Ionics, Inc.

The General Hospital Corporation

Arthur L Goldstein

Keith James Sims

Wayne A McRae

Russell James MacDonald

Li Zhang

Irving D Elyanow

Edgar Haber

Robert J Mandle

Bruce T Batchelder

Michael K Dempsey

Edgardo J Parsi

Ronald S Newbower

Theodore G Papastavros

Emery J Richard

A system is provided for establishing a protected zone and monitoring interactions therewith. The system includes a protected zone designator and a wearable device. The protected zone designator establishes the protected zone. The protected zone designator is configured for placement at a location in which the protected zone is desired. The wearable device is separate and distal from the protected zone designator. The wearable device includes a protected zone recognition component configured to recognize the protected zone and identify pre-defined interaction criteria for the protected zone. Upon the wearable device entering the protected zone, the protected zone recognition component recognizes the protected zone and identifies the interaction criteria of the protected zone. Based on the interaction criteria the wearable device determines and records compliance with the interaction criteria.

Protected zone system

Improved electrodialysis (ED) stacks are disclosed having one or more components selected from the group:

Electrodialysis including filled cell electrodialysis

An integral, monolithic frame-membrane is disclosed, such frame-membrane having a semi-permeable membrane portion and integral therewith a frame portion, the frame portion having one or more cavities, each cavity juxtaposed to the membrane portion, each cavity having at least one fluid entrance conduit communicating with an entrance manifold aperture and at least one fluid exit conduit communicating with an exit manifold aperture. The integral, monolithic frame-membrane may be used in apparatus for carrying out gas-separation; microfiltration; ultrafiltration; nanofiltration; reverse osmosis (i.e. hyperfiltration); diffusion dialysis; Donnan dialysis; electrodialysis (including filled-cell electrodialysis; i.e. electrodeionization); pervaporation; piezodialysis; membrane distillation; osmosis; thermo osmosis; and electrolysis with membranes. Also disclosed are pillows prepared from ion exchanging films or fabrics (which may be porous or non-porous), the pillows filled with ion exchange structures such as beads, fibers, fabrics or rods. The pillows may be used with the integral, monolithic frame-membranes, with separate frames and membranes or with frames only.

Electrodialysis apparatus

Membrane-frame for processes including electrodialysis

Improved electrodialysis (ED) stacks are disclosed having one or more components selected from the group: a) cation exchange membranes having ion exchange groups predominantly sulfonic acid groups and a minor amount of weakly acidic and/or weakly basic groups or membranes which are selective to monovalent cations and simultaneously therewith, cation exchange granules selective to monovalent cations as packing in the dilute compartments; b) anion exchange membranes having as ion exchange groups only quaternary ammonium and/or quaternary phosphonium groups and substantially no primary, secondary and/or tertiary amine and/or phosphine groups or membranes which are selective to monovalent anions simultaneously therewith, anion exchange granules selective to monovalent anions as packing in the dilute compartments; c) as packing in the dilute compartment, anion exchange granules which are selective to monovalent anions, or cation exchange granules which are selective to monovalent cations, or cation exchange granules having as exchange groups a predominant amount of sulfonic acid groups and a minor amount of weakly acidic and/or weakly basic groups, or anion exchange granules consisting of organic polymers having as anion exchange groups only quaternary ammonium and/or quaternary phosphonium groups and almost no primary, secondary and/or tertiary amine and/or phosphine groups.

Apparatus for selecting connections from each of two or more inlet streams, at least two of which flow simultaneously, to one or more exit streams of a group of at least two. The apparatus has at least one rotatable first body, a first surface of which is adjacent to a first surface of a second body. The first body provides at least first and second fluid conduits, at least one end of each conduit terminating at the first surface of the first body. The second body also provides at least first and second fluid conduits, at least one end of each conduit terminating at the first surface of the second body. The first ends of each conduit provided by the first body and the first ends of each conduit provided by the second body are in such predetermined positions that the first conduit of the first body communicates with the second conduit of the second body. When such first body is rotated by a predetermined angle then the first conduit of the first body communicates with the second conduit of the second body and the second conduit of the first body communicates with the first conduit of the second body. The apparatus may be integrated into an end plate or end block of a reversing type electrodialysis or electrodeionization stack.

Multi-port multi-stream valve apparatus

Electrodialysis ('ED') stacks are disclosed having components selected from the group:

Method and apparatus are disclosed for improving the anodic life of an electrode in an electrodialysis stack which electrode comprises at least in part an area which is anodic during at least part of the duty time of said stack, which stack also comprises an electrode compartment (chamber, cell, space) containing said electrode, a counter-electrode in a counter-electrode compartment and interior compartments between said electrode compartment and said counter-electrode compartment, which method and apparatus comprises:

Method and apparatus for improving the life of an electrode

Processes and apparatuses are described for recovering components dispersed in an aqueous solution comprising contacting said solution as a first solution with an electrically conducting barrier, diaphragm or membrane which has a high affinity for at least one of said components whereby a substantial fraction of said component is sorbed by said barrier. The barrier is subsequently contacted with a second aqueous solution and a direct electric current is passed through said barrier and second solution in a direction substantially parallel to the smallest dimension of the barrier thereby facilitating desorption of at least one of the sorbed components from the barrier into the second solution which solution is thereafter removed.

Process and apparatus for electrically desorbing components selectively

Processes and apparatuses are described for recovering components dispersed in an aqueous solution, the process comprising contacting said solution as a first solution with a body of filaments, fibers, hair-like objects or other thread-like objects which have a high affinity for at least one of said components whereby a substantial fraction of said component is sorbed by said body. The body is subsequently contacted with a second aqueous solution as a receiving solution; such second solution comprising agents for facilitating the desorption of at least one of said selected components from the body into said second solution. The desorbed components are then separated from said body.

Structure selective fibrous sorbents and method and apparatus for using

Apparatuses and processes are described for transferring electrolytes from one electrolytically conducting solution to another, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced electrodes; at least one pair of spaced electrolytically conducting barriers between said electrodes, one of said barriers having a transport number for ions of one sign substantially greater than that of said solutions and of the other barrier, means for applying a substantially direct current electrical potential between said electrodes in a direction to cause electrolyte to the transferred out of the space between said barriers; a plurality of fluid permeable tubules between said barriers; means for introducing fluid into at least one end of such tubules; and means for withdrawing fluid from the space between said barriers.

Electrodialysis apparatus and process

Process and apparatus are described for recovering components sorbed on a body of wet granules that are highly selective for the sorption of said components. The process comprises passing a direct electric current through said body of granules and an ion-permeable substantially hydraulically impermeable barrier juxtaposed with said body of granules in a direction substantially parallel to the smallest dimension of said barrier, thereby facilitating the desorption of at least one of said selected components from said granules. The desorbed components are then separated from said body of granules.

This invention is directed to electrodialysis, electrochemical cell and membrane cell equipment particularly to components comprising the ion exchange membranes. These membranes are fabricated with the polymer containing occluded particles of activated carbon. The activated carbon lessens the tendency for membranes, especially the anion selective type, to foul when employed in the electrodialysis of solutions containing fouling constituents. The membranes are obtained by polymerizing a mixture of a liquid monomer and activated carbon particles.

Growing community of inventors

Weston, MA, United States of America

Arthur L Goldstein