US 12,051,582 B2Granted

Coaxial introduction of calibrant in a flow path with analyte to an ion source

AssigneeWaters Technologies Corporation

InventorsMichael O. Fogwill, Joseph D. Michienzi, Sylvain Gilles Cormier

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Abstract

Exemplary embodiments may deploy a valve that introduces a sample of a calibrant coaxially with flow exiting a source of a mobile phase flow, such as a liquid chromatography (LC) column, on a path to an ion source for the mass spectrometer (MS). The valve may be positioned remotely on a branch that has a junction with the path leading form the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source. Alternatively, the valve may be positioned in line on the flow path from the source of the mobile phase flow to the ion source of the MS. A novel five port valve design may be employed. With this valve design, a first position of the valve allows a sample loop for the calibrant to be filled. In a second position, the calibrant is added coaxially to the flow from the source of the mobile phase to the MS. In a third position of the valve, diversion of or infusion to a post-source flow is enabled.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A valve, comprising:

a disk rotor with a first pair of ports, a second pair of ports, a central port, a peripherally situated trace and a radially extending trace that is positioned to extend from the central port;
a disk stator having a trace;
the disk rotor being rotationally coupled to the disk stator, wherein the disk rotor and the disk stator are rotationally coupled to have:
a load position in which the trace of the disk stator is positioned to connect the first pair of ports, the peripherally situated trace of the disk rotor is positioned to connect the second pair of ports and the central port is not connected to another one of the ports,
an inject position in which the trace of the disk stator is positioned to connect the first pair of ports, the peripherally situated trace connects one of the first pair of ports and the central port is not connected to another one of the ports, and
a divert position in which the trace of the disk stator is positioned to connect the first pair of ports so that mobile phase is received from a mobile phase source and the radially extending trace of the disk rotor is positioned to connect the central port with one of the ports of the first pair of ports to divert at least some of the mobile phase out of the central port to a destination.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/468,380Filed 15 Sep 2023 · continuation
Priority: 14 Apr 2020
Published: US 2024/0079223 A17 Mar 2024
Granted: 30 Jul 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H01J 49/0431
Arrangements for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed, e.g. vacuum locks; Arrangements for external adjustment of electron- or…: for…
H01J 49/0495
Arrangements for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed, e.g. vacuum locks; Arrangements for external adjustment of electron- or…:…
G01N 30/7206
Mass spectrometers: interfaced to gas chromatograph
G01N 30/7233
Mass spectrometers: interfaced to liquid or supercritical fluid chromatograph

Family

Application63/009,683Us provisional application · filed 14 Apr 2020
Application17/230,793Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Apr 2021
US 2024/0079223 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Mar 2024
US 11,764,049 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0319995 A1Published application
US 12,051,582 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.