Fluid Separate conduit cartridge

• US 20020155033A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Protasis Corp.
• Original Assignee: Protasis Corp.
• Inventors: Strand, David, Myers, Peter, Antocci, Joe
• Application Number:
  US10/034,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20020155033A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/101
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8804 automated systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8881 Modular construction, specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44704 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/24 Automatic injection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6026 Fluid seals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6034 joining multiple columns
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6091 Cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/88 Integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

A fluid separation conduit cartridge comprising a fluid separation conduit is disclosed. In certain embodiments the fluid separation conduit is potted to provide operation at increased pressures. In other embodiments, the fluid separation conduit cartridge has one or more memory units. The memory units are operative to store data such as, for example, cartridge usage and test results.

Claims

1. A fluid separation conduit cartridge comprising:

a housing unit;

a fluid separation conduit within the housing unit;

an inlet orifice in fluid communication with a first end of the fluid separation conduit;

an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a second end of the fluid separation conduit, the fluid separation conduit providing a fluid flow path within the housing unit from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice, wherein at least one of the inlet orifice and the outlet orifice comprises a ferrule sub-assembly, seated in the inlet orifice or the outlet orifice, comprising a ferrule defining a ferrule socket receiving one end of the fluid separation conduit, a ferrule ring on the ferrule, and a frit body at an exterior surface of the ferrule; and

a memory unit mounted to the housing unit.

2. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 1 in which the fluid separation conduit is potted.

3. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 1 in which the fluid separation conduit is a flexible tube.

4. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 1 in which the fluid separation conduit is a microfluidic channel defined by a multi-layer laminated substrate.

5. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 1 in which the inlet orifice is in a first projection extending outwardly from the housing unit and the outlet orifice is in a second projection extending outwardly from the housing unit.

6. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 5 in which the housing unit comprises an end plate secured to and closing an open-ended concave housing component, and the first projection and the second projection are substantially symmetrical and parallel projections from the end plate of the housing unit.

7. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 1 in which the fluid separation conduit comprises a packing material.

8. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 7 in which the packing material is operative to separate species in a fluid that are introduced into the fluid separation conduit.

9. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 7 in which the packing material is selected from the group consisting of materials with nonpolar functional groups, materials with negatively charged functional groups, and materials with positively charged functional groups.

10. A fluid separation conduit cartridge comprising:

a housing unit;

a fluid separation conduit within the housing unit;

an inlet orifice in fluid communication with a first end of the fluid separation conduit; and

an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a second end of the fluid separation conduit, the fluid separation conduit providing a fluid flow path within the housing unit from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice, wherein at least one of the inlet orifice and the outlet orifice comprises a ferrule sub-assembly, seated in the inlet orifice or the outlet orifice, comprising a ferrule defining a ferrule socket receiving one end of the fluid separation conduit, a ferrule ring on the ferrule, and a frit body at an exterior surface of the ferrule.

11. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 10 in which the fluid separation conduit is potted.

12. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 10 in which the ferrule has a fluid flow passage extending through an end wall of the ferrule to the ferrule socket.

13. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 12 in which the frit body is positioned at an exterior surface of the end wall.

14. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 12 in which the frit body is seated in a well in the exterior face of the end wall.

15. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 12 in which the frit body stands proud of the exterior face of the ferrule and is operative to serve as a seating and sealing surface.

17. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 16 in which the potting compound is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, glass filled epoxies, metal filled epoxies, and carbon-filled epoxies.

18. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 16 further comprising a memory unit.

19. The fluid separation conduit cartridge in accordance with claim 16 further comprising a packing material in the fluid separation conduit, the packing material being operative to separate species in a fluid that are introduced into the fluid separation conduit.

16. A fluid separation conduit cartridge comprising:

a housing unit;

a fluid separation conduit within the housing unit;

a potting compound potting the fluid separation conduit in the housing unit;

an inlet orifice in fluid communication with a first end of the fluid separation conduit; and

an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a second end of the fluid separation conduit, the fluid separation conduit providing a fluid flow path within the housing unit from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice.

20. A method of making a fluid separation conduit cartridge, the method comprising:

providing a housing unit including at least a first orifice;

inserting a fluid separation conduit in the at least first orifice of the housing unit;

attaching a first end of the fluid separation conduit to an inlet port in the housing unit; and

attaching a second end of the fluid separation conduit to an outlet port in the housing unit.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising packing a stationary phase in the fluid separation conduit.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising disposing a potting compound in the housing unit in a manner to surround the fluid separation conduit.

24. The analytical system of claim 23 further comprising a device for generating fluid flow to the inlet orifice.

25. The analytical system of claim 24 in which the device for generating fluid flow is a pump.

26. The analytical system of claim 23 further comprising a treatment unit in fluid communication with the fluid flow channel and the fluid separation conduit cartridge, the treatment unit being positioned between the fluid flow channel and the inlet orifice of the fluid separation conduit cartridge.

27. The analytical system of claim 26 in which the treatment unit is a guard column, a filter, or at least one pre-concentrations silo.

28. The analytical system of claim 23 wherein the fluid flow channel is defined within a multi-layer laminated manifold.

23. An analytical system comprising:

a fluid flow channel;

a fluid separation conduit cartridge; and

a detector, the fluid separation conduit cartridge being in fluid communication with the fluid flow channel and comprising

a housing unit,

a fluid separation conduit within the housing unit,

an inlet orifice in fluid communication with a first end of the fluid separation conduit,

an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a second end of the fluid separation conduit and in fluid communication with the detector, the fluid separation conduit providing a fluid flow path within the housing unit from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice, wherein at least one of the inlet orifice and the outlet orifice comprises a ferrule sub-assembly, seated in the inlet orifice or the outlet orifice, comprising a ferrule defining a ferrule socket receiving one end of the fluid separation conduit, a ferrule ring on the ferrule, and a frit body at an exterior surface of the ferrule, and

a memory unit mounted to the housing unit.