making a complete and intermittent crack cuboid sample; placing the made sample in a sealed pressure cylinder of a servo test machine, firstly bringing a testing machine pressure head into close contact with the upper end and lower end of the rock sample; applying an axial pressure on the sample according to displacement loading, and conducting loading on the sample till fracture, thus obtaining a sample compression process stress-strain overall process curve, a crack propagation process and a final fracture mode; employing particle flow code in 2 dimensions (PFC2D) to establish a complete sample numerical model, and debugging the mesoscopic parameters continuously to acquire a set of mesoscopic parameters able to reflect complete rock sample test results; establishing an intermittent crack numerical model based on the mesoscopic parameters, carrying out compression process simulation, comparing the simulation results with the intermittent crack rock test results so as to further verify the accuracy of the mesoscopic parameters.

Particular aspects provide novel atomizers for generating particles over a broad range of MMAD size distributions, the eliminating the requirement for an impaction baffle in generating the desired particle sizes. In particular aspects, the atomization means communicates with a remote particle filter member configured and positioned to provide for particle size filtering. In additional aspects, the atomization means communicates with a particle dispersion chamber suitable to impart a desired particle flow pattern to particles within and exiting the dispersion chamber. In further aspects, the atomization means communicates with a nasal, ocular, oral or ‘vicinity’ adapter. The novel devices provide for targeted (e.g., nasal, ocular, oral, local vicinity), systemic, and / or topical delivery of an atomized liquid (e.g., via the nasal cavity, olfactory region, and mouth). Further exemplary aspects relate to aerosolization and delivery of perfume, fragrance, essential oil or cosmeceutical agents and the like.

The invention discloses a 3D printing method and system based on cold spraying. High-pressure gas carrying powder granular materials needing to be printed through low-temperature preheating generates supersonic speed gas-solid bidirectional flow after passing through a scaling laval nozzle, high-speed particle flow is sprayed from the nozzle in a solid state condition, the high-speed particle flow impacts a substrate, and meanwhile the high-speed particles generate plastic deformation and are cold-welded and bonded onto the substrate; a fact matched with the process exists is that in a vacuum sealing room, a printing platform can be controlled by a computer, and stretching and contracting in the height direction and rotation around three rotating shafts are conducted according to needs; according to actual characteristics of a three-dimensional model needing to be printed, the printing section with better effects is calculated and analyzed automatically through the computer, at the time, the printing platform capable of rotating and lifting freely adjusts self-height and the needed angle to form a relative work position beneficial to an optimal printing section with the printing nozzle, meanwhile, the position of the printing platform is adjusted in real time, and the rapid and efficient printing process is achieved.

Systems and methods for the manipulation of particles within channels such as microfluidic channels are provided. In one set of embodiments, magnets are positioned around a channel. As a fluid containing magnetic and non-magnetic particles flows through the channel, the magnetic field created by the magnets can be used to transport the magnetic and / or non-magnetic particles to desired locations within the channel, which may useful in some cases for causing some separation of the particles. For example, the magnetic field may be used to transport magnetic or non-magnetic particles from a core fluid to a surrounding sheath fluid. In some cases, the magnetic field is used to transport non-magnetic particles to a small volume within the channel (e.g., a single-file row within the channel). The systems and methods described herein may find application in a variety of fields including, for example, continuous sorting of cells, removal of targeted cells from a stream of blood, or the arrangement of non-magnetic particles in channels for analysis.

Methods, storage mediums, and systems for correlating pulses generated from multiple interrogation regions in a flow cytometer to particular particles flowing through the flow cytometer are provided. Embodiments of the methods, storage mediums, and systems include configurations for calibrating a flow cytometer using a calibration particle having a unique signature to determine a time-of-flight for particles flowing through the flow cytometer. Based on the calculated time-of-flight and relative positions of interrogation regions corresponding to collectors of the flow cytometer, the methods, storage mediums, and systems may further include configurations for associating other signal pulses to particles of one or more different particle sets.

A processes for the separation and purification of microtubules of halloysite clay by separating an inlet stream of a liquid slurry of suspended clay particles flowing into a cross-flow filter into a decantate stream and a filtrate stream, the filtrate stream having a higher concentration of microtubular particles than the inlet stream. Also disclosed are subsequent preparations of novel structures and compositions of matter that include microtubules of halloysite clay.