A microfluidic device may be provided. The microfluidic device comprises a processing surface having an aperture. The microfluidic device comprises a liquid ejection channel. The liquid ejection channel guides to the aperture. The microfluidic device comprises a first liquid injection channel guiding to the liquid ejection channel. The first liquid injection channel has a first end and a second end and is arranged to provide a fluid flow from the first end to the second end. At least a portion of the first liquid injection channel is closer to the processing surface than (both) the first and second ends to sediment particles.

A method of separating a metal organic framework (MOF) from a solution and associated apparatus. The method comprises: providing a MOF containing solution; contacting the MOF containing solution with an acoustic reflector surface such that, any high frequency ultrasound applied within the MOF containing solution reflects off the acoustic reflector surface; and applying a high frequency ultrasound of at least 20 kHz to the MOF containing solution. The MOF material is substantially separated from solution as aggregated sediment that settles out of solution.

A system and process for removing solids from raw, untreated liquid that combines mechanical techniques, such as via shakers, hydrocyclones and/or centrifuges, with an additive technique for removal of smaller solids. The additive is selected according to the application. In drilling mud applications, preferred additive embodiments are polyaluminum chloride or polyacrylamide flocculants. Preferably, liquid additive precursors are pre-mixed separately and are then blended before injection into the solids removal process. Some embodiments provide an externally-actuated rack and pinion mud screen lock for simplified screen lockdown on shakers. Some embodiments provide a separate preliminary processing and feed system for pretreatment of the raw, untreated liquid.

A fluid device 10 includes: a flow path 20 through which a fluid containing a fine particle flows; an ultrasonic transmitter 60 configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to the fluid in the flow path 20 in response to an input of a drive signal; a flow velocity measurement unit 40 configured to measure a flow velocity of the fluid in the flow path 20; and a controller 70 configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter 60. The controller 70 sets an amplitude of the drive signal according to a measured flow velocity that is a flow velocity measured by the flow velocity measurement unit 40, and inputs the drive signal having the set amplitude to the ultrasonic transmitter 60.

Methods are disclosed for separating beads and cells from a host fluid. The method includes flowing a mixture containing the host fluid, the beads, and the cells through an acoustophoretic device having an ultrasonic transducer including a piezoelectric material driven by a drive signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave. A drive signal is sent to drive the at least one ultrasonic transducer to create the multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave. A recirculating fluid stream having a tangential flow path is located substantially tangential to the standing wave and separated therefrom by an interface region. A portion of the cells pass through the standing wave, and the beads are held back from the standing wave in the recirculating fluid stream at the interface region. Also disclosed is an acoustophoretic device having a coolant inlet adapted to permit the ingress of a cooling fluid into the device for cooling the transducer.

A method and system are provided for extracting a target analyte from a sample using acoustic ejection technology. The method involves applying focused acoustic energy to a fluid reservoir housing a fluid composition that contains a target analyte and comprises an upper region and a lower region, where the concentration of the target analyte in the upper region differs from that in the lower region. The focused acoustic energy is applied in a manner that is effective to result in the ejection of a fluid droplet from from the fluid composition into a droplet receiver, wherein the concentration of the analyte in the droplet corresponds to either the concentration of the analyte in the upper region or the concentration of the analyte in the lower region, and wherein the concentration of the analyte is substantially uniform throughout the droplet. The fluid composition may comprise an ionic liquid, used in the extraction of ionic target analytes. Related methods and an acoustic extraction system are also provided.

A mobile crop processing system includes a self-propelled harvester that shears and chops plant material, a mobile extraction assembly that follows the harvester and receives the chopped plant material to produce a crude oil output while discarding unwanted moisture and biomass in the field, a field-based extraction assembly that separates the crude oil into reclaimed solvent and essential oil, and a transporter for carrying containers of crude oil and solvent between the mobile and field-based extraction assemblies. The mobile extraction assembly includes a pre-treatment assembly for mixing plant material with solvent, a dewatering and maceration assembly for removing moisture from the plant material, and a separation assembly for removing additional moisture and biomass. Using the system, crops can be harvested and processed in the field when they are ready to be cut. The system can operate continuously until a desired portion of the field has been cut and processed.

An acoustophoretic system is controlled and driven to attain a desired level of performance. An RF controller and a driver provide a frequency and power to an acoustic transducer, which can be implemented as a piezoelectric element, which presents a reactive load or a complex load. A controller implements a control technique for efficient transducer operation. The control technique can locate a frequency for operation that is at a reactance minimum or maximum for the system to produce a modal pattern and to provide efficient operation of the transducer. A method of detecting a minimum or maximum reactance in a acoustophoretic system used to trap, separate, deflect, cluster, fractionate or otherwise process particles or secondary fluids or tertiary fluids in a primary fluid and utilizing the frequency of the detected reactance to operate the acoustophoretic system.

Devices for separating a host fluid from a second fluid or particulate are disclosed. The devices include an acoustic chamber, a fluid outlet at a top end of the acoustic chamber, a concentrate outlet at a bottom end of the acoustic chamber, and an inlet on a first side end of the acoustic chamber. An ultrasonic transducer and reflector create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber that traps and separates particulates (e.g. cells) from a host fluid. The host fluid is collected via the fluid outlet, and the particulates are collected via the concentrate outlet. The device is a large-scale device that is able to process liters/hour, and has a large interior volume.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods of high throughput separation. A device comprises a reservoir for receiving a fluid in a flow direction and a transducer for generating a pressure field that is not perpendicular to the flow direction of the fluid through the reservoir. A method comprises receiving a fluid in a flow direction into a reservoir comprising an array of openings on at least one side of the channel or reservoir, generating a pressure field that is not perpendicular to the flow of the fluid through the reservoir, wherein at least one node and at least one antinode of the pressure field are within the reservoir, and separating the plurality of objects within the fluid, wherein at least a first object is retained within the reservoir and at least a second object is passed from the reservoir through the array of openings.