Method and apparatus for concentrating and trapping sample component

Claim 1

A method for separately trapping the components of a mixed fluid sample comprising the steps of guiding a mixed sample having a plurality of components into a column having therein a stationary phase for separating the sample by flowing the sample with a carrier fluid from one end of the column to the other, providing a temperature gradient along the whole effective length of said column, said temperature gradient being such that the temperature decreases in the direction of fluid flow, separately holding the component in the column without diffusion of the sample components, heating said column to a higher temperature than said holding temperature progressively from the outlet end to the inlet end of said column and providing said column with a pressure gradient decreasing in an opposite direction to the advancing direction of heating whereby the components of the sample flow out of the outlet of the column in a concentrated state.

Claim 2

A device for separately trapping components of a mixed fluid sample comprising a chromatograph having a sample separating column contained therein and a second column having temperature gradient providing means for providing a temperature gradient decreasing from the inlet end of said second column to the outlet end thereof, said second column being connected to the outlet of said chromatograph column whereby the separated sample components separated in said chromatograph are fixed separately at different positions along the length of said second column and heating means for heating said second column progressively from said outlet end to the inlet end thereof at a temperature higher than the fixing temperature of said sample components whereby the fixed components in said second column may be removed from the outlet end of said second column in a concentrated condition.

Claim 3

A method for separately trapping components of a mixed fluid sample comprising separately holding components at different positions in a column having a stationary phase along the length thereof, progressively heating said column from the outlet end toward the inlet end to a temperature higher than the highest holding temperature of the components and providing a pressure gradient decreasing from the inlet end to the outlet end of the column whereby each component will flow from the outlet end of the column in a concentrated state.

Claim 4

A device for separately trapping the components of a sample comprising a column having therein a stationary phase for separating said sample, means for holding separated components of said sample at different positions along the length of said column, means for progressively heating said column for the outlet end to the inlet side at a temperature higher than that at which the separated components are held in the column, and means for providing a pressure gradient decreasing toward the outlet end of the column whereby the sample components are separately flowed out of the outlet end of said column in a concentrated condition.