APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS MONITORING AND CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING AND CHROMATOGRAPHIC APPARATUSES

• US 20080183333A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Isco, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Isco, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davison, Dale A., Meyer, Dale L., Silver, Jack E., Jameson, Daniel G., Pipes, Ruth A., Curran, Jon L.
• Application Number:
  US11/980,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/273
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/10 characterised by constructional or operational features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/0095 Separation specially adapted for use outside laboratory, e.g. field sampling, portable equipments
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/02 Column chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/16 Injection G01N30/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A liquid chromatographic system includes columns, column mounting fixtures to which the columns are mounted, a detector, a fraction collection system, a controller and a plurality of RFIDs. A first RFID communicates with the controller and cooperating RFIDs mounted to other components including the fraction collector to provide information such as the history of components, parameters and the like useful in maintaining inventory control and managing the system. They also receive information from sensors relating to the operation of the fraction collector including the location of sample containers.

Claims

1. A method of controlling inventory of component parts of a chromatographic system comprising the steps of:

manufacturing a part of the chromatographic system with a wireless communication device on it;

recording a date of manufacture of the part of the chromatographic system on the wireless communication device; and

periodically checking the date of manufacture of the part of the chromatographic system in inventory to reduce overall shelf time.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further including the step of maintaining an inventory of chromatographic parts on a microprocessor.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 further including the step of transferring data from the wireless communication device on the chromatographic part to a data base on the microprocessor.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which characteristics of the parts are recorded on the wireless communication device and used to classify parts in the inventory.

5. An instrument management system comprising:

a general control system;

said at least one multiple fraction instruments including at least a corresponding one of a plurality of first wireless communication devices;

said general control system including a second wireless communication device;

said general control system including a memory containing a data base;

said data base including data useful in managing a usage of at least some types of component parts of the plurality of multiple fraction instruments.

6. An instrument management system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said at least one multiple fraction instrument is a chromatographic control system;

said chromatographic control system comprising a plurality of component parts of the liquid chromatographic control system;

at least one of the plurality of component parts having a selected characteristic;

said at least one of the plurality of component parts having said selected characteristic having a tag associated with the said at least one component part;

a microprocessor;

said tag being capable of transmitting information to the microprocessor;

said microprocessor including a memory containing a data base;

said tag including indicia;

means for causing said tag to transmit indicia to the microprocessor; and

said microprocessor including receiver means for receiving the transmitted information and entering the information into said data base indicating a number of component parts having said selected characteristic.

7. A chromatographic control system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said data base includes an inventory target number recorded into it.

8. An instrument management system in accordance with claim 5 wherein the data base includes at least one of data indicating a number of at least some types of component parts in said plurality of multiple fraction instruments, an average rate of usage of the types of component parts and a manufacturer'"'"'s inventory of the type of component parts, and a model number, a price and a source of a type of part whereby comparisons are made as to reliability of the type of part by manufacturer and make of the part, and a rate of usage of components by individual customers whereby customer'"'"'s needs can be forecast and used for management purposes, wherein the rate of usage of components is used to determine an inventory of component parts needed, and target inventory minimum and maximum and an actual number of the component parts on hand;

said system providing an alert signal when either are exceeded.

9. A method of managing instrument systems comprising the steps of:

transmitting data from each of a plurality of multiple fraction instruments useful in managing usage of at least some types of component parts of the plurality of multiple fraction instruments to a wireless communication device in communication with a general control system from a plurality of first wireless communication devices each of which is in communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of multiple fraction instruments;

recording data useful in managing the usage of at least some types of component parts of the plurality of multiple fraction instruments in a data base within a memory of the general control system; and

using the data useful in managing the usage of at least some types of component parts of the plurality of multiple fraction instruments to manage the multiple fraction instrument system.

10. A method of managing instrument systems in accordance with claim 9 wherein the step of recording data in the data base includes at least one of the steps of recording data indicating at least a number of at least some types of component parts in said plurality of multiple fraction instruments and an average rate of usage of the types of component parts and the manufacturer'"'"'s inventory of the type of component parts;

recording a model number, a price and a source of a type of part whereby comparisons are made as to reliability of the type of part by manufacturer and make of the part;

recording a rate of usage of components by individual customers whereby customer'"'"'s needs can be forecast and used for management purposes;

wherein the rate of usage of components is used to determine an inventory of component parts needed, recording target inventory minimum and maximum and an actual number of the component parts on hand;

said system providing an alert signal when either are exceeded; and

wherein recording new purchases by customers and increases and changes in materials, parts and processes whereby increases and decreases in purchases of the materials and parts can be predicted using the information in the data base.

11. A fraction collection system comprising:

at least one container holder;

a main frame;

a microprocessor mounted to said main frame;

said main frame including a liquid receiving means adapted to be connected to communicate with a fluid outlet from a detector;

said main frame being shaped and sized to receive at least one container holder in a container holder bed;

at least one distributor means for moving a distributor outlet from container to container and communicating with the liquid receiving means, whereby fractions may be deposited in containers;

said microprocessor communicating with a first wireless communication device;

said at least one container holder communicating with a second wireless communication device;

said container holder bed including a third wireless communication device;

said second and third wireless communication devices transmitting a signal to the third wireless communication device when said at least one container holder is positioned with respect to said at least one distributor means to receive liquid.

12. A fraction collection system in accordance with claim 11 in which at least one of said second wireless communication device includes a nonvolatile memory and said nonvolatile memory includes data identifying characteristics of said at least one container holder;

and said third wireless communication device includes a nonvolatile memory containing data identifying characteristics of said at least one container holder, wherein a signal may be sent to said first wireless communication device when data stored in the nonvolatile memories of said second and third wireless communication device matches, wherein said second wireless communication device identifies an end use to be made of said at least one container holder.

13. A fraction collection system in accordance with claim 11 further including a valve that is automatically switchable to direct liquid to either the at least one distributor means or to waste;

said switchable valve communicating with a fourth wireless communication device wherein the first wireless communication device transmits a signal to the fourth wireless communication device to switch the liquid from flowing to the at least one distributor means to flowing into waste when a peak is over.

14. A fraction collection system in accordance with claim 11 comprising:

further including at least one container in said container holder; and

said second and third wireless communication devices transmitting a signal to the third wireless communication device when said at least one container holder is positioned with respect to said at least one distributor means to receive liquid.

15. A method of collecting fractions comprising the steps of:

sending an identification of at least one container holder when the at least one container holder is in position to receive liquid from a distributor of a fraction collector to a controller; and

permitting insertion of liquid into containers in the at least one container holder upon receiving the identification of the at least one container holder in position to receive the liquid and inhibiting insertion of liquid into containers when the at least one container holder is not in proper position.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein a second wireless communication device identifies characteristics of said at least one container holder, a third wireless communication device supplies data identifying characteristics of said at least one container holder, wherein a signal may be sent to a first wireless communication device when data stored in nonvolatile memories of said second and third wireless communication device matches, a third wireless communication device supplies data identifying an end use of said at least one container holder.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein said at least one container is used in another instrument as indicated by said at least one container holder.