Cartridge system for effecting sample acquisition and introduction

• US 5,827,481 A
• Filed: 07/31/1997
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bente, H. Bryan, Glaser, Michael David
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Application Number:
  US08/903,014
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 422/63, 422/68.1, 422/70, 422/81, 422/100, 422/102, 422/103, 436/43, 436/52, 436/54, 436/161, 436/174, 436/180, 73/23.41, 73/51.55, 73/64.56, 73/863.12, 73/864.72, 73/864.91, 96/105, 96/106, 210/198.2
• US Class Current: 422/81
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/14 Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/22 in the gaseous state specially adapted for biological material G01N33/497; measuring breath flow A61B5/087
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/0095 Separation specially adapted for use outside laboratory, e.g. field sampling, portable equipments
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/126 evaporating sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8881 Modular construction, specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/12 by evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/16 Injection G01N30/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/117497 with a continuously flowing sample or carrier stream
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/119163 with aspirator of claimed structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A device for performing sample acquisition and introduction of a selectable quantity of the acquired sample to associated device such as an analytical instrument. The preferred embodiment of a the device includes a reservoir for reserving a quantity of sample, a sipper section having a nozzle for inserting an exposed orifice extending therefrom into a sample aggregation, a pump for forcing a quantity of sample from the sample aggregation through the nozzle and into the reservoir, a metering section having a selectably operable motive force unit and a metering unit for withdrawing a sample quantity to be analyzed from the reservoir and for causing the withdrawn sample quantity to be metered into at least one discrete sample quantity of selectable volume, a vaporization section having a vaporizing chamber for receiving the discrete sample quantity and a vaporizer for optionally causing the volatile components of the discrete sample quantity to be volatilized, and an interface which is connected to the vaporization chamber and adapted for insertion into the carrier fluid stream of the instrument. The vaporization chamber may be pneumatically coupled on demand to a carrier fluid stream whereby the metered or volitalized sample components may be rapidly introduced to the carrier fluid stream so as to effect a sample component/carrier fluid mixture.

Claims

1. A device for performing sample acquisition and introduction of a selectable quantity of an acquired sample to a carrier fluid stream in an analytical instrument, comprising:

a reservoir for reserving a quantity of the sample;

a sipper section having a nozzle for inserting an exposed orifice extending therefrom into the sample;

a pump for forcing the quantity of the sample through the nozzle and into the reservoir;

a metering section having a selectably operable motive force unit and a metering unit, for withdrawing a sample quantity to be analyzed from the reservoir and for causing the withdrawn sample quantity to be metered into at least one discrete sample quantity of selectable volume;

a vaporization section having a vaporizing chamber for receiving the discrete sample quantity; and

a pneumatic connector which is connected to the vaporization chamber and adapted for insertion into the carrier fluid stream of the instrument, whereby the vaporization chamber being pneumatically coupled on demand to the carrier fluid stream whereby the discrete sample components are introduced to the carrier fluid stream so as to effect a sample component/carrier fluid mixture.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a vaporizer operatively connected to the vaporization chamber for causing the volatile components of the discrete sample quantity to be volatilized in the vaporization chamber and whereby the discrete sample components are introduced to the carrier fluid stream.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sipper section includes a fluid nozzle operatively connected to the nozzle for insertion into an aggregation of the sample.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is present at a nozzle end of the device and the nozzle includes a nozzle shield that is removable from the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the nozzle shield may be removed by operation of an ejection means.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the metering section provides for accurate metering of an acquired sample into plural discrete amounts.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sample is conveyed in a combination of fluid transfer paths, components, and chambers of micro-miniature size that exhibit minimal dead volume.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a strip of data recording media.

9. An analytical instrument for performing an analysis of a sample, comprising:

a carrier fluid source in the analytical instrument for providing a controlled fluid stream of carrier fluid;

a sample acquisition and introduction device for performing sample acquisition and introduction of a selectable quantity of an acquired sample in the carrier fluid stream, including;

a reservoir for reserving a quantity of the sample;

a sipper section having a nozzle for inserting an exposed orifice extending therefrom into the sample;

a pump for forcing the quantity of the sample through the nozzle and into the reservoir;

a metering section having a selectably operable motive force unit and a metering unit, for withdrawing a sample quantity to be analyzed from the reservoir and for causing the withdrawn sample quantity to be metered into at least one discrete sample quantity of selectable volume;

a vaporization section having a vaporizing chamber for receiving the discrete sample quantity; and

a pneumatic connector which is connected to the vaporization chamber and adapted for insertion into the carrier fluid stream of the instrument, whereby the vaporization chamber being pneumatically coupled on demand to the carrier fluid stream, and whereby the discrete sample quantity is introduced to the carrier fluid stream so as to effect a sample/carrier fluid mixture; and

an interface for receiving the carrier fluid stream and the pneumatic connector for coupling the vaporization chamber to the carrier fluid stream so as to provide the sample/carrier fluid mixture.

10. The instrument of claim 9, further comprising a separation column connected to the instrument for receiving the sample/carrier fluid mixture and for separating the mixture into at least one sample component to be detected, and a detector connected to the separation column for detecting the sample component.