A method for disrupting solid materials suspended in a fluid medium includes introducing a fluid comprising solid materials dispersed in a fluid medium into a fluid duct, flowing the fluid through an annular space between a cylindrical wall of the fluid duct and an outer surface of a cylindrical acoustic projector that is concentric with the cylindrical wall, the acoustic projector comprising a plurality of hammer elements spaced apart from one another by a first plurality of slots in the acoustic projector, supplying electrical energy to a transducer coupled to the acoustic projector to cause the acoustic projector to vibrate, thereby causing cavitations in the fluid, and flowing the fluid through an outlet of the disruptor after the fluid has been exposed to the cavitations. The cavitations can disrupt solid materials such as pulp, flowers, stems and seeds to release juice or oils from the materials.

A mist inhaler device (200) for generating a mist comprising a therapeutic for inhalation by a user. The device comprises a mist generator device (201) and a driver device (202). The driver device (202) is configured to drive the mist generator device (201) at an optimum frequency to maximise the efficiency of mist generation by the mist generator device (201).

An aerosol generating device includes a main body including a cartridge fastening area, a cartridge detachably fastened to the cartridge fastening area, and a temperature sensor positioned to face the cartridge fastening area in the main body and including an infrared sensor, wherein the cartridge includes a reservoir configured to store an aerosol generating material, a transmission member configured to receive the aerosol generating material from the reservoir, a vibrator assembly configured to atomize the aerosol generating material by vibrating the transmission member, a housing configured to accommodate the reservoir, the transmission member, and the vibrator assembly and including a sensor hole formed at a position opposite to the temperature sensor, and a lens positioned between the sensor hole and the temperature sensor.

A method for reducing foreign body response in a subject caused by an electrode implanted in a subject's neural tissue at a target site provides positioning a device having a body, ultrasonic transducer, and acoustic coupling medium in contact with the neural tissue proximate to the target site. The method continues with activating a transducer, generating acoustic vibrations, transmitting the acoustic vibrations to the neural tissue at the target site, and applying the acoustic vibrations to the neural tissue at the target site sufficient to reduce the foreign body response in the neural tissue at the target site. The acoustic vibrations are preferably in the ultrasonic range and are pulsed for a duration of 5-200 milliseconds. A treatment protocol may consist of repeat sessions in which the transducer is activated and the acoustic vibrations are applied for 1-15 minutes, then turned off for 1-15 minutes, and repeated 2-10 times.

A vibration device includes a tubular vibration body, a retainer fixed to the vibration body, and a light transmissive body to be vibrated by the vibration body and held between the vibration body and the retainer. The light transmissive body includes a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface. The vibration body includes one end supporting the first surface of the light transmissive body. The retainer includes a side wall including a first end and a second end surrounding an outer circumference of the light transmissive body, and a supporting portion extending inwardly with respect to the side wall from the first end of the side wall. The retainer is fixed to the vibration body at a portion in contact with the vibration body on a side of the second end. The supporting portion includes a supporting surface on a side of the second surface of the light transmissive body to support the second surface of the light transmissive body.

Please delete the present Abstract of the Disclosure.

Please add the following new Abstract of the Disclosure:

An ultrasonic wave generation device and system for inhibiting decreased intensity of an ultrasonic wave owing to adhesive. A waveguide (13) separate from an ultrasonic wave converging part (12) that is adhered to an ultrasonic wave generation source (11) adhesive (20). When a line projecting an outer circumferential edge (11B) of the source (11) onto a reflection surface (16) along an advancing direction of an ultrasonic wave generated from the source (11) is defined as imaginary line (L1), and straight lines passing through points on line (L1) and focus (Fs) for the reflection surface (16) are defined as imaginary lines (L2), and a line formed by intersection points between a reflection surface (17) and the lines (L2) is defined as imaginary line (L3), the adhesive (20) is, on an inner circumferential side relative to the source (11), provided in a region on an outer circumferential side relative to line (L3).

The present invention provides an ultrasonic washer that radiates ultrasonic waves from a plurality of vibration surfaces, radiates ultrasonic waves at the same phase, effectively generates cavitation around a nozzle through ultrasonic vibration, and has a high washing effect. The ultrasonic washer of the present invention is characterized by having: a washing tank in which is washed a nozzle that suctions a sample or reagent; and an ultrasonic vibrator having a piezoelectric element sandwiched between a front mass and a back mass, wherein a diaphragm between opposing upper and lower plates is formed at a leading end of the front mass installed at a leading end of the ultrasonic vibrator, and the nozzle is ultrasonically washed in a region between the upper plate and the lower plate.

A communication system may communicate by backscattered acoustic signals that propagate through a liquid or solid. In this system, one or more transmitters may transmit acoustic signals that travel to, and are reflected by, an acoustic backscatter node. The backscatter node may modulate the amplitude and/or phase of the reflected acoustic signals, by varying the acoustic reflectance of a piezoelectric transducer onboard the node. The modulated signals that reflect from the backscatter node may travel to a microphone and may be decoded. The backscatter node may include sensors, and the uplink signals may encode sensor readings. The backscatter node may harvest energy from the downlink acoustic signals, enabling the node and the sensors to be battery-free. Multiple backscatter nodes may communicate concurrently at different acoustic frequencies. To achieve this, each node may have a matching circuit with a different resonant frequency.

Disclosed herein are ultrasound transducers that are selectively insulated to thereby enable the transducers to be exposed to an electrically conductive fluid without causing a short circuit between electrodes of the transducers. Such a transducer includes a piezoelectric transducer body having a first surface and a second surface that are spaced apart from one another and do not intersect with one another. The ultrasound transducer also includes a first electrode disposed on the first surface, a second electrode disposed on the second surface, and an electrical insulator covering only one of first and second electrodes and configured to inhibit electrical conduction between the first electrode and the second electrode when the ultrasound transducer is placed within an electrically conductive fluid. Also disclosed are apparatuses and systems that include such a transducer. Related methods are also disclosed herein.

A speaker comprises a housing, a transducer residing inside the housing, and at least one sound guiding hole located on the housing. The transducer generates vibrations. The vibrations produce a sound wave inside the housing and cause a leaked sound wave spreading outside the housing from a portion of the housing. The at least one sound guiding hole guides the sound wave inside the housing through the at least one sound guiding hole to an outside of the housing. The guided sound wave interferes with the leaked sound wave in a target region. The interference at a specific frequency relates to a distance between the at least one sound guiding hole and the portion of the housing.