Acoustic Treatment Chamber with Reflective Walls for Focused Energy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic treatment methods are inefficient and non-uniform, leading to undesirable effects such as temperature gradients and damage to biological samples due to uncontrolled and unfocused acoustic energy, limiting their application to high-throughput processes and precise reaction control.
Innovation Solution
The use of focused acoustic energy within a processing chamber that reflects acoustic waves to create secondary focal zones, enhancing energy distribution and control, allowing for efficient treatment of larger sample volumes and continuous processes while maintaining sample integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If unfocused ultrasonic energy is applied to bulk samples, then treatment coverage is increased, but energy distribution becomes non-uniform and sample damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the treatment process into two distinct zones: a focused acoustic energy zone for precise treatment of specific regions, and a bulk treatment zone for larger volume processing. This segmentation allows different portions of the sample to receive appropriately tailored treatment intensities, resolving the contradiction between treating large volumes and maintaining uniform energy distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies focused acoustic energy to specific local regions requiring precise treatment while allowing other regions to receive different treatment intensities. This local quality approach enables high precision treatment where needed while maintaining overall process efficiency for bulk samples, thereby resolving the contradiction between treatment precision and sample volume coverage.
2Manufacturing precision
If focused acoustic energy is used, then treatment precision is improved, but processing efficiency for large volumes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges focused acoustic energy treatment with bulk treatment capabilities into a single integrated system. By combining these two approaches, the system can process large volumes efficiently while maintaining precise control over treatment parameters in specific regions, thus resolving the contradiction between treatment precision and processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic control of acoustic energy parameters including frequency, intensity, and focal positioning. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize treatment precision for specific targets while maintaining overall processing efficiency for large volumes, resolving the contradiction between precision and productivity.
3Use of energy by moving object
If acoustic energy is reflected from chamber walls, then energy utilization is improved, but secondary focal zones may cause non-uniform treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of acoustic energy reflection and distortion into a beneficial feature by deliberately designing the chamber to create controlled secondary focal zones. These secondary zones provide additional treatment regions that enhance overall energy utilization while maintaining treatment uniformity through careful geometric design, thus resolving the contradiction between energy utilization and treatment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies chamber geometry parameters and acoustic energy parameters to control reflection patterns and secondary focal zone formation. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the system achieves improved energy utilization while preventing non-uniform treatment, resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and treatment precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables precise and uniform acoustic treatment of samples, improving processing efficiency and scalability, allowing for applications such as heating, cooling, mixing, and disrupting samples without causing damage, thereby expanding the use of ultrasonic technology in biological and chemical processes.
Implementation Method 1
acoustic energy may travel through the internal volume of the processing chamber to reach an inner wall surface of the chamber and be reflected back toward the sample so as to form a secondary focal zone within the internal volume of the chamber
Implementation Method 2
the use of focused acoustical energy has many advantages, and can be effective at processing high sample volumes or continuous process streams through the use of a processing chamber through which the sample material passes
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for acoustically treating material using a continuous process in which material may be caused to flow in a continuous or intermittent fashion into/out of an acoustic treatment chamber where the material is exposed to focused acoustic energy. The methods and systems may be arranged to permit continuous processing for extended periods while an acoustic energy source operates at a relatively high power output. Treatment chambers may include features such as an acoustic window and/or a chamber wall which may comprise an acoustically reflective material or a gas/wall interface that serves to reflect acoustic energy to form one or more secondary focal zones. Treatment system configurations relating to arrangements of a treatment chamber relative to an acoustic source and coupling medium, material flow paths, and others are provided.