1. A self-cleansing portable urine collection device comprising:
a urine collection receptacle configured to collect urine from a user;
a housing, the receptacle being moveable between a first position in which the receptacle is stored within the housing and a second position in which the receptacle is positioned outside of the housing;
a cleansing container located within the housing and configured to retain a cleansing solution therein, the container being coupled to a cleansing conduit having a nozzle, the cleansing conduit and nozzle located within the housing, the nozzle remaining within the housing when the receptacle is in the second position and oriented to direct the cleansing solution onto surfaces of the receptacle only when the receptacle is located within the housing;
a reservoir located within the housing and coupled to the receptacle, the reservoir adapted to receive the urine and the cleansing solution collected by the receptacle; and
a first pump located within the housing and coupled to the receptacle and the reservoir, the first pump being configured to withdraw the urine and the cleansing solution from the receptacle and provide the urine and the cleansing solution to the reservoir.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first conduit coupled between the receptacle and the reservoir to transport the urine and the cleansing solution from the receptacle to the reservoir, wherein the first conduit includes a receptacle drainage tube fluidly connecting the receptacle and the first pump and a pump drainage tube fluidly connecting the first pump and the reservoir, wherein the receptacle drainage tube is biased to a coiled position when the receptacle is in the first position and extendable to an extended position when the receptacle is in the second position.
3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second pump located within the housing and coupled to the cleansing container, the second pump being configured to provide the cleansing solution from the cleansing container to the receptacle via the cleansing conduit.
4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a switch associated with at least one of the first and second pumps, the switch being operable by a user to selectively activate and deactivate at least one of the first and second pumps.
5. The device of claim 3, further comprising a control device coupled to at least one sensor and to at least one of the first and second pumps, wherein the at least one sensor and the control device cooperate to activate and deactivate at least one of the first and second pumps.
6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a housing access door selectively moveable between an open position and a closed position, at least one sensor configured to detect the housing access door being in either the open position or the closed position.
7. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor configured to detect a presence of fluid within the receptacle.
8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a housing access door and at least one sensor configured to detect the housing access door in at least one of an open position and a closed position.
9. The device of claim 5, wherein the control device includes a timer,
wherein the control device is configured to deactivate the first pump based at least in part upon a time condition utilizing the timer, wherein the control device is configured to deactivate the first pump a predetermined time after activation of the first pump.
10. The device of claim 5, wherein the second pump is activated at least in part by the receptacle being positioned in the first position, wherein the at least one sensor transmits a start signal to the control device to activate the second pump upon the detection of the receptacle being positioned in the first position.
11. The device of claim 6, wherein the second pump is activated at least in part by the closing of the housing access door to the closed position, wherein the at least one sensor transmits a start signal to the control device to activate the second pump upon the detection of the closing of the housing access door to the closed position.
12. The device of claim 6, wherein the second pump is activated at least in part by the combination of the closing of the housing access door to the closed position and the receptacle being positioned in the first position, wherein the at least one sensor transmits a start signal to the control device to activate the second pump upon the detection of the closing of the housing access door to the closed position and upon the detection of the receptacle being positioned in the first position.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein the control device includes a timer, wherein the control device is configured to activate the second pump based at least in part upon a time condition utilizing the timer, wherein the control device is configured to activate the second pump a predetermined time after the detection of the closing of the housing access door to the closed position and the receptacle being positioned in the first position.
14. The device of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second pumps includes a drive device, the device further comprising a power source for driving the drive devices.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the power source includes a rechargeable battery pack, wherein the housing further comprises a housing wall including a battery recharging connector formed therethrough, the battery recharging connector being configured to connect to an external power source to recharge the battery pack.
16. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second conduits includes a hydrophobic inner surface to facilitate drainage of the urine and the cleansing solution through the device, wherein the reservoir includes a vent configured to allow air to flow out of the reservoir and to prevent leakage of the urine and the cleansing solution received in the reservoir.
