# US 2017/0284985 A1 · Automated fluid handling system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0284985 A1 - Document ID: US20170284985A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/624,547 - Filed: 2017-06-15 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2009-06-09 - Assignees: GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences AB - Applicants: Ge Healthcare Bio-Sciences AB - Inventors: Johan BLOMBERG; Mats LUNDKVIST - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284985A1 ## CPC - G01N 35/1097: {characterised by the valves (valves in general F16K)} - B01D 15/08: Selective adsorption, e.g. chromatography - B01D 15/10: characterised by constructional or operational features - B01D 15/102: {Process control, e.g. determination or optimization of process parameters; Programmable logic control [PLC]} - B01D 29/60: integrally combined with devices for controlling the filtration - G01N 30/24: Automatic injection systems - G01N 30/38: Flow patterns - G01N 30/88: Integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86 - B01D 17/12: Auxiliary equipment particularly adapted for use with liquid-separating apparatus, e.g. control circuits - B01D 2201/54: Computerised or programmable systems - G01N 2030/027: {Liquid chromatography} - G01N 2030/8804: {automated systems} - G01N 2030/8881: {Modular construction, specially adapted therefor} - G01N 2035/00326: {Analysers with modular structure} - Y10T 137/6416: With heating or cooling of the system - Y10T 137/6525: Air heated or cooled [fan, fins, or channels] - Y10T 137/6851: With casing, support, protector or static constructional installations - Y10T 137/85986: Pumped fluid control - Y10T 137/87885: Sectional block structure - 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) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Automated fluid handling system comprising a housing and two or more fluid handling units arranged as interchangeable modular components with an external fluidics section and an internal non fluidics section, and wherein the housing comprises a liquid handling panel with two or more of component positions for receiving said interchangeable modular components such that the external fluidics section is separated from the non fluidics section by the liquid handling panel. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-14. (canceled) ### Claim 15 An automated liquid chromatography system comprising: a housing unit, said housing unit comprising multiple fluid handling unit receiving positions arranged in a two dimensional array on the external surface of the housing unit; and multiple fluid handling units corresponding in size and shape to the fluid handling unit receiving positions, each fluid handling unit comprising an external section that is external to the housing unit when the fluid handling unit is arranged in a fluid handling unit receiving position, and an internal section that is internal to the housing unit when the fluid handling unit is arranged in a fluid handling unit receiving position, wherein the external section comprises one or more fluid connectors for connecting the fluid handling units arranged in the fluid handling unit receiving positions to a fluid flow path of the automated liquid chromatography system, and the internal section comprises an enclosure with one or more air inlet openings; wherein said automated liquid chromatography system is adapted to allow each fluid handling unit to be freely and independently positioned in any free fluid handling unit receiving position of the housing unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The automated liquid chromatography system of claim 15, wherein the two dimensional array comprises at least two rows and at least two columns. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The automated liquid chromatography system of claim 15, wherein the fluid handling unit receiving positions each include a connector for connecting each fluid handling unit to a system bus and wherein the fluid handling units each include a dedicated CPU allowing the fluid handling units to independently perform operations in response to instructions over a system bus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The automated liquid chromatography system of claim 15, wherein the liquid chromatography system comprises a master control unit arranged to automatically detect fluid handling units when inserted into the fluid handling unit receiving positions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The automated liquid chromatography system of claim 15, further comprising at least one dummy module. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The automated liquid chromatography system of claim 15, wherein the fluid handling units include at least one pump, at least one sensor unit and at least two fluid control valves of different configurations. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 15, wherein the housing unit includes at least four fluid handling unit receiving positions. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 15, wherein the liquid chromatography system further comprises at least one expansion housing module arranged to be attached to the housing unit, the at least one expansion housing module comprising at least two fluid handling unit receiving positions. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 15, further comprising a master control unit that is arranged to automatically perform automatic configuration on the system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 15, wherein the liquid chromatography system further comprises a pH electrode that is external to the housing unit. ### Claim 25 (depends on 26) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 26, wherein the pH electrode is connected to a pH valve formed as a fluid handling unit. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 17, wherein each fluid handling unit receiving position includes a complementary connector for connecting a bus connector of the fluid handling unit inserted therein to the system bus. ### Claim 27 (depends on 15) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 15, wherein the internal section of each fluid handling unit comprises electronics, electrical components, or control means. