Separation device with integral guard column

A method of making a separation device in a first tube having a cylindrical wall having an inner surface defining a chamber first diameter, an exterior surface defining a second diameter, a first end for discharging a fluid and a second end for receiving a fluid, said chamber having a first section and at least one second section comprising:

• a. securing a first end frit in an end of said first tube;
• b. loading and packing an analytical media behind said first end frit in said first section forming a packed analytical bed;
• c. placing a separating frit behind said packed analytical bed in said first tube;
• and
• d. loading and packing a second analytical media behind said separating frit in said second section forming a second packed analytical bed.

A method of using a separation device to analyze samples, said samples comprising at least one component which can be separated from another component, said method comprising:

• a. providing a separating device comprising:
• a first tube having a cylindrical wall having an inner surface defining a chamber having a first diameter, an exterior surface defining a second diameter, a first end and a second end, said first end for discharging a fluid and said second end for receiving a fluid, said chamber having a first section and at least one second section;
• a first media contained within said first section;
• a second media contained within said at least one second section, said second media contained within a second section termed a guard column;
• at least one separating frit element, said separating frit element disposed within said first tube between said sections of said chamber, for separating said medias;
• and
• at least one end frit element, said end frit element secured to said inner surface of said first tube and containing at least one media selected from the group consisting of said first media in said first section and said second media in a last second section;
• b. flowing a sequence of samples through said separating device to determine a set of components in each sample until the resolution of the peaks is degraded;
• c. removing a guard column by cleaving said first tube at an edge of one of said separating frits, said edge disposed toward said second end of said first tube, creating a shortened separation device;
• and
• d. flowing a sequence of samples through said shortened separating device to determine a set of components in each sample until the resolution of the peaks is degraded.