EFFICIENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERY OF PRODUCT AND RETURN OF CARRIER

• Main Authors: MATTIOLA, PAUL A, MILLER, DEREK, CAMPBELL, KAREN M, JOSEPH, THOMAS, GERSHTEIN, VLADIMIR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 19.10.2006
• Subjects: BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; LIQUID HANDLING; OPENING, CLOSING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

Systems and methods for supply and delivery of a product incorporated into a carrier are provided. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a system that comprises a fresh storage vessel for receiving and storing fresh. The system further includes a fresh transferring apparatus communicably linked to the fresh storage vessel for transferring of fresh to a user when the user is connected to the transferring apparatus. The system further includes a spent storage vessel for receiving and storing spent (spent being defined as fresh with at least some product and/or product element removed therefrom), and a spent transferring apparatus communicably linked to the spent storage vessel for transferring spent from a user when the user is connected to the transferring apparatus. Optionally, the system further includes of an intermediate spent storage vessel disposed in the communicable connection between the spent transferring apparatus and the spent storage vessel. The intermediate spent storage vessel optionally includes a controllable communicable connection for selective transfer of spent from the intermediate storage vessel to a contamination storage vessel or the spent storage vessel. The carrier may be in any physical state or any combination thereof. In addition, the carrier may involve any known mechanism to capture, retain, or release product, for example, chemical reaction, adsorption, dilution, among others.