Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J14/00—Chemical processes in general for reacting liquids with liquids; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
  • B01F23/40—Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F25/00—Flow mixers; Mixers for falling materials, e.g. solid particles
  • B01F25/14—Mixing drops, droplets or bodies of liquid which flow together or contact each other
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F25/00—Flow mixers; Mixers for falling materials, e.g. solid particles
  • B01F25/30—Injector mixers
  • B01F25/31—Injector mixers in conduits or tubes through which the main component flows
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F33/00—Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
  • B01F33/30—Micromixers
  • B01F33/302—Micromixers the materials to be mixed flowing in the form of droplets
  • B01F33/3021—Micromixers the materials to be mixed flowing in the form of droplets the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these droplets being divided by a non-miscible fluid or consisting of independent droplets
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/71—Feed mechanisms
  • B01F35/717—Feed mechanisms characterised by the means for feeding the components to the mixer
  • B01F35/7174—Feed mechanisms characterised by the means for feeding the components to the mixer using pistons, plungers or syringes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/71—Feed mechanisms
  • B01F35/717—Feed mechanisms characterised by the means for feeding the components to the mixer
  • B01F35/7176—Feed mechanisms characterised by the means for feeding the components to the mixer using pumps
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J19/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J19/0093—Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N30/04—Preparation or injection of sample to be analysed
  • G01N30/16—Injection
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N31/00—Investigating or analysing non-biological materials by the use of the chemical methods specified in the subgroup; Apparatus specially adapted for such methods
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
  • G01N35/08—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F2101/00—Mixing characterised by the nature of the mixed materials or by the application field
  • B01F2101/23—Mixing of laboratory samples e.g. in preparation of analysing or testing properties of materials
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F33/00—Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
  • B01F33/30—Micromixers
  • B01F33/3035—Micromixers using surface tension to mix, move or hold the fluids
  • B01F33/30351—Micromixers using surface tension to mix, move or hold the fluids using hydrophilic/hydrophobic surfaces
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00783—Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00819—Materials of construction
  • B01J2219/00824—Ceramic
  • B01J2219/00828—Silicon wafers or plates
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00819—Materials of construction
  • B01J2219/00831—Glass
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00851—Additional features
  • B01J2219/00853—Employing electrode arrangements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00873—Heat exchange
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00889—Mixing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
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  • B01J2219/00891—Feeding or evacuation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00905—Separation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/00925—Irradiation
  • B01J2219/00934—Electromagnetic waves
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
  • B01J2219/00781—Aspects relating to microreactors
  • B01J2219/0095—Control aspects
  • B01J2219/00952—Sensing operations
  • B01J2219/00968—Type of sensors
  • B01J2219/0097—Optical sensors
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N30/04—Preparation or injection of sample to be analysed
  • G01N30/06—Preparation
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N30/60—Construction of the column
  • G01N30/6052—Construction of the column body
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N30/00—Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation
  • G01N30/02—Column chromatography
  • G01N30/60—Construction of the column
  • G01N30/6095—Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize

Definitions

• the invention is the subject of British Patent Application No. 8200642.
• This invention relates to a method for combining liquid chemical reactants and to apparatus for use therein.
• the present invention does not operate with a continuous stream, where control is achieved by the selection of appropriate flow rates for each fluid by running a pump or cyclically operated piston at a predetermined rate, but rather the liquid components of the present invention are controlled by a sequence of distinct movements in closed conduits, with each movement or set of movements occurring after the previous movement is completed. For example, a known volume of a reactant is moved through an opening, this movement ceases, then the volume displaced is separated from the parent volume. It should be noted that the volumes of all the reactants to be combined are contained and defined by the immiscible liquid prior to combination, and that individual single reactant samples can easily be handled by virtue of the large amounts of the immiscible liquid present, arid of the method of control. Thus each sample is treated by a sequence of changes of the movements of the liquid components causing it to combine with a reactant or reactants selected at will from a pleurality of reservoirs of different reactants. The reactants are thus metered within the conduit system.
• conduits which are to contain the liquid components are preferably constructed by holding two plates together in face to face contact, where one or both plates possesses a set of indentations or channels on the surface to be mated.
• Figure 1 is a plan view of two conduits being used in accordance with the method for producing droplets of reactants.
• the stippled areas represent carrier phase.
• Figure 2 is a plan view of conduits being used in accordance with an alternative method of producing droplets of reactants.
• Fiigure 3 is a plan view of conduits being used in accordance with a method for coalescing droplets.
• Figure 4 is a plan view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, which has been adapted to allow the separation of substances by electrophesis.
• Figure 5 is an exploded view of one embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with this invention.
• Figure 6 is a plan view of the apparatus of figure 5.
• the method and apparatus of the invention may be used for initiating and controlling a chemical reaction, or preparing mixtures of reactants, wherein the method comprises steps of:
• the system is particularly suited to the manipulation of microscopic quantities of reactant with volumes of less than 10 nanolitres, but larger quantities of more than a litre could also be used.
• the system is capable of treating single volumes of reactants individually.
• the discrete volumes may be separated from their parent volumes by passing a small volume of reactant from a reservoir, through a constriction and into a conduit meeting the reservoir at right angles.
