Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

A process for increasing alcohol yield from biomass (the form or agro- or forest residue, grains, hops, etc.), involving multiple hydrodynamic cavitation treatments of biomass filtrateboth before and after fermentation. Carbohydrates extracted from biomass are subjected to a first cavitation treatment to promote additional conversion into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then combined with bacterial species and nutrients, and allowed to ferment. The fermentation product is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to promote further conversion of carbohydrates into bioalcohol. After distillation, the bioalcohol is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to increase its purity.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

A vacuum deaerator degasses material to be processed by placing a rotating rotor with a screen in a vacuum vessel, introducing a liquid material to be processed into the rotor from the interior thereof and causing the liquid to pass through the screen to refine the same. The vacuum deaerator is characterized in that: the screen is a cylinder with a circular cross-section and is in the form of a porous plate in which a plurality of through holes are opened in the radial direction of the cylindrical screen; and the screen is provided such that the area of inflow openings is greater than the area of outflow openings, where the inflow openings are openings of a plurality of penetration portions provided on the inner wall face of the screen and the outflow openings are openings of the plurality of penetration portions provided on the outer wall dace of the screen. Thus, the processing capacity of the vacuum deaerator is improved without increasing the size of the device.

A vacuum deaerator degasses material to be processed by placing a rotating rotor with a screen in a vacuum vessel, introducing a liquid material to be processed into the rotor from the interior thereof and causing the liquid to pass through the screen to refine the same. The vacuum deaerator is characterized in that: the screen is a cylinder with a circular cross-section and is in the form of a porous plate in which a plurality of through holes are opened in the radial direction of the cylindrical screen; and the screen is provided such that the area of inflow openings is greater than the area of outflow openings, where the inflow openings are openings of a plurality of penetration portions provided on the inner wall face of the screen and the outflow openings are openings of the plurality of penetration portions provided on the outer wall dace of the screen. Thus, the processing capacity of the vacuum deaerator is improved without increasing the size of the device.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

Syringe for dispensing foam having a syringe barrel, a nozzle and a bore to receive a syringe plunger having a front end and a back end. The syringe plunger includes at the front end thereof a waste container defined by a cylindrical side wall, a front end wall and a rear end wall, the walls being arranged such that an external cylindrical surface of the walls forms a seal with an internal surface of the syringe barrel. The waste container has an inlet aperture in the front end wall which is in communication with the syringe nozzle when the plunger is fully depressed into the syringe barrel. The waste container further has a hydrophobic vent in the rear end wall thereof which allows air to escape from the waste container while substantially preventing foam from escaping the waste container when the syringe is in use.

A device or system includes a mixer comprising a three-dimensional lattice defining a plurality of tortuous, interconnecting passages therethrough. The mixer is in communication with sources or streams of at least two separate components which, when mixed, form a combined fluid stream. The sources or streams may be, at least initially, on opposite sides of the mixer, or the sources or streams may be on the upstream side of the mixer with an outlet disposed downstream of the mixer. A related method may include providing a mixer comprising a three-dimensional lattice defining a plurality of tortuous, interconnecting passages therethrough, and selecting a material for the mixer based on physical characteristics of said material, said characteristics including a selected one or more of mean flow pore size, thickness and porosity volume.

A process for increasing alcohol yield from biomass (the form or agro- or forest residue, grains, hops, etc.), involving multiple hydrodynamic cavitation treatments of biomass filtrateboth before and after fermentation. Carbohydrates extracted from biomass are subjected to a first cavitation treatment to promote additional conversion into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then combined with bacterial species and nutrients, and allowed to ferment. The fermentation product is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to promote further conversion of carbohydrates into bioalcohol. After distillation, the bioalcohol is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to increase its purity.

A process for extracting carbohydrates from biomass and creating bioalcohol from the extracted carbohydrates. Subjecting the biomass to acid or alkali hydrolysis in a first hydrodynamic cavitation process. Filtering the first cavitated biomass to separate a first filtrate containing extracted carbohydrates. Fermenting the first filtrate to create a bioalcohol and separating the bioalcohol by distillation or similar process. Subjecting the biomass to enzymatic hydrolysis in a second hydrodynamic cavitation process. Filtering the second cavitated biomass to separate a second filtrate containing extracted carbohydrates. Fermenting the second filtrate to create a bioalcohol and separating the bioalcohol by distillation or similar process. The first and second filtrates may be combined and fermented in a single step.