1. A method for separating the endosperm, pericarp, and germ of a plurality of corn kernels, said method comprising:
placing the corn kernels in a fluid medium; and
simultaneously inducing cavitation within the fluid and subjecting the corn kernels to centrifugal force to separate the endosperm, pericarp, and germ of the corn kernels wherein the kernels are not crushed by a mill or degerminator before separation separation.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inducing abrasion between the fluid and corn kernels to separate the endosperm, pericarp, and germ of the corn kernels.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising inducing abrasion between the corn kernels to separate the endosperm, pericarp, and germ of the corn kernels.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising subjecting the corn kernels to an impact force to separate the endosperm, pericarp, and germ of the corn kernels.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the endosperm, pericarp, and germ of one of the corn kernels are separated in less than two minutes.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the corn kernels are not steeped in water or an acidic solution before separation.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
dividing the germ and pericarp from the fluid and endosperm after separating the endosperm, germ, and pericarp;
inducing cavitation within the fluid and endosperm to separate the starch and protein from the endosperm cells; and
subjecting the separated starch and protein to centrifugal force to divide the starch and protein.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
hydrolyzing the starch;
saccharizing the hydrolyzed starch to produce sugar syrup;
fermenting the sugar syrup to produce liquid ethanol;
inducing cavitation within the liquid ethanol to convert the liquid ethanol into ethanol vapor;
subjecting the ethanol vapor to a centrifugal force to divide the ethanol vapor from the liquid; and
condensing the ethanol vapor.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of simultaneously inducing cavitation within the fluid and subjecting the corn kernels to centrifugal force is performed with a plurality of protrusions extending from a rotor, said protrusions being spaced no less than approximately 6 millimeters apart.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the corn kernels are not crushed before the endosperm, pericarp, and germ are separated.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of simultaneously inducing cavitation within the fluid and subjecting the corn kernels to centrifugal force is performed with an apparatus comprising:
a housing presenting an interior chamber, an inlet adapted to allow the fluid and corn kernels to enter said chamber, a shaft opening, and an outlet adapted to allow the fluid and endosperm, pericarp, and germ to exit said chamber after the endosperm, pericarp, and germ are separated;
a shaft projecting through said shaft opening into said chamber;
a rotor coupled with said shaft inside of said chamber;
a plurality of protrusions extending from said rotor, wherein said protrusions are spaced no less than approximately 6 millimeters apart; and
a prime mover for rotating said shaft and rotor.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the endosperm, pericarp, and germ are separated by the combined effects of centrifugal force, abrasion between the fluid and corn kernels, abrasion between the corn kernels, and impacts between the corn kernels and protrusions.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said housing presents first and second end walls and a side wall defining said chamber, wherein said inlet is in said first end wall, said shaft opening is in said second end wall, and said outlet is in said side wall, and wherein said rotor presents a front surface facing said inlet and said plurality of protrusions extend from said front surface of said rotor toward said inlet.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said rotor is circular and said protrusions are equidistant from the center of said rotor adjacent the peripheral edge of said front surface of said rotor, wherein said protrusions are cylindrical, and wherein there is an approximately 6 to 12 millimeter space between adjoining protrusions for retaining corn kernels within said chamber until separation of the germ, pericarp, and endosperm.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising protrusions extending from said first end wall toward said rotor.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
a tube received by said inlet and extending into said chamber;
a counter-rotor coupled with said tube inside of said chamber, said counter-rotor presenting a front surface facing said front surface of said rotor; and
protrusions extending from said front surface of said counter-rotor toward said rotor.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising a centrifuge coupled to said outlet.
18. A method for separating joined components, said method comprising:
placing the joined components in a fluid medium; and
simultaneously inducing cavitation within the fluid and subjecting the joined components to centrifugal force to separate the joined components wherein the joined components are not crushed by a mill or degerminator before separation.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising inducing abrasion between the fluid and joined components to separate the joined components.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising inducing abrasion between the joined components to separate the joined components.
21. The method of claim 18, further comprising subjecting the joined components to an impact force to separate the joined components.
22. The method of claim 18, wherein the joined components are grains or beans.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the joined components comprise the endosperm, germ, and pericarp of a corn kernel.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
dividing the germ and pericarp from the fluid and endosperm after separating the endosperm, germ, and pericarp;
inducing cavitation within the fluid and endosperm to separate the starch and protein from the endosperm cells; and
subjecting the separated starch and protein to centrifugal force to divide the starch and protein.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
hydrolyzing the starch;
saccharizing the hydrolyzed starch to produce sugar syrup;
fermenting the sugar syrup to produce liquid ethanol;
inducing cavitation within the liquid ethanol to convert the liquid ethanol into ethanol vapor;
subjecting the ethanol vapor to a centrifugal force to divide the ethanol vapor from the liquid; and
condensing the ethanol vapor.
26. The method of claim 18, wherein the joined components comprise the skin, pulp, mucilage, parchment, and beans of a coffee berry.
