Patent ID: 8382921

Claim:
An apparatus for compressing powders and the like, comprising: a head assembly comprising a distensible elastic platen being mounted in a chambered header plate containing a pressurizing fluid; a base assembly with a rigid platen being sealedly mounted in a base plate, wherein said rigid platen includes a face with at least one cavity where said at least one cavity includes an opening that opens to the face of the rigid platen, wherein said at least one cavity includes an exhaust port that is substantially near a deepest point of the cavity, wherein said exhaust port is in fluid communication through a micro-channel in the rigid platen to a vacuum line connected to the base plate, wherein the distensible elastic platen is aligned with the rigid platen, and wherein the rigid platen and the distensible elastic platen are held firmly in contact on pressurization of the pressurizing fluid so that a single distension per cavity extends through the opening, and compresses one of a powder and samples preloaded into said at least one cavity for an optimized density; and a diffusion membrane, wherein said diffusion membrane is situated between the vacuum line and the rigid platen in order to catch particles of the powder loaded into said at least one cavity that are dislodged during evacuation of the cavity.