Patent ID: 7029164
Filing Date: 2006-04-18
Classification: B01F,G01N

Abstract:
1. A system for preparing a fluid formulation, wherein said fluid formulation is selected from the group consisting of emulsion, gel and colloidal fluids, comprising: a plurality of flexible conduits, each having an inlet end and an outlet end, said plurality of flexible conduits operatively disposed within at least one of a plurality of pump means, each inlet end of said plurality of flexible conduits disposed within one of a plurality of storage vessels, said storage vessels each containing a different liquid fluid formulation precursor ingredient, the outlet ends of said plurality of flexible conduits disposed to deliver each of the precursor ingredients into a mixing vessel, the at least one of the plurality of pump means situated between the storage vessels and the mixing vessel in order to transport an amount of each of the precursor ingredients from its respective storage vessel through its respective flexible conduit into the mixing vessel, a plurality of flow restrictors in operative communication with each of the plurality of flexible conduits to independently regulate the amount of each of the precursor ingredients being delivered to the mixing vessel, means for mixing the combined precursor ingredients into the fluid formulation within the mixing vessel, cleaning chamber, containing a cleaning fluid, located adjacent said means of mixing, support bracket for supporting said means for mixing within said mixing vessel, within said cleaning chamber, and between said mixing vessel and said cleaning chamber, linear actuator and control means capable of regulating vertical and lateral motion of said means for mixing along said support bracket, a computer in operative communication with said pump means, said plurality of flow restrictors, said linear actuator and control means and said mixing means, a sensor means disposed within the mixing means to quantitatively measure at least one of a plurality of physical properties of the fluid formulation during mixing, said physical properties selected from the group consisting of mass, volume, viscosity and pH, the sensor means converting the at least one of the plurality of the physical property measurements into at least one of a plurality of corresponding measured physical property values, and electronic sending means to transmit the at least one of the plurality of measured physical property values to the computer, wherein the computer receives the at least one of the plurality of the measured physical property values, compares each measured physical property value to a corresponding desired physical property value, said desired physical property value having been previously input into the computer database, and sends output signals to each one of the plurality of flow restrictors and the pump means to independently regulate the amount of precursor ingredient traversing through each respective flexible conduit into the mixing vessel.