Patent ID: 8459121

Claim:
A system for treating a material with acoustic energy, comprising: a chamber defining an internal volume and having an opening into the internal volume, an inlet to receive an inflow of material into the internal volume and an outlet to discharge an outflow of material from the internal volume; a window in the opening arranged to sealingly close the opening and to transmit focused acoustic energy into the chamber for treatment of material in the internal volume, the window being generally transparent to acoustic energy having a frequency of about 100 kHz to 100 MHz; an acoustic energy source spaced from the window and the chamber and arranged to emit acoustic energy having a frequency of about 100 kHz to 100 MHz to create a focal zone of acoustic energy in the internal volume; and a coupling medium arranged to transmit acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the window, the coupling medium being liquid or solid; wherein the system is arranged to acoustically treat material in the internal volume for an extended period of greater than 1 hour with the acoustic energy source operating at an output energy equivalent to about 200 watts or more.