METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ISOLATING MICROPARTICLES FROM LIQUID MIXTURE

摘要

Apparatus and a method of separating a particulate portion as defined herein from a mixture including a liquid portion, including introducing the mixture into a stream of wash solution flowing along an open bore of a conduit, the wash solution having immiscible fluid segments therein, and subsequent to a separating step, collecting at least one of the aforesaid portions. Combined with these steps is the step of permeating over a period of time the internal surface of the aforementioned conduit with at least the aforementioned liquid portion. This retards the flow of the liquid portion which progressively lags behind the particulate portion until the two portions are separated by the segmented wash solution. Either or both portions may be collected, and when collected, the particulates are in washed condition. The aforementioned separation may be achieved on-line in a sample analyzer, and either or both collected portions may be reacted on-line with a reactant, and at least one product of the reaction may be analyzed on-line.