TW202015776A - Apparatus for isolating bubbles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for isolating bubbles from a liquid. The apparatus comprises a main body, and an inlet tube and an outlet tube disposed at a side of the main body. The main body includes an accommodation chamber and a column disposed atop and in fluid communication with the accommodation chamber. The inlet tube is formed with an aperture within the accommodation chamber, and the outlet tube is disposed at a position below the inlet tube. A coupling tube is disposed within the accommodation chamber, which includes one end connected to the inlet tube and the other end corresponding to and separating from the outlet tube by a gap. During use, a liquid dispersed with bubbles is introduced through the inlet tube. The bubbles pass through the aperture along with a small portion of the liquid and ascend upwards to top of the accommodation chamber and are then collected by the column. The remaining portion of the liquid continues flowing through the coupling tube. The small portion of the liquid passing through the aperture enters the outlet tube via the gap, where it rejoins the remaining portion of the liquid and exits the main body. The apparatus disclosed herein isolates the bubbles from the liquid accordingly.

Description

Bubble separation device

The invention relates to a separating device for separating air bubbles from liquid.

The purpose of "Tissue Engineering" is to restore, maintain and even improve the functionality of tissues (organs). Many people are troubled by organ failure every time, but donated organs are often in demand, coupled with side effects after surgical transplantation and other factors make organ donation transplants unable to meet the needs of medical 療, the combination of tissue engineering 了 life science and engineering cross-domain emerging Technology, the current method is to take the target cells from the human body, culture them in vitro until the cells grow to a sufficient amount, and then implant the cells on an artificial scaffold to form a tissue or organ of a specific shape, and finally transplant the artificial tissue to the damaged area In order to repair and restore the original function, it brings a new vision for the treatment of organ failure.

When performing tissue engineering, in order to provide an environment where cells can grow and differentiate smoothly, a "tissue scaffold" must be used. The tissue engineering scaffold is used for the cell migration and cell growth therein , Or itself contains cells, growth factors, extracellular matrix components, can be used for cell growth, tissue differentiation and remodeling in vitro or in vivo, and ultimately can produce tissues for experimental use or further transplantation applications. The function of the scaffold is to provide a three-dimensional frame structure suitable for cell growth, also known as a three-dimensional scaffold, which has a large number of micro-holes stacked tissue and forms a specific shape as a whole to provide cell attachment or seeding, and then guide Cells grow and differentiate in the planned three-dimensional direction, producing pseudo-regenerated tissues or organs. Conventional scaffold preparation techniques include salting-out process, freeze drying process, solid freeform fabrication process, etc.

At present, related research has appeared to use a microfluidic method to manufacture. This manufacturing method is to make liquid and gas through a flow-focusing microfluidic device, similar to the method of blowing bubbles, and disperse a plurality of bubbles in the liquid. Multiple bubbles are stacked into a three-dimensional scaffold; this manufacturing method has the advantages of low cost and rapid production. In addition, because this method uses stable air flow to blow bubbles through the flow-focusing microfluidic device, the generated bubbles have the same size, the holes are formed uniformly, and it is relatively easy to control the density of the tissue scaffold.

The plurality of bubbles produced by the above microfluidic method are dispersed in the liquid, and the proportion of bubbles is low. At this time, the bubbles need to be separated from the liquid, collected, and stacked into a three-dimensional scaffold. However, because a large number of bubbles are collected and stacked to form a so-called bubble body, its rheological behavior exhibits hysteresis; where the viscosity of the bubble body flow increases sharply as the bubble content increases (relative liquid content decreases), When the external pressure changes greatly, the bubble body is easily damaged, and the density and mass of individual small bubbles are almost zero, which is easily driven by liquid turbulence and difficult to control specifications. The above-mentioned factors make the process of processing air bubbles very different from that of general fluids, and new technologies are urgently needed to solve them.

In view of this, the present invention provides a separation device for separating air bubbles from a liquid, which is its main purpose.

The invention provides a bubble separation device comprising: a body with an accommodating space at the top and a communicating column; an inflow pipe located on one side of the body, the inflow pipe is provided in the accommodating space with a Hole; first-class outlet pipe, located on the side of the body and its position is lower than the position of the inflow pipe; a connecting pipe, located in the accommodating space, the first end of the connecting pipe is connected to the inflow pipe, the connecting pipe The second end corresponds to the outflow tube and there is a gap between the two.

