# US 12,000,813 B2 · Gas chromatograph

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- Number: US 12,000,813 B2
- Document ID: US12000813B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/781,593
- Filed: 2020-02-28
- Published: 2023-01-05
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-28
- Assignees: Shimadzu Corporation
- Applicants: Shimadzu Corporation
- Inventors: Masashi Yamane; Kiyonori Koga
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000813B2

## CPC

- G01N 30/26: Conditioning of the fluid carrier; Flow patterns
- G01N 30/8658: {Optimising operation parameters}
- G01N 30/32: of pressure or speed (G01N30/36 takes precedence)
- G01N 30/54: Temperature
- G01N 30/64: Electrical detectors
- G01N 30/72: Mass spectrometers {(mass spectrometers per se H01J49/00)}
- G01N 2030/324: {speed, flow rate}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A gas chromatograph is provided with: a sample gas generator; a separation column; a detector; a plurality of gas supply sources; a switching unit; a regulator; and an out-of-gas determination unit. After the out of gas determination unit has determined that the out of gas has occurred in the gas supply source supplying the carrier gas to the sample gas generator, it is configured to perform a column protection operation for changing the gas supply source fluidly connected to the sample gas generator by the switching unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas chromatograph comprising: a sample gas generator configured to generate a sample gas from an injected sample;
a separation column fluidly connected to an outlet of the sample gas generator, the separation column being configured to separate components in the sample gas generated by the sample gas generator;
a detector fluidly connected to an outlet of the separation column, the detector being configured to detect the components separated in the separation column;
a plurality of gas supply sources each configured to supply a carrier gas for carrying the sample gas generated by the sample gas generator to the separation column;
a switching unit fluidly connected to the plurality of gas supply sources, the switching unit being configured to switch such that one of the plurality of gas supply sources is fluidly connected to the sample gas generator;
a regulator interposed between the switching unit and the sample gas generator, the regulator being configured to regulate a gas supply pressure from the gas supply source and a gas supply flow rate to the sample gas generator; and
an out-of-gas determination unit configured to determine whether or not out of gas has occurred in the gas supply source supplying the carrier gas to the sample gas generator, based on the gas supply pressure or the gas supply flow rate,
wherein after the out-of-gas determination unit has determined that the out of gas has occurred in the gas supply source supplying the carrier gas to the sample gas generator, it is configured to perform a column protection operation for changing the gas supply source fluidly connected to the sample gas generator by the switching unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas chromatograph as recited in claim 1, wherein the out-of-gas determination unit is configured to determine that the out of gas has occurred when a state in which the gas supply pressure or the gas supply flow rate is equal to or less than a threshold set in advance has continued for a predetermined time.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The gas chromatograph as recited in claim 2,
wherein the threshold is set based on a set value of the gas supply pressure or the gas supply flow rate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The gas chromatograph as recited in claim 1, wherein the switching unit detects the gas supply pressure, and wherein the out-of-gas determination unit is provided as a function of the switching unit and is configured such that when determining that the out of gas has occurred in the gas supply source, the switching unit automatically changes the gas supply source fluidly connected to the sample gas generator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The gas chromatograph as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit configured to notify a user of an occurrence of the out of gas when the out-of-gas determination unit has determined that the out of gas has occurred in the gas supply source.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The gas chromatograph as recited in claim 5,
wherein the notification unit is configured to notify a user that when the column protection operation is performed, the gas supply source fluidly connected to the sample gas generator has been changed in accordance with the column protection operation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The gas chromatograph as recited in claim 5, further comprising:
a gas type storage unit configured to store a type of a gas supplied from each of the plurality of gas supply sources connected to the switching unit; and
a gas type identification unit configured to recognize a state of the switching unit and identify the type of the carrier gas which is being supplied to the sample gas generator based on the state of the switching unit and information stored in the gas type storage unit,
wherein the notification unit is configured to notify the user of the gas type of the carrier gas after the column protection operation is performed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The gas chromatograph as recited in claim 6, further comprising:
a condition setting unit configured to set the gas type of the carrier gas as an analysis condition, based on information inputted by the user;
a condition storage unit configured to store an analysis condition set by the condition setting unit; and
a controller configured to control operations of the switching unit and the regulator based on the analysis condition stored in the condition storage unit.