Importance

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Abstract

A refractive index detector for use in fluid phase separation techniques such as liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis uses a laser beam incident on a capillary tube held in a fixture. The laser beam is refracted and reflected (backscattered) from the capillary tube surface and its contents back to a photodetector located adjacent to the laser source. Tilting of the capillary tube relative to the laser beam axis produces a diffraction pattern on the photodetector, allowing detection of refractive index. Other embodiments use a split incident laser beam part of which is incident on a reference photodetector, or use a split beam which is incident on two capillary tubes juxtaposed to one another. In this case a photodetector is provided for the portion of the beam reflected from each capillary tube. The system may also be used for detecting temperature and pressure of the fluid inside the capillary tubes.

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First Claim