US 12,475,876 B2
System, computer-implemented method, computer program and non-volatile data carrier for generating an acoustic channel for levitation of matter
Josef Hansson, Sundbyberg (SE)
Assigned to MYVOX AB, Stockholm (SE)
Appl. No. 18/038,699
Filed by MYVOX AB, Stockholm (SE)
PCT Filed Dec. 3, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/084144
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 24, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/128530, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 23, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2051469-1 (SE), filed on Dec. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0062740 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. G10K 11/34 (2006.01); B06B 1/02 (2006.01); B06B 1/06 (2006.01); G10K 11/32 (2006.01); G10K 11/36 (2006.01); G10K 15/00 (2006.01); G10K 15/04 (2006.01)
CPC G10K 11/346 (2013.01) [B06B 1/0223 (2013.01); B06B 1/0625 (2013.01); G10K 11/32 (2013.01); G10K 11/343 (2013.01); G10K 11/36 (2013.01); G10K 15/00 (2013.01); G10K 15/04 (2013.01); B06B 2201/40 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An acoustic levitation system comprising:
at least one acoustic transducer array configured to emit acoustic energy of periodically varying intensity, each of the at least one acoustic transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements, the transducer elements being controllable in response to a control signal so as to emit the acoustic energy at a wavelength and phase delay determined by the control signal; and
a controller communicably connected to the at least one acoustic transducer array, the controller being configured to define an acoustic channel comprising one or more high-pressure regions enclosing a continuous pressure minimum region that extends along a defined channel path from a start position to an end position, by generating the control signal such that the emitted acoustic energy forms an acoustic-potential field of acoustic waves being constructively combined at a plurality of common focal points, the plurality of common focal points being divided into N channel control groups, each channel control group comprising at least two common focal points, the common focal points in each channel control group being located along a periphery of a respective circular cross-section of the acoustic channel, phases of the at least two common focal points in each channel control group are equally distributed between 0° and 360° around the periphery of the respective circular cross-section, and a phase of each common focal point in a channel control group corresponds within a preset tolerance to a phase of a closest common focal point in a neighboring channel control group or groups.