Devices and processes for use in ultrasound treatment
View Patent ↗Devices and methods are provided for treating, preventing from growth, and neutralizing microorganisms using high-frequency, low-energy ultrasound. A particular method is provided for treating a fountain solution including simultaneously exposing the fountain solution to gas microbubbles and high-frequency ultrasound. A particular device is also provided, including a compartment for holding a reservoir of fountain solution, a gas microbubble emitter configured to emit microbubbles into the compartment, and a high-frequency ultrasound-emitter configured to emit ultrasound signals into the compartment. The high-frequency ultrasound may be higher than 100 kHz.
1. A method of treating a fountain solution comprising simultaneously exposing said fountain solution to gas microbubbles and ultrasound of a frequency of 100 kHz or higher.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said gas microbubbles consist essentially of ambient air.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the average diameter of the gas microbubbles is less than about 50 μm.
4. An apparatus for reducing the presence of live microorganisms in a fountain solution comprising:
a compartment for holding a reservoir of fountain solution;
an ultrasound emitter configured to emit ultrasound signals at a frequency higher than 100 kHz into said compartment; and
a gas microbubble emitter configured to emit gas microbubbles having an average diameter of less than 1 mm into the ultrasound field in the compartment containing the fountain solution.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the gas microbubbles are not ozone microbubbles.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the gas microbubbles are selected from the group consisting of air and oxygen microbubbles.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the average diameter of the gas microbubbles is less than 50 μm.
8. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the average diameter of the gas microbubbles is less than 30 μm.
9. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the ultrasound emitted into the compartment does not generate a stationary field phenomenon.
10. The apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising an electromagnetic radiation emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in the visible range into the ultrasound field.
11. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the microorganisms are bacteria.
12. A method of treating fountain solution comprising:
collecting fountain solution from a fluid routing circuit;
routing said fountain solution into a compartment;
simultaneously exposing said fountain solution in compartment to gas microbubbles and ultrasound of a frequency of 100 kHz or higher.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said gas microbubbles consist essentially of ambient air.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the average diameter of said microbubbles is less than about 50 micrometers.
15. A machining system comprising:
a printing apparatus;
a fountain solution circuit connected to the printing apparatus;
a compartment for holding a reservoir of fountain solution through which said fountain solution is routed;
an ultrasound emitter configured to emit ultrasound signals at a frequency higher than 100 kHz into said compartment; and
a gas microbubble emitter configured to emit gas microbubbles having an average diameter of less than 1 mm into the ultrasound field in the compartment containing the fountain solution.
16. The apparatus according to 15 , wherein the gas microbubbles are not ozone microbubbles.
17. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the gas microbubbles are selected from the group consisting of air and oxygen microbubbles.
18. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the average diameter of the gas microbubbles is less than 50 μm.
19. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the average diameter of the gas microbubbles is less than 30 μm.
20. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the ultrasound emitted into the compartment does not generate a stationary field phenomenon.
21. The apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising an electromagnetic radiation emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in the visible range into the ultrasound field.