IP Library Granted Patent US 9,950,282
Granted Patent B2
US 9,950,282 · App. 15/495,471 · Granted Apr 24, 2018

Electronic configuration and control for acoustic standing wave generation

Inventors: Bart Lipkens (Hampden, MA); Ronald Musiak (Westfield, MA); Dane Mealey (Springfield, MA); Ali Shajii (Weston, MA)
Assignee: FloDesign Sonics, Inc.
B01D17/12A61M1/3678B01D17/06B01D21/0045B01D21/28B01D21/283B01D29/72B06B1/06C02F1/36C12M33/08C12M47/02H01L41/09H03H3/02H03H9/009H04R1/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,950,282
App. No.
15/495,471
Granted
Apr 24, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an apparatus for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid. That apparatus comprises a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet. A drive circuit configured to provide a drive signal to a filter circuit configured to receive the drive signal and provide a translated drive signal. An ultrasonic transducer is cooperatively arranged with the flow chamber, and transducer includes at least one piezoelectric element configured to be driven by the current drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber. At least one reflector opposing the ultrasonic transducer to reflect acoustic energy.

Claims (51)

1. An apparatus for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid, comprising:

a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet;

a control circuit configured to provide a drive signal;

a scaling circuit that can receive the drive signal and provide an equivalent current source drive signal, where the scaling circuit provides impedance and source translation with respect to the ultrasonic transducer;

an ultrasonic transducer, with a transducer input impedance, coupled to the flow chamber, the transducer includes at least one piezoelectric element configured to be driven by the equivalent current source drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber; and

at least one reflector opposite from the at least one ultrasonic transducer,

where the acoustic standing wave comprises a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the control circuit comprises a voltage source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the scaling circuit comprises an inductor that includes a first terminal and a second terminal, and a capacitor that includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal, where the first terminal receives the drive signal, the second and third terminals are connected, the fourth terminal is connected to a reference potential, and a signal indicative of the equivalent current source drive signal is provided at the second and third terminals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scaling circuit consists of passive circuit components.

5. An apparatus for separating a secondary fluid or particulates from a host fluid, comprising:

a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet;

a circuit configured to receive a voltage drive signal and provide a translated drive signal;

an ultrasonic transducer, coupled to the flow chamber, the transducer including at least one piezoelectric element that can receive the translated drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber; and

at least one reflector opposite from the at least one ultrasonic transducer,

where the acoustic standing wave includes a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a first tap that senses voltage across the ultrasonic transducer, which includes a crystal, and provides a sensed voltage signal indicative thereof, and a current sensing coil that senses current and provides a sensed current signal indicative of crystal current.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a controller that receives and processes the sensed current signal and the sensed voltage signal to control the drive signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , where the circuit comprises a first inductor that includes a first terminal and a second terminal, a first capacitor that includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and a second inductor that includes a fifth terminal and sixth terminal, there the first terminal receives a signal indicative of the drive signal, the second terminal is connected to the third terminal and the fifth terminal, the fourth terminal is connected to a reference voltage, and an output signal indicative of the current drive signal is provided on the sixth terminal.

9. An apparatus for separating a secondary fluid or particulates from a host fluid, comprising:

a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet;

a circuit configured to receive a voltage drive signal and provide a translated drive signal;

an ultrasonic transducer, coupled to the flow chamber, the transducer including at least one piezoelectric element that can receive the translated drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber; and

at least one reflector opposite from the at least one ultrasonic transducer,

where the circuit comprises a scaling circuit that receives the drive signal and provides the translated drive signal, where the scaling circuit provides impedance and source translation with respect to the ultrasonic transducer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , where the scaling circuit comprises a first inductor, a first capacitor and a second inductor cooperatively arranged as a low pass filter.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , where the scaling circuit comprises an inductor that includes a first terminal and a second terminal, and a capacitor that includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal, where the first terminal receives the drive signal, the second and third terminals are connected, the fourth terminal is connected to a reference potential, and a signal indicative of the equivalent translated drive signal is provided at the second and third terminals.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the scaling circuit consists of passive circuit components.

