image: This is the NPL CaviMeter™. view more
Credit: NPL
NPL and the Onda Corporation, a leading global provider of ultrasound measurement instrumentation, announced an agreement to distribute worldwide the CaviMeter™, a novel measurement instrument to detect the level of acoustic cavitation for ultrasonic cleaning and sonoprocessing applications.
The CaviMeter™ was developed at NPL and provides a greatly improved technique for measuring the performance of ultrasonic cleaning systems. These systems are widely used in healthcare applications and the medical device manufacturing industry. They work by passing a high frequency sound wave through a liquid detergent to create thousands of small bubbles. These then implode with such force that the impact removes contaminant particles from submerged materials.
NPL CaviMeter™ provides a quick and simple-to-use measurement solution for cleaning systems, so is a new and improved method of quality assurance. By monitoring the acoustic signals generated when the clouds of bubbles implode, the NPL CaviMeter™ identifies how much cavitation is taking place at a given location, allowing equipment to be fine-tuned to produce the ideal quantity and distribution of cleaning action. This approach helps ensure that only the required energy is used, reducing costs and environmental impact.
"There has been a longstanding search for a reliable means to characterize the level of acoustic cavitation in a quantitative way," said Claudio Zanelli, CEO of Onda Corporation. "It is a great pleasure to partner with NPL, an internationally-respected center for measurement standards. The introduction of this instrument allows our customers to standardize around a method that was developed with a unique level of scientific rigor. We look forward to discussing with our customers about this exciting new offering."
NPL's scientist and inventor of the NPL CaviMeter™, Dr Bajram Zeqiri, comments: "The remit of any national laboratory globally is to deliver significant impact into society and industry. NPL is hugely pleased to establish this relationship with Onda. We see it as an effective route to translate the leading-edge measurement science and knowledge that has underpinned the development of the NPL CaviMeter™ over the last decade into real improvements in the application of acoustic cavitation for cleaning and processing. This will deliver tangible benefits to industrial users worldwide."