The invention concerns a novel acoustofluidic device to separate acoustically active particles from fluids comprising a novel device arrangement for improved acoustic pressure and particle velocity; and a method of separating particles from a fluid comprising use of same.

An acoustic wave with an acoustic field with a large number of multi-directional gradients can provide an edge effect that be used to form an interface region relative to the acoustic wave. The interface region can block material with certain characteristics related to the nature of the interface region. Other material that is less influenced by the acoustic properties of the interface region can pass through the acoustic wave. This technique permits separation of materials using the edge effect and interface region.

An object of the invention is to provide an optical analysis method and an optical analysis system capable of accurately performing an optical analysis by using transmitted light even though a sample contains a turbid substance. The optical analysis method of the present disclosure is an optical analysis method for irradiating a sample s containing a turbid substance in a cell 11 with light and performing optical analysis on the sample s by using transmitted light of the light. The optical analysis method includes: exciting the sample s in the cell 11 by irradiation with ultrasonic waves while adjusting a frequency of the ultrasonic waves such that an intensity of the transmitted light is maximized, and then performing the optical analysis in a state where the sample s is irradiated with ultrasonic waves of this adjusted frequency.

A semi-submersible drilling vessel has a deckbox structure and a shaker room. A downward sloping mud return line is provided that passes mud from the diverter to the shaker room. In the shaker room there are one or more shale shaker devices, one or more upstream mud tanks arranged to receive gas cut mud from the one or more shale shaker devices, and a vacuum degasser having an inlet pipe extending into an upstream mud tank, a vacuum tank, a vacuum pump, and an outlet, and a degassed mud tank receiving degassed mud from the outlet of the vacuum degasser. The degassed mud tank has an effective height between the bottom thereof to the operational mud level in said degassed mud tank that is greater than the corresponding effective height of said one or more upstream mud tanks. The degassed mud tank is mounted so that—in operation—the operational mud level in said degassed mud tank is at least 1.5 meter, preferably at least 2 meters, higher than in said one or more upstream tanks with the vacuum degassers self-suction effect causing the mud to be pumped from the upstream tank, via the vacuum degasser, into the degassed mud tank.

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.

The invention relates to a device (1) for disintegrating particles (3) of a suspension with ultrasonic sound, the device (1) comprising: a channel (10) for a suspension, wherein the channel (10) comprises a particle-processing portion (12), at least one pump (20) configured and arranged to adjust a flow velocity of the suspension in the channel (10), at least one ultrasonic sound source (30), arranged such at the channel (10) that an ultrasonic field generated by the ultrasonic sound source (30) extends at least in the particle-processing portion (12) inside the channel (10), wherein the device (1) comprises an instrumentation and control system configured to regulate the flow velocity of the suspension such that particles (3) of the suspension are arrangeable in a predefined spatial particle distribution in the particle-processing portion (12) of the channel (10) by adjusting the flow velocity of the suspension with respect to an inertial force (40) acting on the suspension, wherein the inertial force (40) is gravity (42) or a centrifugal force (44), characterized in that the device (1) comprises a plasma source (80), wherein the plasma source (80) is arranged such that a plasma generated by the plasma source (80) extends into the particle-processing portion (12) or upstream of the particle-processing portion (12).

A method for preparing and processing a sample is provided. The method includes obtaining a sample including biofluid. The method further includes purifying at least part of the sample via an acoustic separator to separate target cells from the sample. The sample may accordingly be at least partially purified. The method further includes causing a portion of an output collected from the acoustic separator to flow through a filter. At least one reagent, such as a lysis reagent or assay reagent, is caused to flow over the cells.

A drilling fluid shaker screen system includes a screen assembly that includes a screen including a plurality of screen sections. A first screen section includes a first screen mesh size and a second screen section includes a second screen mesh size different than the first screen mesh size. The drilling fluid shaker screen system further includes a rotation assembly mounted to the screen assembly. The rotation assembly includes one or more rollers moveable to rotate the screen assembly about an axis of rotation. The drilling fluid shaker screen system further includes a motor assembly coupled to the screen assembly and configured to vibrate the screen assembly. A housing includes a cuttings outlet that is fluidly coupled to a cuttings inlet formed in the screen and a liquid outlet separate from the cuttings outlet that is fluidly coupled to the plurality of screen sections.

The invention relates to a device (1) for disintegrating particles (3) of a suspension with ultrasonic sound, the device (1) comprising: a channel (10) for a suspension, wherein the channel (10) comprises a particle-processing portion (12), at least one pump (20) configured and arranged to adjust a flow velocity of the suspension in the channel (10), at least one ultrasonic sound source (30), arranged such at the channel (10) that an ultrasonic field generated by the ultrasonic sound source (30) extends at least in the particle-processing portion (12) inside the channel (10), wherein the device (1) comprises an instrumentation and control system configured to regulate the flow velocity of the suspension such that particles (3) of the suspension are arrangeable in a predefined spatial particle distribution in the particle-processing portion (12) of the channel (10) by adjusting the flow velocity of the suspension with respect to an inertial force (40) acting on the suspension, wherein the inertial force (40) is gravity (42) or a centrifugal force (44), characterized in that the device (1) comprises a plasma source (80), wherein the plasma source (80) is arranged such that a plasma generated by the plasma source (80) extends into the particle-processing portion (12) or upstream of the particle-processing portion (12).

Method and apparatus to facilitate recycling of at least one fraction of bitumen-containing materials. This can be accomplished by dissolving the at least one fraction, for example, maltenes or asphaltenes in roofing shingles, into at least one solvent. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a dissolution vessel, a tumbler positioned therein, and at least one solvent distributor. The tumbler is configured to facilitate wetting the bitumen-containing materials with solvent. In a second aspect, a system comprises the apparatus, a solid-liquid separator, for example, a vibratory screen, and at least one solvent-fraction separator, for example, a flash drum. The at least one solvent can comprise one or more solvents useful to extract the at least one fraction. In a third aspect, a first fraction is extracted from the bitumen-containing materials with a first solvent composition, then a second fraction is extracted from the remaining bitumen-containing materials with a second solvent composition.