Patent ID: 7401972

Claim:
A method for diluting a sample, comprising: providing a dilution system having: a sample well for holding chemical standard; a dilution well for providing a diluent; a dilution channel for transmitting the diluent; a sample channel for transmitting the chemical standard to the dilution channel to form a diluted chemical standard; a high precision variable flow valve for varying the flow of diluent through the dilution channel, wherein the variable flow valve has a plurality of settings corresponding to different dilution ratios; and a detector capable measuring the ratio of standard chemicals to diluent when chemical standards are introduced into the system through the sample well; setting the variable flow valve to a first setting corresponding to a first dilution ratio; introducing the chemical standard into the sample well to cause dilution of the chemical standard at the first dilution ratio; and measuring a ratio of the chemical to diluent using the detector.