Device for mass transport and separation through selective barriers

Claim 1

A device for carrying out mass transport and substantially quantitative physical separation of one or more components from one phase to another phase without the need for centrifugation, the phases being both liquid, or liquid-solid, or liquid-gas-liquid, or liquid-gas-solid, said mass transport and physical separation being substantially quantitative and carried out in the same device, which comprises: a vertical mixing reservoir, having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, an inner wall, a bottom wall and an upper end for containing multiple phases including an upper liquid phase; a mixer-separator snuggly fitted into said mixing reservoir for sliding movement therein and including means defining at least one channel passing axially through said mixer-separator, said mixer-separator including at its lower end a barrier which is selectively permeable to the upper liquid phase in said mixing reservoir and at its upper end a container which has a top and into which opens said at least one channel for accumulating separated liquid from said upper liquid phase from the mixing-reservoir forced through said barrier and said at least one channel in response to sliding movement of said mixer-separator into said mixing reservoir; a sealing element surrounding said mixer-separator at a preselected distance above the lower end of said mixer-separator, said sealing element being positioned above said barrier; and means, defining a space positioned in the axial direction within said mixing reservoir between said barrier and said sealing element, for creating and maintaining a gas cushion during the entire sliding movement of the mixer-separator into the mixing reservoir until all of the upper liquid phase is forced through said at least one barrier, said gas cushion decreasing the pressure exerted on said barrier in response to said sliding movement of said mixer-separator into said mixing reservoir, the configuration of said space and the gas cushion being selected so as to force back into said mixing reservoir any of the upper liquid phase which has crept up along the inner wall of the mixing reservoir above the low end of the mixer-separator, wherein said bottom wall of the mixing reservoir and said lower end of the mixer-separator have corresponding profiles such that substantially quantitative separation of the upper liquid phase can be accomplished.

Claim 2

A device for carrying out mass transport and substantially quantitative physical separation of one or more components from one phase to another phase without the need for centrifugation, the phases being both liquid, or liquid-solid, or liquid-gas-liquid, or liquid-gas-solid, said mass transport and physical separation being substantially quantitative and carried out in the same device, which comprises: a vertical mixing reservoir, having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, an inner wall, a bottom wall and an upper end for containing multiple phases including an upper liquid phase; a mixer-separator snuggly fitted into said mixing reservoir for sliding movement therein and including means defining at least one channel passing axially through said mixer-separator, said mixer-separator including at its lower end a barrier which is selectively permeable to the upper liquid phase in said mixing reservoir and at its upper end a container which has a top and into which opens said at least one channel for accumulating separated liquid from said upper liquid phase from the mixing-reservoir forced through said barrier and said at least one channel in response to sliding movement of said mixer-separator into said mixing reservoir; a sealing element surrounding said mixer-separator at a preselected distance above the lower end of said mixer-separator, said sealing element being positioned above said barrier; and means, defining a space positioned in the axial direction within said mixing reservoir between said barrier and said sealing element, for creating and maintaining a gas cushion during the entire sliding movement of the mixer-separator into the mixing reservoir until all of the upper liquid phase is forced through said at least one barrier, said gas cushion decreasing the pressure exerted on said barrier in response to said sliding movement of said mixer-separator into said mixing reservoir, the configuration of said space and the gas cushion being selected so as to force back into said mixing reservoir any of the upper liquid phase which has crept up along the inner wall of the mixing reservoir above the low end of the mixer-separator, wherein said bottom wall of the mixing reservoir and said lower end of the mixer-separator have corresponding profiles such that substantially quantitative separation of the upper liquid phase can be accomplished.