13. An apparatus for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid, comprising:

a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet;

a drive circuit configured to provide a drive signal;

a filter circuit configured to receive the drive signal and provide a translated drive signal;

an ultrasonic transducer cooperatively arranged with the flow chamber, the transducer including at least one piezoelectric element configured to be driven by the current drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber; and

at least one reflector opposing the ultrasonic transducer to reflect acoustic energy,

where the acoustic standing wave comprises a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , where the filter circuit comprises a first inductor that includes a first terminal and a second terminal, a first capacitor that includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and a second inductor that includes a fifth terminal and sixth terminal, there the first terminal receives a signal indicative of the drive signal, the second terminal is connected to the third terminal and the fifth terminal, the fourth terminal is connected to a reference voltage, and an output signal indicative of the current drive signal is provided on the sixth terminal.

15. An apparatus for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid, comprising:

a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet;

a drive circuit configured to provide a drive signal;

a filter circuit configured to receive the drive signal and provide a translated drive signal;

an ultrasonic transducer cooperatively arranged with the flow chamber, the transducer including at least one piezoelectric element configured to be driven by the current drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber; and

at least one reflector opposing the ultrasonic transducer to reflect acoustic energy,

where the filter circuit comprises an inductor that includes a first terminal and a second terminal, and a capacitor that includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal, where the first terminal receives the drive signal, the second and third terminals are connected, the fourth terminal is connected to a reference potential, and a signal indicative of the equivalent current source drive signal is provided at the second and third terminals.

16. An apparatus for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid, comprising:

a flow chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet;

a drive circuit configured to provide a drive signal;

a filter circuit configured to receive the drive signal and provide a translated drive signal;

an ultrasonic transducer cooperatively arranged with flow chamber, the transducer including at least one piezoelectric element configured to be driven by the current drive signal to create an acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber; and

at least one reflector opposing the ultrasonic transducer to reflect acoustic energy,

where the filter circuit consists of passive circuit components.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , where the drive signal is a substantially a square wave, and the translated signal is substantially a sine wave.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 3, 2022
From: FLODESIGN SONICS, INC.
To: FLODESIGN SONICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059317/0507 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2017
From: LIPKENS, BART; MUSIAK, RONALD; MEALEY, DANE; SHAJII, ALI
To: FLODESIGN SONICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 042874/0334 →
Continuity (26)
Continuation In Part 15371037 · Dec 6, 2016
Continuation 14533753 · Nov 5, 2014
Continuation 15495471
Continuation In Part 15285349 · Oct 4, 2016
Continuation In Part 14708035 · May 8, 2015
Continuation In Part 14026413 · Sep 13, 2013
Continuation In Part 13844754 · Mar 15, 2013
Continuation In Part 15495471
Continuation In Part 15284529 · Oct 3, 2016
Continuation In Part 14533753 · Nov 5, 2014
Provisional Application 62461691 · Feb 21, 2017
Provisional Application 62446356 · Jan 13, 2017
Provisional Application 62326766 · Apr 24, 2016
Provisional Application 62020088 · Jul 2, 2014
Provisional Application 61900395 · Nov 5, 2013
Provisional Application 61990168 · May 8, 2014
Provisional Application 61754792 · Jan 21, 2013
Provisional Application 61708641 · Oct 2, 2012
Provisional Application 61611240 · Mar 15, 2012
Provisional Application 61611159 · Mar 15, 2012
Provisional Application 62322262 · Apr 14, 2016
Provisional Application 62307489 · Mar 12, 2016
Provisional Application 62235614 · Oct 1, 2015
Provisional Application 62020088 · Jul 2, 2014
Provisional Application 61900635 · Nov 6, 2013
Related Publication 20170291122A1 · Oct 12, 2017