• the discrete volume is now separated from the parent volume in the reservoir by passing carrier phase along the conduit.
• the discrete volumes of reactants are coalesced with each other by pressing volumes together by gravity, or by withdrawing the carrier phase from between a pleur-ality of discrete volumes, thereby causing them to move together until they collide, or by causing one volume to remain in a position partially blocking the path of a second discrete volume, then moving this second discrete volume through the opening thus formed, causing the two discrete volumes to be pressed together and to coalesce * .
• the reactants can be liquids, or gases capable of being condensed in the apparatus, or solids or gases dissolved in a suitable solvent.
• This reactant liquid hereafter referred to as a reactant
• a reactant will be supported, defined and moved by another, immiscible liquid, referred to hereafter as the carrier phase.
• Suitable carrier phases include mineral oils, light silicon oils, water, and fluorinated hydrocarbons.
• the carrier phase may be a mixture of several substances, and preferably has approximately the same density as the reactants.
• Surface acting agents may be included in the carrier and/or reactant phase to produce suitable surface properties, e.g. to allow efficient merging. Suitable surface acting agents include cholesterol, gelatine, sodium dioxyl, succinate Teepol, and Triton-x-100.
• the cross-section of the conduits is generally of the same order of magnitude as the cross-section of the droplets which are to be used in them, but smaller conduits, or larger droplets or discrete volumes may be used, causing the droplets to become elongated.
• the carrier phase may be moved by any suitable means, including the distortion of flexible tubing or sheeting, blowing or sucking by mouth, pumps or pistons. Pistons can be moved by screw threads turned by electric motors, (which may optionally be controlled electronically using microprocessor technology).
• Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustra.es one method of separating droplets of a predetermined volume from a larger reservoir of reactant.
• the reactant is introduced into a conduit containing carrier phase 1 from a side arm 2, by being sucked or pushed through a small opening 3.
• a flow of carrier phase separates it from the reactant in the reservoir, and carries it down the conduit.
• the volume of the droplet produced can be determined by at least three methods:
• the piston responsible for pushing the reactant through the opening is moved a known distance, corresponding to the volume of the reagent displaced. When this movement is complete the droplet is broken off by a relatively fast, shortlived current of carrier phase.
• the volume of the droplet before separation 5 is estimated visually, optionally using a telescope or microscope with a graduated eye piece. When the correct volume is achieved it is separated by a current of carrier phase.
• Figure 2. illustrates another method of forming droplets.
• the reactant 16 is passed into a conduit of considerably narrower width 11 than the droplets to be produced.
• the conduit is graduated relative to the opening 12 of a side arm 13.
• the reactant is passed into the narrow conduit to a certain graduation 14, whereupon carrier phase is introduced from the side arm, thus separating a droplet of the required size 15.
• Figure 3 illustrates a method of coalescing droplets, which can be of different sizes.
• the coalescence is effected at a site where two conduits, 23 and 25 in figure 3, merge to form a single conduit 24, preferably in a Y-configuration as shown.
• a current from conduit 23 to conduit 24 is produced which carries a droplet 21 to the site for coalescence.
• the valves feeding conduit 23 are closed.
• a current from conduit 25 to conduit 24 now carries a second droplet past the first, and in doing so the two droplets are pressed together, and coalesce to form a single droplet.
• the various movements of the fluids are produced by connecting the conduits to pistons, pumps or to reservoirs containing compressed gas or partial vacuum. Control is achieved by conventional valves.
• Conduits can be heated by electric circuits or coils or by electromagnetic radiation, allowing coalesced droplets to be incubated at the desired temperature.
• Solid state heat pumps can be used to cool conduits both for incubation at low temperatures and to allow the storage of unstable reactants. Heating can be achieved by reversing the heat pumps. Heating and cooling can also be achieved by circulating a fluid through separate ducts.
• the reactants can be thoroughly mixed by moving the droplet up and down a conduit, or if required by passing it through a constriction several times. Ports can be provided to allow droplets to be removed or introduced with a syringe needle.
• the droplet can be passed into a tube and transferred to any standard instrument of chemical or biochemical analysis.
• parts of the device itself can be adapted to form the sample chambers of such instruments.
• conduits can be formed with two plain transparent walls to form the sample chambers of photometers.
• a single transparent wall opposite a reflecting surface could also be used.
• Conduits can also be packed with the materials used for electrophoresis and chromatography.
• FIG. 4 shows a conduit which is adapted for electrophoresis.
• the electrophoretic conduit 31 is packed with electrophoretic material.
• the sample to be separated by electrophoresis is introduced as a droplet from conduit 32, and this droplet is merged on one side with the surface of the electrophoretic material (e.g. agarose, polyacrylamide or cellulose) and on the other side with a semipermeable membrane.
• This semipermeable membrane 33 encloses a chamber filled with buffer, containing an electrode 34 and provided with a gas vent 35 if required.
• Another droplet 36 is merged on to the other end of the electrophoretic material and to another semipermeable membrane and electrode assembly 37.
