An apparatus and method for providing a simpler and more robust mechanism for transporting materials to be dried through a vacuum microwave chamber in rotating containers. The apparatus (20) has a vacuum chamber (22), an input end (26) to introduce a container (24) into the chamber, and a discharge end (28) to remove the container. The container has spur gear teeth (60) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The apparatus has a single roller (42) having spur gear teeth (46) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The spur gear teeth of the roller mesh with the spur gear teeth of the container such that rotation of the roller about its longitudinal axis rotates the container. The apparatus also includes means for holding the container on the roller, means for moving the container through the chamber, a microwave generator 76 arranged for transmission of microwave radiation from the generator into the chamber, and means for reducing pressure inside the chamber.

An apparatus and method for a low pressure laundry treating appliance having a cabinet defining an interior, and a drum provided within the interior, the drum including at least an inner wall and an outer wall. Pressure differentiations and flash evaporation can enable drying without excess use of conventional heating methods.

A method of using a vacuum chamber to assist in detecting and removing moisture from an instrument having a lumen, e.g., an endoscope is disclosed. Second derivatives of pressure with respect to time are calculated and differences therebetween summed. These summations may be compared to a threshold value to determine whether residual moisture remains on the instrument in the chamber. The vacuum chamber may include a rack for hanging instruments having lumens, such as endoscopes.

[Object] To freeze droplets of a raw material liquid in a shorter drop distance while maintaining a cooling velocity, which is a super high speed, without deteriorating a solute or dispersoid.

[Solving Means] A vacuum freeze-drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a vacuum freeze-drying method that includes steps of injecting a raw material liquid from an injection nozzle inside a vacuum chamber, generating frozen particles by self-freezing of the raw material liquid, and drying the generated frozen particles to thereby produce a dry powder, including: injecting the raw material liquid from the injection nozzle in a state in which the vacuum chamber is maintained at water vapor partial pressure corresponding to a self-freezing temperature of the raw material liquid, such that an injection initial velocity of the raw material liquid from the injection nozzle is 6 m/s or more and 33 m/s or less; and adjusting, when the maximum diameter of the generated frozen particle exceeds a predetermined value or droplets of the raw material liquid are unfrozen, an injection flow rate of the raw material liquid from the injection nozzle or properties of the injection nozzle such that frozen particles having a maximum diameter equal to or smaller than the predetermined value are generated.

A continuous microwave vacuum-drying method includes loading, onto a conveyor belt, a lower half of an integrated container, filing, by a frozen-drug dispenser, a first chamber of a lower half of an integrated container with a frozen compound, exposing, by microwave emitters within a vacuum chamber, the frozen compound of the first chamber of the lower half of the integrated container to microwave radiation to lyophilize the frozen compound into a lyophilized compound, filing, by a reconstitution solution dispenser, a second chamber of the lower half of the integrated container with a reconstitution solution, removing, by the conveyor belt, the lower half of the integrated container out of the vacuum chamber, and sealing, by a container sealer, an upper half of the integrated container onto the lower half of the integrated container to create a prefilled integrated package.

An apparatus and method for a low pressure laundry treating appliance having a cabinet defining an interior, and a drum provided within the interior, the drum including at least an inner wall and an outer wall. Pressure differentiations and flash evaporation can enable drying without excess use of conventional heating methods.

A method of drying high sugar content food products such as honey and molasses in a vacuum microwave chamber. The method comprises loading the food product into the vacuum chamber, and exposing the food product to a vacuum pressure in the range of 45 to 250 Torr (60 to 333 mbar) in the vacuum chamber while irradiating the food product with microwave radiation. This dries the food product and forms a porous structure. The method minimizes or prevents foaming and dries the product at a temperature that prevents burning, while reducing the moisture content to a very low level.

The disclosure in some aspects relates to systems and related methods for the continuous freeze-drying of materials (e.g., pharmaceuticals) with high speed and control.

A plant drying and curing device comprises a plurality of plant curing zones. A control system is configured to control one or more environmental conditions in each of the plurality of plant curing zones, and a receiver is configured to receive input data and process data according to a prescribed algorithm to control the one or more environmental variables.

A motor assembly for a laundry treating appliance, the motor assembly including an impeller housing, a compressor housing disposed within the impeller housing, a compressor motor disposed within the compressor housing, an impeller mechanically coupled to the compressor motor and disposed within the impeller housing, and a cover for the impeller housing.