Derivatization apparatus and method

• US 10,338,041 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CAMAG Co.
• Original Assignee: CAMAG Co.
• Inventors: Richerdt, Nicolas, Reich, Eike, Sturgess, Mark Howell, Haldemann, Diego Micha
• Primary Examiner(s): Wecker, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US15/486,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/04 the spray heads being moved during spraying operation
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0405 with reciprocating or oscillating spray heads B05B13/0436, B05B13/0442, B05B13/0447, B05B13/0468 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/60 Ventilation arrangements specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0615 spray being produced at the free surface of the liquid or other fluent material in a container and subjected to the vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0638 spray being produced by discharging the liquid or other fluent material through a plate comprising a plurality of orifices
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/00 Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0012 Apparatus for achieving spraying before discharge from the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/04 involving the use of an electrostatic field B05D1/025 and B05D1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/30 performed by gravity only, i.e. flow coating
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/60 Deposition of organic layers from vapour phase vapour phase deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4486 by producing an aerosol and subsequent evaporation of the droplets or particles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/945 Application of reagents to undeveloped plate
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/94 Development

Abstract

A derivatization apparatus and method for coating a sample carrier with a reagent solution. The derivatization apparatus consists of a closed system in which a small quantity of reagent solution is sprayed into a closed container via a spray nozzle. A sample carrier is located in the closed container and is coated as homogeneously as possible with the reagent solution.

Claims

1. Derivatization apparatus for coating a sample carrier prior to the analysis of the sample comprising:

a reservoir for a reagent solution; and

a spray nozzle with a spray head and a container in which at least a part of the sample carrier is located, wherein said container is hermetically sealed, said spray head is located within said container and is configured to perform a periodic movement of at least from a first position to a second position in said container and relative to a horizontal plane in said container, said reagent solution is configured to be sprayed into said container by said spray head in order to generate in said container a homogeneous mist of droplets of said reagent solution.

2. The derivatization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

only part of said sample carrier is located within said closed container.

3. The derivatization device according to claim 1, wherein

said container includes a hood which can be lowered onto said sample carrier.

4. The derivatization device according to claim 1, wherein

the walls of said container are made or coated with a material which is unsuitable for the deposition of said droplets.

5. The derivatization device according to claim 1, wherein

said spray head comprises a membrane of porous material with a uniform pore size.

6. The derivatization device according to claim 5, wherein

said membrane is excited and vibrated with an alternating voltage.

7. The derivatization device according to claim 1, wherein

said container has at least one ventilation opening which is connected to a suction device.

8. The derivatization device according to claim 1, wherein

a homogeneous distribution of said droplets in said container is achieved by a suitable choice of said movement of said spray nozzle and of the distance between said spray head and said sample carrier during the spraying.

9. Method for coating a sample carrier with the derivatization device according to claim 1, wherein in a first spraying phase a spray head effecting a periodical movement in a sealed container produces a homogeneous mist of droplets of a reagent solution in said sealed container in a second passive settling phase said mist slowly settles and coats said sample carrier with a homogeneous liquid film of the reagent solution.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein

only a certain region of said sample carrier is coated.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein

said spray head is porous and the optimal pore size is selected before each use depending on the viscosity of said reagent solution and the desired drop size.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein

said container is lowered onto the sample carrier before said spraying phase, and raised again after said passive settling phase and removed from the sample carrier.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein

after the passive settling phase the remaining mist is removed from said container.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein in an additional cleaning phase a neutral or cleaning liquid is sprayed through the spray head for cleaning said container.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein

a homogeneous distribution of said droplets 4 in said container is achieved by a suitable choice of said movement of said spray head and of the distance between the spray head and the sample carrier during the spraying.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein

local deviations of the amount of reagent solution applied to said sample carrier are smaller than 5%.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein

an end-of-spray time marking the end of the spraying phase is determined visually or based on a change in the energy demand of the spray head.

18. Derivatization apparatus for coating a sample carrier prior to the analysis of the sample comprising:

a reservoir for a reagent solution;

a spray nozzle with a spray head and a container in which at least a part of the sample carrier is located, wherein said container is hermetically sealed;

wherein said spray head is located at a bottom of said container and said spray head is disposed adjacent to said sample carrier;

and wherein said reagent solution is configured to be sprayed upwardly into said container by said spray head in order to generate in said container a homogeneous mist of droplets of said reagent solution.

19. Derivatization apparatus for coating a sample carrier prior to the analysis of the sample of claim 18 wherein:

an opening is formed through a bottom of said container to allow insertion of the sample carrier, said opening is configured to be hermetically sealed.