1. A microorganism concentrating apparatus comprising:
a mixing device configured to mix an aqueous suspension of microorganisms with a particulate filter aid comprising magnetic particles to prepare an aqueous slurry of the microorganisms and the particulate filter aid;
a filtering device configured to filter the aqueous slurry supplied from the mixing device to provide a filter cake comprising the microorganisms and the particulate filter aid, and a filtrate; and
a magnetic separation device configured to magnetically separate the filter cake supplied from the filtering device into the microorganisms and the particulate filter aid.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the particulate filter aid has an average particle size 0.1 to 10 times that of the microorganisms.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the particulate filter aid consists of the magnetic particles.
4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the particulate filter aid consists of aggregates of magnetic particles whose surfaces are covered with a polymer.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filtering device comprises an envelope and a horizontally arranged filter medium partitioning the inner space of the envelope into an upper space into which the aqueous slurry is supplied and a lower space from which the filtrate is discharged, wherein the filter cake is formed on the filter medium.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic separation device comprises a tank which receives the filter cake supplied from the filtering device, and an electromagnet arranged on the outer wall of the tank.
7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an aqueous wash-out liquid supply line configured to supply an aqueous wash-out liquid to the filter cake, thereby washing out the filter cake from the filter medium.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a filter cake supply line supplying the washed-out filter cake together with the aqueous wash-out liquid to the magnetic separation device.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic particles are formed of magnetite.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microorganisms comprises E. coli, waterbloom or chlorella.
11. A microorganism concentrating method comprising:
mixing an aqueous suspension of microorganisms with a particulate filter aid comprising magnetic particles to prepare an aqueous slurry of the microorganisms and the particulate filter aid;
filtering the aqueous slurry through a filter medium to provide a filter cake comprising the microorganisms and the particulate filter aid, and a filtrate, wherein the filter cake is provided on the filter medium; and
magnetically separating the filter cake into the microorganisms and the particulate filter aid.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein an aqueous wash-out liquid is flowed toward the filter cake to wash out the filter cake from the filter medium, thereby preparing an aqueous slurry comprising the washed-out filter cake, which is subjected to the magnetic separation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electrospray ion source for a mass spectrometer comprising:
a source of an analyte-bearing liquid;
a source of a sheath gas;
a plurality of liquid conduits, each liquid conduit configured so as to receive a portion of the analyte-bearing liquid from the source of analyte-bearing liquid;
at least one electrode for producing electrospray emission of charged droplets from an outlet of each of said liquid conduits under application of an electrical potential to the at least one electrode;
a power supply electrically coupled to the at least one electrode for maintaining the at least one electrode at the electrical potential; and
a plurality of sheath gas conduits, each sheath gas conduit comprising:
an inlet configured to receive a sheath gas portion from the source of sheath gas; and
an outlet configured to emit a sheath gas flow that circumferentially surrounds, in at least two dimensions, a portion of the charged droplets emitted from a respective one of the liquid conduit outlets.
2. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, wherein each sheath gas conduit comprises a tube that at least partially encloses a respective one of the liquid conduits.
3. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, wherein each liquid conduit comprises a capillary.
4. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes associated with a respective one of the liquid conduits for producing the electrospray emission of the charged droplets from the outlet of said respective one of the liquid conduits.
5. An electrospray ion source as in claim 4, wherein each liquid conduit is the respective electrode associated with the liquid conduit.
6. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, further comprising:
a block though which the plurality of liquid conduits passes,
wherein each sheath gas conduit comprises a channel in the block, the channel at least partially enclosing a respective one of the liquid conduits.
7. An electrospray ion source as in claim 6, wherein at least two of the channels are angled with respect to one another so that the respective emitted sheath gas flows provide spatial confinement of a portion of the charged droplets emitted from the respective liquid conduit outlets.
8. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, further comprising at least one additional electrode configured so as to improve uniformity of emission of charged droplets across the plurality of liquid conduit outlets.
9. An electrospray ion source as in claim 8, wherein the at least one additional electrode comprises a plurality of additional electrodes.
10. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, further comprising at least one heater associated with the plurality of sheath gas conduits so as to heat the sheath gas portions.
11. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, wherein each sheath gas conduit comprises a cross sectional area associated with the sheath gas flow therein, wherein the plurality of said cross sectional areas are substantially identical to one another.
12. An electrospray ion source as in claim 1, wherein each liquid conduit is configured so as to admit a flow rate of the analyte-bearing liquid portion of between 1 microliter per minute and 1 milliliter per minute.
