Patent ID: 8114676

Claim:
Apparatus for mixing an aqueous sample containing particulate material with one or more other liquid components, said apparatus comprising: (a) a sealed tubular mixing container having a liquid inlet/gas outlet section at a first container end, said liquid inlet/gas outlet section including a sample inlet and a sparge gas outlet; a liquid outlet/gas inlet section at a second container end, said liquid outlet/gas inlet section including a sparge gas inlet and a sample outlet; and, between said liquid inlet/gas outlet section and said liquid outlet/gas inlet section, a fluid mixing region; (b) a magnetically activatable stirrer element inside said fluid mixing region; (c) an annular solenoid coil surrounding at least a portion of said fluid mixing region, said solenoid coil being activatable by a series of electric current pulses to move the stirrer element inside the fluid mixing region; and, (d) a porous gas disperser located between the sparge gas inlet and the fluid mixing region.