Nanomist Systems, LLC

Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation

Other

R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Augusta University Research Institute, Inc.

British American Tobacco Limited

Kayyani C Adiga

Rajani Adiga

Robert F Hatcher, Jr

Frank Kelley St Charles

Cargill H Alleyne, Jr

Kevin R Korte, Sr

Rufus H Honeycutt

Stacey Claire Braxton

Michael E Abhulimen

Brian E Tucker

Carlton Andrew Soots

Terry S Goodrich

Robert Scott Driskell

Mark B Zeuner

Raymond Frank Werkmeister

Frank K St Charles

A method for removing bodily fluid includes drawing bodily fluid that has accumulated in excess, converting the drawn fluid from bulk liquid form to aerosol form, and disposing of the aerosol via evaporation of liquid droplets and absorption and/or diffusion of vapor. Conversion from bulk liquid to aerosol may include collecting the bulk liquid fluid in a reservoir, conveying the bulk liquid bodily fluid to an atomizer, converting the bulk liquid fluid into an aerosol having ultrafine droplets, and ejecting the aerosol into a subcutaneous space for disposal via evaporation of liquid droplets and absorption and/or diffusion of vapors. The method may be performed with a subcutaneous atomizer that may be controlled locally or by an external transmitter for effecting a conversion and mist rate to keep pace with the accumulation of excess bodily fluid.

Method of removing fluid from the body, and device therefore

The present invention is an improved method for decontamination of a space and an integrated device that completes the decontamination cycle extremely fast while still being compact, lightweight, simple to operate and easy to move as a single unit. The method of the present invention delivers less biocide than is used in prior art methods at a very high rate of flux, allows the biocide to reside in the space being decontaminated to achieve a predetermined kill level, and then aerates the space. Because a nominal amount of biocide is used, there is less biocide to remove from the space than in prior art methods thereby reducing the time required for aeration and shortening the downtime for safe entry of the facility.

Method and an integrated device for an area decontamination process

A mist generator is used to deliver a high throughput extremely fine mist comprising a biocide. Flows of evaporating hot gas mix turbulently and enhance forced heat and mass transfer between the very fine droplets and the hot gas to form a well-mixed premixed evaporator, resulting in high humidity vapor formation well inside a tube. The high relative humidity vapor with elevated temperature is then condensed as it exits the tube and disperses into the volume to be decontaminated as a condensed vapor cloud, but neither as a mist nor as a pure vapor depending on temperature and humidity of room environment. The condensed vapor cloud may evaporate or settle on the volume surfaces and contents, whereby both dry vapor and condensed vapor are applied into the volume for the killing process.

Device and method for decontamination, disinfection, and sanitation

An apparatus and method are disclosed for improving the efficiency of an aerator which is used for removing residual biocide used for decontamination, sterilization, sanitation, or disinfection processes. The apparatus comprises an aerator assembly that produces an optimum air flow region and a high surface area catalyst panel. The method comprises utilizing the apparatus with optimizing gas flow rates, residence time of the contaminated gas within the catalyst panel, air flow pattern, air transport rate, cleaned air discharge pattern, and the nature and configuration of the catalyst.

Method and apparatus for removing residual biocide from a decontamination area

A method and device is presented for separating liquid mixtures using ultrasonic atomization and without subjecting the mixture to heat or thermal distillation. The process of ultrasonic separation does not involve liquid heating and saves up to 75% of the energy required as compared to thermal distillation. The method involves high throughput fixed bed atomizers with a specially designed carrier gas flow for aerosolization, extraction, and transport of mist. The mist richer in the desired component is then collected and condensed by electrostatic or other de-misting means. Repeated processes can achieve high separation efficiency. The efficiency of separation can be controlled by varying the ultrasonic frequency, power, and number of arrays, liquid surface tension and interfacial tension of mixtures.

Method and device for separation of liquid mixtures without thermal distillation

A method and device for manufacturing extremely fine particles and porous materials by controlled low temperature drying. An ambient-pressure and ambient-temperature atomizer atomizes a particle precursor solution to create a precursor mist. The precursor mist and dryer gas are fed into a dryer tube through a tangential inlet (swirl generating inlet). The mixed stream forms a helical flow structure within the dryer tube. The swirling mist undergoes drying and particle formation at a relatively low temperature. The flow continues to swirl and drying process continues with repeated passes until the required drying duration is reached. This dryer structure allows for a compact dryer with full control of residence time.

Method and device for manufacturing extremely fine particles and porous materials by controlled low temperature drying

A micro gas burner is provided that generates a stable, pre-mixed flame that produces little to no soot or unburned hydrocarbons. The gas burner includes a fuel inlet, nozzle, oxygenation chamber with at least one air inlet, a mixing chamber having a frustoconical inner wall, at least one permeable barrier and a flame holder. The gas burner thoroughly mixes fuel and entrained air to form a nearly stoichiometric mixture prior to combustion. The gas burner mixes the fuel and air so thoroughly that it requires a lower fuel flow rate than would otherwise be necessary to produce a stable, pre-mixed flame. The gas burner may include an optional flame tube with an optional exhaust port in which a flame is contained and sequestered from diffusing air.

