FREEZE-THAW FLOW MANAGEMENT - A NOVEL CONCEPT FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY, CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS, ELECTROCHROMATOGRAPHY AND ASSOCIATED TECHNIQUES

A new method for managing flow in capillaries or narrow channels is described. The fluid is made to act as its own shut-off valve by freezing the contents of a small section of the tube. In particular flow can thereby be diverted to further tube(s), forming the basis of an innovative flow switching device that requires no moving parts and contributes no dead volume. The principle of the method is demonstrated, and it is shown that full exploitation of the technique will require the development of junctions with very low dead volumes. Some advantages of this advance are discussed.