Patent ID: 6379976
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
Analytical method of qualitative and optionally quantitative determination of occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in a fluid containing polymerizable/coagulable components, which comprises the steps ofa) bringing the fluid or a sample thereof into contact with a film of electrically conducting material on a support which support is transparent for electromagnetic radiation used in step b) and which support is more optically dense than the fluid, b) directing incident beams of electromagnetic radiation through the support and the film, at angles equal to or greater than a critical angle for total reflection, c) measuring changes in reflected beams due to changes in the surface plasmon resonance angle, d) repeating steps b) and c) at least once, e) registering occurrence and magnitude of the changes measured in c), and f) determining the qualitative and optionally quantitative occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in the fluid by correlating the registered occurrence and magnitude of changes in e) with reference values.