Gas micro burner

A method of sterilizing a site or contained volume includes providing an aqueous biocide solution containing a biocide agent such as hydrogen peroxide. A mist of reactive biocide droplets is generated by atomization at ambient pressure from the biocide solution and a flow of carrier medium or air is provided in communication with the mist. The flow of carrier medium is controlled to generate a biocide mist comprising a concentration of stable mist droplets within the carrier medium. By controlling aersolization, extraction and delivery of the stable mist droplets, a sufficient portion of the stable mist droplets for a sterilizing treatment of a designated site do not coalesce prior to treatment interaction with the treatment site. The process of formation, stabilization and extraction are done in-situ so that droplets do not coalesce during transport.

Apparatus and method for fine mist sterilization or sanitation using a biocide

The invention provides a method for generating a homogeneous aqueous mist solution containing a solvent such as water and a biocide agent such as chlorine dioxide, which would otherwise be unstable. The unstable biocide agent or chlorine dioxide is quickly dissolved or mixed with a mist of solvent causing the biocide agent to co-exist or co-mist therewith. The mist microencapsulates the biocide gas so that it does not decompose in the fumigation volume or space. The resulting homogenous mist solution provides a mist for delivering the biocide agent in a chemically stable form. Methods for mixing the separately generated mist and biocide gas include combining the mists in a Y-tube and then mixing the combination in a baffled mixing chamber, combining the mists in an area above their points of generation and then further mixing, and providing a series of mist generation units connected by a conduit for a carrier medium to pass to and connect the units and cause the mists to combine. Alternatively, the biocide may be released from a controlled source to dissolve in a generated solvent mist. Such controlled release of biocide includes providing a source of slow diffusion of chlorine dioxide gas to dissolve in water mist by convection and mixing, providing a continuous flow of chlorine dioxide solution via a coil reservoir for controlled contact with the mist, providing chlorine dioxide gas released from a solid-state mixture.

Method for bioeradication using fine mist of biocide solutions

A smoking article includes a tobacco rod in axial alignment with a filter section with a catalyst bed disposed between the tobacco rod and the filter section. The catalyst bed may be heated from an external portable heating source or may be heated by the internal evolving gases of combustion of the tobacco.

Smoking article including a catalytic smoke reformer

An improved method and apparatus for producing an extremely fine micron and sub-micron size water mist using an electronic ultrasonic device that produces the mist at ambient-pressure and delivering the mist for application in suppressing fire. A piezoelectric transducer is arranged to produce a water mist having at least a portion of sub-micron size droplets. The water mist is produced by high frequency pressure waves or ultrasonic waves of predetermined or variable frequency, including frequencies which may exceed 2.5 MHz. The water mist is directed to a firebase to be self-entrained by the fire's flame. The momentum provided the water mist in directing the mist is minimized to enhance the ability of the fire to entrain the mist, and the flow of the carrier medium is usually directed tangentially about the water fountain creating the mist. Further, the throughput and concentration of the mist is controlled to ensure that the entrained mist will be sufficient to cool and suppress the fire. The water mist may be effectively utilized for mitigating blast and reducing over pressures. The fine water mist may also be utilized for humidification because of its fast vaporization and efficient cooling behavior. The apparatus may be modified in its physical design and direction of output, and the method may be modified by adjusting the throughput of mist, composition of mist, concentration of mist, and momentum of mist, whereby fire may be suppressed under many different scenarios.

Fire suppression using water mist with ultrafine size droplets

A fire suppressant, fire suppressant mist, and method of atomizing a water mist for suppressing a fire are provided by in-situ atomization of water droplets within a fire using water-in-oil microemulsions. The discrete phase of emulsion is a low boiling point oil or water immiscible fluid additive combined with water and a surfactant or cosurfactant. Each dropet provides a microemulsion. During the heating of the microemulsion droplet inside the flame, the water immiscible fluid vaporizes and causes fragmentation of the water droplet, producing extremely small droplets useful in fire suppression.

Microemulsion mists as fire suppression agents

A cooling method and apparatus including a mist-generating device is configured to generate a mist of droplets from water, dielectric liquids or any cooling liquids. The mist is produced having such volume, momentum, concentration and quality of scale so as to deter or avoid impingement or deposition of the mist droplets on a surface to be cooled or on surfaces within a heat dissipating system to be cooled. Effective cooling is provided by the high latent heat of vaporization of water or other suitable fluid, while surfaces normally subject to possible damage by wetting are protected from harmful contact from the fluid. Tangential flow technology and electronic ultrasonic atomizing devices may be used as one possible means to generate the required mist and control mist volume, momentum, concentration and quality. Other variables may be controlled to enhance the cooling of the mist, such as flow patterns and flow directions of the mist. Vaporized mist may be condensed and recovered. The cooling method may be used to replace or complement existing air-cooled systems.

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Macon, GA, United States of America

Kayyani C Adiga