Abstract:
In order to sort microscopic particles according to size which are contained in a supporting medium, portions of the supporting medium with suspended particles repeatedly flow with alternating reversal of flow direction through a barrier device (130) between at least two chambers of a separating device (100), whereby the barrier device (130) has pores with an axial shaping in which net forces are exerted on the particles in the flowing supporting medium so that the particles accumulate according to size on the opposite sides of the barrier device. During flow, a net transport speed of the particles according to particle size is adjusted by the superposition of the movement of flow in the pores having the thermal diffusion of the particles.