| Covaris, Inc. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120103098 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACOUSTICALLY TREATING MATERIAL - 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, a heat exchanger, inlet/outlet flow arrangements, an inspection window, insert elements that define a treatment volume size or shape, etc. 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. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120077283 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FRAGMENTING NUCLEIC ACIDS - Systems and methods include processing devices used to fragment nucleic acids to average nucleic acid sizes ranging from between about 5 kbp and about 20 kbp. A processing device may include an inlet portion and a channel upstream from a shearing region arranged so that a relatively constant pressure is established and maintained (e.g., a pressure that changes by less than about 40%) at an entrance of the shearing region during a majority of sample flow through the shearing region. In some embodiments, after forcing the sample through the shearing region once, the processing device may be taken out of the centrifuge, inverted and placed back into the centrifuge so that the sample is forced through the shearing region again. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120024867 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ACOUSTIC TREATMENT OF SAMPLES FOR HEATING AND COOLING - Methods and systems relate to enhancing heat transfer between a vessel wall and a sample or coupling medium during focused acoustic processing. The vessel containing the sample may include a heat exchanger on an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the vessel that can have any suitable shape or dimension that increases the surface area of the vessel wall. In some embodiments, heat exchanger features may disrupt a boundary layer of a liquid sample at the vessel wall during focused acoustic processing. Accordingly, the temperature of the liquid sample can be appropriately controlled. In some cases, heating and/or cooling of the liquid sample may be performed efficiently. In an embodiment, a liquid sample may be heated at a rate of at least about 25 degrees C. per ml per minute. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120015419 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEADSPACE CONTROL IN ACOUSTIC PROCESSING OF SAMPLES - 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. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20100260012 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER - A system and method for controlling operation of a transducer circuit, e.g., including an acoustic transducer arranged to cause mixing, cavitation or other movement in a liquid contained in a vessel located remote from the transducer. A load current of a transformer used to generate a drive signal for the transducer may be controlled to vary sinusoidally, to vary between negative and positive values and such that the load current flows in a closed loop when a zero voltage bias is applied across the primary transformer winding, to have a reduced or eliminated 3 | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100197894 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MATERIAL SEPARATION USING ACOUSTIC ENERGY - 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. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100124142 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACOUSTICALLY CONTROLLING LIQUID SOLUTIONS IN MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES - 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. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100011845 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MODULATING ACOUSTIC ENERGY DELIVERY - 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. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20090317884 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT ENHANCEMENT IN ACOUSTIC PROCESSING OF SAMPLES - 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 at a sample/gas interface. An interaction between the acoustic energy and the sample may be controlled, e.g., by using an energy director positioned at least partially in the sample that helps to reduce splashing or other sample ejection that would otherwise occur. | 12-24-2009 |
