A method and system are provided for preparing micro-ingredient feed additives for use in designated feed rations. A micro-ingredient system of the invention includes a plurality of bins that store designated micro-ingredients therein. A master controller of the delivery system provides signals to control system components based on programmed commands corresponding to micro-ingredient batches to be prepared. Slide gate mechanisms are used to prevent loss of micro-ingredients delivered to a receiving receptacle of the system. During delivery of the micro-ingredients to the receptacle and during processing, the micro-ingredients can become airborne and subsequently lost. The slide gate mechanisms also provide controlled access to the receiving receptacle to prevent system errors such as contamination of ingredients in the receptacle, or improper batching of a prescribed micro-ingredient mixture to be delivered to a designated feed ration.

A Container is disclosed with a stirrer device suitable to be installed on machines for dispensing fluid products. The container comprises a tank with a particular configuration defined by two cylinders each having a respective longitudinal axis, wherein the distance between two of the longitudinal axes is less than the diameter of a cylinder, and in which two stirrer units are comprised, coaxial to the cylinders of the tank. The stirrer units have elements that have a radial dimension a little less than the radius of the cylinders and are disposed along the substantial entirety of the longitudinal extension of shafts rotating axially, said shafts not having around them a zone not spatially affected by a stirrer element attached to said corresponding shaft.

[Object] To provide a mixing device capable of accurately mixing a solution in a multi-well plate.

[Solving Means] A mixing device 1 is configured to be attachable to a multi-well plate 30 and includes a casing 100, a plurality of stirrers 11, a plurality of motors 12 as a drive portion, and a mounting portion 16. The casing 100 includes a main surface portion 101 facing an upper surface 301 of the multi-well plate 30. The stirrers 11 protrude from the main surface portion 101 toward wells 31 of the multi-well plate 30. The motors 12 are disposed to the casing 100 and rotate the stirrers 11 about axes thereof. The mounting portion 16 is provided to the casing 100 and is mounted to the multi-well plate 30 to position the casing 100 on the multi-well plate 30.

An apparatus for dye dispensing is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a controller and a tray. The tray communicates with the controller and is configured with at least one opening. At least one canister is configured with an identifier and a dye. The dye is associated with the identifier. A reader communicates with the controller. A dispenser comprises an actuator communicating with the controller and a lever arm. The lever arm is coupled to the actuator and configured with a projection. The reader, based on the identifier, identifies a selected dye in a selected canister associated with a dye formulation. When the selected canister is aligned with a dispensing area, the dispenser applies a downward force on the selected canister and dispenses the selected dye.

System for dispensing a makeup product, having a dispenser (11) that receives at least two cartridges (30), each one having a reservoir containing a base product, the latter leaving the cartridge via an outlet channel (52) of the cartridge, this outlet channel opening out at the outside of the dispenser or near the external surface thereof.

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.

Systems and methods for producing, applying and evaluating coating compositions are disclosed. The amounts of components contained in the coating compositions may be monitored, along with processing parameters when the coating compositions are applied to various substrates. In certain embodiments, the characteristics of a produced sample coating are compared with the characteristics of a target or reference coating to determine if they are sufficiently matched.

Herein disclosed is a method of producing value-added product from light gases, the method comprising: (a) providing light gases comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of C1-C6 compounds and combinations thereof; (b) intimately mixing the light gases with a liquid carrier in a high shear device to form a dispersion of gas in the liquid carrier, wherein the dispersion is supersaturated with the light gases and comprises gas bubbles at least some of which have a mean diameter of less than or equal to about 5 micron(s); (c) allowing the value-added product to form and utilizing vacuum to extract unreacted light gases from the liquid carrier; (d) extracting the value-added product; wherein the value-added product comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of higher hydrocarbons, hydrogen, olefins, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones. A system for producing value-added product from light gases is also disclosed.

A system for dispensing at least one makeup product, including a cup and a dispenser for filling the cup from the bottom with at least one product, the cup being secured to the dispenser at least while it is being filled with said product. The method for dispensing and evaluating makeup, including the steps of: allowing a video link to be established, for example over the Internet, from a camera at a first site to a second site, allowing the second site to operate either directly or indirectly a dispenser of such a dispensing system, present at the first site, this dispenser making it possible to vary the colour of mixture dispensed, and allowing a person present at the first site to apply the mixture dispensed and to send to the second site a corresponding image, so as to receive in return information relating to the result of the makeup.

Novel systems and methods for performing treatment (e.g., coloration) of keratinous fibers are disclosed. The methods and systems utilize one or more of a dispensing device which is configured to provide customized composition for treating keratinous fibers (e.g., a coloring composition), optionally formed from tablets; an optical reader, for obtaining sufficient characteristics of the keratinous fibers to make a realistic prediction of the outcome of a treatment (e.g., coloring treatment); a computational units for predicting an outcome of a treatment, optionally being interfaced with the dispensing device and for selecting a customized treatment; and tablet formulations which are useful in preparing customized composition for treating keratinous fibers. Further disclosed are rapidly disintegrating tablets for use in the preparation of compositions for treating keratinous fibers.