Capillary flow restrictor apparatus

1. A vacuum degassing apparatus for degassing one or more liquids, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a vacuum chamber;

(b) a liquid conveyance member disposed in said vacuum chamber and configured for operably transporting one or more liquids between an inlet and an outlet of said vacuum chamber; and

(c) a pump adapted to operably evacuate said vacuum chamber, said pump having a pumping cavity that is vented through a continuous vent channel formed by a capillary tube lumen.

2. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said vent channel is disposed in a head portion of said pump.

3. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said vent channel has a minimum cross-sectional diameter of at least about 10 μm.

4. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said capillary tube is fabricated from a non-metal material.

5. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said capillary tube is fabricated from glass.

6. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 1 , including a filter disposed at an inlet of said vent channel.

7. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 6 wherein an outlet of said vent channel is immediately adjacent to said pumping cavity.

8. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said filter is a sintered porous frit having a minimum pore size of about 10 μm.

9. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said pumping cavity is selected from the group consisting of a compression chamber and an inlet chamber.

10. A vacuum degassing apparatus as in claim 9 wherein a continuous vent channel is disposed at each of said inlet chamber and at least one compression chamber.

11. A pump for use in operably evacuating a chamber in a vacuum degassing apparatus, said pump comprising:

(a) one or more pumping cavities in fluid communication with said chamber; and

(b) a continuous vent channel having an outlet disposed in fluid communication with a respective one of said one or more pumping cavities, said vent channel being configured to provide dilution gas flow into said pumping cavity at a rate sufficient to prevent solvent condensation in said pumping cavity, said sufficient gas flow rate is defined by:

V gas ×m s ×22,400 /MW s ×( B /( p s −1)).

12. A pump as in claim 11 wherein said vent channel has a minimum cross-sectional diameter of at least about 10 μm.

13. A pump as in claim 11 wherein said one or more pumping cavities are selected from the group consisting of a compression chamber and an inlet chamber.

14. A pump as in claim 13 wherein a continuous vent channel is disposed at each of said inlet chamber and at least one compression chamber.