Windowless flow cell and mixing chamber

Abstract

A windowless flow cell for detecting substances in a flowing fluid stream by chemiluminescence, fluorescence or absorption in flow injection analysis schemes, liquid chromatographs, or gas chromatographs is described. Furthermore, the mixing characteristics of the invention suggest its use as a micro-volume mixing chamber for a variety of experiments. A windowless flow cell comprising an upper body plate, upper wire spacer, mid-body plate, lower body spacer plate, and lower body plate interconnected by anchor bolts is described. Cell wires are attached to the upper body plate and the lower body plate. A primary reagent port through the upper body plate, with secondary reagent port and tertiary reagent port through the mid-body plate provide the fluids to be mixed. A thin film of the mixture of fluids to be examined flows down the cell wires through the examining chamber and through the drop detector and overflow detector prior to exiting the drain port by way of a low vacuum source. A micro-volume mixing chamber comprising a plexiglass mainframe with viewing windows of an examining chamber into which a plurality of reagent ports flow to form a fluid film on cell wires is described. The examining chamber also comprises gas inlet ports for control of pressure and of the type of gas environment.