An adhering substance removing device is configured to remove adhering substances on an exterior member of a vehicle body. The device includes a vibration generator and a vibration transmitting member. The vibration generator is configured to generate vibrations. The vibration transmitting member includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface faces the exterior member. The second surface is inclined with an acute angle relative to the first surface. The vibration generator is mounted on the second surface. The vibration transmitting member is softer than the exterior member. The vibration transmitting member is configured to generate surface waves that advance in a predetermined direction in the exterior member.

In order to meet the objectives described above, the present invention provides a robot for detecting breakdown of NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) in a production system, in order to plan operations to remove scale containing radioactive material, and for decommissioning subsea system operations. The fields of application are the area of flow assurance and reservoir management, using operations to chemically remove scale containing NORM in the production system, and to improve the safety of the decommissioning processes of production systems. The invention allows the position of the scale inside the production system to be safely detected, such as, for example, the beginning of the deposit inside a production line, the extension of the deposit, and the end of the deposit, as well as whether the deposit occurred at different points along the production line.

A sensor system includes: a housing having an internal wall defining an opening; a transparent window mounted within the opening; a sensor device within the housing and having at least one of a sensor output or a sensor input alignable with the transparent window; a vibration device in communication with the transparent window, where the vibration device is controllable to produce a first sonic movement; where the transparent window is movably responsive to the first sonic movement with a second sonic movement; and at least one damping member located between the transparent window and the sensor device, where the damping member substantially isolates the sensor device from at least the second sonic movement of the transparent window. A method includes determining a cleaning trigger corresponding to cleaning the transparent window; and controlling, in response to the cleaning trigger, a vibration frequency, amplitude, or duration of the vibration device.

An apparatus for reducing concentration polarization and/or membrane fouling on a membrane surface in a filter unit (102) during a membrane separation process and/or a filter cleaning process. The apparatus includes (i) a signal generator (106) that generates electrical signals when there is a fluid flow in the filter unit (102) and (ii) an ultrasonic transducer assembly (108) that receives the electrical signal from the signal generator to generate ultrasonic waves using one or more ultrasonic transducers (604). The ultrasonic waves pass through the filter unit (102) during the membrane separation process and/or the filter cleaning process and generate at least one of a turbulence in the flow of fluid or a vibration on the membrane surface to dislodge particles clogging the membrane surface, thereby reducing the concentration polarization and/or the membrane fouling on the membrane surface of the filter unit (102), which in turn increasing membrane permeability and efficiency.

A method for cleaning an object includes steps of delivering a cleaning medium to a surface of the object, delivering ultrasonic waves to the object to atomize the cleaning medium, and applying a vacuum airflow to collect atomized cleaning medium.

A mobile device comprising: a display; a first sensor to detect a cloth approaching a surface of the display; an ultrasonic emitter to emit ultrasonic waves towards the cloth; a second sensor to track a pressure a user exerts on the surface of the display; and a processing unit to: determine if the material of the cloth is hard or soft; in response to the material being hard, alert the user that the cloth is not appropriate to clean the surface of the display; and alert the user that the entire display was not cleaned with the cloth.

A method for decontaminating a low-temperature article to accomplish decontaminating a surface of the such article, and to reduce duration of operations to increase efficiency of decontamination, and a pass box used in such method.

The method includes an applying step of applying a decontamination agent to external surfaces of the article, and a drying step of irradiating the article with agent thereon with ultrasonic waves and drying the surface. In the applying step, a gas, fog or mist of the decontamination agent is supplied to a target surface to form a condensed film of the agent on the target surface. In the drying step, dry air is supplied to the target surface.

Devices and methods for detecting one or more characteristics of cells with patch clamp electrodes, wherein the used patch clamp electrodes are cleaned by application of ultrasonic vibrations.

A cleaning device includes a housing holding an imaging device, a protective cover located in a field of view of the imaging device, a vibrator to vibrate the protective cover, a piezoelectric driver to drive the vibrator, a cleaning liquid discharger to discharge, onto a surface of the protective cover, a cleaning liquid including an abrasive, and a signal processing circuit to control the piezoelectric driver and the cleaning liquid discharger. When causing the cleaning liquid discharger to discharge the cleaning liquid, the signal processing circuit can control the piezoelectric driver such that the protective cover is vibrated at a vibration acceleration of larger than about 8.0×10.sup.5 m/s.sup.2 and equal to or less than about 21.0×10.sup.5 m/s.sup.2.

A method for cleaning a semiconductor fabrication equipment part having gas holes used in single-wafer type semiconductor fabrication equipment for processing semiconductor wafers, wherein the semiconductor fabrication equipment part having gas holes is formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and has a distribution plate having a plurality of gas holes, the method including: a step (1) of scanning a gas injection surface of the distribution place, which is a surface facing the wafer, with a laser beam; and a step (2) of bringing the gas injection surface and insides of the gas holes into contact with a cleaning liquid containing an inorganic acid.