Leakage checking and calibrating of a liquid delivery system

• US 7,685,866 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissgerber, Hans-Georg, Choikhet, Konstantin, Bierbaum, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
• Application Number:
  US11/221,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 73/46
• US Class Current: 73/46
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 11/0075 connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/324 speed, flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/326 pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/32 of pressure or speed G01N30/36 takes precedence

Abstract

A liquid delivery system having at least one channel, at least one valve within that channel, at least one flow sensing device within that channel, and a pressure source downstream of the valve capable for generating variable pressures.

Claims

1. A method of leakage checking of a valve of a liquid delivery system comprising at least one channel, having the valve and a flow sensing device, and a pressure source arranged downstream of the at least one channel and being capable of generating variable pressures, the method comprising:

pressurizing the at least one channel with the pressure source;

measuring a value of flow rate within the at least one channel with the flow sensing device; and

comparing the measured value of flow rate for at least two different pressure values provided by the pressure source or to a known zero point value of the flow sensing device; and

deriving an indication of leakage of the valve from the comparison of the measured flow rates.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising any one of the following:

the method further comprising setting a flow source to zero flow prior to pressurizing the at least one channel;

the method further comprising depressurizing the at least one channel prior to pressurizing the at least one channel;

wherein the measured value of flow rate for at least two different pressure values is obtained by measuring the flow rate within the at least one channel of the liquid delivery system with the flow sensing device, at least once while executing pressurization;

wherein the measured value of flow rate is obtained by using averaged, filtered, or otherwised processed readings of multiple measurements during execution of the method of claim 1;

wherein the measured value of flow rate is obtained by measuring the flow rate within the at least one channel with the flow sensing device at least once at the same flow rate setting of the flow source;

wherein the at least one channel comprises at least a first and second channel, and wherein pressurizing the at least one channel with the pressure source and measuring a value of flow rate within the at least one channel with the flow sensing device comprise;

pressurizing the second channel to a first pressure p1;

delivering a first flow q1 into the first channel with the flow source;

measuring the flow rate within the first channel with the flow rate sensors;

pressurizing the second channel to a second pressure p2; and

measuring the flow rate within the first channel with the flow rate sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising comparing the measured flow rate values before and after the valve opens accordingly.