Patent ID: 7615375

Claim:
A method for monitoring reactivity in reactions between a first and second material of interest, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing an osmotic reaction cell comprising first and second wells having substantially the same physical dimensions and a semi-permeable membrane separating said first and second wells; b) introducing a reference solution comprising any one or combination of the first material of interest, the second material of interest, a surrogate reference material and a carrier fluid into one of said first well and said second well; c) introducing a reaction mixture into one of said first well or said second well, which does not contain said reference solution, said reaction mixture comprising a carrier fluid and said first and second materials of interest; d) allowing the first and second wells to achieve equilibrium; and e) monitoring a change in an osmotic pressure in the well containing said reference material by measuring the amount of deformation in a flexible diaphragm operatively associated only with the well of step b), the change being indicative of a reaction within the first or second well, occurring as a result of a change in concentration in said osmotic reaction cell of one or more of said first material, second material, surrogate reference material or reaction products formed from said first and second materials as a result of the reaction thereof.