ON-LINE SAMPLING FROM A PROCESS SOURCE

• US 20120305464A1
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation (Waters Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation (Waters Corporation)
• Inventors: Cormier, Sylvain
• Granted Patent: US 11,112,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/198.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/38 Diluting, dispersing or mixing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/201 multiport valves, i.e. having more than two ports
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/202 rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/18 using a septum or microsyringe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/20 using a sampling valve
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1097 characterised by the valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85978 With pump

Abstract

An online sample manager of a liquid chromatography system includes a fluidic tee having a first inlet port, a second inlet port, and an outlet port. A diluent pump moves diluent from a diluent source to the first inlet port of the fluidic tee. A valve has a fluidic intake port connected to a process source for acquiring a process sample therefrom. A pumping system moves the acquired process sample from the valve into the second inlet port of the fluidic tee where the process sample merges with the diluent arriving at the first inlet port to produce a diluted process sample that flows out from the outlet port of the fluidic tee.

Claims

1. An online sample manager of a liquid chromatography system, comprising:

a fluidic tee having a first inlet port, a second inlet port, and an outlet port;

a diluent pump moving diluent from a diluent source to the first inlet port of the fluidic tee;

a valve having a fluidic intake port connected to a process source for acquiring a process sample therefrom; and

a pumping system moving the acquired process sample from the valve into the second inlet port of the fluidic tee where the process sample merges with the diluent arriving at the first inlet port to produce a diluted process sample that flows out from the outlet port of the fluidic tee.

2. The sample manager of claim 1, wherein the valve includes a plurality of fluidic intake ports, at least two of the fluidic intake ports being coupled to a different process source for acquiring process samples therefrom.

3. The sample manager of claim 2, wherein the valve can be configured to select any one of the fluidic intake ports that are coupled to a process source, thereby selecting the process source that is coupled to the selected fluidic intake port.

4. The sample manager of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of fluidic intake ports is connected to a source of wash.

5. The sample manager of claim 1, wherein the valve acquires the process sample approximately in real time from the process source while the process source is running

6. The sample manager of claim 1, further comprising a needle adapted to move into and out of the second inlet port, and wherein the pumping system includes a first pump coupled to the valve for drawing the process sample from the process source and moving the process sample into the needle, and a second pump for pushing the process sample moved into the needle by the first pump out of the needle into the fluidic tee through the second inlet port.

7. The sample manager of claim 6, further comprising a valve system for selectively coupling the first pump and second pump to the needle, the valve system fluidically coupling the first pump to a first end of the needle so that the first pump can push the process sample into the needle, the valve system subsequently fluidically coupling the second pump to the first end of the needle, after the first pump pushes the process sample into the needle, so that the second pump can push the process sample out of the needle into the fluidic tee through the second inlet port.

8. The sample manager of claim 6, wherein the needle includes a first end and an opposite end with a tip, and further comprising a valve system for selectively coupling the first pump and second pump to the needle, the valve system fluidically coupling the first pump to the outlet port of the fluidic tee and the second pump to the first end of the needle, the first and second pumps cooperating to move the process sample into the needle through the needle'"'"'s tip.

9. The sample manager of claim 8, further comprising a back pressure regulator operatively coupled to the pumping system to maintain a constant fluidic pressure between the pumps attributable to a difference in flow rates produced by the pumps.

10. The sample manager of claim 8, wherein, after the process sample moves into the needle, the second pump reverses pumping direction to push the process sample out of the needle into the fluidic tee through the second inlet port.

11. The sample manager of claim 1, wherein a dilution ratio of the dilution is determined by flow rates of the diluent and the process sample into the fluidic tee.

12. The sample manager of claim 1, further comprising a mixer coupled to the outlet port of the fluidic tee to provide mixing of the process sample with the diluent.

13. A liquid chromatography system, comprising:

a solvent delivery system producing a solvent stream; and

an online sample manager in fluidic communication with the solvent delivery system to receive the solvent stream therefrom and to introduce a diluted process sample into the solvent stream, the sample manager including;

a fluidic tee having a first inlet port, a second inlet port, and an outlet port;

a diluent pump moving diluent from a diluent source to the first inlet port of the fluidic tee;

a valve having a fluidic intake port connected to a process source for acquiring a process sample therefrom; and

a pumping system moving the acquired process sample acquired from the valve into the second inlet port of the fluidic tee where the process sample merges with the diluent arriving at the first inlet port to produce a diluted process sample, the diluted process sample flowing out from the outlet port of the fluidic tee to an injection site where the diluted process sample can be introduced to the solvent stream.

