Method for exchanging materials, wherein a gaseous, liquid or supercritical mobile phase containing species to be separated is circulated through a packing comprising a stationary phase, the method being characterised in that:the packing comprises a plurality of capillary ducts formed in at least one first material, the ducts passing through the packing between an upstream face through which the mobile phase enters the packing and a downstream face through which the mobile phase leaves the packing,each duct comprises, on at least one portion of the inner wall thereof, at least one secondary material consisting of an organic gel or porous mineral,the thickness of the secondary material defines, inside the duct, at least one empty tubular channel of solid material, the channel being open so as to allow the mobile phase to enter and extending continuously between the upstream and downstream faces of the capillary ductthe secondary material has a thickness between 0.05 times and 0.5 times the diameter of the channelthe method is carried out with a velocity of the mobile phase between 5.0 times and 50 times the speed of the optimum mobile phase defined by the minimum of the Van Deemter curve of the majority separating compound under the method conditionsthe cumulative volume of the capillary ducts is more than 15% of the total packing volume.

A sample vessel assembly to carry out a sorption analysis in a container provided with a cooling liquid. The sample vessel assembly includes a sample vessel configured to be suspended within the container. The sample vessel has a sample holding region at a sample end of the vessel to hold a sample to be analyzed. A wick is disposed on the sample vessel and surrounds the sample holding region. The wick extends from the sample holding region to project toward a bottom of the container and draw the cooling liquid over the sample holding region when the sample vessel is disposed in an analysis position in the container.

A capillary column includes a fused silica tubing and a polyimide coating over the fusing silica tubing. Additionally, the capillary column further includes a first plurality of integrated ferrules positioned along at least a first portion of the fused silica tubing and spaced apart from one another by a first fixed interval.

A new electrospray emitter capable of cone-jet mode spray for liquid flow-rates from sub-microliter/minute to 10's of microliters/minute is provided. The high efficiency of ionization and vaporization enabled by the disclosed spray emitter provides improved sensitivity for mass spectrometer detection. The disclosed spray emitter sprays consistently and robustly a liquid buffer having a large range of compositions of aqueous and organic solvents, and is not sensitive to the polarity of the electric field used to induce spray. The fluidic channel leading to the spray emitter opening does not have an internal taper rendering the spray emitter clog-resistant.

A capillary column includes a fused silica tubing, a polyimide coating over the fusing silica tubing, and a first plurality of integrated ferrules positioned along at least a first portion of the fused silica tubing and spaced apart from one another by a first fixed interval. Each of the first plurality of integrated ferrules includes a first deformable surface and a second deformable surface. The first plurality of integrated ferrules are secured to the column through deformation of the first deformable surface and the second deformable surface is configured to form a seal with a junction when secured with a nut.

A hybrid trap including a replaceable open-tubular capillary trap followed by a packed trap is used to collect, preconcentrate, and recover a sample, such as VOCs and SVOCs found in air. The capillary stage prevents losses and carryover of the heavy fraction and can also collect the particles in air that contain the heavier SVOCs, also preventing them from reaching the packed stage. The packed stage traps lighter organic compounds that are not as prone to carryover due to channeling. The capillary and packed traps together provide quantitative recovery of compounds boiling from as low as 50 C. to as high as 600 C. The sample can be directly desorbed onto the GC column, which avoids losses and contamination caused by other approaches that thermally desorb samples through transfer lines and rotary valves more remote to the GC oven.

The disclosed system and method improve measurement of trace volatile chemicals, such as by Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). A first trapping system can include a plurality of capillary columns in series and a focusing column fluidly coupled to a first detector. The first trapping system can retain and separate compounds in a sample, including C3 hydrocarbons and compounds heavier than C3 hydrocarbons (e.g., up to C12 hydrocarbons, or compounds having a boiling point around 250 C.), and can transfer the compounds from the focusing column to the first detector. A second trapping system can receive compounds that the first trapping system does not retain, and can include a packed trap and two columns. The second trapping system can remove water from the sample and can separate and detect compounds including C2 hydrocarbons and Formaldehyde.

A detection apparatus and a detection method are disclosed. In one aspect, the detection apparatus includes a sampling device for collecting samples to be checked. It further includes a sample pre-processing device configured to pre-process the sample from the sampling device. It further includes a sample analyzing device for separating samples from the pre-processing device and for analyzing the separated samples. The detection apparatus is miniaturized and highly precise, and is capable of quickly and accurately detecting gaseous phase or particulate substances, and it has applications for safety inspections at airports, ports, and subway stations.

A detection apparatus and a detection method are disclosed. In one aspect, the detection apparatus includes a sampling device for collecting samples to be checked. It further includes a sample pre-processing device configured to pre-process the sample from the sampling device. It further includes a sample analyzing device for separating samples from the pre-processing device and for analyzing the separated samples. The detection apparatus is miniaturized and highly precise, and is capable of quickly and accurately detecting gaseous phase or particulate substances, and it has applications for safety inspections at airports, ports, and subway stations.

The present invention relates to a device (100) for isolating an analyte (2) from a body fluid sample (4), wherein the analyte (2) is part of a target (6) contained in the body fluid sample (4). The device (100) comprises at least two types of magnetic particles (8, 12) for binding the analyte (2) and/or the target (6), at least three chambers (16, 18, 20) arranged in series to allow controlled movement of the magnetic particles (8, 12) and at least one fluid for releasing the analyte (2) from the target (6).