Hand portable thin-layer chromatography system

• US 6,096,205 A
• Filed: 05/13/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Haas, Jeffrey S., Jensen, Wayne A., Kelly, Fredrick R., Wiefel, Michael H., Bushman, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walker, W. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OCAMPO, MARIANNE S
• Application Number:
  US09/078,313
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 210/198.3, 210/198.2, 210/658, 436/162, 422/61, 422/70, 422/101, 422/104, 294/27.1, 294/143, 396/565, 396/587
• US Class Current: 210/198.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/0095 Separation specially adapted for use outside laboratory, e.g. field sampling, portable equipments
• 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 30/90 Plate chromatography, e.g. thin layer or paper chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/92 Construction of the plate
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/94 Development
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/95 Detectors specially adapted therefor; Signal analysis

Abstract

A hand portable, field-deployable thin-layer chromatography (TLC) unit and a hand portable, battery-operated unit for development, illumination, and data acquisition of the TLC plates contain many miniaturized features that permit a large number of samples to be processed efficiently. The TLC unit includes a solvent tank, a holder for TLC plates, and a variety of tool chambers for storing TLC plates, solvent, and pipettes. After processing in the TLC unit, a TLC plate is positioned in a collapsible illumination box, where the box and a CCD camera are optically aligned for optimal pixel resolution of the CCD images of the TLC plate. The TLC system includes an improved development chamber for chemical development of TLC plates that prevents solvent overflow.

Claims

1. A hand portable thin-layer chromatography system, comprising:

a portable housing unit containing a solvent tank for performing thin-layer chromatography, and a plurality of chambers for storing tools for performing thin-layer chromatography;

a removable holder basket that fits into the solvent tank for holding a plurality of thin-layer chromatography plates said basket having a unitary body comprising two parallel sides and a bottom portion, wherein at least one side of the holder basket has an opening that allows fluid flow into the holder basket; and

a top cover for the housing unit.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a stencil for marking thin-layer chromatography plates, wherein the stencil fits into a chamber for storing tools in the housing unit.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the stencil includes a straight edge and a right angle with edges that fit over a corner of a chromatography plate.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the tool chambers is designed to hold a plurality of thin-layer chromatography plates.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the tool chambers is designed to hold a plurality of pipettes for thin-layer chromatography.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the tool chambers is designed to hold a container for a thin-layer chromatography solvent.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing unit contains a window for visually monitoring solvent level in the solvent tank.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one movable foot plate on the bottom of the housing unit to stabilize the housing unit.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the sides of the holder basket have openings such that the sides of the chromatography plates do not touch the sides of the holder basket.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottom of the holder basket has an opening that allows fluid flow into the holder basket.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing contains a slidable door to remove chromatography plates from one of the tool chambers.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing unit has dimensions less than about 6 cm×

16 cm×

16 cm.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the top cover is a gasket-sealed, screw-down cover.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the holder basket has a plurality of separators at the bottom of the basket holder to prevent the chromatography plates from touching each other.