Passive solvent mixer for liquid chromatography
AssigneeWaters Technologies Corporation
InventorFabrice Gritti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described is a mixer for a liquid chromatography system. The mixer includes an inlet, an outlet, a first flow channel, and a second flow channel. The inlet receives a fluid flow to be mixed and the outlet provides the mixed fluid flow. Each of the two flow channels is coupled between the inlet and the outlet. The second flow channel includes an offset volume that delays fluid propagation through the second flow channel relative to the first flow channel. The offset volume includes a coiled channel which increases radial dispersion and decreases axial dispersion of a fluid flowing through the offset volume, thereby enabling a further reduction in periodic noise in a detector baseline signal as compared to known split flow mixers for liquid chromatography systems.
Claims13
A mixer for a chromatography system comprising:
- an inlet configured to receive a fluid flow;
- an outlet configured to provide the fluid flow;
- a first flow channel coupled between the inlet and the outlet;
- and
- a second flow channel coupled between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the second flow channel includes an offset volume configured to delay fluid propagation through the second flow channel relative to the first flow channel, the offset volume comprising a coiled channel, wherein the coiled channel is wound, arranged in a spiral shape and/or in a sequence in interconnected rings and wherein a radial dispersion of a fluid flow through the coiled channel is increased.
A liquid chromatography system comprising:
- a mixer comprising:
- an inlet configured to receive a solvent flow having a composition of at least two solvents;
- an outlet configured to provide the solvent flow;
- a first flow channel coupled between the inlet and the outlet;
- and
- a second flow channel coupled between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the second flow channel includes an offset volume configured to delay solvent propagation through the second flow channel relative to the first flow channel, the offset volume comprising a coiled channel, wherein the coiled channel is wound, arranged in a spiral shape and/or in a sequence in interconnected rings and wherein a radial dispersion of the solvent flow through the coiled channel is increased;
- an injector configured to receive the solvent flow from the mixer and to inject a sample into the solvent flow;
- and
- a chromatography column in fluid communication with the injector for performing a separation of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.