According to the present invention, the liquid in which a plurality of bubbles are dispersed flows in from the inflow tube, the bubble is discharged from the hole with a small part of the liquid and floats up to the top of the accommodating space, and the plurality of bubbles are collected through the column; The liquid continues to flow from the inflow pipe to the connecting pipe, and flows out of the body through the outflow pipe. The small part of the liquid discharged from the hole also enters the outflow tube through the gap, so that all the liquid can be collected and flow out of the body together to separate the bubbles and the gas from each other.

According to the above technical features, a bubble generating device is further arranged and connected to the inflow tube to provide the liquid in which a plurality of bubbles are dispersed.

According to the above technical features, a liquid recovery device is further configured and connected to the outflow tube for receiving the liquid.

According to the above technical features, the liquid recovery device has a recovery tank for containing the liquid, the recovery tank is also configured with a first-class inlet and a first-class outlet, the inflow port is connected to the outflow tube, and the outflow port is The water pipe is connected to the air bubble generating device.

According to the above technical features, the position of the inflow port is higher than the outflow port.

According to the above technical features, the position of the inflow port is higher than the second end of the connecting pipe.

According to the above technical features, the liquid recovery device is further provided with a power element, which is connected to the outlet pipe.

According to the above technical features, the position of the first end of the connecting pipe is higher than the second end of the connecting pipe.

According to the above technical features, the pipe string extends upward from the top of the accommodating space.

According to the above technical features, the hole is located above the inflow tube.

Unless otherwise stated, the following terms used in the specification and patent scope of this application have the definitions given below. Please note that the singular term "a" used in the specification and patent scope of this application is intended to cover one or more of the items contained, such as at least one, at least two, or at least three, and does not mean to have only The single item contained. In addition, open connection terms such as "include", "have", etc. used in the scope of patent application mean that the combination of elements or components described in the request does not exclude other components or components not specified in the request. It should also be noted that the term "or" also generally includes "and/or" in the sense, unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "about" or "substantially" used in the specification and patent scope of this application are used to modify any slight variation error, but such slight variation will not change its essence.

Please refer to FIG. 1, the bubble separation device of the present invention includes at least: a body 1, an inflow tube 2, a first-class outlet tube 3 and a connecting tube 4; wherein:

The body 1 is a rigid structure. The body 1 has an accommodating space 11 at the top and a communicating column 12 disposed on the top. The column 12 extends upward from the top of the accommodating space 11.

The inflow tube 2 is located on the side of the body 1. The inflow tube 2 is provided with a hole 21 deep in the accommodating space 11, and the hole 21 is located above the inflow tube 2.

The outflow tube 3 is located on the side of the body 1 and its position is lower than that of the inflow tube 2.

The connecting tube 4 is located in the accommodating space 11. The first end 41 of the connecting tube 4 is connected to the inflow tube 2, and the second end 42 of the connecting tube 4 corresponds to the outflow tube 3 with a gap between the two 43, and the first end 41 of the connecting tube 4 is higher than the second end 42 of the connecting tube 4.

When using, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 at the same time, providing the liquid 52 with a plurality of bubbles 51 dispersed into the inflow tube 2, the plurality of bubbles 51 with a small part of the liquid 52 is ejected from the hole 21 and toward It floats up to the top of the accommodating space 11 and collects a plurality of bubbles 51 through the column 12. The pressure difference between the inside and outside of the inflow pipe 2 is the source of power for the small part of the liquid ejection hole 21. Most of the liquid 52 enters the outflow tube 3 through the first end 41 of the inflow tube 2 and the second end 42 of the connecting tube 4 and out of the body 1. The small part of the liquid 52 ejected from the hole 21 can also enter the outflow tube 3 through the gap 43 and flow out of the body 1, and all the liquid flowing in from the inflow tube 2 can be collected and flow out of the body 1 together. Therefore, the volume of the liquid in the body 1 does not continue to accumulate without increasing endlessly. In a stable operating state, the volume of liquid in the body 1 is almost constant. In the above process, most of the liquid carried by the inflow tube 2 flows directly down to the outflow tube 3 through the connecting tube 4 to avoid serious interference with the collection of bubbles above.

