Patent EP0449008A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0449008A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sonochemical apparatus
Assignee: Accentus Medical PLC
•
Filing: 1991-03-08
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2011-03-08
Abstract
Abstract A liquid is subjected to ultrasound within a stainless steel pipe (35) of wall thickness 2.5mm. Three ultrasonic transducers (56) are equally spaced around the pipe, each fixed to one end of a tapered resonant coupler (46) with a nodal flange (48) by which it is supported with its wider end coaxially within a steel collar (38) welded to the outside of the pipe wall. The space around the sides and the end of the coupler is filled by a buffer liquid such as olive oil. When the transducers (56) are energised they resonate, as do the couplers (46), and ultrasound is transmitted through the buffer liquid and the wall into the liquid inside the pipe (35). Within the pipe the intensity can be sufficient to cause cavitation, and so to cause sonochemical effects.
Inventors
- 👤 Colin Leonard Desborough
- 👤 Roger Barrie Pike
- 👤 Lawrence David Ward
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:04
CPC Classifications
B; B06; B06B; B06B3/00; B01; B01J; B01J19/00; B01J19/08; B01J19/10; B01J19/18; B01J19/1868; B01J19/1881; B01J2219/00; B01J2219/00761; B01J2219/00763; B01J2219/00765; B01J2219/00768
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
An apparatus for subjecting a liquid to a high ultrasonic intensity comprising means (35) defining a chamber for the liquid, and a transducer assembly (36) adapted when energised to generate ultrasonic waves at an operating frequency, characterised by at least one collar (38) fixed to the outside of a wall (35) of the chamber, each collar (38) enclosing part of an ultrasonic coupler (46) adapted to resonate at the operating frequency and having a nodal flange (48) by which it is fixed to the end of the collar (38) remote from the wall (35) such that there is a gap between the sides of the coupler (46) and the collar (38), and a gap between the end of the coupler (46) and the wall (35), and a low attenuation buffer liquid with a cavitation threshold above that of the liquid in the chamber filling the collar (38) and so occupying the gaps between the coupler (46) and both the collar (38) and the wall (35), the transducer assembly (56) being fixed to the end of the coupler (46) outside the collar (38) and adapted when energised to generate ultrasonic waves of the operating frequency in the coupler (46).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the coupler (46) is half a wavelength long at the operating frequency, and is tapered along at least part of its length.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein there is no change in the diameter of the coupler (46) between opposite sides of the nodal flange (48).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the wall (35) adjacent to the end of the coupler (46) comprises steel, and is of thickness less than 5 mm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the said wall is 2.5 mm thick.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the collar (38) is of such a length that the gap between the end of the coupler (46) and the nearest part of the wall (35) is less than 10 mm and is much less than a quarter wavelength in the buffer liquid at the operating frequency.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the collar (38) is of such a diameter that the gap between the sides of the coupler (46) and the collar (38) is between 2 mm and 10 mm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the collar (38) itself is of thickness between 2 mm and 5 mm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims also including means (27) to circulate the buffer liquid and means (29) to cool it.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the means defining a chamber for the liquid comprises a cylindrical tube (35), the apparatus also comprising means (24) to cause the liquid to flow through the tube (35).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the wall (35) of the chamber to which the collar (38) is fixed is integral with the means (35) defining the chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 wherein there are three collars (38), each with a respective coupler (46) and transducer asembly (56), fixed to the outside of the tube (35) and equally spaced around it, lying in a common plane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.