The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 27, 2018
Filed:
Sep. 03, 2014
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Travis R. Hebig, Lakeville, MN (US);
Joseph Kuczynski, North Port, FL (US);
Steven R. Nickel, Rochester, MN (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
One or more brevetoxins or other toxins produced by red tides or other harmful algal blooms (HABs) are removed from a body of water by contacting an aqueous phase containing water, algae and one or more HAB-produced toxins with an organic phase, extracting the one or more toxins into the organic phase, and separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more toxins. In some embodiments, the organic phase is comprised of vegetable oil, mineral oil, or other suitable oil. In some embodiments, an annular centrifugal contactor is used to accomplish the contacting, extracting, and separating. In some embodiments, the toxin-depleted aqueous phase is pumped back into the source of the aqueous phase, and the toxin-enriched organic phase is recirculated until a predetermined threshold concentration of the one or more toxins is met.