US 10,054,569 B2Granted

Method and system for liquid chromatography fluidic monitoring

AssigneeThermo Finnigan LLC

InventorsTao Song, John E. Brann, Joseph J. Takarewski, Eric A. France

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Abstract

A method for monitoring a fluidic system of a liquid chromatography system is characterized by: (a) drawing a fluid into a syringe pump; (b) configuring a valve so as to fluidically couple the pump to either a fluidic pathway through the fluidic system or to a plug that prevents fluid flow; (c) causing the syringe pump to progressively compress the fluid therein or expel the fluid to the fluidic pathway, while measuring a pressure of the fluid; (d) determining a profile of the variation of the measured pressure; (e) comparing the determined profile to an expected profile that depends upon the fluid; and (f) providing a notification of a sub-optimal operating condition or malfunction if the determined profile varies from the expected profile by greater than a predetermined tolerance.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of balancing fluid pressure between a first portion and a second portion of a fluidic system of a liquid chromatography system, the first and second fluidic system portions fluidically coupled to first and second inlet ports, respectively, of a first valve that comprises a first configuration by which fluids from both the first and second portions are combined and directed to an outlet line and a second configuration by which only fluid from the second portion is directed to the outlet line, wherein, initially, the first valve is in its second configuration such that only the second portion is initially fluidically coupled to the outlet line at a fluid pressure that is greater than a fluid pressure of the first portion, the method characterized by:

(a) configuring a multiport selection valve of the first portion so as to fluidically couple a syringe pump of the first portion to a port of the multiport selection valve to which is affixed a plug that prevents fluid flow through said port;
(b) compressing a fluid within the syringe pump so that a reading of a first pressure sensor matches a reading of a second pressure sensor, wherein the first and second pressure sensors measure fluid pressure within the first and second portions, respectively;
(c) configuring the multiport selection valve, with the reading of the first pressure sensor matching the reading of the second pressure sensor, so as to fluidically couple the syringe pump to a fluid line of the first portion of the fluidic system and to the first inlet port of the first valve;
and
(d) placing the first valve in its first configuration such both the first and second portions of the fluidic system are fluidically coupled to the outlet line and to an analytical chromatographic column to which the outlet line is coupled.

2 more elements

A method of balancing fluid pressure between a first portion and a second portion of a fluidic system of a liquid chromatography system, the first and second fluidic system portions fluidically coupled to first and second inlet ports, respectively, of a first valve that comprises a first configuration by which fluids from both the first and second portions are combined and directed to an outlet line and a second configuration by which only fluid from the second portion is directed to the outlet line, wherein, initially, the first valve is in its second configuration such that only the second portion is initially fluidically coupled to the outlet line at a fluid pressure that is less than a fluid pressure of the first portion, the method characterized by:

(a) configuring a multiport selection valve of the second portion so as to fluidically couple a syringe pump of the second portion to a port of the multiport selection valve to which is affixed a plug that prevents fluid flow through said port;
(b) compressing a fluid within the syringe pump so that a reading of a second pressure sensor matches a reading of a first pressure sensor, wherein the first and second pressure sensors measure fluid pressure within the first and second portions, respectively;
(c) configuring the multiport selection valve, with the reading of the second pressure sensor matching the reading of the first pressure sensor, so as to fluidically couple the syringe pump to a fluid line of the second portion of the fluidic system and to the second inlet port of the first valve;
and
(d) placing the first valve in its first configuration such both the first and second portions of the fluidic system are fluidically coupled to the outlet line and to an analytical chromatographic column to which the outlet line is coupled.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/353,278Filed 25 Apr 2012 · continuation in part
Priority: 29 Oct 2010
Published: US 2014/0299542 A19 Oct 2014
Granted: 21 Aug 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01N 30/32
Control of physical parameters of the fluid carrier: of pressure or speed
G01M 3/2815
For pipes: using pressure measurements
G01N 30/88
Column chromatography: integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86
G01N 2030/326
Of pressure or speed: pumps