METHOD OF CALIBRATING A CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEM

• US 20140260509A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dionex Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Christopher A. Pohl
• Inventors: POHL, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,802,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/02 Column chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/8665 for calibrating the measuring apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/8668 using retention times

Abstract

A method of calibrating, a chromatography system is described. The method includes injecting a standard into a chromatographic separator. The standard including a first analyte having a first calibrant concentration and a second analyte having a second calibrant concentration. The standard can be separated in the chromatographic separator and measured with a detector. The method automatically identifies whether the first peak corresponds to the first analyte or the second analyte and whether the second peak corresponds to the first analyte or the second analyte, based on either an area or a peak height of the first peak and the second peak, and a ratio based on the first calibrant concentration and the second calibrant concentration.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating a chromatography system, the method comprising:

injecting a standard into a chromatographic separator, the standard comprising;

a first analyte having a first calibrant concentration and a second analyte having a second calibrant concentration;

separating the standard in the chromatographic separator;

measuring, with a detector, a first peak and a second peak that have a first retention time and a second retention time, respectively; and

automatically identifying whether the first peak corresponds to the first analyte or the second analyte, and whether the second peak corresponds to the first analyte or the second analyte, based on either an area or a peak height of the first peak and the second peak, and a ratio based on the first calibrant concentration and the second calibrant concentration.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating a first analyte time interval and a second analyte time interval based on the first retention time and the second retention time;

injecting a sample into the chromatographic separator, the sample comprising a first analyte and a second analyte;

separating the sample in the chromatographic separator;

measuring, with the detector, a third peak and a fourth peak that have a third retention time and a fourth analyte retention time, respectively;

automatically outputting that the third peak corresponds to the first analyte where the third retention time falls within the first analyte time interval or that the third peak corresponds to the second analyte where the third retention time falls within the second analyte time interval;

automatically outputting that the fourth peak corresponds to the first analyte where the fourth retention time falls within the first analyte time interval or that the fourth peak corresponds to the second analyte where the fourth retention time falls within the second analyte time interval.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the first analyte time interval has a first upper limit and a first lower limit, the first upper limit being the first retention time plus a first predetermined proportion of the first retention time and the first lower limit being the first retention time minus the first predetermined proportion of the first retention time.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the first predetermined proportion ranges from about 0.05 to about 0.2.

5. The method of claim 2, in which the second analyte time interval has a second upper limit and a second lower limit, the second upper limit being the second retention time plus a second predetermined proportion of the second retention time and the second lower limit being the second retention time minus the second predetermined proportion of the second retention time.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the second predetermined proportion ranges from about 0.05 to about 0.2.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

automatically outputting a first analyte concentration and a second analyte concentration of the sample based on an area or a peak height of the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

repeating the step of injecting the standard;

repeating the step of separating the standard in the chromatographic separator;

measuring, with a detector, a fifth peak and a sixth peak that have a fifth retention time and a sixth retention time, respectively;

re-calculating the first analyte time interval and the second analyte time interval based on the fifth retention time and the sixth retention time.

9. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising:

outputting a message on a computer screen that the chromatographic separator needs replacement when an absolute difference between the fifth retention time and the first retention time is greater than a first predetermined threshold or an absolute difference between the sixth retention time and the second retention time is greater than a second predetermined threshold.

10. The method claim 1, in which the standard is contained in a container, the container having a RFID tag, the method further comprising:

polling the RFID tag to determine an identity of the first analyte and the second analyte, and the first calibrant concentration and the second calibrant concentration.

11. A method of identifying a type of chromatography column, the method comprising:

injecting a standard into a chromatographic separator, the standard comprising;

a first analyte having a first calibrant concentration, a second analyte having a second calibrant concentration, a third analyte having a third calibrant concentration;

separating the standard in the chromatographic separator;

measuring, with a detector, at least two peaks where each one has a retention time, a peak height, and a peak area;

automatically identifying whether a first peak corresponds to the first analyte, the second analyte, the third analyte, or a combination thereof, whether a second peak corresponds to the first analyte, the second analyte, the third analyte, or a combination thereof, whether a third peak is present and if so whether the third peak corresponds to the first analyte, the second analyte, or the third analyte, based on either an area or a height of the measured peaks, and one or more ratios based on the first, second, and third calibrant concentrations;

automatically identifying the type of chromatography column based on an elution order of the first, second, and third analytes.