A beverage dispenser includes a mixing portion to mix a plurality of beverage ingredients and a dispensing portion to dispense the mixed beverage. The dispenser further includes a product input portion having a plurality of refillable ingredient bins operably connectible to the mixing portion. Each refillable ingredient bin includes a self-closing seal located at a bin outlet to prevent leakage of the beverage ingredients from the bin outlet when the refillable ingredient bin is disconnected from the mixing portion. An ingredient bin assembly for a beverage dispensing machine includes a refillable ingredient bin having a bin outlet and a self-closing seal positioned at the bin outlet to prevent leakage of beverage ingredients from the bin outlet when the refillable ingredient bin is disconnected from a beverage dispensing machine.

A fluid mixing system that can be used as a bioreactor or fermentor can include a stand and a support housing pivotably mounted to the stand. The support housing bounds a chamber into which a container assembly is removably disposed. The container assembly includes a flexible bag bounding a compartment adapted to hold a fluid and a mixing element disposed within the compartment. The support housing can be tilted relative to the stand for ease in insertion of the container assembly. The support housing can also be repeatedly rocked relative to the stand form mixing fluid within the container assembly.

An automated selecting and mixing machine including a cabin disposed within a housing structure, the cabin configured to receive a container from a user, the container containing a base medium, a container engagement element, the container engagement element being movable from a first position to a second position to manipulate a lid of the container, a plurality of dispensers, the plurality of dispensers configured to dispense an element into the container to mix with the base medium, a mixing mechanism located in the cabin, configured to manipulate the container positioned within the cabin to achieve a mixed product, and a user interface coupled to the housing structure, wherein a user selects the mixed product using the user interface to initiate an automated process of the automated selecting and mixing machine, is provided. Furthermore, an associated method, computer system, and computer program product is also provided.

A microfluidic element for thoroughly mixing a liquid with a reagent used for the analysis of the liquid for an analyte contained therein and a method thereof are disclosed. The microfluidic element has a substrate and a channel structure. The channel structure includes an elongate mixing channel and an output channel. The mixing channel has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and is implemented to mix the reagent contained therein with the liquid flowing through the inlet opening into the mixing channel. The outlet opening of the mixing channel is in fluid communication to the output channel. The outlet opening is positioned closer to the middle of the length of the mixing channel than the inlet opening.

A method for mixing a fluid includes: dispensing a first volume of a fluid into a flexible container, the flexible container being at least partially disposed within the chamber of a support housing; repeatedly moving the support housing and the flexible container contained therein so as to mix the first volume of fluid within the flexible container; adding further fluid into the flexible container after moving the support housing to form a second volume of fluid; and manipulating a mixing element within the flexible container so as to mix the second volume of fluid.

An antibody-resin coupling apparatus quickly and efficiently activates resin beads and couples them to antibodies, while preventing breakdown and crosslinking of the beads, thereby improving downstream column purification processes, extending the usable life of the resin beads, and increasing molecule capture efficiency of the resultant resin-antibody complexes, to allow improved isolation and purification of factor VIII molecules or other drug compounds.

There is provided a method of producing microparticles using an emulsion based synthesis route including: Providing a first fluid phase and a second fluid phase, wherein the first fluid phase is a continuous phase and the second fluid phase is a dispersed phase comprising a dispersed material, wherein the continuous phase is immiscible with the dispersed phase; Mixing the first continuous phase and the second dispersed phase in the presence of a surfactant in a shear device to form an emulsion of droplets of controllable size and having a narrow drop size distribution; Drying the emulsion to form microparticles of controllable size and having narrow size distribution, and wherein the microparticles may comprise spherical, crumpled, dimpled, porous or hollow microparticles morphology. Also provided is a system including shear device and drying arrangement. Also provided are micro particles of controllable size and morphology formed by the method.

Food processing can include providing a reservoir for holding a liquid; and injecting the liquid from the reservoir into a container for processing a set of ingredients.

Apparatus for injection of fluid into an extruder is provided, including a static mixer section with a pipe assembly coupled with the static mixer outlet and leading to the extruder barrel; the pipe assembly outlet and barrel injection opening have diameters less than the maximum internal diameter of the static mixer casing. The invention greatly simplifies the fluid injection apparatus used with extruders, while giving more efficient absorption of thermal energy with a minimum of environmental contamination, and the ability to inject multiple streams into the extruder.

Apparatus for injection of fluid into an extruder is provided, including a static mixer section with a pipe assembly coupled with the static mixer outlet and leading to the extruder barrel; the pipe assembly outlet and barrel injection opening have diameters less than the maximum internal diameter of the static mixer casing. The invention greatly simplifies the fluid injection apparatus used with extruders, while giving more efficient absorption of thermal energy with a minimum of environmental contamination, and the ability to inject multiple streams into the extruder.