A method for maintaining a fluidic dispensing device includes providing a fluidic dispensing device having a fluid reservoir containing fluid, the fluid reservoir being defined in part by a base wall, and having a stir bar located in the fluid reservoir adjacent to the base wall, and having a fluid ejection chip having a fluid ejection direction; positioning the fluidic dispensing device at a predetermined orientation, wherein the fluid ejection direction is oriented in a range of upward vertical, plus or minus 90 degrees; and rotating the stir bar in a first rotational direction starting with a first rotational speed and increasing rotational velocity from the first rotational speed to a second rotational speed.

The invention is related to a device for suspending particles in a fluid, wherein the mixing device includes a first magnet (1) rotating around a longitudinal axis (2), a mixing rod (4) attached to a mount (6), the mount including a second magnet (3), wherein the mount (6) moves in a substantially orthogonal motion to the longitudinal axis of the mixing rod (4) by the interaction of the rotating first magnet with the second magnet (3).

A fluidic dispensing device includes a housing having a chamber that defines an interior space, and has an inlet port and an outlet port. A flow control portion has a flow separator feature. The flow separator feature is positioned adjacent the inlet port. A stir bar is located in the chamber, has a rotational axis, and has a plurality of paddles, with each paddle having a free end tip. The stir bar has a stir bar radius from the rotational axis to the free end tip. A guide portion confines the stir bar in a predetermined portion of the interior space of the chamber. A ratio of the stir bar radius and a clearance distance between the free end tip and the flow control portion is 5:2 to 5:0.025.

A mixing device with a stirring element includes a container (3) for receiving fluids and/or solids, at least one rotatable stirring element (100) for mixing the fluids and/or solids, at least one bearing element for the support of the stirring element (100). The stirring element (100) has at least one non-permanently magnetized element (118) so that the stirring element (100) can be put in a rotational movement by externally induced reluctance forces. A drive device having at least two pair of coils (208) through which current flows also is provided. A mixing device system includes the mixing device and the drive device. A method also is provided for driving a stirring element in a mixing device.

Apparatus and method for forming beverages using a beverage cartridge and sonic energy. A cartridge may include a sonic receiver, such as a feature that extends into an interior space of the cartridge and is arranged to receive a sonic emitter that introduces sonic energy into the interior space. The sonic receiver may be excited by sonic energy, which causes the sonic receiver to itself introduce sonic energy into the cartridge.

Embodiments of the method disclosed regard use of a torque sensor (e.g., transducer) and using the measured torque to detect the different fluid and mixing properties, conditions, and abnormalities in a mixing process. The torque produced in the mixing process relates to different fluid properties such as viscosity and density. It also relates to different mixing conditions such as presence of obstacles and changes or issues with gas sparging. Moreover, torque measurements enable determination of power transmitted to fluid by actual measurement, in contrast to using solely empirical impeller power number and speed, and allowing for actual mass transfer determination (i.e., gas transfer calculations).

A linear reciprocating actuator for mixing, agitating, separation, continuous sampling and/or harvesting or filtration, gas mixing, and various other applications. The actuator may have a housing closed on one end, and attached to a vessel in a hermetically-sealed manner such that it is part of the fluidic envelope of the vessel. An agitation device may be attached to a shaft which is partially surrounded by the housing, or the agitation device may surround the housing where the housing protrudes into the vessel. The actuator enables agitation of the contents of a hermetically-sealed vessel without mechanical coupling from outside the fluidic envelope of the process. The agitation device is solely acted upon by a magnetic field, is contained entirely within the fluidic envelope of the process, and is not attached to the vessel in any way. The magnetic flux which drives the agitation device passes through the housing.

A device for use in a laboratory and operable as both a centrifuge and a magnetic stirrer includes a housing defining a cavity therein, a motor coupled to the housing, and a spindle driven by the motor and rotatable about a first axis. The device also includes a first rotor removably couplable to the spindle and configured to support at least one tube therein, and a second rotor removably couplable to the spindle and including at least one magnet. The device also includes a controller in communication with the motor and operable in a first mode of operation when the first rotor is coupled to the spindle and operable in a second mode of operation when the second rotor is coupled to the spindle.

A mixing apparatus for mixing or stirring substances includes a mixing tank for receiving the substances, a rotor arranged in the mixing tank with which a vane for mixing or stirring the substances can be driven to rotate about an axial direction, and a stator arranged outside the mixing tank and with which the rotor can be driven contactlessly magnetically to rotate about the axial direction in the operating state and is supported magnetically with respect to the stator. A bar extends in the axial direction and is rotationally fixed to the rotor, and a limiting element fixed with respect to the mixing tank cooperates with the bar, with the limiting element being configured such that the bar rotates with respect to the limiting element and with a tilt of the rotor being limited by a physical contact between the bar and the limiting element.

There is provided a method and apparatus for indirect magnetic treatment of fluids/gases, where a magnetic or electromagnetic field having a certain dimension, geometry and flux density is, in a first step, applied to a working fluid/gas to obtain the directly magnetized fluid/gas. Then the directly magnetized fluid/gas is used in a second step as a magnetizer or a magnetic treating agent for magnetizing indirectly the normal non-magnetized fluid/gas by mixing the directly magnetized fluid/gas and normal non-magnetized fluid/gas in accordance with a predetermined mixing ratio and mixing method between the directly magnetized fluid/gas and normal non-magnetized working fluid/gas. Afterwards, the resultant mixed or indirectly-magnetized fluid/gas is used in the proper application directly or stored in a storage tank for later use. Possible applications for the invention include, but not limited to, all previous applications of the direct magnetic treatment of fluid/gas such as water treatment, hydrocarbon fuel treatment.