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US 10,481,137 B2Granted
Chromatographic system temperature control system
AssigneeValco Instruments Company, L.P.
InventorsStanley D. Stearns, Huamin Cai, Chris Bishop, Robert Simpson, Chris S. Cowles, Dale Ashworth, Douglas Dailey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A temperature controller for simultaneously controlling the temperatures of a plurality of heating elements for use in chromatographic analysis including columns, detectors, valves, transport lines and other components.
Claims6
A chromatographic temperature control system, comprising:
- a processor, a first electrically-controlled heating element output, a second electrically-controlled heating element output, a first temperature sensor input, and a second temperature sensor input;
- the processor adapted to receive a first temperature sensor signal at the first temperature sensor input and to construct a first actual time-temperature profile;
- the processor adapted to receive a second temperature sensor signal at the second temperature sensor input and to construct a second actual time-temperature profile;
- the processor adapted to receive a first time-temperature profile for a first chromatographic component;
- the processor adapted to receive a second time-temperature profile for a second chromatographic component selected from the group of the first time-temperature profile and a first actual time-temperature profile of the first chromatographic component;
- the processor having a first power supply control for controlling a first output from a power supply to the first electrically-controlled heating element output;
- the processor having a second power supply control for controlling a second output from the power supply to the second electrically-controlled heating element output;
- the processor adapted to alter the first output from the power supply so the first actual time-temperature profile approaches the first time-temperature profile;
- and
- the processor adapted to alter the second output from the power supply so the second actual time-temperature profile approaches the second time-temperature profile.
7 more elements
A method for controlling at least two chromatographic components in a chromatographic system, comprising:
- determining a power/temperature relationship for a first component;
- determining a power/temperature relationship for a second component;
- receiving a time/temperature profile for the first component;
- receiving an input whether a time/temperature profile for the second component will track an actual time/temperature profile of the first component;
- applying power to the first component to alter the temperature of the first component according to the power-temperature relationship for the first component;
- obtaining a temperature measurement of the first component;
- constructing an actual time-temperature profile of the first component;
- adjusting the power supplied to the first component to alter the temperature of the first component according to the power-temperature relationship for the first component as determined by the temperature measurement of the first component;
- applying power to the second component to alter the temperature of the second component according to one of the power-temperature relationship for the first component and the actual time-temperature profile of the first component;
- obtaining a temperature measurement of the second component;
- and
- adjusting the power supplied to the first component to alter the temperature of the second component according to one of the power-temperature relationship for the first component and the actual time-temperature profile of the first component as determined by the temperature measurement of the second component.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.