17. The device of claim 1, wherein the cleansing solution includes at least one of water, acetic acid, a carbon based acid, a citric acid, a tartaric acid, a polyacrylic acid, a water soluble copolymer of acrylic acid, a poly(maleic anhydride), a water soluble copolymer of maleic anhydride, sodium bisulfate, sodium perborate, potassium persulfate, and mixtures thereof.
18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a control device coupled to a sensor and an alarm, the sensor being capable of detecting a volume of fluid within the reservoir, wherein the sensor and the control device cooperate to sound the alarm upon the detection of the volume of fluid within the reservoir approaching a predetermined reservoir capacity to provide a warning to the user to empty the reservoir.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A high temperaturehigh pressure (HPHT) apparatus, which comprises:
(a) a pressure vessel comprising a cell for growing crystals or processing material in a liquid or solid pressure transmitting medium;
(b) at least a heating element for heating said cell;
(c) at least an electrical power system for powering said heating element;
(g) at least an electrical insulator disposed within said pressure vessel for establishing at least two different electrical heating paths are between said heating element and said electrical power system for independently controlling the temperatures of at least two locations in the cell.
2. A high temperaturehigh pressure (HPHT) apparatus for growing crystals or processing material in a liquid or solid pressure transmitting medium in a cell, wherein the temperature difference between two locations within the cell may be adjusted to a minimum below 15 C. and a maximum greater than 25 C. while the cell is being heated is to a growth temperature of between 500 C. and 1300 C.
3. A gallium nitride single crystal grown in the HPHIT apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gallium nitride single crystal has a dislocation density of less than 104 per cm2.
4. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cell comprises at least a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of at least a location in the cell, and wherein the temperature sensor is selected from one of a thermocouple, a thermistor, an optical fiber coupled to an optical pyrometer, or any combination thereof.
5. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein
said cell comprises a lateral confining die and at least an upper and lower pressure anvils,
the heating element comprises a cylindrical heating element having at least one end in electrical contact with at least one of the anvils;
at least one of the anvils or die is in electrical contact with a central portion of the heating element.
6. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein
said apparatus further comprises nested elements within said at least one anvil, with an electrical insulator separating the nested anvil elements;
said cell is defined by a lateral confining die and at least an upper and lower pressure anvils, at least one of which comprises a nested anvil element;
the heating element comprises at least two nested cylindrical heating elements each having at least two ends, and wherein at least one of said elements has a non-uniform cross section;
the first end of each cylindrical heating element being in electrical contact with at least one of the anvils or the nested anvil elements, and the second end of each of the cylindrical heating elements being in separate electrical contact with a different anvil or nested anvil element.
7. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein
said apparatus further comprises an upper and a lower pressure anvil;
said cell is defined by at least two lateral confining dies having at least two components electrically separated from one another by at least one insulator,
at least a portion of the heating element is in electrical contact with at least one of the dies and at least another portion of the heating element is in electrical contact with at least one of said anvils.
8. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure vessel is selected from one of a belt apparatus, a zero-stroke apparatus, a piston-cylinder apparatus, a multi-anvil press, a split-sphere apparatus, and a toroid apparatus.
9. The HPHT apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pressure vessel comprises a toroid apparatus having upper and lower recessed anvils in electrical contact with opposite ends of the heating element, and with at least one disk element between the recessed anvils in electrical contact with at least one portion of the heating element, and further comprises insulators separating the disk elements from one another and from the upper and lower anvils.
10. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element is formed from at least one of graphite foil, graphite, a Ni (60%)Fe (25%)Cr (15%) alloy, niobium, titanium, tantalum, stainless steel, nickel, chromium, zirconium, molybdenum, tungsten, rhenium, hafnium, platinum, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof.
11. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure transmission medium comprises one or more of alkali metal halide, talc, pyrophyllite, molybdenum disulfide, graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, silver chloride, calcium fluoride, strontium fluoride, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, merylinite clay, bentonite clay, sodium silicate, and combinations thereof.
12. The improved HPHT apparatus of claim 1, which is capable of growing crystals at pressures ranging from between about 2 kbar and about 100 kbar.
13. The HPHT apparatus of claim 1, wherein said heating element is selected from at least one of a heating tube, a heated foil, a ribbon, a bar, a wire, a ring, or combinations thereof.