27. The method of claim 18, wherein the joined components comprise the skin, pulp, and pit of a fruit.
28. The method of claim 18, wherein the joined components comprise the starch and cells of a cassava root or potato.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of creating a provisional dental prosthesis on an implant placed in bone comprising the acts of:
retaining a conical abutment to the implant;
securing a first intermediate component to the conical abutment;
attaching a second intermediate component to the first intermediate component, the second intermediate component including a non-metallic material;
placing a prosthetic template over the second intermediate component;
filling the prosthetic template with a hardenable material;
after the act of filling the prosthetic template, removing the prosthetic template with the second intermediate component within the hardenable material;
forming a provisional prosthesis from the hardenable material, the provisional prosthesis containing the second intermediate component; and
connecting the provisional prosthesis to the first intermediate component by affixing the second intermediate component to the first intermediate component.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first intermediate component comprises titanium.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of securing the first intermediate component uses a screw to secure the first intermediate component to the conical abutment.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of attaching the second intermediate component to the first intermediate component is a snap-fit.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardenable material is acrylic.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prosthetic template has an inner cavity replicating a shape of teeth to be replaced by the prosthesis.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of removing the prosthetic template occurs after waiting a period of time for the hardenable material to at least partially solidify.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of connecting the provisional prosthesis to the first intermediate component includes placing cement between ribs of an outer periphery of the first intermediate component and the second intermediate component to secure the provisional prosthesis to the first intermediate component.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second intermediate component is made entirely of a polymeric material.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the acts of:
removing the provisional prosthesis and the first intermediate component;
attaching a permanent final prosthesis to the conical abutment.
11. A method of forming a dental prosthesis on a plurality of implants placed in bone comprising the acts of:
attaching a conical abutment to each of the plurality of implants;
securing a metallic first intermediate component to each of the conical abutments;
applying a second intermediate component to each of the metallic first intermediate components via a snap-fit;
placing a provisional prosthetic template over the second intermediate components, the provisional prosthetic template forming an inner cavity generally replicating shapes of teeth replaced by the provisional prosthesis;
filling the provisional prosthetic template with a hardenable acrylic material;
removing the provisional prosthetic template with the second intermediate components from the mouth;
forming a provisional prosthesis from the hardenable acrylic material, the provisional prosthesis containing the second intermediate components;
connecting the provisional prosthesis to the metallic first intermediate components by placing the second intermediate components on the metallic first intermediate components;
creating a permanent prosthesis;
removing the provisional prosthesis and the metallic first intermediate components after the act of creating a permanent prosthesis; and
attaching the permanent prosthesis to the conical abutments.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the metallic first intermediate component comprises titanium.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of connecting the provisional prosthesis to the metallic first intermediate component includes placing cement between the metallic first intermediate component and the second intermediate component to secure the provisional prosthesis to the first intermediate component.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the conical abutments is an angled abutment.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the metallic first intermediate components have a generally conical shape.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the metallic first intermediate components form a plurality of ribs about a periphery of the generally conical shape.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the second intermediate components are polymeric and have a generally conical shape.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the polymeric second intermediate components form a plurality of ribs about a periphery of the generally conical shape.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the metallic first intermediate components have a generally conical shape and form a plurality of ribs about a periphery of the generally conical shape, the second intermediate components have a generally conical shape and form a plurality of ribs about a periphery of the generally conical shape.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the act of connecting the provisional prosthesis to the metallic first intermediate component includes having cement within a gap between the plurality of ribs of the metallic first intermediate component and the second intermediate component to secure the provisional prosthesis to the first intermediate component.
21. The method of claim 11, wherein the provisional prosthetic template forming an inner cavity generally replicating shapes of teeth replaced by the provisional prosthesis is formed from a stone model of a patient.
22. The method of claim 11, wherein the provisional prosthetic template forming an inner cavity generally replicating shapes of teeth replaced by the provisional prosthesis is formed from a model of idealized teeth.
23. A method of forming a provisional dental prosthesis on a plurality of implants placed in bone, the implants having abutments attached, the method comprising the acts of:
securing a first intermediate component to each of the abutments;
attaching a second intermediate component to each of the first intermediate components, the second intermediate component including a non-metallic structure;
placing a provisional prosthetic template over the second intermediate components, the provisional prosthetic template forming an inner cavity generally replicating the shape of the provisional prosthesis;
filling the provisional prosthetic template with a hardenable acrylic material to form a provisional prosthesis;
removing the provisional prosthetic template.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first intermediate component comprises titanium.
25. The method of claim 23, wherein the act of securing the first intermediate component screws the first intermediate component to the abutment.
26. The method of claim 23, wherein the act of attaching the second intermediate component to the first intermediate component is a snap-fit.
27. The method of claim 23, wherein the act of attaching the second intermediate component to the first intermediate component is via cement.
28. The method of claim 23, wherein the second intermediate component comprises PEEK.
29. The method of claim 23, wherein the act of removing the provisional prosthetic template removes the second intermediate components from the first intermediate components allowing a practitioner to trim and polish the provisional prosthesis prior to use within the patient.
30. The method of claim 23, wherein the act of attaching the second intermediate component to the first intermediate component is via cement and the second intermediate components remain attached to the first intermediate components following the act of removing the prosthetic template resulting in the provisional prosthesis being mounted to the first intermediate components via the second intermediate components.