Abstract:
Method and apparatus for controlling acoustic treatment of a sample including a liquid. A processing volume in which the sample is acoustically treated may be controlled, e.g., by positioning a suitable element so as to reduce and/or eliminate a headspace size at a sample/gas interface. An interaction between the acoustic energy and the sample may be controlled, e.g., by using a headspace control element positioned at least partially in the sample that helps to reduce splashing or other sample ejection that would otherwise occur.
Abstract:
Method and apparatus for controlling acoustic treatment of a sample including a liquid. A processing volume in which the sample is acoustically treated may be controlled, e.g., by positioning a suitable element so as to reduce and/or eliminate a headspace size at a sample/gas interface. An interaction between the acoustic energy and the sample may be controlled, e.g., by using a headspace control element positioned at least partially in the sample that helps to reduce splashing or other sample ejection that would otherwise occur.
Abstract:
The present invention provides systems, methods, and devices for using acoustic energy. In some embodiments, a fluid bath may be provided in the system where the fluid bath quality may be monitored using acoustic energy. An assessment of fluid bath quality can be determined through a comparison that is made of an initial power signal of the acoustic energy with a reflected power signal of the acoustic energy.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for exposing a sample, including a liquid and another material, to sonic energy to produce a desired result such as, suspending a material support in the liquid. The material support may be a bead or other particle with at least one surface feature to which the material may bind. Material in the liquid may attach to the material support, such as by specific or non-specific binding, entrapment or other, so as to facilitate separation of the material from the liquid. Separation of the material supports from the liquid and other unbound material may be done by allowing the material supports to settle out, e.g., under the force of gravity and/or as assisted by centrifugation, by applying a magnetic field in case the supports or material bound to the supports are movable by way of a magnetic field, or other techniques.
Abstract:
Acoustic energy is used to control motion in a fluid. According to one embodiment, the invention directs acoustic energy at selected naturally occurring nucleation features to control motion in the fluid. In another embodiment, the invention provides focussed or unfocussed acoustic energy to selectively placed nucleation features to control fluid motion. According to one embodiment, the invention includes an acoustic source, a controller for controlling operation of the acoustic source, and one or more nucleation features located proximate to or in the fluid to be controlled.
Abstract:
The present invention provides systems, methods, and devices for using acoustic energy. In some embodiments, a fluid bath may be provided in the system where the fluid bath quality may be monitored using acoustic energy. An assessment of fluid bath quality can be determined through a comparison that is made of an initial power signal of the acoustic energy with a reflected power signal of the acoustic energy.
Abstract:
The invention is based on the discovery that the sequence of monomers in a polymeric biomolecule can be determined in a self-contained, high pressure reaction and detection apparatus, without the need for fluid flow into or out from the apparatus. The pressure is used to control the activity of enzymes that digest the polymeric biomolecule to yield the individual monomers in the sequence in which they existed in the polymer. High pressures modulate enzyme kinetics by reversibly inhibiting those enzymatic processes which result in a higher average activation volume, when compared to the ground state, and reversibly accelerating those processes which have lower activation volumes than the ground state. Modulating the pressure allows the experimenter to precisely control the activity of the enzyme. Conditions can be found, for example, where the enzyme removes only one monomer (e.g., a nucleotide or amino acid) from the biomolecule before the pressure is again raised to a prohibitive level. The identity of the single released nucleotide or amino acid can be determined using a detector that is in communication with a probe in the detection zone within the reaction vessel.
Abstract:
Methods for cell lysis and purification of biological materials, involving subjecting a sample maintained at a subzero temperature to high pressure, are disclosed. Apparatus for practicing the methods are also disclosed. The cell or cells that are lysed may be in suspension or part of a tissue. They are lysed by a method that includes: (i) providing a frozen cell or cells under atmospheric pressure; (ii) while maintaining the cell or cells at a subzero temperature, exposing the cell or cells to an elevated pressure in a pressure chamber, the elevated pressure being sufficient to thaw the frozen cell or cells at the subzero temperature; (iii) depressurizing the pressure chamber to freeze the cell or cells at the subzero temperature; and (iv) repeating the exposing and depressurizing steps until the cell or cells are lysed. This method can lyse a cell or cells with or without cell walls; such cells include, but are not limited to, bacteria, viruses, fungal cells (e.g, yeast cells), plant cells (e.g, corn leaf tissue), animal cells, insect cells, and protozoan cells.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for acoustically treating material using a continuous process in which material may be caused to flow in a continuous or intermittent fashion into/out of an acoustic treatment chamber where the material is exposed to focused acoustic energy. The methods and systems may be arranged to permit continuous processing for extended periods while an acoustic energy source operates at a relatively high power output. Treatment chambers may include features such as an acoustic window and/or a chamber wall which may comprise an acoustically reflective material or a gas/wall interface that serves to reflect acoustic energy to form one or more secondary focal zones. Treatment system configurations relating to arrangements of a treatment chamber relative to an acoustic source and coupling medium, material flow paths, and others are provided.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for preparing nanocrystalline compositions using focused acoustic processing to cause and/or enhance crystal growth. A flow through system may be employed to expose sample material having a volume of greater or less than 30 mL to focused acoustic energy while flowing through a process chamber at a rate of at least 0.1 mL/min. Sample material may be processed by a suitable focused acoustic field in a cyclic fashion and/or with adjustment of processing parameters based on monitored characteristics of the sample, such as level of crystallinity. Nanocrystalline particles within the sample may have a tight particle size distribution with an average particle size between 10 nm and 1 micron. Stable nanocrystalline compositions may be reproducibly prepared using focused acoustics to have controllable morphologies and dimensions.