• a current is passed between the electrodes which causes the constituents to migrate at various speeds. The fastest fractions migrate into the receiving droplet first.
• This droplet is now exchanged for another 38 after a period, allowing the collection of a series of droplets containing different fractions.
• the system can be connected to a conventional H.P.L.C. system by fine bore tubing or to a mass spectroscopy system.
• the progress of droplets can be automatically monitored by detecting fluctuations in the light propagated through the conduit as the droplets pass. Similarly, when two droplets merge the light scattered from a beam passing through both droplets suddenly decreases.
• Windows in an opaque coating of the conduits can be used, and in cases where the monitoring of many sites is required, optie fibres could carry light to or from a central emitter or detector.
• the position of droplets could also be detected when they pass between an infra-red emmiter and detector, or when they pass between the plates of a conductance cell, or by the resultant change in the refractive index of the contents of the conduits.
• all pressure generating and monitoring means can be controlled by microprocessors or computers.
• the preferred method of construction of the apparatus is by producing indentations or channels of the appropriate configuration in the surface of a plate, and to clamp or hold this plate against another, producing closed ducts or conduits.
• the second plate may have a planar surface, or it may have indentations, either in the mirror image of the first plate's or in a different configuration.
• at least one of the plates is transparent, e.g. glass or perspex, allowing visual inspection of the procedures.
• the other plate may be Kel-F or Teflon (materials suited for use with aqueous reactants) or glass, perspex, metal, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene etc.
• Indentations in glass can be etched.
• Plastics and metals can be etched, moulded or machined.
• Electrical contacts can be produced by depositing a metallic layer of the desired configuration on either plate.
• Micro-organisms can be cultured in droplets containing the appropriate nutrients and incubated at the correct temperature.
• Contamination of the walls can be reduced by:
• An apparatus can be constructed in accordance with the method of the invention by joining tubes and pipes in the desired configuration.
• This invention has applications in many branches of medicine, chemistry, biochemistry, geology, etc., notably in procedures which utilize very small volumes, such as forensic and molecular biology work.
• the invention could be used to perform biological or chemical assays of sub-samples during purification procedures, and to produce chemical derivatives of samples prior to analysis by chromatography or mass spectroscopy. It could also be used for chemical analysis or synthesis in outer space, in conditions of very low gravity and pressure.
• Figure 5 is an exploded view of one embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the method of the invention. This embodiment is capable of mixing predetermined volumes of two aqueous reactants under sterile conditions.
• the device comprises a steel base 41 supporting a Teflon block 42 in which Usectioned indentations 43, of the configuration shown, have been machined.
• a sheet of siliconized glass 44 is pressed against this block by a clamp 45 which is tightened by nuts 46 and bolts 47.
• the five branches of the U-sectioned conduits thus formed lead to five stop-cock valves 48.
• the middle and outer pair of these conduits are connected by Teflon tubing 49 to reservoirs of the carrier phase, which is mineral spirit.
• the remaining two branches are connected to glass syringes, each containing one of the two reactants to be mixed.
• Figure 6 is a plan view of the device of figure 5 and uses the same reference numerals.
• Reservoirs 55 and 58 are half-filled with mineral spirit with the ends of the tubing 56 opening below the surface of the mineral spirit, while the end of an air vent 57 opens above the surface in each.
• a syringe containing air 60 is connected to reservoir 59 above the surface of the mineral spirit.
• the ports serving the valves 51 and 53 lead to two syringes 61 and 62 containing the two reactants.
• the conduits are initially filled with white spirit.
• Valves 48, 51, and 52 are opened. Valves 53 and 54 are closed.
• Syringe 61 is moved in until reactant reaches constriction 3. 3. Syringe 61 is moved further by the required amount, pushing a known volume or reactant through the constriction 3.
• Valves 53 and 54 are opened and a similar sequence of events produces a droplet of the reactant from syringe 62.
• Valve 48 is opened and syringe 60 moves out until the droplet of the reactant from syringe 61 moves into the Y-junction 64, where it is pressed against the other droplet causing the droplets to coalesce.
• the droplet If the droplet is to be analysed using external instrumentation, it can be moved to a site opposite port 65, all valves closed, plug 66 removed and the droplet impaled and removed by a needle and syringe and transferred to the instrument. The plug is then replaced.
• Syringe 60 is disconnected, emptied of air, and reconnected, leaving the device primed for another cycle of operation.
• Figure 5 shows a very simple embodiment of the invention.
• Embodiments are envisaged having reservoirs for the introduction of more than twenty different reactants. It is also proposed to operate the valves automatically, and heat and cool regions of the conduits to allow incubation of reacting mixtures, and the storage of reactants for long periods.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Automatic Analysis And Handling Materials Therefor (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)

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• 1982
  • 1982-01-11 GB GB8200642A patent/GB2097692B/en not_active Expired
  • 1982-11-09 WO PCT/GB1982/000319 patent/WO1984002000A1/en unknown
  • 1982-11-09 AU AU10459/83A patent/AU1045983A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1982-11-09 JP JP58500086A patent/JPS59501994A/ja active Pending
  • 1982-11-09 EP EP83900053A patent/EP0124520A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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