Patent ID: 8642351

Claim:
A method of separating analytes in a sample that comprises one or more analytes dissolved in a sample solvent, said method comprising the steps of introducing an aliquot of a said sample into a flow of an eluent to form of a first analyte-bearing eluent having a first eluent flow rate, adding to said flow of first analyte-bearing eluent a flow of a diluting solvent, different from said sample solvent, to form a flow of a diluted analyte-bearing eluent, passing at least some of said flow of diluted analyte-bearing eluent into a reverse-phase column to trap therein at least one of said analytes, passing at least a releasing solvent into said reverse phase column to release at least one analyte trapped therein and to form a flow of a second analyte-bearing eluent having a second eluent flow rate, and passing at least some of said flow of second analyte-bearing eluent into chromatographic separation means to separate said one or more analytes wherein the first eluent flow rate is independent of the second eluent flow rate and the first eluent flow rate is 1 to 5 times the second eluent flow rate.