New ultrasound processor
ultrasound device for the formation of aerosols that could have a
role in sample processing and quality control.
The UM20-1.6 megahertz processor can atomise, nebulise, fog and spray samples in pharmaceutical, biological, chemical and environmental analysing processes, according to Hielscher USA.
Unlike spray nozzles or submersible transducers, this approach means that small liquid volumes can be processed. The UM20-1.6 can process liquids at up to 450ml/hour, and droplet sizes down to one micron can be achieved without heat transfer.
The processor can be operated in air, which adds to its flexibility, aorrding to Hielscher. A liquid feed is supplied to the oscillating sapphire glass surface, where the megahertz vibrations atomise the liquid to micron-size particles.
This cold atomising broadens its applications into areas such as spectroscopy analysis, according to Hielscher, and the company is happy to supply the processor as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) component part for use in third-party sample processing equipment.
The processor consists of a transducer and a generator, and works at 1.6MHz, with a 15 per cent variation in that range. It makes no noise and comes with a 2m connecting cable.
The active, oscillating face can be made of sapphire glass, quartz glass or other materials depending on the chemical corrosiveness of the medium, said Hielscher.