14. The liquid chromatography system of claim 13, wherein the valve includes a plurality of fluidic intake ports, at least two of the fluidic intake ports being coupled to a different process source for acquiring process samples therefrom.

15. The liquid chromatography system of claim 14, wherein the valve can be configured to select any one of the fluidic intake ports that are coupled to a process source, thereby selecting the process source that is coupled to the selected fluidic intake port.

16. The liquid chromatography system of claim 14, wherein one or more of the plurality of fluidic intake ports is connected to a source of wash.

17. The liquid chromatography system of claim 13, wherein the valve acquires the process sample approximately in real time from the process source while the process source is running

18. The liquid chromatography system of claim 13, wherein the sample manager further comprises a needle adapted to move into and out of the second inlet port, and wherein the pumping system includes a first pump coupled to the valve for drawing the process sample from the process source and moving the process sample into the needle, and a second pump for pushing the process sample moved into the needle by the first pump out of the needle into the fluidic tee through the second inlet port.

19. The liquid chromatography system of claim 18, wherein the sample manager further comprises a valve system for selectively coupling the first pump and second pump to the needle, the valve system fluidically coupling the first pump to a first end of the needle so that the first pump can push the process sample into the needle, the valve system subsequently fluidically coupling the second pump to the first end of the needle, after the first pump pushes the process sample into the needle, so that the second pump can push the process sample out of the needle into the fluidic tee through the second inlet port.

20. The liquid chromatography system of claim 18, wherein the needle includes a first end and an opposite end with a tip, and further comprising a valve system for selectively coupling the first pump and second pump to the needle, the valve system fluidically coupling the first pump to the outlet port of the fluidic tee and the second pump to the first end of the needle, the first and second pumps cooperating to move the process sample into the needle through the needle'"'"'s tip.

21. The liquid chromatography system of claim 20, further comprising a back pressure regulator operatively coupled to the pumping system to maintain a constant fluidic pressure between the pumps attributable to a difference in flow rates produced by the pumps.

22. The liquid chromatography system of claim 20, wherein, after the process sample moves into the needle, the second pump reverses pumping direction to push the process sample out of the needle into the fluidic tee through the second inlet port.

23. The liquid chromatography system of claim 18, wherein a dilution ratio of the dilution is determined by flow rates of the diluent and the process sample into the fluidic tee.

24. The liquid chromatography system of claim 13, further comprising a mixer connected between the outlet port of the fluidic tee and the injection site to provide mixing of the process sample with the diluent.

25. A method for sampling a process source, comprising:

connecting a fluidic intake port of a valve to a process source to acquire process samples therefrom;

moving diluent from a diluent source to a first inlet port of a fluidic tee;

moving a process sample, acquired from the process source, from the fluidic intake port of the valve into a second inlet port of the fluidic tee where the process sample merges with the diluent and produces a diluted process sample; and

moving the diluted process sample from an outlet port of the fluidic tee to an injection site where the diluted process sample can be introduced to a solvent stream.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising rotating the valve to select a second fluidic intake port coupled to a different process source for acquiring process samples therefrom.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of acquiring the process sample from the process source occurs approximately in real time while the process source is running

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

moving the process sample into a needle adapted to move into and out of the second inlet port, and

pushing the process sample out of the needle into the second inlet port of the fluidic tee.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the needle includes a tip and a first end opposite the tip, the step of moving the process sample into the needle includes moving the process sample into the needle through the first end opposite the tip, and the step of pushing the process sample out of the needle includes pushing the process sample out of the needle through the tip.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the needle includes a tip, the step of moving the process sample into the needle includes moving the process sample into the needle through the tip, and the step of pushing the process sample out of the needle includes pushing the process sample out of the needle through the tip.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising maintaining a constant fluidic pressure when moving the process sample into the needle.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein a dilution ratio of the diluted process sample is determined by flow rates of the diluent and the process sample into the fluidic tee.