Patent ID: 6975392

Claim:
A sensitivity-enhanced differential refractometer flow cell comprised of a) An aperture ( 7 ) restricting an incident light beam ( 1 ) that falls onto an entrance face ( 8 ) of b) A sample chamber ( 2 ), said restricting aperture limiting said incident beam to illuminate fully sample solution contained in said sample chamber ( 2 ) of said flow cell without impinging or grazing corners between defining sides of said sample chamber nor sides upon which said beam should not be incident; c) A transparent partition ( 3 ) through which said incident light beam ( 1 ) passes, after having traversed said sample chamber ( 2 ), into d) A reference chamber ( 4 ) containing a reference fluid and bounded by said transparent partition ( 3 ) separating said sample chamber ( 2 ) from said reference chamber ( 4 ) whose dimensions are established prior to fabrication by i. first determining the complete range of transmitted beam refractions at said partition interface ( 3 ), based upon the refractive index of said flow cell and the complete range of sample and reference refractive indices for which said enhanced-sensitivity refractometer flow cell will be, used, and then ii. providing adequate dimensions of said reference chamber ( 4 ) such that said transmitted beam is restricted to said reference chamber exiting it only at an exit face ( 13 ) and not grazing other surfaces or corners therein.