Method and apparatus for the treatment of liquids

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TREATING A LIQUID, COMPRISING; A PLURALITY OF RECEPTACLES, EACH FOR CONTAINING A SAMPLE LIQUID; A FEED DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING SAID RECEPTACLES; A FIRST AND A SECOND PERISTALTIC PUMP TUBE, EACH HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET; PERISTRALTIC PUMP MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID TUBES FOR ADVANCING LIQUIDS THROUGH SAID TUBES; AN OFF-TAKE DEVICE COUPLED TO SAID INLET OF SAID FIRST TUBE FOR REMOVING SAMPLE LIQUID FROM EACH OF SAID RECEPTACLES SERIATIUM AND FOR INTRODUCING THIS LIQUID AS A STREAM THROUGH SAID FIRST TUBE; A SOURCE OF AN INERT FLUID COUPLE TO SAID INLET OF SAID SECOND TUBE; SAID OUTLET OF SAID SECOND TUBE BEING COUPLED TO SAID INLET OF SAID FIRST TUBE, FOR INTRODUCING SUCH INERT FLUID INTO SUCH STREAM OF LIQUID TO DIVIDE THE STREAM OF LIQUID IN SAID FIRST TUBE INTO A SERIES OF FLOWING LIQUID SEGMENTS SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY INTERVENING FLOWING INERT FLUID SEGMENTS.