Zone fluidics in flow analysis: potentialities and applications Original Research Article

Fluid manipulation technologies are being invented and reinvented as researchers explore old and new approaches to automating wet chemical analysis. Most of these established techniques focus on the physical processes utilized, e.g. separation, dispersion, affinity, etc. In this paper, the focus is directed on techniques and procedures for manipulating specific fluid zones. A simple but versatile flow manifold is proposed. Examples are described that illustrate the breadth of manipulation capabilities that emerge. It is anticipated that as researchers adopt this mindset, new avenues will emerge for the established fluid manipulation technologies. We call this approach to flow-based analysis Zone Fluidics.