METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACOUSTICALLY TREATING MATERIAL

• US 20150161982A1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covaris, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Covaris, Inc.
• Inventors: Laugharn, James A. Jr., He, Xiaoyin
• Granted Patent: US 9,786,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/10 employing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/28 using reflection, e.g. parabolic reflectors

Abstract

Methods and systems for acoustically treating material are described. Acoustic energy is emitted into a waveguide having a wall with a shape that tapers away from the acoustic source. The wall may have a substantially conical or parabolic shape. When emitted therein, the waveguide causes convergence of the acoustic energy so as to form an acoustic focal zone at a vessel. In some embodiments, a substantial portion of the acoustic focal zone is located outside of the internal volume defined by the waveguide.

Claims

1. A system for providing acoustic treatment, comprising:

an acoustic energy source configured to emit acoustic energy having a frequency of about 100 kHz to 100 MHz toward a vessel location; and

a waveguide including a wall having a parabolic shape constructed and arranged to manipulate the acoustic energy to form a focal zone of acoustic energy at the vessel location to expose a sample in a vessel at the vessel location to focused acoustic energy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the acoustic energy source is configured to emit non-convergent acoustic energy and the wall of the waveguide is constructed and arranged to manipulate the non-convergent acoustic energy to form the focal zone of acoustic energy at the vessel location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the acoustic energy source is configured to emit a substantially flat acoustic wave.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the acoustic energy source includes a substantially flat surface from which the substantially flat acoustic wave is emitted.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wall of the waveguide is acoustically reflective.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wall of the waveguide is constructed and arranged to manipulate acoustic energy emitted thereon to form the focal zone of acoustic energy to be located at least partially within an internal volume of the waveguide.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wall of the waveguide is constructed and arranged to manipulate acoustic energy emitted thereon to form the focal zone of acoustic energy to be located at least partially outside of an internal volume of the waveguide.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wall of the waveguide is constructed and arranged to manipulate acoustic energy emitted thereon to form at least 50% of the focal zone of acoustic energy to be located outside of the internal volume of the waveguide.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wall defines a shape of an internal volume of the waveguide such that the shape of the internal volume tapers from an entrance of the waveguide toward an exit of the waveguide, the exit of the waveguide being closer to the vessel location than the entrance of the waveguide.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the tapered shape of the internal volume of the waveguide is structured such that a cross-sectional area of the internal volume closer to the acoustic energy source is greater than a cross-sectional area of the internal volume farther away from the acoustic energy source.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the tapered shape of the internal volume of the waveguide is structured such that an angle defined by the wall and a horizontal reference axis closer to the acoustic energy source is greater than an angle defined by the wall and the horizontal reference axis farther away from the acoustic energy source.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the tapered shape of the internal volume of the waveguide exhibits a substantially quadratic surface curvature.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising the vessel for holding the sample at the vessel location, a portion of the vessel being located at least partially within an internal volume of the waveguide.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a coupling medium arranged to transmit acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source toward the vessel location.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling medium is a liquid coupling medium.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the focal zone of acoustic energy has a width of less than about 2 cm.

17. A method of acoustic energy treatment, comprising:

emitting acoustic energy having a frequency of about 100 kHz to 100 MHz from an acoustic energy source toward a vessel; and

manipulating the emitted acoustic energy by a waveguide including a wall having a parabolic shape to form a focal zone of acoustic energy located at least partially within the vessel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the emitted acoustic energy comprises forming the focal zone of acoustic energy to be located at least partially outside of an internal volume of the waveguide.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein manipulating the emitted acoustic energy comprises forming at least 50% of the focal zone of acoustic energy to be located outside of the internal volume of the waveguide.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the emitted acoustic energy comprises forming the focal zone of acoustic energy to result in a peak pressure of between about 5 Pa and about 20 Pa.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the emitted acoustic energy comprises causing convergence of the acoustic energy by reflecting the emitted acoustic energy from the wall of the waveguide.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the emitted acoustic energy comprises causing substantially uniform propagation of the acoustic energy within an internal volume of the waveguide in a direction away from the acoustic energy source.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the emitted acoustic energy comprises exposing a portion of the vessel holding a sample to the focal zone of acoustic energy.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the emitted acoustic energy comprises forming the focal zone of acoustic energy to have a width of less than about 2 cm.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the emitted acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source through a coupling medium into an internal volume of the waveguide.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the coupling medium is located within the internal volume of the waveguide.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein emitting acoustic energy comprises operating the acoustic energy source at a peak incident power of between 0 watts and about 150 watts, a duty factor of between 0% and about 40%, and a cycles per burst of between 0 and about 1500.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the focal zone of acoustic energy is sufficient to cause cavitation in a liquid sample in the vessel.