Systems and methods for high throughput foam analysis

1. A system for high throughput foam analysis, comprising:

a foam generation system comprising a first plurality of foaming units, each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units comprising:

a foaming chamber configured to independently accommodate a respective solution in a first plurality of solutions; and

a gas induction mechanism configured to introduce a gas into the respective solution in the foaming chamber as part of a foaming process that generates a foam in the foaming chamber;

an illumination source providing an illumination to the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units;

a detection system comprising a first camera configured to temporally record the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units, thereby producing a first plurality of frames, each respective frame in the first plurality of frames representative of the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units at a corresponding discrete time point in a plurality of discrete time points; and

an analysis system in communication with the detection system, the analysis system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory addressable by the at least one processor and storing at least one program for execution by the at least one processor, the at least one program comprising instructions for:

(i) obtaining a first respective frame in the first plurality of frames,

(ii) segmenting the first respective frame into a first plurality of segmented images, each respective segmented image in the first plurality of segmented images representative of a corresponding foaming chamber, together with the respective solution and/or the foam in the corresponding foaming chamber of a respective foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units, and

(iii) extracting, from each segmented image in the first plurality of segmented images, one or more characteristics of the foam generated in the corresponding foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units, thereby facilitating high throughput foam analysis of the first plurality of solutions.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the foam generation system further comprises a second plurality of foaming units, each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units comprising:

a foaming chamber configured to independently accommodate a respective solution in a second plurality of solutions; and

a gas induction mechanism configured to introduce a gas into the respective solution in the foaming chamber as part of a foaming process that generates a foam in the foaming chamber;

the illumination source provides an illumination to the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units;

the detection system further comprises a second camera configured to temporally record the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units, thereby producing a second plurality of frames, each respective frame in the second plurality of frame representative of the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units at a corresponding discrete time point in the plurality of discrete time points; and

the at least one program of the analysis system further comprises instructions for:

(i) obtaining a second respective frame in the second plurality of frames,

(ii) segmenting the second respective frame into a second plurality of segmented images, each respective segmented image in the second plurality of segmented images representative of a corresponding foaming chamber, together with the respective solution and/or the foam in the corresponding foaming chamber of a respective foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units, and

(iii) extracting from each segmented image in the second plurality of segmented images, one or more characteristics of the foam generated in the corresponding foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units, thereby facilitating high throughput foam analysis of the second plurality of solutions.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one program of the analysis system further comprises instructions for:

(i) obtaining a third respective frame in the first plurality of frames;

(ii) segmenting the third respective frame into a third plurality of segmented images, each respective segmented image in the third plurality of segmented images representative of a corresponding foaming chamber, together with the respective solution and/or the foam in the corresponding foaming chamber of a respective foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units; and

(iii) extracting, from each segmented image in the third plurality of segmented images, one or more characteristics of the foam generated in the corresponding foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units, thereby facilitating high throughput foam analysis of the first plurality of solutions.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one program of the analysis system further comprises instructions for:

(i) obtaining a fourth respective frame in the second plurality of frames;

(ii) segmenting the fourth respective frame into a fourth plurality of segmented images, each respective segmented image in the fourth plurality of segmented images representative of a corresponding foaming chamber, together with the respective solution and/or the foam in the corresponding foaming chamber of a respective foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units; and

(iii) extracting from each segmented image in the fourth plurality of segmented images, one or more characteristics of the foam generated in the corresponding foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units, thereby facilitating high throughput foam analysis of the second plurality of solutions.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in all or a subset of the first plurality of foaming units is characterized by a substantially rectangular cross section.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of foaming units are in an integrated block.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein each respective foaming unit in all or a subset of the first plurality of foaming units comprises a porous member that separates the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit into a first portion and a second portion, wherein:

the respective solution of the respective foaming unit is received in the second portion of the foaming chamber; and

the gas induction mechanism of the respective foaming unit comprises a vacuum source in fluid communication with the second portion of the foaming chamber to pull the gas from the first portion to the second portion, thereby introducing the gas into the respective solution and generating the foam in the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas induction mechanism of each respective foaming unit in all or a subset of the first plurality of foaming units comprises a porous sparger disposed in the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit, and the porous sparger is in fluid communication with a gas supply to introduce the gas into the respective solution of the respective foaming unit, thereby generating the foam in the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

each respective foaming unit in a first subset of the first plurality of foaming units comprises a porous member that separates the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit into a first portion and a second portion, wherein

