CERAMIC INJECTION NEEDLE

• US 20120164026A1
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Dehmer, Bernhard, Wagner, Joachim-Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,134,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0838 Capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/021 Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8804 automated systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/16 Injection G01N30/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/24 Automatic injection systems
• 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 35/1081 characterised by the means for relatively moving the transfer device and the containers in an horizontal plane G01N35/1011 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A needle (300) for handling a fluid in an analysis system (10), the needle (300) comprising a needle body (302) made of a ceramic material and having a fluid conduit (304) extending between a fitting end (306) and a seat end (308), the fitting end (306) being connectable to a fitting (402) and the seat end (308) being insertable into a seat (602), wherein the needle body (302) is tapering, particularly conically tapering, towards the fitting end (306), a fixing body (310) arranged on the needle body (302) next to the fitting end (306) for exerting an axial force when the needle body (302) is connected to the fitting (402), and a slide-on element (312) to be slid over the needle body (302) so as to push the fixing body (310) towards the fitting end (306).

Claims

1. A needle for handling a fluid in an analysis system, the needle comprising:

a needle body made of a ceramic material and having a fluid conduit (304) extending between a fitting end and a seat end, the fitting end being connectable to a fitting and the seat end being insertable into a seat, wherein the needle body is tapering, particularly conically tapering, towards the fitting end;

a fixing body arranged on the needle body next to the fitting end for exerting an axial force when the needle body is connected to the fitting;

a slide-on element to be slid over the needle body so as to push the fixing body towards the fitting end.

2. The needle of claim 1, wherein the fixing body is fixedly mounted on the needle body.

3. The needle of claim 1, wherein the fixing body is tapering, particularly conically tapering, towards the tapering, particularly conically tapering, of the needle body.

4. The needle of claim 1, wherein the fixing body is made of a ductile material, and the needle body is made of a non-ductile material.

6. The needle of claim 1, wherein the slide-on element has a tubular shape with an inner lumen for receiving the needle body and with a fitting fastener, particularly an external thread, for cooperation with a needle body fastener, particularly an internal thread, of a reception of the fitting.

7. The needle of claim 1, wherein the needle body is made of one of the group consisting of aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, and yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide.

9. The needle of claim 1, wherein the needle body is tapering, particularly conically tapering, towards the seat end, wherein the tapering, particularly conically tapering, towards the fitting end is steeper than the tapering, particularly conically tapering, towards the seat end.

12. The needle of claim 1, comprising a springloading element arranged over the needle body between the fixing body and the slide-on element.

13. The needle of claim 12, wherein the spring-loading element is a disc spring.

14. The needle of claim 1, comprising the fitting being configured to be connectable to the fitting end of the needle body.

15. The needle of claim 14, wherein the fitting has a reception for receiving at least a part of the needle body, at least a part of the fixing body and at least a part of the slide-on element, the reception being tapering, particularly conically tapering, in accordance with the tapering, particularly conically tapering, of the needle body.

16. The needle of claim 15, wherein a cone angle (α

) of the conically tapering of the needle body is smaller than a cone angle of the conically tapering of the fitting so that a pressure-tight sealing is formed between the conically tapering of the needle body and the conically tapering of the fitting.

17. The needle of claim 15, wherein the fitting has a fluid conduit in fluid communication with the fluid conduit of the needle body when at least a part of the needle body, at least a part of the fixing body and at least a part of the slide-on element are mounted in the reception of the fitting.

18. The needle of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following features:

the needle comprises a fitting to be connected to the needle body for coupling the needle to an autosampler;

the needle comprises a fitting to be connected to the needle body for coupling the needle to a fractioner;

the needle is configured as a needle for an autosampler;

the needle is configured for a fluid communication with at least one fluid container;

the needle is configured for a fluid communication with at least one fluid processing device.

19. An analysis system for analyzing a fluid, the analysis system comprising a needle of claim 1.

20. The analysis system of claim 19, comprising the seat, wherein the needle is selectively movable to be insertable into the seat or is movable out of the seat.

21. The analysis system of claim 20, wherein the seat is radially elastic so that the seat adjusts to the seat end of the needle upon being inserted into the seat.

22. The analysis system of claim 21, wherein the seat comprises a sheath section, particularly a conical sheath section, providing the radially elastic property.

25. The analysis system of claim 19, comprising at least one of the following features:

the analysis system is configured as at least one of the group consisting of an autosampler device, a fractioner device;

a measurement device for performing a measurement in a coupled measurement environment, a measurement device for measuring at least one physical, chemical or biological parameter, a measurement device for performing a measurement of a fluidic sample, a sensor device, a device for chemical, biological and/or pharmaceutical analysis, a fluid separation system configured for separating compounds of a fluid, a test device for testing a device under test or a substance, a capillary electrophoresis device, a liquid chromatography device, a gas chromatography device, an electronic measurement device, and a mass spectroscopy device;

the analysis system is configured as a fluid separation system for separating components of a fluidic sample;

the analysis system is configured as a fluid purification system for purifying a fluidic sample;

the analysis system is configured to analyze at least one physical, chemical and/or biological parameter of a fluidic sample;

the analysis system is configured as a microfluidic device;

the analysis system is configured as a nanofluidic device.

5. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

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11. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

26. A method of manufacturing a needle for handling a fluid in an analysis system, the method comprising:

providing a needle body of a ceramic material and having a fluid conduit extending between a fitting end and a seat end, the fitting end being connectable to a fitting and the seat end being insertable into a seat, wherein the needle body is tapering, particularly conically tapering, towards the fitting end;

arranging a fixing body on the needle body next to the fitting end for exerting an axial force when the needle body is connected to the fitting;

sliding a slide-on element over the needle body so as to push the fixing body towards the fitting end.