A dispensing unit having a circulation system for circulating a fluid in the dispensing unit is provided. The circulation system comprises, a circulation circuit, and a mechanism configured to circulate the fluid in the circulation circuit. By circulating the fluid, the fluid is counteracted from crystallizing. A method for circulating a fluid in a dispensing unit is also provided.

A pipe clamp for affixing to a pipe subjected to bending to minimize fatigue for a butt weld in the pipe. The pipe clamp includes an inside clamp segment and an outside clamp segment each having a semi-cylindrical shape, a first end and a second end. An inside surface of the inside clamp segment is substantially smooth for permitting slippage of an outside surface of the pipe with respect to the inside surface of the clamp segment. The outside clamp segment has an inside surface that defines a friction element. The friction element is for gripping an outside surface of the pipe to which the outside clamp segment is affixed. A clamp mechanism is provided for securing the inside clamp segment to the outside clamp segment.

A method of forming complex structures in a ceramic-, glass- or glass-ceramic-body microfluidic module is disclosed including the steps of providing at green-state refractory-material structure comprising least a portion of a body of a microfluidic module, providing a removeable insert formed of a carbon or of a carbonaceous material having an external surface comprising a negative surface of a desired surface to be formed in the microfluidic module, machining an opening in the green-state structure, positioning the insert in the opening, firing the green-state structure and the insert together, and after firing is complete, removing the insert. The insert is desirably a screw or screw shape, such that interior threads are formed thereby. The insert desirably comprises graphite, and the structure desirably comprises ceramic, desirably silicon carbide.

Parallel uses of microfluidic methods and devices for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid are described. In some aspects, the present invention relates generally to flow-focusing-type technology, and also to microfluidics, and more particularly parallel use of microfluidic systems arranged to control a dispersed phase within a dispersant, and the size, and size distribution, of a dispersed phase in a multi-phase fluid system, and systems for delivery of fluid components to multiple such devices.

A valve having a body having a first section and a second section; an extended flange attached to the second section of the body or disposed as an integral part of the second section of the body; an elongate bore extending through the body and having a proximal end and a distal end; a longitudinally displaceable plunger disposed in and extending along the bore, the plunger having a proximal end and a distal end and having a first position displaced toward the distal end of the bore and a second position displaced toward the proximal end of the bore; a diaphragm seal attached to the proximal end of the plunger and sealing the bore at the proximal end thereof; a gland seal sealing the bore at a location intermediate the diaphragm seal and the distal end of the bore; the plunger extending through and being sealingly secured to the gland seal; a fluid transfer opening in the bore between the diaphragm seal and the gland seal; longitudinal displacement of the plunger moving the diaphragm seal to open the bore, the gland seal stretching to accommodate the displacement of and maintain a seal about the plunger, a fluid flow path being established between the open proximal end of the bore and the fluid transfer opening, wherein longitudinal displacement of the plunger towards its first position moves the diaphragm to open the bore. The valve further comprises an extended flange having a surface that is approximately coplanar with a surface of the second position when the plunger is displaced toward the proximal end of the bore, creating a zero dead leg position.

A system for cleaning a dairy animal milker unit and applying dip to a dairy animal, the system includes a main control, an air supply, a water supply, a backflush fluid supply, a dip supply, a stall control for receiving the air, water, backflush fluid and dip supplies, and a safety valve that is adjacent to a downstream portion of the milker unit to control backflush and dip fluids being fed to the milker unit.

A system for filling multiple sterile containers includes a filter with an inlet port and multiple outlet ports, the outlet ports being pre-attached to sterile containers by respective filling lines of each container. Each container has an interior and each of the respective filling lines are connected to a respective container interior. The respective filling lines are sealed to the outlet ports and the containers such that the container interiors are isolated from an external environment except the inlet port, via the filter, forming a combined interior volume which is sterile. A container that is connectable to an outlet port the system has a bladder, a first tube and a second tube connected to the bladder, and a sterilizing filter. The container, the first tube and the second tube, and the sterilizing filter are sterile before water is flowed through the sterilizing filter into the bladder.

A system for cleaning a dairy animal milker unit and applying dip to a dairy animal, the system includes a main control, an air supply, a water supply, a backflush fluid supply, a dip supply, a stall control for receiving the air, water, backflush fluid and dip supplies, and a safety valve that is adjacent to a downstream portion of the milker unit to control backflush and dip fluids being fed to the milker unit.

A solar thermochemical processing system is disclosed. The system includes a first unit operation for receiving concentrated solar energy. Heat from the solar energy is used to drive the first unit operation. The first unit operation also receives a first set of reactants and produces a first set of products. A second unit operation receives the first set of products from the first unit operation and produces a second set of products. A third unit operation receives heat from the second unit operation to produce a portion of the first set of reactants.

The present invention is generally related to systems and methods for producing droplets. The droplets may contain varying species, e.g., for use as a library. In some cases, at least one droplet is used to create a plurality of droplets, using techniques such as flow-focusing techniques. In one set of embodiments, a plurality of droplets, containing varying species, can be divided to form a collection of droplets containing the various species therein. A collection of droplets, according to certain embodiments, may contain various subpopulations of droplets that all contain the same species therein. Such a collection of droplets may be used as a library in some cases, or may be used for other purposes.