The bubbles in this case can be applied to many fields such as chemical and biochemical analysis after collection; among them, because bubbles are collected spontaneously in a spherical configuration, they are assembled and stacked into a tight arrangement. The solution contained in the bubble wall between the bubbles can be gelled through a chemical reaction to fix the relative positions between the two adjacent bubbles to form an elastic three-dimensional scaffold. The bubble wall between two adjacent bubbles can generate small holes through the low-pressure expansion process, so that the two bubbles can form a continuous continuous space. The bubble assembly has a sponge-like or honeycomb-like structure, and there are a large number of continuous through-holes suitable for attaching or seeding cells.

The three-dimensional scaffold mentioned above has special physical properties, such as light weight, low thermal conductivity, porosity, etc., so it is often used in many engineering and medical fields. Among them, the most noticed is the tissue scaffold for culturing cells. Its function is Imitating the extracellular matrix, so that the cells can grow in the scaffold, the selected cells are attached, perfused or seeded onto the scaffold, or the three-dimensional scaffold itself is the cell culture medium, allowing the cells to grow in the scaffold. Afterwards, the cells are given appropriate growth signals and chemical stimulation to allow the cells to proliferate, grow and differentiate in a simulated environment, and then form a regenerative tissue or organ that resembles the target of treatment. When transplanted into the patient's body, it can replace the original Injury, or dysfunction or necrosis of tissues and organs for medical purposes. The natural materials most commonly used as tissue scaffolds are collagen or hydrocolloid plants obtained from animals, such as gelatin, collagen, chitosan, or sodium alginate, etc. The artificial materials include polylactate (PLLA), polyglycolate (PGA), poly-lactic co-glycolic acid (PLGA), etc. In addition to supplying the cell growth environment, the tissue scaffold can also regulate the connection between cells and prevent compression, so that the cells can get the best growth space.

Furthermore, the present invention can be further equipped with a bubble generating device 6 and a liquid recovery device 7. As shown in FIG. 4, the bubble generating device 6 is connected to the inflow pipe 2 and can provide the liquid in which a plurality of bubbles 51 are dispersed 52; and the liquid recovery device 7 is connected to the outflow tube 3 for receiving the liquid 52 separated from the bubbles, the liquid recovery device 7 has a recovery tank 71 for accommodating the liquid 52, the recovery tank 71 and A first-class inlet 72 and a first-class outlet 73 are arranged. The position of the inlet 72 is higher than the outlet 73 and also higher than the second end 42 of the connecting pipe 4. The inflow port 72 is connected to the outflow tube 3, and the outflow port 73 is connected to a power member 75 (which can be a pump) by a water outlet tube 74, which is connected to the water outlet tube 74, which can provide power for liquid It continuously flows through the bubble generating device 6, the inflow pipe 2, the connection pipe 4, and the outflow pipe 3, and returns to the recovery tank 71.

In the embodiment shown in the figure, the recovery tank 71 has a first tank 711 and a second tank 712 arranged up and down, and a tube 713 disposed between the first and second tanks 711, 712. The inflow port 72 is disposed in the first tank 711, and the outflow port 73 is disposed in the second tank 712, and the tube body 713 is vertically disposed between the first and second tanks 711, 712. The top of the tube 713 is lower than the top of the first tank 711, and the liquid flows into the first tank 711 from the outflow tube 3 through the inflow port 72. When the liquid height is higher than the top of the tube 713, the liquid Then, it can enter the tube body 713 from the top of the tube body 713 and then flow into the second tank 713, and finally flow out from the outflow port 73.

The device and method for generating a plurality of bubbles dispersed in a liquid by the bubble generating device in the present invention generally involves the use of the applicant’s application for prior approval and the announcement of Taiwan’s invention patent No. I630956, the patent name "Generating microscopically substantially monodisperse The method and device mentioned in "Drip Method and Device", the patent is fully incorporated herein for reference.

