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US 2007/0183928 A1Published application
Variable flow rate system for column chromatography
AssigneeEksigent Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid Neyer, David Rakestraw, Christopher Bailey, Karen Hahnenberger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A chromatography system having continuously variable sources of fluid pressure and a controller to control the flow rates of one or more carrier fluids during an HPLC separation, the controller being responsive to the rate of analyte elution from a sample.
Claims19
A chromatography system for analyzing a sample, comprising:
- (a) a first source of continuously variable fluid pressure for applying pressure to a first carrier fluid;
- (b) a first chromatography column having an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inlet end of the chromatography column is in fluid communication with the first source of continuously variable fluid pressure;
- (c) a first detector in fluid communication with the outlet end of the first chromatography column;
- and
- (d) one or more controllers in electrical communication with the first source of continuously variable fluid pressure and with the first detector, wherein the one or more controllers comprise circuitry for:
- (i) receiving sample data from the first detector;
- (ii) determining a desired flow rate for the first carrier fluid based on the sample data;
- and
- (iii) adjusting the pressure applied by the first source of continuously variable fluid pressure to achieve the desired flow rate for the first carrier fluid.
6 more elements
A chromatography system for analyzing a sample, comprising:
- (a) a first source of continuously variable fluid pressure for applying pressure to a first carrier fluid;
- (b) a first flowmeter in fluid communication with the first source of continuously variable fluid pressure;
- and
- (c) one or more controllers in electrical communication with the first source of continuously variable fluid pressure and with the first flowmeter, wherein the one or more controllers comprise circuitry for:
- (i) receiving sample data from a first detector;
- (ii) utilizing the sample data to determine an optimized flow rate for the first carrier fluid for analyzing the sample in a desired period of time or in a manner which allows a desired amount or quality of sample data to be obtained;
- (iii) receiving flow rate data from the first flowmeter;
- (iv) comparing the flow rate data to the optimized carrier fluid flow rate;
- and
- (v) adjusting the pressure applied by the first source of continuously variable fluid pressure to achieve the optimized flow rate for the first carrier fluid.
7 more elements
A method for performing a chromatography procedure, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying pressure from a first source of continuously variable fluid pressure to a first carrier fluid in order to flow the first carrier fluid at a first flow rate of less than about 100 μL/min;
- (b) contacting the sample with the first carrier fluid;
- (c) flowing the sample and the carrier fluid through a chromatography column;
- (d) analyzing components of the sample with a detector, thereby generating sample data;
- (e) processing the sample data with one or more controllers to determine whether the rate at which analytes are being detected by the detector is greater than a predetermined maximum rate or is less than a predetermined rate at which the detector can analyze analytes;
- (f) determining a second flow rate for the first carrier fluid with the one or more controllers when the rate at which analytes are being detected by the detector is greater than the predetermined maximum rate or is less than the predetermined rate at which the detector can analyze analytes, wherein the second flow rate results in a flow of analytes into the detector which is less than the predetermined maximum rate or is greater than the predetermined rate at which the detector can analyze analytes;
- and
- (g) changing the pressure applied by the first source of continuously variable fluid pressure and thereby changing the flow rate of the first carrier fluid from the first flow rate to the second flow rate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.