Patent ID: 8177537

Claim:
An apparatus for making agarose coated beads comprising: (a) a first vessel comprising an inlet for the introduction of agarose and the first vessel being capable of being heated to a temperature at or above the gelation point of agarose, thereby resulting in an aqueous agarose solution; (b) a first bath comprising a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet, wherein the first bath contains a hydrophobic liquid and a water-in-oil emulsifier and is capable of being maintained at a temperature at or above the gelation point of the agarose, wherein the first inlet is used for the introduction of the hydrophobic liquid and the second inlet is used for the introduction of the agarose solution, and wherein the second inlet is in fluid communication with the first vessel; (c) a static mixer comprising an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the first bath and comprising an outlet; (d) a second bath comprising an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the static mixer; the second bath containing a hydrophobic liquid maintained at a temperature below the gelation point of the agarose and comprising an outlet.