When the embodiment of FIG. 4 is used, the liquid 52 is injected into the first tank 711 and is higher than the top of the tube 713. The liquid 52 flows into the second tank 712 from the tube 713, and then flows out through the outlet 73 The water pipe 74 is injected into the bubble generating device 6 by the power member 75, and a plurality of bubbles 51 generated through the bubble generating device 6 are dispersed in the liquid 52 and sent to the inflow tube 2. When the inflow tube 2 is transported, please also refer to FIG. 2 as the density of the air bubbles 51 is low and will slowly move to the position above the inflow tube 2. When the liquid in which a plurality of air bubbles are dispersed flows through the holes 21, The air bubbles 51 located above the inflow tube 2 will eject out of the hole 21 with a small amount of liquid, and rise to the top of the accommodating space 11. When more and more air bubbles 51 are ejected from the hole 21, the front air bubbles 51 will be pushed by the buoyancy force of the rear air bubbles 51 to move into the column 12, and the plural bubbles moving into the column 12 will be moving upward , To form the most densely packed state, complete the separation and collection of bubbles.

Most of the liquid 52 contained in the inflow pipe 2 enters the outflow pipe 3 through the connecting pipe 4 and flows out of the body 1. A small portion of the liquid 52 ejected from the hole 21 can also enter the outlet tube 3 through the gap 43 and exit the body 1. Therefore, the liquid 52 in the outflow pipe 3 flows into the first tank 711 of the recovery tank 71 through the inflow port 72, and then forms liquid recycling.

In summary, the present invention provides a better and feasible bubble separation device, and the application for the invention patent is filed according to law; the technical content and technical characteristics of the present invention have been disclosed as above, but those who are familiar with this technology may still be based on the present invention The disclosure made various substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should not be limited to those disclosed in the embodiments, but should include various replacements and modifications without departing from the present invention, and be covered by the following patent application scope.

1: Ontology 11: accommodating space 12: Column 2: Inflow tube 21: Hole 3: outflow tube 4: connecting pipe 41: the first end 42: Second end 43: clearance 51: bubbles 52: Liquid 6: bubble generating device 7: Liquid recovery device 71: Recycling tank 711: the first tank 712: Second tank 713: tube body 72: Inflow 73: Outflow 74: outlet pipe 75: power parts

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bubble separation device in the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic view of the use of the bubble separation device in the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic enlarged view of the use of the bubble separation device in the present invention. Fig. 4 is another schematic structural view of the bubble separation device in the present invention.

1: Ontology

11: accommodating space

12: Column

2: Inflow tube

21: Hole

3: outflow tube

4: connecting pipe

41: the first end

42: Second end

43: clearance

Claims (10)

An air bubble separation device includes: a body having an accommodating space and a communicating column at the top thereof; an inflow pipe located on one side of the body, and the inflow pipe is provided with a hole deep in the accommodating space; An outflow tube is located on the side of the body and its position is lower than that of the inflow tube; and a connection tube is located in the accommodating space, the first end of the connection tube is connected to the inflow tube, the first of the connection tube The two ends correspond to the outflow tube and there is a gap between the two; wherein, the liquid in which a plurality of bubbles are dispersed flows in from the inflow tube, the bubble is discharged from the hole with a small part of the liquid and floats up to the accommodating space At the top, a plurality of bubbles are collected through the column; most of the liquid continues to flow from the inflow tube to the connection tube, and flows out of the body through the outflow tube, and a small part of the liquid discharged from the hole also enters the outflow through the gap Tube, all liquid can be collected and flow out of the body together. The bubble separation device according to claim 1, wherein a bubble generation device is further arranged and connected to the inflow pipe to provide the liquid in which a plurality of bubbles are dispersed. The bubble separation device according to claim 2, wherein a liquid recovery device is further arranged and connected to the outflow tube for receiving the liquid. The bubble separation device according to claim 3, wherein the liquid recovery device has a recovery tank for containing the liquid, and the recovery tank is provided with a first-class inlet and a first-class outlet, and the inflow port is connected to the outflow tube, The outflow port is connected to the bubble generating device by a water outlet pipe. The bubble separation device according to claim 4, wherein the inflow port is located higher than the outflow port. The bubble separation device according to claim 4, wherein the position of the inflow port is higher than the second end of the connecting pipe. The bubble separation device according to claim 4, wherein the liquid recovery device is further provided with a power member, which is connected to the outlet pipe. The bubble separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the position of the first end of the connecting pipe is higher than the second end of the connecting pipe. The bubble separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pipe string extends upward from the top of the accommodating space. The bubble separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the hole is located above the inflow pipe.

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