the respective solution of the respective foaming unit is received in the second portion of the foaming chamber; and

the gas induction mechanism of the respective foaming unit comprises a vacuum source in fluid communication with the second portion of the foaming chamber to pull the gas from the first portion to the second portion, thereby introducing the gas into the respective solution and generating the foam in the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit in the first subset of the first plurality of foaming units; and

the gas induction mechanism of each respective foaming unit in a second subset of the first plurality of foaming units comprises a porous sparger disposed in the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit, and the porous sparger is in fluid communication with a gas supply to introduce the gas into the respective solution of the respective foaming unit, thereby generating the foam in the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit in the second subset of the first plurality of foaming units.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the porous member is a frit, and the frit has a pore size range between 10 μm and 20 μm, between 20 μm and 30 μm, or between 30 μm and 40 μm.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the porous member is a frit, and the frit has an average pore size that is between 10 μm and 20 μm, between 20 μm and 30 μm, or between 30 μm and 40 μm.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each respective porous sparger (i) has an active porous length and a pore size range between 2 μm and 5 μm, between 5 μm and 10 μm, between 10 μm and 15 μm, or between 15 μm and 20 μm, and (ii) is configured such that the active porous length of the respective sparger is submerged in the corresponding solution before generating the foam.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the foaming chamber of each respective foaming unit in all or a subset of the first plurality of foaming units has linear dimensions between 25 mm and 100 mm, between 100 mm and 400 mm, or between 400 mm and 900 mm.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding solution for each respective foaming unit in all or a subset of the first plurality of foaming units has a volume ranging between 1 ml and 2.5 ml, between 2.5 ml and 10 ml, or between 10 ml and 20 ml.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein at each respective foaming unit in all or a subset of the first plurality of foaming units, the gas introduced into the respective solution is approximately 1 times, 1.5 times, 2 times, 2.5 times, or 3 times that of the volume of solution in the foaming chamber of the respective foaming unit.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein at each respective foaming unit in all or a subset of the first plurality of foaming units, the gas is introduced into the solution at a flow rate lower than 200 ml/sec, lower than 150 ml/sec, lower than 100 ml/sec, or lower than 50 ml/sec.

17. A system for high throughput foam analysis, comprising:

a foam generation system comprising a first plurality of foaming units, each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming unit comprising a foaming chamber configured to independently accommodate a respective solution in a first plurality of solutions, wherein each solution in each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units undergoes an independent foaming process, thereby generating a respective foam in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units;

an illumination source providing an illumination to the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units;

a detection system comprising a first camera configured to temporally record the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units, thereby producing a first plurality of frames, each respective frame in the first plurality of frames representative of the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units at a corresponding discrete time point in a plurality of discrete time points; and

an analysis system in communication with the detection system, the analysis system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory addressable by the at least one processor and storing at least one program for execution by the at least one processor, the at least one program comprising instructions for:

(i) obtaining a first respective frame in the first plurality of frames,

(ii) segmenting the first respective frame into a first plurality of segmented images, each respective segmented image in the first plurality of segmented images representative of a corresponding foaming chamber, together with the respective solution and/or the foam in the corresponding foaming chamber of a respective foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units, and

(iii) extracting, from each segmented image in the first plurality of segmented images, one or more characteristics of the foam generated in the corresponding foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the first plurality of foaming units, thereby facilitating high throughput foam analysis of the first plurality of solutions.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:

the foam generation system further comprises a second plurality of foaming units, each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units comprising a foaming chamber configured to independently accommodate a respective solution in a second plurality of solutions, wherein each solution in each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units undergoes an independent foaming process, thereby generating a respective foam in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units;

the detection system further comprises a second camera configured to temporally record the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units, thereby producing a second plurality of frames, each respective frame in the second plurality of frame representative of the foaming process in the foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units at a corresponding discrete time point in the plurality of discrete time points; and

the at least one program of the analysis system further comprises instructions for:

(i) obtaining a second respective frame in the second plurality,

(ii) segmenting the second respective frame into a second plurality of segmented images, each respective segmented image in the second plurality of segmented images representative of a corresponding foaming chamber, together with the respective solution and/or the foam in the corresponding foaming chamber of a respective foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units, and

(iii) extracting from each segmented image in the second plurality of segmented images, one or more characteristics of the foam generated in the corresponding foaming chamber of each foaming unit in the second plurality of foaming units, thereby facilitating high throughput foam analysis of the second plurality of solutions.