Patent ID: 8313708

Claim:
An apparatus for treating objects with a treatment gas, the apparatus comprising: a treatment chamber, enclosing the treatment gas; a chamber input through which the objects enter the treatment chamber, the chamber input including an input passage, the input passage having an input medium disposed therein through which the objects pass when the objects enter the treatment chamber, the input medium substantially reducing ingress of external gases into the treatment chamber as the objects enter the treatment chamber, the input passage including a non-hydrostatic device, the objects being submersed in the input medium as the objects pass through the non-hydrostatic device; and a chamber output through which the objects leave the treatment chamber, the chamber output including an output passage, the output passage having an output medium disposed therein through which the objects pass when the objects leave the treatment chamber, the output medium substantially reducing ingress of external gases into the treatment chamber as the objects leave the chamber, wherein the input medium and the output medium are both liquids.