Patent ID: 7531139

Claim:
A system for performing experiments, in particular for high throughput experimentation, said system comprising: at least one tubular vessel, said vessel having a first vessel opening and a second vessel opening at opposite ends thereof allowing a flow of fluid through said vessel, an assembly for housing said vessel, said assembly comprising: a base block having a first face, a second face, and a first channel formed in said base block, said first channel having a wall, a first opening, and a second opening, said first opening of said first channel extends through said first face of the base block, and said second opening of the first channel extends through said second face of the base block, said first and second openings of the first channel allowing introduction and/or discharge of a fluid into and from said first channel, a cover element having a bottom surface, the bottom surface extending over said first face of the base block and over the first opening of the first channel, said bottom surface arranged adjacent and parallel to the first face of the base block; a first sealing element arranged between the first face of the base block and the bottom surface of the cover element, the first sealing element surrounding the first opening of the first channel completely, and thereby sealing gastight around said first opening of the first channel between the cover element and the base block; the wall of the first channel, the first sealing element, the bottom surface of the cover element and the second opening of the first channel together delimiting a cavity, said tubular vessel being entirely accommodated in said cavity in such a way that an annular gap is present between the tubular vessel and the wall of the first channel, in which system a second sealing element is located in the first channel, said second sealing element sealing gastight against the vessel and the wall-of the first channel, thereby sealing said annular gap; and a fourth channel is provided in the base block, said fourth channel opens into the annular gap between the second sealing element and the second vessel opening, and a feed channel for feeding fluid into the cavity, which feed channel is in fluid communication with the cavity, the feed channel being fluid communication with the second opening of the first channel via the tubular vessel.