Patent ID: 7117723

Claim:
A fractionating apparatus in which a plurality of individual liquid droplets are dropped onto a plate, wherein each liquid droplet is dropped onto a different location on the plate at a different time, comprising: a probe having a distal end from which each liquid droplet is dropped; the plate for collecting the liquid droplets dropped from said probe; a support mechanism for moving said plate or said probe at least vertically; a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance from the probe distal end to said plate; and a control unit for controlling a movement of said support mechanism so that the distance between the distal end of said probe and said plate is equal to a preset distance, based on a measured result of said distance measuring unit, when dropping each liquid droplet from said probe, wherein the preset distance between the distal end of said probe and said plate is acquired by calculating a diameter of the liquid droplet from a drop amount of the liquid droplet.