Patent ID: 8393265

Claim:
A device for conveying a mixture of substances including at least one mixture component predominantly having a viscous consistency and at least one mixture component predominantly having a solid, particle-like consistency, the device comprising: a delivery cylinder having perforations over a portion of a lateral cylinder wall thereof and configured to separate, through the perforations, at least one of the mixture components from the mixture of substances, the delivery cylinder being connected, via a pipeline provided on an outside of the perforated lateral cylinder wall, to a processing station for the separated at least one mixture component; a material feed space connected to an inlet side of the delivery cylinder; a delivery line connected to an outlet side of the delivery cylinder; a delivery piston reciprocatable through the material feed space and the delivery cylinder; a closure member disposed at the outlet side of the delivery cylinder or in the delivery line and movable between an open position and a closed position; and a control unit including a sequence control system for coupled control of a drive mechanism operable to move the delivery piston and a drive mechanism operable to move the closure member, the control unit configured to respond to displacement signals of the delivery piston so as to cause the closure member to perform a closing movement and configured to respond to output signals of a pressure sensor disposed upstream of the closure member in at least one of the delivery cylinder and the delivery line so as to cause the closure member to perform an opening movement, wherein the delivery line is configured to feed into a return section leading back to the material feed space, the delivery line having a form of a bioreactor.