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 27, wherein the pH-valve comprises an integrated flow cell for in-line monitoring of pH levels. ### Claim 29 (depends on 15) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises a quaternary valve for automatic buffer preparation and formation of quaternary gradients formed as a fluid handling unit. ### Claim 30 (depends on 15) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 15, wherein the automated liquid chromatography system comprises a first fluid handling unit receiving position of a first size, and second fluid handling unit receiving position of a second size which is different than the first size, wherein fluid handling units of the same size are interchangeable with each other. ### Claim 31 An automated liquid chromatography system comprising: a main housing unit, said main housing unit comprising multiple fluid handling unit receiving positions arranged in a two dimensional array on the external surface of the main housing unit; an expansion housing unit, said expansion housing unit comprising multiple fluid handling unit receiving positions adjacent to the external surface of the main housing unit comprising the fluid handling unit receiving positions; and multiple fluid handling units corresponding in size and shape to the fluid handling unit receiving positions of the main housing unit and expansions housing unit, each first fluid handling unit comprising an external section that is external to the housing when the fluid handling unit is arranged in a fluid handling unit receiving position, and an internal section that is internal to the housing when the fluid handling unit is arranged in a fluid handling unit receiving position, wherein said automated liquid chromatography system is adapted to allow each fluid handling unit to be freely and independently positioned in any free fluid handling unit receiving position of the housing unit. ### Claim 32 (depends on 34) The liquid chromatograph system of claim 34, wherein the external section of the fluid handling units comprises one or more fluid connectors for connecting the fluid handling units arranged in the fluid handling unit receiving positions to a fluid flow path of the automated liquid chromatography system, and the internal section of the fluid handling units comprises an enclosure with one or more air inlet openings. ### Claim 33 (depends on 34) The automated liquid chromatography system of claim 34, wherein the fluid handling units each include a dedicated CPU allowing the fluid handling units to independently perform operations in response to instructions over a system bus. ### Claim 34 An automated liquid chromatography system comprising: a housing unit, said housing unit comprising multiple fluid handling unit receiving positions arranged in a two dimensional array on the external surface of the housing unit; and multiple fluid handling units corresponding in size and shape to the fluid handling unit receiving positions, each fluid handling unit comprising an external section that is external to the housing unit when the fluid handling unit is arranged in a fluid handling unit receiving position, and an internal section that is internal to the housing unit when the fluid handling unit is arranged in a fluid handling unit receiving position, wherein the external section comprises one or more fluid connectors for connecting the fluid handling units arranged in the fluid handling unit receiving positions to a fluid flow path of the automated liquid chromatography system; wherein the fluid handling units are arranged to be inserted into a fluid handling unit receiving position of the same size and shape from the external side of the housing unit and is attached into position by a retaining element accessible from the external side of the housing to allow the fluid handling unit to be readily exchanged with other fluid handling units of the same size and shape from the external side of the housing unit; and wherein said automated liquid chromatography system is adapted to allow each fluid handling unit to be freely and independently positioned in any free fluid handling unit receiving position of the housing unit. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The liquid chromatography system of claim 34, wherein the internal section comprises an enclosure with one or more air inlet openings. ### Claim 36 A liquid chromatography system comprising a plurality of fluid handling units for providing a controlled fluid flow through a chromatographic column, wherein at least one of the fluid handling units is a motorized rotary valve selected from: a) a column valve with integrated pressure sensors, comprising two or more pairs of column connection ports each for connecting a column there between an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the valve is configured for selective connection of a column connected to a pair of column connector ports by connecting the inlet port to one of the ports in the pair of column connector ports and the outlet port to the other port of the pair of column connector ports, and wherein the valve further comprises integrated pressure sensors integrated into the inlet and outlet ports of the valve, to measure the actual pressure over the connected column; b) a pH Valve with integrated pH cell and calibration inlet outlet, comprising integrated flow cell for in-line monitoring of pH levels, the valve being arranged to direct the flow to the pH electrode or to bypass the electrode; or c) an injection valve for injecting sample onto the column, comprising a manual sample inlet for manual sample loading using a syringe, a sample pump inlet for automated sample loading using a sample pump, a sample loop inlet and outlet for connecting a sample loop there between, and a column outlet for directing fluid flow to the column wherein the valve is configured for selective filling of the sample loop either automatically by connecting the sample pump inlet to the loop inlet, or manually by connecting the manual sample inlet to the loop inlet, and for selectively injecting a sample onto the column either by injecting a sample from the sample loop by connecting the sample loop outlet to the column outlet or by injecting sample directly from the sample pump by connecting the sample pump inlet to the column outlet.