13. An electrospray ion source for a mass spectrometer comprising:
a source of an analyte-bearing liquid;
a source of a sheath gas;
a plurality of liquid conduits, each liquid conduit configured so as to receive a portion of the analyte-bearing liquid from the source of analyte-bearing liquid;
at least one electrode for producing electrospray emission of charged droplets from an outlet of each of said liquid conduits under application of an electrical potential to the at least one electrode;
a power supply electrically coupled to the at least one electrode for maintaining the at least one electrode at the electrical potential; and
a sheath gas conduit comprising:
an inlet configured to receive the sheath gas from the source of sheath gas; and
an outlet configured to emit a sheath gas flow that circumferentially surrounds, in at least two dimensions, a portion of the charged droplets emitted from every one of the plurality of liquid conduit outlets.
14. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, wherein the sheath gas conduit comprises a groove in a block that at least partially encloses the plurality of liquid conduits.
15. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the sheath gas conduit is disposed at angle with respect to the plurality of liquid conduits so that the emitted sheath gas flow provides spatial confinement of a portion of the charged droplets emitted from the plurality of liquid conduit outlets.
16. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, wherein the sheath gas conduit comprises a tube that at least partially encloses every one of the plurality of liquid conduits.
17. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, wherein each liquid conduit comprises a capillary.
18. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes associated with a respective one of the liquid conduits for producing the electrospray emission of the charged droplets from the outlet of said respective one of the liquid conduits.
19. An electrospray ion source as in claim 18, wherein each liquid conduit is the respective electrode associated with the liquid conduit.
20. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, further comprising at least one additional electrode configured so as to improve uniformity of emission of charged droplets across the plurality of liquid conduit outlets.
21. An electrospray ion source as in claim 20, wherein the at least one additional electrode comprises a plurality of additional electrodes.
22. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, further comprising at least one heater associated with sheath gas conduit so as to heat the sheath gas.
23. An electrospray ion source as in claim 13, wherein each liquid conduit is configured so as to admit a flow rate of the analyte-bearing liquid portion of between 1 microliter per minute and 1 milliliter per minute.
24. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer, comprising:
providing a source of an analyte-bearing liquid;
providing a source of a sheath gas;
providing a plurality of liquid conduits, each liquid conduit configured so as to receive a portion of the analyte-bearing liquid from the source of analyte-bearing liquid;
providing at least one electrode associated with the plurality of liquid conduits;
providing a plurality of sheath gas conduits, each sheath gas conduit comprising a sheath gas outlet configured to emit a sheath gas flow that circumferentially surrounds, in at least two dimensions, an outlet of a respective one of the liquid conduits;
distributing the analyte-bearing liquid among the plurality of liquid conduits;
distributing the sheath gas among the plurality of sheath gas conduits; and
maintaining the at least one electrode at an electrical potential such that charged liquid droplets are emitted from the plurality of liquid conduits.
25. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 24, wherein the step of providing a plurality of sheath gas conduits comprises providing a plurality of tubes, each tube at least partially enclosing the respective liquid conduit.
26. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 24, wherein the step of providing a plurality of sheath gas conduits comprises providing a plurality of channels in a block, the block at least partially enclosing the plurality of liquid conduits.
27. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 24, further comprising providing at least one heater associated with the plurality of sheath gas conduits so as to heat the sheath gas.
28. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 24, further comprising providing a heated auxiliary gas encompassing said charged liquid droplets.
29. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer, comprising:
providing a source of an analyte-bearing liquid;
providing a source of a sheath gas;
providing a plurality of liquid conduits, each liquid conduit configured so as to receive a portion of the analyte-bearing liquid from the source of analyte-bearing liquid and having a respective outlet;
providing at least one electrode associated with the plurality of liquid conduits;
providing a sheath gas conduit comprising a sheath gas outlet configured to emit a sheath gas flow that circumferentially surrounds, in at least two dimensions, the outlets of the plurality of liquid conduit outlets;
distributing the analyte-bearing liquid among the plurality of liquid conduits;
providing the sheath gas to the sheath gas conduit; and
maintaining the at least one electrode at an electrical potential such that charged liquid droplets are emitted from the plurality of liquid conduits.
30. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 29, wherein the step of providing a sheath gas conduit comprises providing a sheath gas conduit that at least partially encloses the plurality of liquid conduits.
31. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 29, wherein the step of providing a sheath gas conduit comprises providing a groove in a block, the block at least partially enclosing the plurality of liquid conduits.
32. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 29, further comprising providing at least one heater associated with the sheath gas conduits so as to heat the sheath gas.
33. A method for providing ions to a mass spectrometer as in claim 29, further comprising providing a heated auxiliary gas encompassing said charged liquid droplets.