14. A method for treating a sample in a liquid or solid pressure transmitting medium using a high temperaturehigh pressure (HPHT) apparatus, which method comprises the steps of:
placing the sample in the HPHT apparatus which comprises a pressure vessel having a cell disposed in said pressure vessel, a heating element for heating said cell, an electrical power system for powering said heating element; at least an electrical insulator disposed within said pressure vessel for establishing at least two different electrical heating paths between said heating element and said electrical power system for independently controlling the temperatures of at least two locations in the cell;
processing of said sample by subjecting said sample to conditions of high pressure and high temperature, wherein the temperature is independently controlled for at least two different locations within the cell.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cell comprises at least a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of at least a location in the cell and wherein the temperature sensor is selected from one of a thermocouple, a thermistor, an optical fiber coupled to an optical pyrometer, or any combination thereof.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein
said cell is defined by a lateral confining die and at least an upper and lower pressure anvils,
the heating element comprises a cylindrical heating element having at least one end in electrical contact with at least one of the anvils;
at least one of the anvils or die is in electrical contact with a central portion of the heating element.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein
said apparatus further comprises nested elements within said at least one anvil, with an electrical insulator separating the nested anvil elements;
said cell is defined by a lateral confining die and at least an upper and lower pressure anvils, at least one of which comprises a nested anvil element,
the heating element comprises at least two nested cylindrical heating elements each having at least two ends, and wherein at least one of said elements has a non-uniform cross section;
the first end of each cylindrical heating element being in electrical contact with at least one of the anvils or the nested anvil elements, and the second end of each of the cylindrical heating elements being in separate electrical contact with a different anvil or nested anvil element.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein
said HPHT apparatus further comprises an upper and a lower pressure anvils;
said cell is defined by at least two lateral confining dies having at least two components electrically separated from one another by at least one insulator,
at least a portion of the heating element is in electrical contact with at least one of the dies and at least another portion of the heating element is in electrical contact with at least one of said anvils.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein the pressure vessel is selected from one of a belt apparatus, a zero-stroke apparatus, a piston-cylinder apparatus, a multi-anvil press, a split-sphere apparatus, and a toroid apparatus.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pressure vessel comprises a toroid apparatus having upper and lower recessed anvils in electrical contact with opposite ends of the heating element, and with at least one disk element between the recessed anvils in electrical contact with at least one additional portion of the heating element, and with insulators separating the disk elements from one another and from the upper and lower anvils.
21. The method of claim 14, wherein the heating element is formed from one or more of graphite, a Ni (60%)Fe (25%)Cr (15%) alloy, niobium, titanium, tantalum, stainless steel, nickel, chromium, zirconium, molybdenum, tungsten, rhenium, hafnium, platinum, or silicon carbide.
22. The method of claim 14, wherein the pressure transmission medium comprises one or more of alkali metal halide, talc, pyrophyllite, molybdenum disulfide, graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, silver chloride, calcium fluoride, strontium fluoride, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, merylinite clay, bentonite clay, or sodium silicate.
23. The method of claim 14, wherein said processing comprises growing crystals from said sample at pressures ranging from between about 2 kbar and about 100 kbar.
24. The method of claim 18, wherein said heating element is selected from at least one of a heating tube, a heated foil, a ribbon, a bar, a wire, a ring, or combinations thereof.
25. A high temperaturehigh pressure (HPHT) apparatus, which comprises:
(a) a pressure vessel comprising a cell for growing crystals or processing material in a liquid or solid pressure transmitting medium;;
(b) at least a heating element for heating said cell;
(c) at least an electrical power system for powering said heating element;
(e) at least a cooling circuit disposed within said pressure vessel for independently controlling the temperatures of at least two locations in the cell.
26. The HPHT apparatus of claim 25, wherein
said cell is defined by a lateral confining die and at least an upper anvil and a lower pressure anvil;
wherein said cooling circuit is associated with said lateral confining die and at least one anvil.
27. A gallium nitride crystals grown by the method of claim 14, wherein said crystal has a dislocation density of less than 104 per cm2