Claims
- 1. A chromatographic device comprising:
(a.) a body having a cylindrical wall having an internal diameter and external diameter, said cylindrical wall flexible, expanding and contracting in response to radial pressure, said cylindrical wall defines a cavity for holding a chromatographic media; (b.) a chromatographic media retained within said cavity; and, (c.) a spring element surrounding said cylindrical wall, permanently radially compressing said cylindrical wall about the external diameter and opposing the expansion of the wall in response to internal pressure within said cavity, said radial compression preventing the movement of the chromatographic media in the cavity and the opening of channels about the walls of the cavity.
- 2. The chromatographic device of claim 1, wherein said spring element surrounding the encasement comprises a spiral spring.
- 3. The chromatographic device of claim 1, wherein said spring element is a spiral spring having spirals which define a cylinder having an internal diameter less than the exterior diameter of said cylindrical wall in a relaxed first position, and defining an internal diameter greater than the exterior diameter of said cylindrical wall in an unwound second position, said spiral spring surrounding said cylindrical wall in a intermediate position providing radial compression on said cylindrical wall as said spiral spring is urged to said relaxed first position.
- 4. The chromatographic device of claim 3, wherein said spring is mechanically retained to itself to prevent expansion and to retain the spring on said body.
- 5. The chromatographic device of claim 4, wherein said spring is welded to itself.
- 6. A method for making chromatographic device comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a body having a cylindrical wall having an internal diameter and external diameter, said cylindrical wall flexible, expanding and contracting in response to radial pressure, said cylindrical wall defines a cavity for holding a chromatographic media; (b.) placing a chromatographic media within said cavity; and, (c.) placing a spring element surrounding said cylindrical wall, permanently radially compressing said cylindrical wall about the external diameter and opposing the expansion of the wall in response to internal pressure within said cavity, said radial compression preventing the movement of the chromatographic media in the cavity and the opening of channels about the walls of the cavity.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said spring element is a spiral spring having spirals which define a cylinder having an internal diameter less than the exterior diameter of said cylindrical wall in a relaxed first position, and defining an internal diameter greater than the exterior diameter of said cylindrical wall in an unwound second position, said spiral spring placed surrounding said cylindrical wall in said second position and then released surrounding said cylindrical wall in a intermediate position providing radial compression on said cylindrical wall as said spiral spring is urged to said relaxed first position.
- 8. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of placing a chromatographic media in said chamber is performed after the spring element is placed surrounding the cylindrical wall.
- 9. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of placing a chromatographic media in said chamber is performed before the spring element is placed surrounding the cylindrical wall.
- 10. The method of claim 6 wherein said spring element is placed in an unwinding device said unwinding device having a first sleeve and a second sleeve, each sleeve having means for receiving an end of said spring element, each sleeve rotatably linked to allow rotation of the spring element from said relaxed first position to said unwound second position.
- 11. An unwinding device for making a chromatographic device comprising:
(a.) a body having a cylindrical wall having an internal diameter and external diameter, said cylindrical wall flexible, expanding and contracting in response to radial pressure, said cylindrical wall defines a cavity for holding a chromatographic media; (b.) a chromatographic media retained within said cavity; and, (c.) a spring element surrounding said cylindrical wall, permanently radially compressing said cylindrical wall about the external diameter and opposing the expansion of the wall in response to internal pressure within said cavity, said radial compression preventing the movement of the chromatographic media in the cavity and the opening of channels about the walls of the cavity; said unwinding device comprising:
a first sleeve and a second sleeve, said first sleeve and second sleeve having cylindrical cavities with an internal diameter greater than the spiral cylinder diameter in the unwound second position, each sleeve having means to receive an end of said spiral spring and linked to allow rotation said unwinding device for receiving said spring element and for rotating said sleeves to urge said spring element to said second unwound position.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/079,994, filed May 15, 1998.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09525635 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Child |
10044068 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09079994 |
May 1998 |
US |
Child |
09525635 |
Mar 2000 |
US |