The present disclosure relates to improved magnetic mixing assemblies and mixing system. The magnetic mixing assemblies can provide improved mixing action, ease of use, and low friction. The mixing assemblies can be adapted for use with a wide variety of containers including narrower neck containers and flexible containers.

A magnetically actuated mixing straw for mixing a beverage comprises magnetic protrusions located at boom end of the straw. A beverage container containing the mixing straw is placed on top of a magnetic stirrer that causes the mixing straw to rotate and mix the beverage container contents.

Methods of concentrating beads in a droplet and/or loading beads on a fluidic device are provided, including among other things, a method of concentrating beads in a droplet, the method comprising: (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising: (i) an interior droplet operations volume; and (ii) a reservoir exterior to the interior volume; (iii) a droplet established in a liquid path extending from the reservoir into the interior volume; (b) providing magnetically responsive beads in the portion of the droplet which is in the reservoir; (c) magnetically attracting the magnetically responsive beads through the liquid path into the portion of the droplet which is in the interior volume; and (d) forming a droplet comprising one or more of the magnetically responsive beads in the interior volume.

A disposable container, such as a deformable bag, for a fluid, having one or more inlets and one or more outlets and an impeller assembly within the container to cause mixing, dispersing, homogenizing and/or circulation of one or more ingredients contained or added to the container. The region within the container that can contain liquid is funnel shaped, which allows very low fluid level mixing, dispensing while mixing, and a reduction or elimination of vortex formation.

A chilled beverage dispenser includes a lower housing, one or more bowls for storing a beverage positioned on the lower housing, and one or more locking members. Each locking member is rotatable between a first (closed) position, in which the locking member engages and prevents a bowl from being removed, and a second (open) position, in which the bowl may be readily removed from the lower housing. The chilled beverage dispenser may also include a bracket at the rear of the lower housing which engages a rear portion of a bowl, also preventing the bowl from being removed from the lower housing. The chilled beverage dispenser may also include a handle for engaging a dispensing valve, which is slidably removable from a cradle at the front of the bowl. The chilled beverage dispenser may also include a removable impeller cover and spray tube inside of the bowl.

A machine (1) for stirring a liquid food substance has: a container (10) delimiting a cavity (11) with a bottom (12) and a peripheral wall (13) for containing the liquid food substance to be stirred; an impeller (20) comprising an impelling member (21) which is configured to be rotated in the cavity (11), the impeller (20) including an arrangement of driven magnetic elements (26) in the form of permanent magnets; and a motor (30) having an output shaft (31) that is magnetically coupled to the impelling member (21) via the container bottom (12) and/or peripheral wall (13) for driving the impelling member (21), the output shaft (31) driving an arrangement of driving magnetic elements (36,36′) that cooperate magnetically with the driven magnetic elements (26) so as to drive the impeller (20) in rotation. One of the driven magnetic elements (26) is positioned to: generally face a first driving magnetic element (36) in a generally attraction orientation relative to said one driven magnetic element (26), the first driving magnetic element (36) driving this one driven magnetic element (26) in rotation; and be off-set relative to a second driving magnetic element (36′) in a generally repulsion orientation relative to the one driven magnetic element (26), the second magnetic element (36′) driving the one driven magnetic element (26) in rotation.

An analysis unit formed by an analysis body housing an analysis chamber and having a sample inlet and a supply channel configured to fluidically connect the sample inlet to the analysis chamber. Dried assay reagents are arranged in the analysis chamber and are contained in an alveolar mass. For instance, the alveolar mass is a lyophilized mass formed by excipients and by assay-specific reagents.

Magnetic stir bar having at least one permanent magnet to spin the magnetic stir bar when the magnetic stir bar is subjected to a rotating magnetic field. The magnetic stir bar has a chamber to store a product within the magnetic stir bar. The magnetic stir bar has a closed configuration in which the chamber is closed and an open configuration in which the chamber is open. The magnetic stir bar automatically reconfigures itself from the closed configuration to the open configuration when said magnetic stir bar is spun at or above a threshold rotational speed.

A water dispenser for improving water quality comprising: a transparent water container having an internal and an external side; a container cover; a loudspeaker within the cover playing positive sounds inside the container; a base divided by a partition with an upper and a lower part to hold the water container; a free internal magnet in water located inside the container configured to create a water vortex in the water; an external magnet located in the base upper part connected to an axis configured to mix the water and the free internal magnet; an axis for connecting the external magnet to an external motor in the base lower part; the external motor affixed to the partition and to the axis, configured to rotate the lower external magnet and to rotate the internal magnet to mix the water; and a water tap, through which a user pours water to a receptacle.

The invention refers to a flow-promoting device (100; 100; 100″) for performing a biological or chemical transformation, or physical or chemical trapping from, or release of agents to, a fluidic medium. The flow-promoting device (100; 100; 100″) comprises a ferromagnetic material (5) and a retaining structure (1; 1; 1″), the retaining structure having a compartment (9; 9″) defined by a permeable material (11; 11″). The retaining structure (1; 1; 1″) comprises a top wall (3; 3″) and a circumferential side wall (4; 4″), wherein the top wall (3; 3″) and the circumferential side wall (4; 4″) is formed mainly by said permeable material (11; 11″). The compartment (9; 9″) of the retaining structure (1; 1; 1″) is arranged to contain at least one fluid-permeable solid reaction member.