Patent ID: 7261801

Claim:
A capillary electrophoresis apparatus for on-line analysis of a sample taken from a process, said capillary electrophoresis apparatus having a capillary electrophoresis unit ( 13 ) having a feed side and an exit side, said capillary electrophoresis unit ( 13 ) comprising: a separation capillary ( 1 ) having a feeding end ( 9 ) and an exit end ( 10 ), current electrodes (E) connected to a source of voltage, and a detector ( 4 ) substantially in the vicinity of the exit end ( 10 ) of the separation capillary ( 1 ), the ends of the said separation capillary ( 1 ) being located in expansions ( 5 , 6 ) continuing from the lower ends of capillary ducts ( 2 , 3 ), which expansions continue as waste ducts (W 1 , W 2 ) to waste containers, the waste containers being located at a distance from the ends of the separation capillary ( 1 ), and the current electrodes (E) being located in the waste ducts (W 1 , W 2 ), wherein on the feed side of the capillary electrophoresis unit ( 13 ) the sample is continuously collected via a duct ( 16 ) from the process into a sample feeding system and fed into the capillary ducts ( 2 , 3 ) through the same duct as is a feed solution, and the sample feeding system is one of sample-loop-in-valve system comprising a selection valve ( 14 ) connected to a sample loop ( 15 ), an introduction system comprising a selection valve ( 14 ) connected to parallel sample loops ( 15 ) or an introduction system comprising a syringe, and all solutions on the feed side and exit side of the capillary electrophoresis unit ( 13 ) are pumped through the flow ducts, and liquids which flow through the separation capillary ( 1 ) are removed on the exit end ( 10 ) of the capillary electrophoresis unit ( 13 ) by a liquid treatment system.